HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-26-2017 PC Correspondence - Item 2 (Lopes)
Meeting: P(- H, Ice -1_�_
From: James Lopes < item: Z
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2017 9:26 PM
To: Advisory Bodies; Allan Cooper
Subject: PC communication for April 26 session on Downtown Concept Plan
Dear Chair Stevenson and Commissioners:
RECEIVED
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
APR 2 6 2017
COMMUNITY DPVELOPMENT
I hope that you will carefully read and discuss the letter from Allan Cooper. I support his points, especially that the
height issues in preliminary public participation were not accurately reflected in the draft Downtown Concept Plan. It
is extremely important to grapple with the shape of downtown as determined by building heights. And, downtown
can't be the solution to the jobs/housing imbalance; housing is needed at densities that would destroy the structural
fabric of downtown. A city-wide study of housing opportunity areas is needed instead of scaling up downtown.
I agree with Commissioner Dandakar's earlier comment, that the LUCE did not address heights adequately for
downtown; it should not be characterized as having the best "vision" for this issue. The concept plan should have an
"urban design section" about heights, with graphics to show how compatibility, gradation and scaling and context, to
name a few important design issues, should be done well. The concept plan should give specific guidance as to the
most appropriate heights in given cases, such as when a hillside view or historic building is threatened. The Zoning
Ordinance does not do that. In fact, at least one City Council member has stated that the limits in the Zoning
Ordinance are a given! Heights throughout the concept plan area should not be abruptly different than neighboring
buildings. Don't you think that a five - story apartment building next to the Fremont Theater would overwhelm,
overshadow and defuse the theater's historic place, identity and prominence?
The Architectural Commissioners had these recommendations among others:
• Buildings should be stepped back on upper floors; the ARC chairperson, Greg Wynn, has asked that scaled
section drawings of streets be done to show this.
• Preserve the visual mixture and identity and scale.
■ Treat streets as public places - narrow the streets and widen the sidewalks.
• Encourage mixed use development, but keep within 2 to 3 stories.
The Historic District core of downtown should be kept at 2 to 3 stories or 45 feet maximum. South (east?) of Santa
Rosa Street, the current height limit is 45 feet in the CR zone. This should be the limit in the core area, and the
Monterey/Johnson corridor should be slightly higher to accommodate 3 to 4 story mixed use buildings. However, no
building should be abruptly overshadowing its neighbors as the Mix does.
San Luis Obispo is famous for its elegant, small scale downtown. Please see that the concept plan preserves it while
showing where moderate densities can be achieved for residential uses outside the core area. Overall, please scale
back the proposed heights based on the public engagement process.
I hope that you will have the discussion about mixed uses and heights which was so lacking in the LUCE update. You
are the experts on whom we rely to give advice to the City Council. Please engage each other in a conversation which
leads to the best action. Following this more in-depth treatment in the Concept Plan, the City can take up amending
the Land Use Element and the Zoning Ordinance, and maybe even adopt the the Concept Plan and the Community
Design Guidelines as zoning standards!
Sincerely,
James Lopes
James Lopes