HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/11/19721
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MINUTES
REGULAR. MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA
December 11, 1972 - 7:30 P. M.
City Hall
Pledge
P,oI I Cal I
Present: Emmons Blake, John C. Brown, Myron Graham,
T. Keith Gurnee, Kenneth E. Schwartz
City Staff
Present: J. H. Fitzpatrick, City Clerk; W. Flory, Director of
Parks & Recreation; R. D. Miller, Administrative
Officer; D. F. Romero, City Engineer; A. J. Shaw,
City Attorney; R. Young, Planning Director.
1. The City Council continued its public hearing on the adoption of the
1973 General Plan for theCity of San Luis Obispo as recommended by the
Planning Commission.
R. Young, Planning Director, reviewed for the Council and public present
(17 persons) the over-al I 'General Plan as prepared by the plannino
consultants. He reviewed the proposed boundaries of the City and
those areas over which the City should have influence. He reviewed
the suggested land uses in the city and the circulation plan.
The City Clerk presented a communication from the Human Relations Commission
forwarding their recommendations on the General Plan as follows:
1) The City shall actively pursue the preservation of surrounding
environs as essentially they presently exist.
2) That the City actively pursue providing publicly operated
and subsidized transportation.
3) Make San Luis Obispo a friendly City where people of varied
ages, economic status, and ethnic backgrounds have equality
of opportunity for comfortable homes, adequate employment,
and suitable recreation facilities.
4) That the City commend the University for setting a realistic
15,000 enrollment level and pledge to wort: to maintain that
limit.
5) The Commission supports the Minority Report of the Planning
Commission which recommends deletion of the Highway 1 freeway
from the General Plan.
The Council received a communication from the South Bav Conservation Group
urging the City Council not to adopt the proposed General Plan if it
included the Highway 1 freeway route through Los Osos Valley. Thev felt
the proposed route would damage the environment in Los Osos Valley.
The City Clerk presented a petition with twenty one signatures opposing the
inclusion of Highway 1 through Los Osos Valley in the General Plan.
R. Young, Planning Director,-submitted a list of amendments and changes
made by the Planning Commission to the text and maps of the General Plan
during their hearings.
or Schwartz declared the public hearing open.
Joe Caracas, Tanglewood Drive, questioned the reasoning of bringing in the
area of influence closer to the City limits rather than stretching them
out and taking in more land for future arowth. He felt this development
should be under City control so that the development could be controlled
by City ordinances. He also felt the City should recognize the historical
character of the City more dramaticly without too much regard to property
lines. He also questioned the circulation plan presented in relation to
the land uses shown.
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City Council Minutes
December 11, 1972
Pace Z
Bill Warkentin, Team 5, Cal Poly, again reviewed for the City Council their
recommendations dealing with the preservation of Old T6wn and hoped that the
City Council would hold off the adoption of the General Plan until a complete
new study had been made of the Old'Town area and that the Citv Council held
hearings to get input from citizens and groups for inclusion in the study.
Mrs. Joan Buckley, Citizens' Advisory Committee Chairperson, reviewed the
recommendation of the Citizens' Advisory Committee to the General Plan
and particularly their feeling that a stronger statement should be
included in the General Plan text regarding the community center in Meadow
Park and that money should be set aside either from Revenue Sharing or the
Utility Tax for the development of the community center.
Charles Quinlan, 174 Del Norte, urged the City Council to adopt the 1973
General Plan which he felt was vastly superior to the existing General Plan.
He suggested that instead of using the term "neighborhood area" that the
words "statistical area" be used for comparison purposes.
Dennis Hynes, Oceanaire Drive, asked the City Council for further discussion
of the Laguna Lake area, particularly the northern and western areas of the
lake where the Planning Commission is considering a "flood prone area."
R. Young, Planning Director, ex t plained that "flood prone area" meant areas
possibly subject to flooding and that would require more detailed study
for the Commission to adopt flood plain zoning.
A. J. Shaw, City Attorney, explained the legal requirements for designating
an area as a flood plain zone.
Mayor Schwartz declared the public hearing closed.
R. Young, Plannino Director, explained that the adoption of the General Plan
was only the first step as the Planning Commission must then begin to study
the City area by area and rezone land in accordance with the General Plan.
