HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/09/1970Pledge
' Roll Call
Present:
City Staff
1
MINUTES
ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA
NOVEMBER 9, 1970 - 7:30 P. M.
CITY HALL
Councilmen Blake, Graham, Miller, Spring and Mayor Schwartz
Present: J. H. Fitzpatrick, City Clerk; R, D. Miller, Administrative
Officer; H. Johnson, City Attorney; J. .Stockton, Recreation
Supervisor; D. F. Romero, City Engineer; E. P. Thompson,
Water Director
Planning Commission
Present: John Evans, Marvin Dee, John C. Brown, Herbert Franklin,
Laverne Schneider, Francis McNamara
The City Council and Planning Commission met in joint session to discuss problems
of mutual concern.
1. The City Council and Planning Commission.discussed the best use of the ser-
vices of a planning consultant to be retained by the Planning Commission in
accordance with budgetary provisions made by the City Council., It was the
Council's feeling during the 1970/71 budget preparation.that it might be to
the Planning Commission's advantage to retain a planning consultant to make
special studies which were needed by the Planning Commission and which the
Planning staff had been too busy with other work-to complete.
The League of Women Voters presented a letter urging that-the City Council and
Planning-Commission proceed post haste with the retaining of a planning consul-
tant so that the necessary studies required for adequate housing in San Luis
Obispo might proceed. The League of.Women Voters' letter continued that the
program for community improvements was being.held.up due to the lack of neces-
sary studies needed for analysis and for application of Federal.support to the
program and the League of Women Voters urged the Council to proceed with these
planning matters.
Bert Franklin, Planning Commissioner, felt that the greatest need was for the
.updating of the general plan for advance planning and a rewrite of a new zoning
ordinance for the City by consolidating all. the changes made into a -more workable
document.
Chairman Evans of the Planning Commission agreed that one of the most important
documents needed by the Planning Commission was an.updated. zoning ordinance that
would be easier to handle by the Commission. He continued he originally felt .
what was needed was an addition-ato.the Planning Department staff but after
attending several conferences, particularly the League,of California Cities
Conference, he agreed that the job could best-be handled by a consultant.
Councilman Blake felt that.the City had excellent.results in the hiring.of plan-
' ning consultants in the past and felt'there were many good individuals.who would
be most happy to do the City's work.
Mayor Schwartz felt the general plan review was in-good shape as the Planning
Commission had been keeping on top of it but.he felt the main need was a complete
rewrite of the zoning ordinance in order to give the Planning Commission and City
Council better tools to work with.
Councilman Spring wondered what the City would get from a consultant for $6,000.
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November 9, 1970
Page 2
Mayor Schwartz explained he felt the updating of the zoning ordinance particularly
in the mobile home regulations, the light industry zones, the.planned development
section and the regulations for heavy commercial and mixed zones were a definite
need and felt that a consultant could bring vast experience from other•.areas to
make the necessary recommendations to the City Council.
Chairman Evans of.the Planning Commission did not feel that $6,000 would be
enough to get the job done.
Mayor Schwartz felt that once the Planning Commission and City Council had out-
lined what they wanted done by the consultant, they could then ask several
consultants to appear before the Planning Commission /City Council committee and
they could then see what the job would cost.
Councilman Miller was opposed to the hiring of a planning consultant as he-felt
the City'Council and Planning.Commission.should hire local people to do the leg
work and then have.the City Council make the final decision on the ordinance.
He-was opposed to bringing in a so- called out of town expert.
Councilman Graham felt there were many areas in the development of a City where
a consultant would.be a great help to the Planning Commission.
Councilman Miller felt that:the City Council could make whatever decisions were
necessary for the proper growth of the.City.
R. D. Miller, Administrative Officer, commented on the addition of staff to the
Planning Department as follows: If.you hired a consultant, you could specify that
certain work be performed within a definite time limit. After that, the con-
sultant could be dismissed. If permanent staff were added, the cost would go
on and on, and there was no assurance,particularly based on past experience, that
the new staff.could isolate-themselves and get the desired-work done. Further-
more, it was doubtful that staff would bring to the City the breadth of
experience that a good consultant would.
Chairman Evans favored the retaining of a consultant for the main reason that
the person could bring new and fresh ideas to the community from experiments
outside the City.
