HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/4/2018 Item 2, Pyburn
Susan Pyburn
1061 Grove Street
San Luis Obispo, CA. 93401
susanimai@yahoo.com
805-594-1625
June 1, 2018
To: Rachel Cohen
Members of the Architectural Review Commission
Re: Los Padres Project
On February 12, the members of the Architectural Review Commission met to review the
proposed four story motel. Several ARC members agreed that the mass and scale of the
design is disproportionate to the existing neighborhood and should be reduced. By a
vote of 5-2, the Commission directed the architect as follows:
* Step back the structure away from the south property line;
*Consider using more of the lot for the structure with the tallest portions closer to
Monterey Street.
The direction to consider using more of the lot and shifting the tallest portions closer to
Monterey Street appears to have been ignored. Why the project is massed at the
southerly and eastern portions of the property is hard to fathom. It appears that no
consideration was given to city design guidelines or to the affected neighborhood.
Aside from eliminating two rooms, nominally reducing the size of the fourth floor, the
project is still 45 feet tall, and would tower over existing residential/office, single story
neighborhood.
Several of us who live immediately adjacent to the project had the opportunity to meet
with architect Thom Jess and discuss our concerns. While I commend Mr. Jess for
increasing parking spaces and enclosing the garage, the issue of scale and mass
remains in violation of community design principles.
The San Luis Obispo Land use Element, 2.2.10 directs:
All new buildings should respect existing buildings which contribute to
neighborhood historical or architectural character, in terms of size, spacing, and
variety. (ref. 1.7.5 Building Design and Siting)
(2.2.4) Residential areas should be separated or screened from incompatible,
non-residential activities, including most commercial and manufacturing
businesses. Residential areas should be protected from encroachment by
detrimental commercial activities.
As has been pointed out, the neighborhood consists of several historic homes, one
master listed and another 'contributing' listed. No existing creek or greenscape exists to
screen or buffer the impact on existing single story homes.
Furthermore, per LUCE 8.2.2, the Upper Higuera Street neighborhood is a Special
Focus Area for which future development will "involve residents...in development of the
master plan/design guide."
There has been no effort to involve residents, and there is no known 'plan'. We are
involved because we are outraged. My own home is less than 20 feet from the existing
building. The proposed motel will be twice as tall and block existing sunlight as well as
present overwhelming privacy issues and noise pollution.
My suggestions are as follows:
1. Reduce the project to three stories maximum.
2. Shift the greatest massing of the design away from the south and east.
Moving it further west will take advantage of the sloping of Monterey Street
so as to appear less tall.
3. Plant full grown cypress trees or similar at south and east property lines
to help buffer noise.