HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/24/2018 Item 2, Lopes
Sheffield, Alexis
From:James Lopes <jameslopes@charter.net>
Sent:Thursday,
To:Advisory Bodies
Cc:Codron, Michael; Johnson, Derek; Nick Wilson; Glen Starkey; CalCoastNews; KSBY
News Director; KCBX News
Subject:SLO Budget opportunity for new housing programs on October 24, 2018
Attachments:Uptown_District_SanDiego_Photos.pdf
Dear Chair Fowler and Planning Commissioners:
I suggest that the discussion about the city budget on October 24 be concerned with your selection of projects and
programs which are listed in the General Plan.
As a planner for 36 years (who's counting?) I am concerned that San Luis Obispo be different than so many jurisdictions
in this regard. As city representatives on planning our future, implementation of our plans is critical to our city's
success. You have the opportunity to guide and encourage the City Council to allocate funds for actual plan
implementation. This is especially important in regard to the current city goals, of which the second is implementation
of the Land Use and Circulation Element, with emphasis on the special focus areas and on the Downtown Concept Plan.
However, in regard to the first major city goal - Housing - our City is not going ahead making progress on several
potentially successful efforts. To open up new dialogue, I encourage you to consider recommending that the pending
Housing Element update be conducted through the guidance of expert affordable housing planners and even
developers.
And, you might join me in my proposals for the City to hire a staff housing expert to create a program to locate housing
with commercial development (called mixed use) within commercial and other non-residential zoned properties. I
encourage your commission to study how vibrant and charming mixed use villages can create affordable housing and
high-tech, creative-class jobs on service commercial properties and retail shopping center properties. I recommend that
you look over this website about a major and famous center in California - Uptown District in San Diego - see
attachment. Although the City of San Diego offered more resources and support than we might here, the development
of over 140 residences next to a Ralph's grocery store is a remarkable success. We can scale to our financial resources to
offer potential incentives through my recommended housing development program.
I'm suggesting that the City could have in place one or more expert housing staff to work with commercial property and
business owners, offering financial incentives from a new housing fund, which could combine with other funds and
grants Such incentives might be well-known offers to pay part of an owner's or developer's construction costs, such as
an interest rate subsidy. These offerings can have pay-back provisions to be made later in the life of the project. I'm
proposing that these incentives can be tied to much greater numbers of affordable housing units than currently
required.
When you are at your hearing on October 24, I hope that you have not only read the staff report, but have done some
investigating outside the staff 'box,' so that you 'wake up' our city to the possibilities of mixed-use urban villages for
living, shopping, work and fun.
Best,
James Lopes
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The Uptown District
-318 Residential Units (townhomes, flats, and artist's
lofts ranging from 652 to 1,249 square feet)
-145,000 square feet of Commercial and Retail
space, one of Southern California's most successful
Ralph's grocery stores
-Neighborhood Community Center and Public Green
Stantec Architecture
A 14-acre mixed-use redevelopment project
initiated by the City of San Diego Planning
Department in 1986. Located in the community of
Hillcrest, San Diego, California, selected in 2007 by
the American Planning Association as one of the
10 Great Neighborhoods in the United States.
Uptown District, San Diego, CA
A Sears Store: Single-Use District ,1979
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Uptown District
Mixed-Use / Infill Development, 1989
Form-Based Code
Active Streetscape – Residential over Retail
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Uptown District
45,000 sf Grocery Store – Visual Focal Point
Uptown District
Complete, Compact and Connected Redevelopment