HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-21-2017 Item 17, PinardCOUNCIL MEETING: RECEIVED
ITEM NO.: MAR 21 2017
SLO CITY CLERK
From: Peg Pinard [
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2017 4:34 PM
To: E-mail Council Website <emailcouncil@slocity.org>
Subject: Agenda Item #17
March 19, 2017
TO: San Luis Obispo City Council
RE: 3/21/2017 Council Meeting, "STUDY SESSION FOR OPEN SPACE HOURS OF USE
EVALUATION"
Dear Mayor Harmon and Council Members,
Before you is a proposal to degrade an important, long-standing Open SSpace Ordinance
protection of wildlife in the City's Natural Reserves. This protection requires that public access
to City Open Spaces shall be between one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. This has
allowed wildlife to move freely throughout the City's natural reserves at night. Our rules for the
use of Open Space have always been to respect the animals and their habitat, and to make sure
that our presence was the least intrusive.
This study session is for "Open Space, a "natural reserve"--- not a city "park." This is an
important distinction in terms of purpose and use!
It is critical that you consider this proposal within the strongly expressed will of CityResidents
to protect their City's Open Spaces.
Specifically,
The single highest budget priority of City residents in the City's massive 2014 General
Plan was to "Acquire and Maintain Open Space to Protect Peaks and Hillsides" ("Land
Use & Circulation Element" Survey)
2. Even more recently, City residents voted to tax themselves through Measure
G. The very first funding priority on the Measure G ballot was clearly stated as "Open
Space Preservation "
3. The previous City Council then honored the above vote by making "Protect and Maintain
Open Space" a highest City Gaal in its 2015-2017 Goal Setting and Budget process.
4. However, the subsequent City Council actuatly chose to delete "Open Space
Preservation" from its list of "Major City Goals" or, even, "other important objectives"
in it's 2017-2019 Goal Setting
Process.
It
has been very misleading to many City residents that they were promised the protection
of wildlife in our open space reserves when the city wanted the additional tax revenue
only to then witness a "bait and switch" when it came to implementation when the
council set
its "priorities".
This disappointment will
be even greater if this City Council also chooses the dubious distinction of being the only
Council to ever weaken an existing wildlife protection in the City's Open Space
Ordinance.
The General Plan's framework for discussion of this proposal is referenced in your Staff
report and critically includes the following:
"THE MAIN GOAL (of the city's open spaces) is to protect open space and WILDLIFE
HABITAT with a secondary goal of providing passive recreation.WHERE IT WILL NOT
HARM THE ENVIRONMENT". ( 2006 Conservation and Open Space Element)
2. "The city will consider allowing passive recreation (in protected open spaces) where it
will NOT DEGRADE OR SIGNIFICANTL Y IMPA CT OPEN SPACE RESOURCES and
where there are no significant neighborhood compatibility impacts..." ( 2006 COSE
3. On Open Space land that the city manages, the city may decide to permit more than one
type of activity or use. HOWEVER, where different uses may not be compatible, the
following priorities WILL GUIDE decisions;
PRIORITY 1: PROTECTION OF EXISTING LISTED SPECIES AND THEIR
EXISTING HABITAT...
PRIORITY 2: Public access and PASSIVE Recreation ("Management Of Open Space
Lands". Appendix C, 2006 LOSE)
Please respect the Constitution of our City, our General Plan's, clear priorities and
requirements.
LOOKING AHEAD: The importance of protecting the city's Natural Reserves will be
even greater over time as we live in an increasingly crowded and noisy world. It is not only
for us as the current residents of SLO, but the protected natural reserves need to be
there for "the enjoyment of the natural environment by the citizens of San Luis Obispo" for
generations to come.
This council needs to look forward and meet any perceived demand for
more recreation, not by incrementally clegradin our city's small islands of carefully
protected wildlife and wildlife habitats, but by planning ahead to create larger, newer types
of city "Parks" as the city expands outward...... even plan for a few hillside parks where
some of the demands by recreation groups for nighttime mountain biking and hiking can be
met appropriately.
City Residents voted to tax themselves for more "open space protections", not for their
City Council members to vote to remove "Open Space Protection" from the list of "Major
City Goals and other important objectives ........ and then compound that action by
weakening an existing wildlife protection in the City's open space ordinance.
Sincerely,
Peg Pinard
Former San Luis Obispo City Mayor
Former Chairman, San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisiors
cc. Mike Multari; Jeri Carroll, Amy Kardel; Ken Kienow; Hillary Trout
Citizens Oversight Committee for Measure G