The Planning Commission was asked to prepare the necessary items they wished
covered by a consultant so a Planning-Commission/City Council committee could
invite planning consultants to make presentations for the work.
2. The'City'Couricil ' And -- Planning7Commission discussed the recommendation of the
Planning Commission to amend the zoning ordinance by adding a special "T" Mobile
Home Park Zone..
R. Young, Planning Director, stated there was a need for a mobile home park zone
to provide for accommodation of residential trailers in the City and further
felt that mobile home parks or trailer courts should be.deleted as a permitted
use in the R -4, R -H, R -0 and R =C districts. He continued that the proposed "T"
zone provided for the development standards intended to insure that future mobile
home parks would be compatible with adjacent development and the neighborhood in
which they were located. He then reviewed briefly the various'conditions and
requirements for mobile home park zones.
Mayor Schwartz suggested that the Planning Commission /City Council take no
action o1i the recommendedi' "T ".zone.pending the retaining of a consultant to
review the entire zoning ordinance..
The City Council and Planning Commission then discussed the possibility of a
separate mobile home park section in the zoning ordinance.
Chairman Evans agreed with Mayor Schwartz that the matter should be continued so
that the.planning consultant could look into it..
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City Council Minutes
November 9, 1970
Page 3
3. The City Council and Planning Commission discussed the recommended amendment
to the zoning ordinance to reduce area requirements for, condominiums from 36,000
square feet to 6,000 square feet.
The Planning Commission stated that the reason for the request was that there
were areas in the City with existing 6,000 square foot lots that could be developed
with a small condominium but due to the present zoning requirements, it was
impossible to do so.
After discussion, the matter was set for public hearing by the City. Council for
December 7,'1970.
4. The City Council and Planning Commission discussed the recommendation of the
Commission to amend the zoning ordinance-.to.reduce side and.-rear yard setbacks
in the R -3, R -4, $ -C, R -H and R= O'zones to allow major windows within five feet
of the side and rear property lines when no buildings on adjoining lots were
within five feet of the property line. The Planning'Commission-'s reason for this
recommendation was in the high density zones.large.areas -of•land were unused due
to the side setbacks required and it was the Commission's feeling-that if the
setback were reduced'-to minimum either additional dwelling units would be pro -
vided'or additional parking or open space would be provided the-tenants. The
matter was referred to the Planning Director to rewrite and simplify the language.
5. The City Council and the Planning Commission discussed the letter from the
Chairman of the Design Review.Board to the County Planning Director recommending
that the County commence the necessary proceedings to amortize.all non - conforming
advertising structures along Highway 101 from Cuesta to the northerly city limits.
Chairman Evans stated that the Planning-Commission supported the efforts of the
Design Review Board to see if many'of the billboards along 101 north of San Luis
Obispo could be removed.
The City Council authorized-the-Mayor to iirite.a letter:to the County Planning
Director concurring in the request of. the Design Review Board.
6. The City Council and the Planning Commission discussed amending the Major
Streets and Highways Plan regarding the South Street ro Woodbridge. connection.
Chairman Evans stated that the Planning Commission had gone.on record-supporting
alternate D, the South Street connection for Madonna Road through to Bishop Street.
D. F. Romero, City Engineer, reviewed for the Planning Commission and City Council,
the five alternates prepared by his office to handle the connection from 101 to
Johnson Avenue via either South Street, Woodbridge Street or combinations thereof.
He also presented cost estimates for the proposed construction and acquisition
of the necessary right of way for each.route..
After discussion, it was moved by Councilman Blake, seconded':by Councilman Miller,
that the City Council set a public hearing to amend the Streets and Highways
Plan to accept plan D as recommended by-the Planning Commission.
7. Felton Ferrini, developer, appeared before the City Council presenting a
tentative map of Tract No. 405 that he proposed to develop but'felt that before
he could proceed there were several policy decisions he would need from the
City Council.
The following were presented by Felton Ferrini:
a.) He requested .a variance from the-standard street section to allow a four
foot sidewalk width rattier than the normal six feet.,
b.) He asked for variance from the usual City policy on the water system as-he
would be required to run an eight in. cast.iron water main from the upper Ferrini
Heights to Clover Street and the boundary of Tract 405. He requested that the
City Council waive the acreage fee for water service on Tract 405 based primarily
on his previous contributions to the City water system-in his other subdivisions..
