HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/16/2018 Item 4, Lopes
Purrington, Teresa
From:James Lopes <jameslopes@charter.net>
Sent:Thursday, July
Cc:Advisory Bodies
Subject:Fwd: 1135 Santa Rosa Street
Architectural Review Commission
City of San Luis Obispo
RE: 1135 Santa Rosa Street
Dear Chairperson Root and Commissioners:
On Monday, the Architectural Review Commission will be considering what to do about the difficult, obstinate proposals
of Stalwork, the applicant, and whatever was the City Council's odd direction to perhaps allow the renegade dark gray
color. As Allan Cooper states in his letter, this dark color is NOT anywhere to be found in substantial scale within the
vicinity. The absence of any similar nearby colors is patently why the project is not consistent with the Community
Design Guidelines. The dark gray is in violation of the underlined guideline quoted below, because it is not a compatible
color with anything in the area. For some strange reason, these guidelines are completely ignored by staff in the
review, recommendation and findings for approval. Yet, this finding is the one which resonates with the entire proposal
- architecture and color. It should be the key to making findings for denial of the modification.
Dark gray and black on buildings are usually reserved for European, stylish elegance on fancy shops or restaurants. It is
not considered a suitable color on larger buildings. In general, this may be because black is considered the universal
color of sorrow, of shame and of degradation. It is used as a malevolent, intimidating color in the military, the arts and
theater, and in industrial uses. Although Stalwork utilizes black and dark gray at its Parker Street building, that semi-
industrial location is away from pedestrian traffic and residential areas. The existing color at 1135 Santa Rosa has turned
blotchy and is bleeding; it does not hold up to sun and weather well.
The direction of the City Council in part and most importantly, was: "The building colors, materials or design shall be
modified to achieve a visual reduction in apparent building mass and scale, specifically to break up the perception of
building mass when viewed from the Marsh Street approach (at the west elevation and southwest corner of the
building), subject to the final approval of the Architectural Review Commission; ..." (emphasis added)
The massing of the building was somewhat attended to on the Marsh Street side by the City Council in its deliberations
and direction. Yet, the side and front facades facing Santa Rosa Street are as or even more austere than the ones facing
Marsh Street. It is clear that no other buildings in the entire area have any significant amounts of color similar to this
one. It appears that the intent of the original approval was to break up and soften the stark wall planes of the modernist
design. Those colors were the MITIGATION for this stark design. They are not just an entertainment, they are the
mitigating elements that make the building architecture somewhat acceptable. Your Commission should follow the
Council direction to reduce the apparent building mass and scale, particularly by requiring the approved light color
scheme and denying the proposed modification.
Color in the Downtown is guided by the Community Design Guidelines. The City needs to adhere to its Community
Design Guidelines in responding to extreme cases such as this. The applicant's original color proposal, shown below,
which the ARC originally required, and which was appealed by the applicant, should be restored as the official
requirement, or the proposal should be denied and the Code Enforcement case re-opened.
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It is beyond time for the City to apply its standards and guidelines strictly and conservatively, especially in response to
such ill-conceived designs as this proposal. Thank you.
James Lopes, AICP
ph. 805-602-1365
from Community Design Guidelines:
3.1 – Commercial Project Design Guidelines (no. 12):
12. Colors. The exterior colors of a building are as important as the materials in determining
how people think about the building and its surroundings. Colors should be compatible with the
existing colors of the surrounding area but need not duplicate existing colors.
a. The use of muted tones for the structure's base color is recommended. Color should not be
used as an attention getting device.
b. Accent colors should be used thoughtfully and complement the base color or a variation of
its hue, either weaker or stronger.
c. The transition between base and accent colors should relate to changes in
building materials or the change of building surface planes. Colors should generally not meet or
change without some physical change or definition to the surface plane.
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