HomeMy WebLinkAbout05_24-25_2017 PC Correspondence - San Luis Ranch (Koob)
From: Robert Koob <
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2017 1:16 PM
To: Advisory Bodies
Subject: Planning Commission - Avila Ranch
May 23, 2017
Planning Commissioners
City of San Luis Obispo
Dear Commissioners:
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San Luis Obispo is in dire need of housing for a wide range of incomes. Financial advisors routinely
recommend 30% of monthly income be spent on housing. Within the past year, the Tribune reported that to
buying a median price home in SLO requires over 90% of the average wage of a SLO family. It seems you
must decide whether you wish SLO to be a community or an enclave.
As a retired Provost of Cal Poly, I could share with you many stories of lost prospects and difficult transitions
associated with the availability of affordable housing, but I will only mention two very personal
experiences. The first was our own experience moving to SLO in 1990. The first house we were shown by a
realtor was a cracker box that was priced at 18 times the $/sq. ft. as the house we owned at that time. My wife
burst into tears as she realized we could never afford such a price. Fortunately we learned that prices varied
inversely with distance from Cal Poly and eventually found one for only 10 times as costly as the one we left
behind. To move here required us to go back to the frugality of our student days. We have not regretted the
sacrifice, but would not wish to repeat it, nor wish it on another family. More recently, our oldest daughter
considered moving to SLO as her two daughters were either in or about to go to college. She is far more
financially successful than were we at a similar stage of our career, but when she learned the local pay did not
reflect the local costs, quickly decided that taking a salary reduction to buy a much smaller, but more expensive,
home than her current one was just not worth it.
I have recently reviewed the plans for the proposed Avila Ranch development, and if you do not find it
acceptable, I cannot imagine what you are expecting. I strongly support this project.
Sincerely,
Robert D. Koob, Provost Emeritus, Cal Poly