He asked a waiver on 20.4 acres or $6,973. He stated that for this waiver he would
trade the eight inch line from the nearest point of adequate service which was
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November 9, 1970
Page 4
located on Oakridge Drive. He based his request on the fact of economic hardship
as the subdivisions were becoming much more expensive to develop and the cost
was prohibitive due to the high level of improvements required by the City.
c.) ;He requested a variance from the requirement of paving or gunniting the
drainage ditch through Tract.405 as the cost of $20 per foot for 600 feet .would
prohibit the development.of the subdivision if it were necessary that he
improve the drainage channel.
d.) He also asked that the'City Council grant him the right to delete the
tree requirement on each lot in Tract 405 and also relieve him of the need to
deposit the $1.00 per foot for the City to plant the trees as there were
approximately 8,000 lineal feet of frontage and.that requirement would be.a
hardship and another item that would forestall the development of this tract.. ,
He continued that with the eliminations or variances requested, the lot cost
would still be in the neighborhood of $8,500 and he did not feel there was a
market for lots any higher in cost.
e.) He requested that the-City Council,and Planning-Commission give him.con-
sideration on zoning on his property adjacent to the Cal Poly property.when and
if Cal Poly developed high-density apartments on their property._ He felt that
he should receive some high.density zoning.on property adjacent to.the Cal Poly
property if they developed three story high rise apartments as this would kill
any development he would have for single family dwellings.
He stated he was asking the City Council and Planning Commission for these .
exceptions and variances on the basis.that.the new City subdivision requirements
had made the cost of development of the off -site improvements completely out of
line with potential selling cost. He.gave an example of the recently adopted
street paving requirements, the larger pipe.sizes for water, the fact that.all
water must now be in cast iron pipe, increased sidewalk requirements, etc. He
continued that he felt the special request by him for.exceptions to City
regulations would not harm the City but would allow the tract to be built and
lots to be available for development and the only loss to the City would be
the charges they would not collect. . .
Mavor Schwartz did not feel that he could even answer,questions brought.up by
Mr. Ferrini as it was the first time he had heard the proposal.and would need
time to look into the effect and ramifications of the requested variances.
H. Johnson, City Attorney, stated that there.was no way the Council could waive
the water acreage charge fee without changing the existing ordinance dealing
with the charges.
Felton Ferrini did not care how.the City handled the matter of waiving the fee or
he would pay the fee and the City could contribute money toward the water line.,.
He continued that due to the high cost.of development-in San Luis Obispo, he
must get these policy decisions now from the.Planning Commission and City Council
because if he did not receive the exceptions, he-would not go along with the
development of the tract due to the cost.
Mayor Schwartz felt that the City Council should consider the request so that
the Planning Commission could know and react to the five requests so they might
proceed with the tract approval.
The matter was continued for Council.discussion.
8. The City Council and Planning Commission discussed with the City staff the
possible adoption of a flood plain zoning ordinance to prevent development..in
any potential flood area such as the upper Laguna Lake area. The need for.such
an ordinance was obvious to avoid permitting construction of residences, etc.
in a potential flood situation and the-staff was requested to continue.its
studies in cooperation with the County to alleviate flooding.problems.
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City Council Minutes
November 9, 1970
Page 5
9. Councilman Spring reported on behalf of the -C ouncil.Christmas lighting
committee (Councilmen Graham and..Spring) stating that they had .again met with
representatives of the decorating company and Chamber of Commerce and that only
three entrances would now be decorated: Marsh and Higuera, Santa Rosa and
Walnut, and Monterey and.Andrews at a cost of $650..
On motion of Councilman Spring, seconded.by Councilman Blake, that the City
Council accept the recommendation of the Committee.,for ,$650 for the three
intersections plus the $750 previously allotted to the Chamber of Commerce for
Christmas lighting.. Motion carried with.Counc£3man- Miller voting no.
10. On motion of Councilman Blake, seconded.by Councilman Graham, the meeting
adjourned to 7:30 P.M. Thursday,.November 12, 1970.
APPROVED: December 21, 1970
PATRICK, CITY CLERK