HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-09-2017 PC Correspondence - Items 1 and 2 (Rioux)
71 Zaca Lane, Suite 130, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (805) 543-5970 www.slochtf.org
August 7, 2017
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Planning Commission
City of San Luis Obispo
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Re: Support for Avila Ranch – Item #1 on August 9, 2017 Agenda (Corrected)
Dear Commissioners and Staff:
I am excited to write today to wholeheartedly support the approval of the Avila Ranch project. I
encourage you to unanimously approve Avila Ranch because it complies with all requirements
and offers a wide variety of benefits to the City of San Luis Obispo and our community as a
whole.
While I have always liked the Avila Ranch project, I raised concerns at your last meeting
because the project failed to meet the land dedication requirements of the City’s Inclusionary
Housing Ordinance. By just offering to dedicate the minimum amount of land for 24 units of
low income housing, $1 million in development costs would be passed on to the ultimate
developer of the affordable units.
I recently met with the developer – Andy Mangano – and he told me that he was currently nego-
tiating terms for the land dedication with an affordable housing developer. He also assured me
that he would develop the affordable units if an affordable housing developer was unable to. The
draft development agreement that is in your package also includes this requirement on page PH 1
- 164:
“should an affordable housing provider fail to construct the units, the obligation to
provide for the 24 deed-restricted low-income affordable housing units remains with
Avila Ranch to complete.”
My concerns have been satisfied by the developer’s commitment and this language in the devel-
opment agreement. I now support the Avila Ranch project without reservation.
As I mentioned in my first paragraph, Avila Ranch offers many benefits to the City of San Luis
Obispo and our community. The first of this is providing 720 new housing units that are sorely
needed in our community. Instead of providing only large single family homes, Avila Ranch
will include a variety of housing types and sizes, including small detached homes, town homes
and apartments. This unit mix ensures that the project will serve a broader range of our
San Luis Obispo Planning Commission
August 7, 2017
Page 2 of 2
community than do typical residential developments. The developer is also committed to
meeting local housing needs by giving a first priority to local employees and instituting a five
year owner occupancy requirement.
I especially applaud the developer for his innovative workforce housing program. Under this
totally voluntary program, he will offer 25 detached single family homes at prices that are
$100,000 to $150,000 below market values. He will also provide a $500,000 down payment
assistance fund to assist individual home buyers. This program meets a real local need and far
exceeds the requirements of the City’s inclusionary housing program.
Avila Ranch will also help fund critical gaps in our local infrastructure including improvements
to roads and intersections, bike paths, parkland and a fire station. Connecting Buckley Road to
Higuera has long been needed and will now be possible thanks to Avila Ranch. Traffic conges-
tion throughout much of the city will be relieved because the project will contribute funds for
various other infrastructure improvements.
Avila Ranch will also help the City meet the GHG goals of its Climate Action Plan. Commuter
traffic from the tens of thousands of people who work in San Luis Obispo but cannot live in the
City is probably the largest single source of GHGs in the county. Avila Ranch will take over
1,000 commuters off the highways each and every morning and evening by improving the City’s
jobs-housing mismatch. Fewer commuters means less GHGs.
Once again, please vote to approve Avila Ranch for these and other reasons.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Gerald L. Rioux
Executive Director