D. F. Romero, City Engineer, again ob_iected-to the placing of high density
development adjacent to and down wind from the sewer plant. He felt this
area should be zoned as commercial or industrial due to the possibility of
odor problems at the sewer plant: He-also objected to the showing of flood
plain areas on the General Plan as he felt proper development would eliminate
their flood potential. He concluded his comments by urging the City Council
to show freeway 1 on the map as it was approved by the City, County and State
and should be shown for over -all circulation of traffic in future years.
Marvin Dee, Planning Commissioner, explained that the Planning Commission
realized that after adoption'of the General Plan, the'Planning Commission
would have to get to work to develop precise plans to implement the goals
of the General Plan.
9:00 P. M., Mayor Schwartz called a recess.
9:15 P. M., the meeting reconvened with all Council members present:
Mayor Schwartz explained that the City Council would discuss the General
Plan and either adopt, reject or amend the General Plan presented by the
Planning Commission. He reviewed the purposes of the General Plan and listed
the subsequent precise plans that must be adopted by the Planning Commission
and those which were required'by State law.
A. J. Shaw, City Attorney, stated that if the Legislative body (City Council)
made changes or additions to the General Plan, then it must go back to the
Planning Commission for study of the changes with a report back to the City
Council within 40 days.
P... Young, Planning Director, explained that after adoption by the City, the
General Plan would be referred-to the County Planning Commission and they
would then hold hearings and adopt the map and text as part of the County
General Plan.
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City Council Minutes
December 11, 1972
Page 3
Councilman Brown.felt the new General Plan did not offer much to developers
.relative to .annexations and future development.. .He felt the pa an was too
tight and did not:leave. any area outside the City'.limi.ts for future grm.th.
He felt that only.through annexation could.the City Council develop, in and
around the Ci.ty:. He.fe.lt` the. :plan was: poor and that State.. Route 1 was
necessary `-:for - future ci.rculation of. traffic and should be recognized in the
General Plan. He felt the proposed Route I would have little effect on
citizens in the City throughout :its whole length.and he felt Route 1 was
essential to the General Plan.
Councilman. Gurnee questioned the population'pro.jections of the General Plan
Uy the consultant. He felt they were way off for ultimate growth of the
city with the. existing zoning as projected by the.General Plan. He also
felt the consultants did not make.the necessary studies within the so- called
neighborhood areas to reflect proper balance of zoning. He .felt the lack of
bi.ke paths on the circulation. plan was another weakness.. He felt the General
Plan lacked coordination of future school development within the City. . He
felt the General Plan as presented was too general in nature and for it to
succeed, it.would need much.work by the Council and Planning Commission to
lay out precise plans to implement the General.Plan.' He concluded that he
could accept the General Plan in a general way with a proviso that the Planning
Commission would look into makinq_ immediate amendments to strengthen the plan.
Councilman Graham stated he could support the General Plan as prepared by
the Planning Commission but he favored deletion of Route 1 proposed in
the General Plan. He felt vi.sitors could use other approaches to reach
the north coast area.
Councilman Blake stated he would support the inclusion of Routed in the
General Plan: He felt too much emphasis was made regarding the routing
based on potential damage to the environment. He did not feel that the
State Division of Highways would spend additional funds.to study new'
routes. He further felt the proposed route would be well developed and
the environment would be protected in the final design. He felt that
placing a freeway through Los Osos Valley.was the answer to taking traffic
off Santa Rosa Street. He felt the General Plan as presented was acceptable
to him as it was quite general in nature:.. He too felt the .urban reserve
line was too restrictive for future .development for the city but he stated
he would support the General Plan with'some revisions.
Mayor Schwartz reviewed for the Council the weaknesses in.the existing plan
due to the large area outside the City limits within the urban reserve line.
He felt the urban reserve line had caused the City to spend thousands of dollars
to.serve these areas with sewer and water. He felt it was wrong for the City
to extend City facilities to develop more facilities outside the City. He
felt the new plan made a more reasonable use of City funds to develop various
utilities within the area of. influence.. He agreed that the new General Plan
was not complete without the additional elements that would make it work.
