HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-07-2017 PC Correspondence - San Luis Ranch (Vujovich-La Barre)1 June 2017
SLO Planning Commissioners
RE: San Luis Ranch @ Dalidio
Dear Chair Stevenson and Commissioners:
Your two sessions last week on 24 and 25 May were very
informational and technical, however, images and site plans
were not explained or on the screen long enough to truly see
and understand the layout of San Luis Ranch.
For 35 years I have lived and owned homes in the Laguna
Lake area and so I often drive past the beautiful forested
Dalidio area on Madonna Road. In the early evening, I see
the flocks of large birds circling the grand forest before they
roost for the night. Some people have mentioned that they are
Blue Herons and others that they are Turkey Vultures, so
important to our eco-system.
I would like to know if the Developer and his designers have
tried to maintain as much as possible of this Urban Forest
area since it seems there are enough treeless areas within the
site to place the buildings. In a visit to 71 Palomar, I spoke
with a gardener there who told me that down south he attends
to a similar housing project where the designers were able to
place the new homes all within the tree covered site and it
has made a lovely housing area. He is hoping for the same
solution at 71 Palomar and Dalideo.
At your May 25th meeting there was discussion about whether
to have only a 5-acre park allotment or to reduce it to just 2.8
acres and it seemed the Commissioners had determined that
the lesser amount would be fine and the remainder would be
placed in lieu? How do you do that? I do not understand that
way of thinking at all. As it stands the Dalideo property is
already a Grand Park and should be kept as much that way
as possible. Being directly across the road from Laguna Lake
Park it defines a beautiful area in our town.
With the specter of Climate Change we need to be aware of
our trees as they are exceptional in providing us with oxygen.
At the Nitrofill online site these facts jumped off the screen:
“An average sized tree produces enough ozygen in one year
to keep a family of four breathing for a year.”
With the water crisis in California, and the USA’s withdrawal
from the Paris Accord, we cannot expect our trees to grow to
the size of the trees at Dalidio or Palamar and therefore we
should be intelligent about planning to keep them alive and
working for all of us, the birds and wildlife, as well.
“20 Million trees provide 260 Million tons of oxygen. Those
same 20 Million trees will remove 10 Million tons of CO2 from
our air.”
Simply put: “Trees make people feel good.
Trees relax us.
Trees reduce our stress.”
And, trees are part of what
make our town special and livable.
Please have the Developer present a new site plan where as
many trees as possible are designed into the layout. There is
a lovely group of trees and long grasses, perfect for a park
area towards the Post Office.
Respectfully submitted,
Sandra Davis Lakeman, Architect
Emerita Professor of Architecture
San Luis Obispo, California