HomeMy WebLinkAbout06_28-29_2017 PC Correspondence - Avila Ranch (Washington)
From: Ellie W. <
Sent: Monday, June 26, 2017 2:34 PM
To: Advisory Bodies; E-mail Council Website
Subject: Avila Ranch ripple effect of positive community impacts
Dear SLO City Council & Planning Commission,
RECEIVED
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
JUN 2 6 2017
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Thank you for considering the proposed Avila Ranch community, for listening to the needs of residents, and making our
housing imbalance a priority.
My husband and I are working professionals living in the city of SLO. We are a one -car household and our "second car" is our
bicycles. We commute by bike to our jobs in SLO. When we started looking for a home to buy, our goal was to continue that
lifestyle and help contribute to a cleaner, healthier community. After searching for practically a year, we almost gave up on
you, SLO. We had to change our vision and look at other cities in the county with more housing options and prices. We
would've given up our bike commuting, bought a second car, and become a household like countless others in the county who
have two working professionals each commuting into SLO twice a day in two different vehicles, because there weren't any
housing options closer to their jobs. But we believed in this lifestyle so strongly that we continued to keep one eye on SLO
housing stock and eventually got very lucky and found a home in SLO we were able to purchase. With SLO's severe housing
shortage causing astronomical prices and bidding wars over dilapidated fixer uppers, it drives our friends and coworkers to
leave SLO and buy elsewhere in the county, sending needed tax dollars into other cities, and causing a chain reaction of issues
related to traffic congestion, road deterioration, air quality, and in turn, affecting our quality of life.
If the city wants to promote a community of multi -modal transportation, clean air, encourage use of our Gold Level Biking
Community, and cut down on regional traffic congestion and road impacts, then we need to provide housing options
where working professionals actually have additional choices to get to work besides their car. In learning about the proposed
Avila Ranch community for SLO, one thing I love is the variety of unique housing options such as detached small -square footage
homes, detached small lot homes, duplexes, and more. What a breath of fresh air to not see another development that was
solely condos. The mid -price range and variety of housing options will be an incredible aid in helping solve our housing
imbalance. Other amenities that ensure Avila Ranch will become an unified addition to our community are the new bike path
connections and road connections, linking the neighborhood to the rest of our city and opening up alternate modes of
transportation for residents.
Thank you for your consideration of Avila Ranch that will help provide solutions to the housing imbalance, and in turn, have a
ripple effect of positive impacts on our community.
Sincerely,
Ellie & Jermaine Washington
2912 Rockview Place
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
805.225.4011