HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-28-2017 - BoudJanuary 11, 2017 COUNCIL MEETING:_
ITEM NO.: FAN
2017
City of San Luis ObispoAttn: Mayor Harmon & City Counsel
990 Palm Street��-- ---
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Subject: City Priorities 2017
Following are two items of community interest that the City should examine and consider as
priority goals for 2017.
1. Downtown San Luis Obispo Enhancements
Situation: Downtown design concepts proposed by staff as well as thoughtful design
professionals have been kicked around for years, with few tangible results (mid -block flashing
light crosswalks, sidewalk widening corresponding to new project development, colored sidewalks
and ornamental street tree grates). However, downtown still suffers from "arterial divide".
Higuera Street, the principal shopping street, creates a nearly impassable, dangerous obstacle for
pedestrian flow and continuity in the downtown. Higuera Street is a high speed, three -lane arterial
with parallel parking on each side that completely segregates the pedestrian experience in our
downtown core.
Solution: As evidence of the super successful Farmer's Market on Thursday evenings and special
event street closures, no vehicles in the core provides a wonderful pedestrian experience and all
businesses benefit. Creation of a pedestrian only downtown, from Santa Rosa Street to Nipomo
Street (east to west) and Marsh Street to Monterey Street (south to north, or even further north to
Palm Street once the San Luis Hotel is completed in 2018) would be ideal. This would include the
minor streets within this boundary of Morro and Garden, but perhaps leaving Chorro Street as a
through street. The fact remains though, cars don't belong in any viable downtown.
Comment. Many other cities In CA and cities and towns throughout the world have a "pedestrian
only" downtown with vehicle parking on the perimeters (SLO is finally implementing this basic
parking strategy). Get out of your car and walk into the towns Except, as the Downtown
Association seems to still believe, having no vehicle street exposure and front of store parking
and delivery vehicles access and emergency services access would negatively affect everyone.
This is faulty thinking using tortured logic.
Failing a full closure of these streets, at the minimum,why not convert Higuera into a two-lane
street with angled parking (Santa Barbara, Palo Alto, San Anselmo, etc.). The result: traffic
calming, safer and more friendly pedestrian movement and, NO NET LOSS of street parking. In
fact, there would be an increase. Have the your Transportation Planners scale this out to confirm
my findings. Couple this with the San Luis Creek walkways and this is would be a winner for all.
2. Dalldlo Ranch/ Laguna Lake Golf Course.
Situation. The most current Dalidio property plan concept continues to address some of the
concerns of the City regarding appropriate land use planning, however, the latest plan stili
remains a boring 1960's strip mall and a permanent gateway eyesore.
olu ion. The City should explore the idea of swapping the Laguna Lake Golf Course with a
portion of the Dalidio property that would enable the development of a true Executive or 9 -hole
golf course. The present clubhouse is unusable and the course is vastly underutilized with a very
awkward fairway routing plan requiring expansive safety nets for errant balls.
Comment. This would result in an attractive green gateway to the City, in an area where land use
development is severely restricted by the airport flight zone requirements, the City's flood zone
regulations and various other standards in Elements of the General Plan. This wouldn't preclude
or eliminate the possibility of commercial development proximate to Dalideo Road and near the
Post Office to accommodate commercial balance demands and projected financial funding needs
for a Prado Road freeway overpass. And, transferring development rights to the Laguna Lake
Golf course area would enable an appropriate and compatible development mix of residential
densities on that property. The golf course property is ideal for this type of land use, as all pubic
service infrastructure is in place, similar residential uses are abutting, schools are nearby, and
circulation improvements, including a signal at Los Osos Valley Road, are present.
These above concepts have been brought to the attention of the City over the years at various
forums and community design workshops; however have yet to make the "priority" list. Perhaps
they can make the list in 2017!
Thank you for considering these suggestions.
Joseph Boud
San Luis Obispo, CA