HomeMy WebLinkAbout06_28-29_2017 PC Correspondence - Avila Ranch (Nowell, S.) RECEIVED w
CITY OF SAN LU15 OBISI'U
JUN 2 3 2011
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Sent: Friday,June�3, �t�'�7��:�s a�n Meeting: � � � �I��
To: Advisory Bodies; E-mail Council Website
Subject: Avila Ranch Support �tem:. �-�� 1 p
Hello
,
I currently live in San Jose with my husband, but I was born, raised, and attended Cal Poly in San Luis
Obispo. With our many trips down to SLO to visit my family, my husband has grown to love SLO just as much
as I do. We would love so much to live there and raise our family, but there is a problem - the housing
market. We do own a home in San Jose, and it was bought 4 years ago. As you can imagine, inventory far a
single family home in the bay area is not only hard but also very, very expensive. The sad thing is, SLO is even
harder- and with a much lower job market on top of that making the cost difficult. I was excited to learn about
that Avila Ranch development, as it would be the perfect opportunity for my husband and I to buy and move to
SLO. I know that SLO has a very strict no growth policy, but I believe at this point these same no growth
policies that we installed so long ago to protect our little town is now a detriment to SLO.
Growing up 30+ years ago in SLO, I was surrounded by families. Slowly but steadily I noticed at a young age,
the younger newly married couples moving out due to cost and college students moving in. By the time I was
in college, the same street I grew up on which had roughly 12 families on the block were now down
to....TWO. What was left was a mix of retirees (the minority) and college students (the majority).
In addition to the loss of middle class families in SLO, these policies (along with Oprah's announcement of the
happiest town in the world)have allowed more outside investors to look at SLO as a paycheck, not a place to
live. It's a very popular destination spot for vacation, and of course the revolving door of college students there
will always be income in an investment property. Now with companies such as Airbnb and VRBO, I don't
doubt more of the very little inventory that does go up will be purchased by those who are looking to just make
money off a property-not invest in the community itself. I see it all too well in San Jose. The market has been
severely increased in cost by international buyers just wanting property to make an easy profit, but they never
keep up the property, they never even visit it. Do we want that to happen to SLO?
I can't wait for Avila Ranch to start development - and maybe just one or two more like it. Let's open SLO up
and make it accessible to Cal Poly alumni who want to start their lives and build the town, middle class families
to participate in our school systems and make it better, and overall a larger population actually involved in what
is best for San Luis Obispo.
Thank you,
Stella
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