HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-04-2018 - Item #2 - HinoTonikian, Victoria
From:Tina Hino <
Sent:Wednesday, May 30, 2018 8:30 PM
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:ARC 6-4-18. 1575 Monterey Street
Dear ARC Members,
These are views of the neighborhood of the proposed 45 ft. Los Padres Inn. My letter is below.
Received: 05-31-2018
Meeting Date: 06-04-2018
Item Number: 2
From Grove St. power pole is 39.5 ft Inn is right next to the pole.
House directly behind Inn. Left rear tree is 50 ft. Inn will cover entire back yard.
Corner Higuera & California. Far power pole is Inn
Upper Monterey is identified in LUCE 8.2.2 as a Special Focus Area and it states that " the area above Johnson shall have
an emphasis on land use compatibility and neighborhood preservation." Further, 8.2.2H states "The City will develop an
Upper Monterey master plan and design guide...the City will investigate form‐ based codes to guide future development
and will involve residents in adjoining areas...in development of the master plan/design guide."
In the absence of the promised Upper Monterey Master Plan, I am very concerned that the proposed four story Los
Padres Inn will establish the precedent for further development of this height and mass in this neighborhood
without input from the residents and property owners into the long term plan.
Upper Monterey is a diverse area and the neighborhood bordered by Palm, Grove, California and Higuera is unique in
this city as it places Office zoning directly against Commercial Tourism zones. This neighborhood is primarily residential,
mostly one story Craftsman or Spanish style homes, many built in the 1920's and 1930's. Several of these homes directly
adjoin the Los Padres Inn. A four story building, in the midst of one story homes, does not preserve the neighborhood.
Originally the Rose Bowl Court motel when it was built in 1948, the Los Padres Inn's one and two story buildings built
around the perimeter of the property fits perfectly in the neighborhood. It's
height and position are framed by the Los Padres Forest mountains and affords a lovely view to the many pedestrians
and drivers headed up and down Monterey Street.
As we do not what the long term plan for this area will be, please do not set this precedent before residents and
property owners have the ability to provide their input. Although one might argue there are existing four story
structures on Monterey, none have one story single family homes directly adjacent to them or, as in the case of the Mix,
the residences are on the hill above.
Why not increase the use of the lot, but limit it to two stories? The number of rooms could be increased to thirty‐four
and the building could fit seamlessly into the neighborhood.
Tina Hino
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