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Home My WebLink About6/1/2020 Item 2, Cooper Wilbanks, Megan From:Allan Cooper < To:Bell, Kyle; Advisory Bodies Subject:1144 Chorro Street Attachments:805_30_20...lettertoarc.pdf Dear Kyle - Would you kindly forward the letter attached below to the Architectural Review Commission? This letter pertains to Item #2 on their June 1, 2020 meeting where they will be reviewing a mixed-use project to be located at 1144 Chorro Street. Thank you and I hope you are staying safe! - Allan 1 Save Our Downtown ______________________________________________________________________________ Seeking to protect and promote the historical character, design, livability and economic success of downtown San Luis Obispo. To: San Luis Obispo Architectural Review Commission Re: June 1, 2020 Meeting Item Number 2: 1144 Chorro Street  From: Allan Cooper, Secretary Save Our Downtown Date: May 30, 2020 On Monday, June 1, 2020 you will be reviewing a proposed project located at 1144 Chorro Street. The residential portion of this proposal is clearly intended for a post-pandemic world where high-density living can once again occur. Access to this project relies on narrow corridors and elevators. This sort of congregate living depends on common kitchens and shared laundries. The living units are tiny. The 36 studio units range between 318 sq.ft. to 501 sq.ft. The City and this developer are moving ahead with this project without acknowledging that anything has changed within the last two months. It should be clear to many of us that in a world of reoccurring pandemics, high-density, congregate living may no longer be a viable housing option. Moreover, should these developers ﬁnd the ﬁnancing to build these projects, these buildings could become a burden to our community as they may likely remain vacant. The owner/developer, Jamestown Premier SLO Retail, LP, is insisting that they are entitled to build up to the height of 75 feet in exchange for promising not to build over the Downtown Centre paseo which they also recently purchased. It is our opinion that at best this quid pro quo is invalid because neither the public nor the City have any idea what this alternative proposal (i.e., building over the Downtown Centre) would look like. Do you know? And would this alternative be much worse than what Jamestown Premier SLO Retail is proposing for 1144 Chorro Street? This appears to be a bluff, a hollow threat, that is tantamount to extortion. Are we prepared to capitulate to this? Should none of the above convince you to vote against this project, then permit us to give you some other compelling evidence (which is more within your purview) that should mitigate against the approval of this project. This project is located within our Downtown Historic District. The City’s Historic Preservation Program Guidelines state that new “…structures in historic districts shall be designed to be architecturally compatible with the district’s prevailing historic character as measured by their consistency with the scale…” and massing and that new “…development should not sharply contrast with, signiﬁcantly block public views of, or visually detract from, the historic architectural character of historically designated structures located adjacent to the property to be developed, or detract from the prevailing historic architectural character of the historic district.” The Secretary of Interior Standards states: “New construction should be appropriately scaled and located far enough away from the historic building to maintain its character and that of the site and setting.” We understand that the recently revised Downtown Concept Plan makes recommendations for 3-4 story buildings on blocks typically located outside the Downtown Historic District. But nowhere in the Downtown Concept Plan are there recommendations for 7-story buildings, especially in historic districts. The Community Design Guidelines state that for “…new projects adjacent to buildings included on the City’s Inventory of Historic Resources there shall be a heightened sensitivity to the mass and scale of the signiﬁcant buildings.” The Wineman Hotel is listed on the City’s Inventory of Historic Resources. Finally, the Cultural Heritage Committee, at their November 26, 2018 meeting, ruled that the scale and mass of the structure above the fourth story, referred to as the “stucco portion”, is considered incompatible with the Historic District. And you, at your December 3, 2018 meeting argued that the project should respond to the Cultural Heritage Committee’s directional items…” Moreover, you also recommended that the project should consider a height reduction with sensitivity to adjacent historic resources and that the design and mass should reinforce the horizontal lines of adjacent facades. In conclusion, we are urging you to continue this project with direction. Thank you! On Tuesday, June 2, 2020 you will be reviewing a proposed project located at 1144 Chorro Street which has been approved (after two protracted reviews) by the Planning Commission. That decision is now being appealed. . The residential portion of this proposal is clearly intended for a post-pandemic world where high-density, dormitory-style living can once again occur. Access to this project relies on narrow corridors and elevators. This sort of congregate living depends on common kitchens and shared laundries. The living units are tiny. The 36 studio units range between 318 sq. ft. to 501 sq. ft. The City and this developer are moving ahead with this project without acknowledging that anything has changed within the last two months. It should be clear to many of us that in a world of reoccurring pandemics, high-density, congregate living may no longer be a viable housing option. Moreover, should these developers ﬁnd the ﬁnancing to build these projects, these buildings could become a burden to our community as they may likely remain vacant. The owner/developer, Jamestown Premier SLO Retail, LP, is insisting that they are entitled to build up to the height of 75 feet in exchange for promising not to build over the Downtown Centre paseo which they also recently purchased. It is our opinion that this quid pro quo is unacceptable because neither the public nor the City have any idea what this alternative proposal (i.e., building over the Downtown Centre) would look like. Do you know? And would this alternative be so much worse than what Jamestown Premier SLO Retail is proposing for 1144 Chorro Street? This appears to be a bluff, a hollow threat, that appears to be tantamount to extortion. Are we prepared to capitulate to this? Should none of the above arguments convince you to vote against this project and to vote in favor of the appeal, then permit me to give you some other compelling evidence that should mitigate against the approval of this project. This project is located within our Downtown Historic District. The City’s Historic Preservation Program Guidelines state that new “…structures in historic districts shall be designed to be architecturally compatible with the district’s prevailing historic character as measured by their consistency with the scale…” and massing and that new “…development should not sharply contrast with, signiﬁcantly block public views of, or visually detract from, the historic architectural character of historically designated structures located adjacent to the property to be developed, or detract from the prevailing historic architectural character of the historic district.” The Secretary of Interior Standards states: “New construction should be appropriately scaled and located far enough away from the historic building to maintain its character and that of the site and setting.” We understand that the recently revised Downtown Concept Plan makes recommendations for 3-4 story buildings on blocks typically located outside the Downtown Historic District. But nowhere in the Downtown Concept Plan are there recommendations for 7-story buildings, especially in historic districts. The Community Design Guidelines state that for “…new projects adjacent to buildings included on the City’s Inventory of Historic Resources there shall be a heightened sensitivity to the mass and scale of the signiﬁcant buildings.” The Wineman Hotel is listed on the City’s Inventory of Historic Resources. Finally, the Cultural Heritage Committee, at their November 26, 2018 meeting, ruled that the scale and mass of the structure above the fourth story, referred to as the “stucco portion”, is considered incompatible with the Historic District. And the Architectural Review Commission, at their December 3, 2018 meeting argued that the project should respond to the Cultural Heritage Committee directional items…” Moreover, the ARC also recommended that the project should consider a height reduction with sensitivity to adjacent historic resources and that the design and mass should reinforce the horizontal lines of adjacent facades. In conclusion, we are urging you to uphold this appeal and deny this project. Thank you!