HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-18-2016 Item 20, RowleyCOUNCILMEETING:
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Residents for Quality Neighborhoods RECEIVED
P.O. Box 12604 . San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
October 18, 2016 OCT 18 2016
RE: PH -1, Appeal of Planning Commission Denial of the Project Proposed for 22
Dear Mayor Marx and Members of the Council,
Residents for Quality Neighborhoods appreciates the opportunity to comment on the appeal of the
proposed project at 22 Chorro. RQN supports the residents of the neighborhoods in their
opposition to the proposed project and requests you uphold the findings of the Planning
Commission and deny the appeal for all of the reasons stated in Appendix A of the Staff Report.
The primary purpose of the Community -Commercial (C -C) zone is to provide a wide range of retail
sales and personal services within the context of pedestrian -oriented shopping to serve customers
from all over the city. Yet in this proposal the commercial component is last in line behind the
residential component and the tenant amenities, and is less than 5% of the project. The level of
commercial services expected in this zone is not present, thus depriving nearby residents and the
community -at -large convenient access to these services.
In addition, the interpretation of LUE 8.2.1 has been broadened beyond what was actually adopted.
When addressing the possible consideration of building height adjustments, the paragraph specifies
the North side of Foothill (where C -C backs up to office and high-density housing uses). If the
council had meant to include the south side of Foothill (where C -C backs up to low-density housing)
when they adopted this paragraph, they would have either included the word "south" or there
would be no mention of one side while excluding mention of the other.
This site has been undeveloped for several years and a project that respects the adjoining single -
story, low density neighborhood would be welcomed. However, this is not an appropriate project
for the site; a few of the reasons are stated below.
Height. The height of the project is markedly out of scale and incompatible with the adjacent
residential neighborhood and with nearby commercial establishments. Additionally, it allows for
overlook of neighboring properties from windows and stairways on several levels —thus depriving
adjacent residents of their privacy. Protection of the privacy and solar access of neighboring
buildings and outdoor areas, particularly where multistory buildings may overlook backyards of
adjacent dwellings, is and has been a been a core City policy for decades, and must not be dismissed
lightly.
Noise. Use of the second floor courtyard and, especially, the fourth floor deck will cause noise
disturbances for the surrounding neighborhoods. Noise from upper levels travels further than if the
outdoor space were at ground level or enclosed. This will be most noticeable at night when there is
less ambient noise. Nighttime noise and the interruption of sleep has been the single most
determinant reason why residents leave a neighborhood.
Parkin . It is our understanding that the idea behind shared parking reductions for mixed use
projects is that the different uses will have different schedules. That is not the case here. Even if
every tenant has a bicycle, one cannot assume the tenant does not, also, have a vehicle. Most will
have to park that vehicle off-site since there is a significant lack of on-site parking for the two-
bedroom units. This deficiency is compounded by the absence of guest parking spaces.
Additionally, the size of most of the bedrooms is sufficiently large that they can be divided. If this
were to happen, the number of vehicles parked elsewhere would be doubled. We found it
disconcerting to learn that 80 bicycle storage spaces and 33 outdoor bicycle spaces (total 113) were
planned for 23 two-bedroom units and 4 studios as it appears the units will be more dense than we
anticipated. RQN was informed that a bedroom division occurred in the ICON project.
When residents opposed the ICON project on Taft, one of their concerns was that the generous -
sized bedrooms would be divided and that the two-bedroom design was a means to reduce the
parking requirements of four-bedroom units. Despite being conditioned by Council for two-
bedroom units only, ICON installed moveable walls to convert the units into four bedrooms —twice
that we know about. Residents identified the initial "adjustment" and a code case was opened.
After the case was closed ICON re -installed the partitions. Code enforcement was again notified and
a subsequent code case was opened.
Consequences of insufficient on-site parkin. Residents from the adjacent R-1 neighborhoods
stated on August 24, 2016, that their neighborhoods are already heavily parked from about 7:00 am
until 10:00 pm by individuals who could not find parking in current commercial lots. The spill-over
of vehicles from this project will not only exacerbate this situation in these neighborhoods, it will,
also, spread to and impact other neighborhoods nearby.
Residents stated that vehicles from outside of their neighborhood sometimes overlapped their
driveways, including by as much as a car length. This is an unsafe situation for pedestrians, bicyclists
and other vehicles both when these cars pull out to leave and when residents try to back out of their
driveways. One individual stated a vehicle belonging to someone she did not know parked in her
driveway, and the driver saw nothing wrong with doing so. With the number of vehicles that will
not be able to park on-site, this situation can only worsen for them and other adjacent
neighborhoods.
