HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-07-2012 ac B2 rowley b2Richardson, Apri l
Subject :FW : B2, Draft Economic Development Strategic Pla n
From :Sandra Rowley [macsar99@yahoo .com]
Sent :Tuesday,August 07, 2012 2 :00 P M
To : Marx, Jan; Carpenter, Dan ; Carter, Andrew ; Ashbaugh, John ; Smith, Kath y
Cc :Lichtig,Katie
Subject : 82, Draft Economic Development Strategic Pla n
RE : B2, Draft Economic Development Strategic Pla n
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council ,
Whether one agrees or disagrees with the suggestions in this document, the steering committee did a lot of wor k
for almost a year to put it together, and I definitely think they should have been recognized for their work. Per
the City's website, Steering Committee members were :
Jim Dunning, Cal Poly Tech Park
Charles Fruit, Coast National Ban k
Ermina Karim, Chamber of Commerc e
Mike Manchak, Economic Vitality Corporation
Mike Multari, business owne r
Andrea Pease, In Balance Consultin g
Pierre Rademaker, business owner/Downtown Associatio n
Charlene Rosales, United Wa y
Doug Davidson, City Community Development Departmen t
I attended three of the four workshops and, as far as I could tell, 1 was one of the few, if not the only, consistent
participant that was not in some way related to the business community ; other participants were either busines s
owners, representatives of Cal Poly or community development staff The one exception was, I think, thre e
individuals representing local-area non-profits who attended the first meeting .
The SLO Life . The need for branding was discussed at at least two of the meetings as well as at the Plannin g
Commission during their review. My suggestion would be to have as our city motto or brand, "San Luis
Obispo,a great place to raise a family and start a business ." And it is!We have good schools and a variety of
alternative-type schools in the area . And we are supportive of our local businesses .
Another idea discussed at more than one meeting was that of using OPM (other people's money) wheneve r
possible . This could mean funds obtained from venture capitalists, investment bankers or local busines s
owners, but, unfortunately, it often means taxpayer money .
With regard to Head of Household Jobs, this term apparently means different things to different people . We
need a definition that includes an annual dollar amount for clarity .
Regarding Permit Streamlining, the permit process was streamlined several years ago with fewer developmen t
projects going to both the Council and the Planning Commission . For instance, projects that meet minimum lo t
standards, maximum height and maximum density can only go to the ARC for review .
VUsing the soon-to-be-decided Taft Street project as an example, if this project had not gone to the AR C
AGENDA
CORRESPONDENC EDate'17J12-.fter#
where there was an,opportunity for i is input, and if the project had not be
pealed, the resulting design
would have used an alley for ingress and egress to the site -- discounting recognized impacts of day and nigh t
vehicle noise and headlight impacts on houses abutting that alley . The fact that these houses are rentals is
immaterial ; renters deserve the same consideration, including quality of life, as other residents of the City .
b . Although this section calls only for an evaluation, that in itself suggests the idea that further streamlining is •
necessary . This may be a good thing for select segments of City stakeholders, but not necessarily for th e
majority of city residents .
Regarding Infrastructure and Incentives, Land Use Element 1 .13 states, "The costs of public facilities an d
services needed for new development shall be borne by the new development, unless the community chooses t o
help pay the costs for a certain development to obtain community-wide benefits . The City will adopt a
development-fee program and other appropriate financing measures, so that new development pays its share o f
the costs of new services and facilities needed to serve it ."
a.As we all know, fees are based on city salaries and our salaries are the highest in the county . Therefore, our
fees are the highest in the county .
b.Before Council shifts any development costs to City residents or lowers their level of services, it should b e
put to a vote of the people .They are the ones who will be affected by any such shift .
As always, thank you for the opportunity to comment, and for your time and attention ,
Sandra Rowley