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Home My WebLink About09-18-2017 ARC Correspondence - Item 1 (Cooper)To: SLO Architectural Review Commission, Rachel Cohen & Doug Davidson Re: 1027 Nipomo Street From: Allan Cooper, Secretary Save Our Downtown Date: September 17, 2017 Honorable Chair Wynn and Commissioners - We are asking you to honor the Cultural Heritage Commission’s direction to reduce the height of 1027 Nipomo Street to three-stories with a third-story setback. Staff has directed you to discuss whether a three-story design is appropriate and compatible with the neighborhood. Staff’s direction appears to be a “no-brainer”. Of course a three-story design is more compatible with the neighborhood than a four-story building irrespective of plate height. By exploring the extent of the setbacks above the 2nd ﬂoor, staff is providing you in Figure 6 with two building sections through a 4-story tall building. As you well know, the CHC is not asking you to consider setbacks on a 4-story tall building. Staff has has also asked you to consider setbacks along other facades besides the one facing Nipomo Street. We heartily endorse setbacks above the 2nd ﬂoor facing San Luis Creek for two reasons. A tall building without setbacks will increase the north shadow over San Luis Creek and over the Creekwalk Extension. Secondly, a tall building without setbacks will encroach on the privacy of residences along Dana Street. Though we agree with staff’s recommendation for a continuance, we feel staff is remiss in not discussing further the applicant’s color choices on the South and North elevations. As we’ve pointed out regarding the use of charcoal black on 1135 Santa Rosa Street, there are clear proscriptions against the use of this color in the Community Design Guidelines. The Chapter 4 Downtown Design Guidelines discuss in detail how color can be used to enhance reﬂected light in public spaces. It is clear that dark charcoal will do little to enhance reﬂected light into the surrounding public spaces. Moreover, the Guidelines further state that: 1.“Colors should be compatible with the existing colors of the surrounding area…” 2.“Color should not be used as an attention getting device.” Without even taking into account neighborhood compatibility as reﬂected in the Guidelines, we are becoming increasingly alarmed with the choice of charcoal black on new buildings downtown for the following reasons: First, increased greenhouse gas emissions and a reduced carbon sink is leading to record breaking heat waves here in San Luis Obispo. Climate change will demand much lighter colors for the following reasons: 1) Dark colors absorb and hold heat requiring cooling systems, systems that can increase our carbon footprint. 2) Dark pigmentation creates heat islands making our public spaces unpleasantly hot in the summer months. Second, black and middle gray buildings further decrease available light during the winter months when there are already fewer daylight hours and the reduced amount of reﬂective light demands more exterior and interior artiﬁcial lighting, again increasing our carbon footprint. Third, darker street spaces increase security concerns and discourage the use of these spaces, particularly at night. Thank you!