It's likely that this spill-over will occur for a full 24 hours a day since it is the residential component
that is seriously under parked. In addition, tenants wishing to drive downtown or to visit friends
may not return until 2-3:00 am. The slamming of vehicle doors and voices of vehicle occupants
wakens residents in other parts of town; it's reasonable to think it will occur here, too.
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Summary. At a time when we are trying to encourage balanced neighborhoods, why would we
approve a project that is so detrimental to the quality of life in neighborhoods that abut or are in
close proximity to the proposed project? These neighborhoods are balanced, containing both
permanent residents and students whose health, safety and welfare will be detrimentally affected if
this appeal is not denied.
We understand the need and desire for additional housing for individuals in all income brackets.
However, we believe we should stick to the growth management objectives in our recently adopted
Land Use Element to get there: The City shall manage its growth so that new residents can be
assimilated without disrupting the community's social fabric, safety, or established neighborhoods.
Thank you for your time and your consideration of this matter.
Sincerely,
Sandra Rowley
Chairperson, RQN
Attachment: References
REFERENCES
Purpose and Application (of Community Commercial zones),
(Table 1, page 1-28, Chapter 1, Land Use Element )
This designation provides for shopping centers to serve community -wide
needs. Community commercial areas are intended to be configured as
distinctive, pedestrian -oriented shopping centers and may accommodate
larger scale uses that are not appropriate in the Downtown Core.
Uses
■ Retail uses
. Personal service uses
■ Specialty uses (provided they do not detract from the Downtown as
the city's primary concentration of specialty stores)
■ Residential uses as part of mixed-use projects
■ Offices that provide "over-the-counter" services to customers
■ Professional offices, particularly above the ground floor
■ Public and quasi -public uses
Special Planning Areas
(Chapter 8, Pages 1-91/92, Land Use Element)
8.2.1. Foothill Boulevard / Santa Rosa Area
This area, which includes land on both sides of Foothill Boulevard between Chorro and Santa Rosa, is
currently developed as commercial centers that include highway and neighborhood serving
commercial uses. At the affected property owners' request, the boundary of this area on the north
side of Foothill (Emphasis added) may be extended to include one or more of the existing commercial
properties west of Chorro Street. The City shall work with property owners / developers to redevelop the
area as mixed use (either horizontal or vertical mixed use) to include a mix of uses as described under the
Neighborhood Commercial, Community Commercial and Medium High to High Density Residential
designations.
The non-residential component of the project should include elements that serve the nearby
neighborhoods.
Examples include:
■ specialty stores and services
■ food service
v entertainment, and
■ recreational facilities (except that movie theaters, nightclubs, bars/taverns and restaurants serving
alcohol after 11 pm shall be prohibited)
As part of this project, the City will evaluate adjustments to parking requirements to account for
predominant pedestrian and bike access. Building height adjustments in this area can also be
considered with mixed use development. Redevelopment plans shall include consideration of
improving the existing complex intersections of Foothill/Chorro/Broad, the desirability of modifying
Boysen at and through the property on the northeast corner of the area, and enhancement of
pedestrian, bicycle and transit connections across Foothill and Santa Rosa/Highway 1 and to the
campus. Anion other possible incentives, building height adjustments on the North side of Foothill
may be considered with mixed use development. (Emphasis added)
The Fire Station will be maintained or relocated within the area.
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Definition of and Property Development Standards for Community -Commercial parcels
Zoning Regulations
17.41.010 Purpose and Application.
The CC zone is intended to provide for a wide range of retail sales and personal services within the context of
distinctive, pedestrian -oriented shopping centers that serve customers and clients from all over the City. The
C -C zone implements and is consistent with the Community Commercial land use category of the General
Plan.
17.41.020 - Property Development Standards.
The property development standards for the C -C zone are as follows:
A. Maximum density: 36 density units per net acre (see Section 17.16.010).
B. Yards: See Section 17.16.020.
C. Maximum height: 35 feet (see also Sections 17.16.020 and 17.16.040).
D. Maximum coverage: 75 percent (see also Section 17.16.030).
E. Maximum floor area ratio: The ratio of gross floor area to site area shall not exceed 2.0.
F. Standard Lot Dimensions:
Minimum lot area: 6,000 square feet
Minimum lot width: 60 feet
Minimum lot depth: 90 feet
Minimum street frontage: 40 feet
G. Parking requirements: See Section 17.16.060.
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