He felt the new General Plan demonstrated the sensitivity of.the citizens
of San Luis Obispo in demanding more open space on the General Plan, protection
of the creeks, streams and open space. in general. He felt he could support
the General Plan as presented with some reservations. He felt bringing
in the urban reserve line closer to the City limits was a good thing for the
City and its citizens. He felt future years would let the City know where
to extend boundaries if necessary with the proper utilities. He agreed with
the open space reserves recommended by the Planning Commission. He
recommended that the City Council should eliminate Highway 1 as an element
of the'General Plan and not even show it as a line on the map. He felt that
if the City took the route off.the map,.it would not effect anyone for some
time and then before development,.the City could have a comprehensive study
prepared for all transportation by..private vehicle and freeway. This study
would include all traffic in the Santa Rosa quadrant and traffic from
Route 227 south through the'City. He would support the General Plan as
recommended by the Planning Commission.
Councilman Blake suggested that rather than delete Route 1 from the General
Plan as an artistic element, that the City Council ask the State to delete
any consideration of said route for future construction.
City Council-Minutes
December 1 1 ,c•1972
Page 4
Mayor Schwartz felt that if the Council did not want Route 1 in Los Osos
Valley, then they should take it off the General Plan and make a new study
of the type of transportation within the City.
Councilman Gurnee agreed with the.deletion of Route 1 from the General Plan
map. He also agreed that a comprehensive study should be made of the City
to see just where things were going. He agreed that the City should ask
the State Highway Department to remove Route 1 from the State Master Plan.
On motion of Councilman Gurnee, seconded by Councilman Graham, that the
City Council adopt the General Plan as prepared by the Planning Commission
subject to the followino'conditions:
1 ) Drop State Route-1 from the map.
2) Area east of Los Osos interchange and west of San Luis
Creek to be designated open space.
3) Amend General Plan text "that development in vicinity of
airport not be allowed to occur unless it can be proven
that residential development is not hazardous to airport
or that airport is not hazardous to residential development."
The motion lost on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmen Gurnee and Graham
NOES: Councilmen Blake, Brown and Mayor Schwartz
ABSENT: None
Councilman Blake stated he voted against the motion because Highway 1 was
to be deleted from the map. He felt some recognition must be given as this
route had been adopted by the State Highway Commission, the County of San
Luis Obispo and by previous City Councils of the City of San Luis Obispo.
He suggested that if the route was removed from the map, then a dotted line
should be shown with comment of prior adoption..
Councilman Brown stated he was opposed to deletion of State Route 1 from the
General Plan map.
Mayor Schwartz agreed with deletion of State Route 1 from the map and agreed
in changes in the General Plan text regarding development of the airport
area, but he would not support changes in zoning for the area east of the Los
Osos interchange.
On motion of Councilman Blake, seconded by Councilman Brown, that State
Route 1 be shown on the General Plan map.with a dotted line with the text
to be amended with a statement that Highway 1 routing has been adopted by
State, County and City, but was not recognized by the present City Council.
Motion lost on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmen Blake and Brown
NOES: Councilmen Graham, Gurnee and Mayor Schwartz
ABSENT: None
On motion of Councilman Gurnee, seconded by'Councilman Graham, that the
City Council adopt the General Plan as presented by the Planning Commission,
subject to the following conditions:
1) Delete Highway 1 from the General Plan.
2) Amend General Plan text "that development in vicinity of
airport not be allowed to occur unless it can be proven
that residential development is not hazardous to the
airport or that the airport is not hazardous to residential
development.
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City Council Minutes
December II, 1972
Pace 5
Motion carried on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmen Graham, Gurnee and Mayor Schwartz
NOES: Councilmen Blake and Brown
' ABSENT: None
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2. The City Council adjourned to executive session.
3. The City Council reconvened to regular public session.
On motion of Councilman Blake, seconded by Councilman Gurnee, the following
resolution was introduced. RESOLUTION NO. 2406, a resolution of the Council
of the Citv of San Luis Obispo endorsing the revised "Summary Report - Master
Water and Sewerage Plan for the County of San Luis Obispo" subject to certain
conditions and the revision of Plate A.
Passed and adopted on the followinc roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmen Blake, Brown, Graham, Gurnee and Mayor Schwartz
NOES: None
ABSENT: (done
4. On motion of Ccuncilman Blake, seconded by Councilman Gurnee, the
meeting adjourned at 11:50 P. M.
APPROVED:
5 -7- 7'3 H. ZPATRICK, CITY CLERK
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