HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-16-2018 - Item 2 -Cooper1
Tonikian, Victoria
From:Allan Cooper <
Sent:Sunday, April 15, 2018 1:32 PM
To:Davidson, Doug; Bell, Kyle; Advisory Bodies; CityClerk
Subject:774 & 796 Caudill Street
Dear Doug and Kyle -
Would you kindly forward the letter below to the Architectural
Review Commission so that they will have ample opportunity to
read it before their 5:00 P.M. Monday, April 16, 2018 meeting?
Thanks!
- Allan
To: Architectural Review Commission, Doug Davidson & Kyle Bell
Re: 774 & 796 Caudill Street
From: Allan Cooper, San Luis Obispo
Date: April 15, 2018
Even though you previously approved this project and even though this project was
deemed consistent with the South Broad Street Area Plan (SOBRO), I am requesting that
you add one additional condition to your approval of these proposed design changes. And
that is to require that the two homes at 774 & 796 Caudill Street be first offered up to any
interested party to be relocated at their own expense. If there are no “takers”, after a
designated period of time has elapsed, then these properties can be demolished with the
understanding that the old growth redwood should be salvaged. This was a standard City
protocol followed when I was serving on the Architectural Review Commission.
As you may know, these homes are located in the very center of Little Italy (a.k.a. the
Imperial Addition). This is one of San Luis Obispo's oldest neighborhoods as it was platted
in the 1880's and settled mainly by railroad workers who lived in small, simple
houses. Even though one of these homes (774 Caudill Street) was determined by the City
Council in 2004 to be “non-historical" the other (796 Caudill Street) was deemed “non-
historical” by staff without even involving the CHC.
As you can see, should you summarily permit the demolition of these homes, the Little
Italy neighborhood will follow in the path set by Chinatown where today there remains little
physical evidence of its historical importance. Thank you!