HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-07-2017 Item 6, Vujovich-LaBarreCOUNCIL MEETII G: 6Z' O_1—Z-Ol%
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From: Mila Vujovich-LaBarre <
Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2017 1:21 PM
To: Harmon, Heidi; Pease, Andy; Gomez, Aaron; Rivoire, Dan;ED�
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Cc: Lichtig, Katie; Advisory Bodies
Subject: 22 Chorro
FEB 0 7 2017
February 7, 2017
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Dear Mayor Harmon and San Luis Obispo City Council Members, SLO CITY CLERK
Please support the citizens' appeal on 22 Chorro and deny the proposed project
It is my sincere belief that the project will provide significant unmitigable hazards to the health and
safety of our community. In addition, the four-story height of the proposed project will be an immense
eyesore to the community and detract from the public viewshed.
Tonight, you have the opportunity to be accountable to the public. This project can be denied if it will
adversely impact public safety. It undoubtedly will.
Traffic and Parking
On the matter of safety, it is going to be impossible for emergency services to be provided from the
local fire station located on North Chorro at peak traffic times. The developer's proposal to have a
mechanical lift for a majority of his parking is a "big city ruse." This is not a logical solution for that
particular, high-volume intersection that is that is "already operating below the established multi-
modal level of service standards." If a mechanical lift is to be part of any development, it should not
be at such an important intersection and hub for both City and county -wide traffic.
On any given morning or late afternoon, there are literally thousands of cars that pass through the
intersection at Chorro and Foothill. The ingress and egress for the development are positioned on
Chorro. Imagine for a moment that cars are arriving home at the end of the day queued up on Chorro
Street for 22 Chorro, coming from downtown, making a right hand turn into the parking lot, awaiting
the mechanical lift. Then, imagine cars also queued up from the turn lanes on Foothill onto Chorro,
again waiting for a turn to get into that same parking garage. Also, imagine that bike commuters and
pedestrians will be weaving through that traffic configuration.
Then imagine that a fire truck, from the fire station on the next block, needs to utilize Chorro Street.
There is simply not enough space to for a firetruck and emergency vehicles to get through. I have
personally taken people out to the site and measured with a simple tape measure. That is all they
need to see to be convinced that this project is a bad idea.
This may seem like a sophomoric analysis for some people, but it is an accurate one. Also, please
note that cars that will frequent 22 Chorro will not just be for residents that live in the development.
They will also be for patrons of the onsite commercial development, deliveries, and Uber drivers.
The developer touts that a bus stop in front of the location as an asset. In reality, it will further
complicate the congestion. The "bus pull out zone" that appears on the plans may look good on
paper, but it will cause traffic along Foothill and Chorro to be congested.
Also, there is virtually no overflow parking available to the project in the immediate neighborhood.
Sewer
There has also been a recent conversation that the sewer is at capacity and substandard for the area
of town where 22 Chorro is located. This development is in the zone where City staff admits there is
too little sewer capacity. Although these 100 residents will allegedly not all own cars according to the
developer, they will most certainly defecate and urinate and contribute to already overflowing sewer
pipes. Overflow sewage is another matter of health and safety that should be addressed.
Transparency in Politics for 22 Chorro
Furthermore, it is my hope that you as a City Council remain transparent in all of your dealings with
this particular developer. During a recent interview for a vacant position on the Planning Commission,
I was asked the question, "How do you feel about 22 Chorro?" The people on the interview team
knew that I had spoken out against the proposal. The woman who was appointed to the vacant
position was overtly in favor of the development.
In addition, it has come to my attention that a recently elected City Council member, Andrea "Andy"
Pease is having to recuse herself from the vote of this project. This is allegedly due to recent financial
dealings with people involved with 22 Chorro.
It appears to the public that her engagement was a shrewd business maneuver to affect the vote on
this appeal. While I understand that everyone needs to "make a living," the timing of this contract with
Ms. Pease makes people who oppose the project feel uncomfortable, awkward, and suspicious.
Public Viewshed
The public viewshed will be severely impacted by this structure. In the conversations on the Land Use
Circulation Element (LUCE) meetings, buildings of 2-3 stories were discussed in theory for the
opposite side of Foothill, not for the side adjacent to the one story residential homes. It is unfair to the
public to be subjected to this design and to the greed of the developer in the name of providing more
housing. These are high priced rental dorms that have a place on the Cal Poly campus - not adjacent
to an established neighborhood of one-story homes.
Proposed Public Improvements
In the LUCE discussions, in the name of public safety, and to promote biking and walking, a
pedestrian and/or bike overpass or underpass across Santa Rosa was discussed on more than one
occasion. In my recent conversation with the developer, he stated that he did not want any part of
building that amenity because it would be "too expensive." That is an improvement that should be
considered by City staff now if infill in that neighborhood is supported.
In closing, this project, as it is currently designed, should be denied and the residents' appeal upheld.
This development will be detrimental to the health, safety, and welfare of persons living in the vicinity.
The project will not be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and will have a detrimental
impact on the public viewshed.
Have the courage tonight to deny this mixed-use housing project.
Thank you!
Respectfully,
Mila Vujovich-La Barre
650 Skyline Drive
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405