HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-12-2018 Item 1 - Bertrando BERTRANDO &BERTRANDCJ RESEARCH CONSULTANTS
267 East Foothill Baulevard
San Luis Qbispa, CA 93405
�:����:�����:;,,����;
805 543-7831
February 7, 2018
To: Rachel Cohen,.Associate Planner
City of San Luis Obispa Community Develapment
Re: 1568 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo
It has recently been brought to my attention by the praperty owner, Thamas Menzie Cliff,
wha resides at the above address, that the Los Padres Inn is planning to be demolished and
replaced by a structure 45 feet high, more than doublrng the current capacity. I am reaching out
to the city prior to campletion af my historic structure evaluation repart at the request of my
client and his concerns far the hotel development. Since late summer I have been researching
the properties on the west side of the 1500 block af Higuera Street for their historic value. The
proposed hotel will back up to the rear of residences along Higuera Street. On that side of the
1500 block of Higuera the residences date to the early and mid 1920s. Currently I am in the
pracess of recording 1568, 1582/92 Higuera Street and lObl Grove Street as historically
signi�cant praperties, They are the properties most affected hy the 45 foot high structure at the
property line. Ail af the residences on those properties were tenta.tively identi�ed as being
signi�cant architecturally during preliminary studies conducted by the City af San Luis Obispa
in 1989 by Graham and Heinz and continued in the Historical Resources S'urvey II Completion
Report produced far the City by Margaret Lavell in1992.
Pr�liminary determinatians of the properties indicate they meet criteria established by the City
for inclusion into the Master List of Historic Resaurces. This confirms speculatians made for
these praperties during initial evaluations directed by the City in 1492. Furthermare,historic
review af the neighborhood suggests the properties rnay be important elements of an unrecorded
district that is located on this block of Higuera Street. Specifics of the historic associations of
this neighborhood are still under development but tentative significance is cannected to the
unique residential/medical use of the area since the early 1920s, a connectian that survives to this
day.
Regarding the praposed demolition and reconstructian of the Los Padres Inn,the vertical mass
immediately adjacent ta the properties evaluated on Higuera Street will impact the setting and
view shed of these historic praperties. Based on this potential impact, it is strangly
recommended that the City revisit the proposed expansion of the Los Padres Inn in light of these
new findings. It is my understanding under CEQAArticle 19. Categarical Exemptions Section
15300.2 Exceptions - part f. Historical Resaurces. A CatEx shall nat be used far a project which
may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resaurce.
In rny in-depth evaluation I have determined the properties at the abave addresses under
Criterion 3 of the California Resources Code to be significant. In addition, the Miles Fitzgerald
Home (15b8 Higuera St�eet)qualifies under Criterion 2 as well. I am submitting the State of
California Department af Parks and Recreatian Forms (DPR) along with my report to the Central
Caast Infarmation Center at UCSB, the acting clearing hause far the California Of�'ice of
Historic Preservation and the State Preservatian (�fficer far San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara
Counties.
Details of the historic significance of these residences can be provided upon completion of the
study. If additional infarmation is needed, it can be provided upon request.
Sincerely,
���������� ��
�
Betsy Bertrando, BBRC Researcher
cc: Brian Leveille, Seniar Plaruier
Thamas Menzie C�iff, praperry owner