HomeMy WebLinkAbout1/15/2019 Item 9, Brown
Christian, Kevin
From:Kerry Brown <
To:E-mail Council Website; Harmon, Heidi; Stewart, Erica; Pease, Andy; Gomez, Aaron;
Christianson, Carlyn
Subject:790 Foothill
Dear Mayor and City Council members:
Please deny the 790 Foothill project. I live in the area and find the proposal out of scale and
objectionable. This is a neighborhood commercial area and the proposed apartment complex is out of
scale and overwhelming. The newly built 22 Chorro is an abomination. Although is not fully occupied, we
still feel the impacts. They don’t have parking for their residents, for deliveries, or guests. They park on
our street and walk over. Our neighborhood recently formed a parking district due to students using our
neighborhood as a park and ride lot. 22 Chorro tried to get into our parking district, requesting parking
passes (thankfully they were rejected); I guess the developer was wrong about not needing parking.
Projects like these are the reason the City has a Design Guidelines. This structure will dominate and
change the character of this area. Our neighborhood enjoys views of Bishops Peak and Cerro San Luis
Obispo, these mountains provide a sense of place for this area. With each new development these views
are disappearing. This project is considered mixed-use, but it is more of an apartment than a commercial
structure. The project is inconsistent with the City’s Design Guidelines. The two incentives are not
necessary, the fourth floor should be removed, and the 90% coverage should not be granted.
The transportation impact study is inadequate. The study looked at the average rate for an apartment
NOT student housing. The data used is also not accurate considering traffic in this area has increased
significantly in the last 2 two years. This development will have at least 234 students living there because
each 1 bedroom is really a 2-bedroom and each 2-bedroom is really a 4-bedroom. When the City adopted
the LUCE, and the special planning area standard that allows for this development (and the one at 22
Chorro); the expected number of units was 80 with a population of 183 (see highlighted project
description). Your staff report incorrectly states that the estimated total units analyzed in the General Plan
EIR was 275 units. These two developments (22 Chorro and 790 Foothill) are student housing, the actual
population would be at least 234 for 790 Foothill and 96 for 22 Chorro – that a total of 330 occupants
(significantly more than 183). And the total number of units is 105, yet only 80 units were analyzed. The
traffic impacts of these developments will be significant.
1
2
The parking is inadequate for the intended use. Since this is student housing, renting by the bed, the
parking should be one parking space for each bed or adult living in this apartment, which would require at
least 234 spaces (this is consistent with the County’s Land Use Element Policies - new development will be
required to provide adequate off-street parking to match the intended use). This development needs
more parking. Affordable housing or not – a housing development should provide adequate parking for its
residents. I don’t disagree that the occupants will use transit and bikes, but they will still have
cars. Many students need cars so that they can have transportation back to their home and don’t use
their cars.
As designed this project will have adverse traffic impacts and will affect public health and safety of this
area. Please protect our neighborhood and deny this project or require that this development follow the
rules, require an adequate traffic study, provide adequate parking, reduce the height to three stories, and
reduce the massing. Thank you.
Best,
Kerry Brown
3