HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/26/2001MINUTES
1 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26 - 7:00 P.M.
COUNCIL CHAMBER, 990 PALM STREET
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA
ROLL CALL:
Council Members
Present: Council Members Jan Howell Marx, Christine Mulholland, Ken
Schwartz, Vice Mayor Ewan, and Mayor Allen K. Settle
City Staff:
Present: Ken Hampian, City Administrative Officer; Jeff Jorgensen, City
Attorney; Lee Price, City Clerk; Wendy George, Assistant City
Administrative Officer; John Mandeville, Long Range Planning
Manager; Mike McCluskey, Public Works Director, and Jeff Hook,
Associate Planner
PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
PUBLIC HEARING
' 1. DRAFT MID - HIGUERA STREET ENHANCEMENT PLAN.
Long Range Planning Manager Mandeville provided the introduction. Consultant Eric
Justison. RRM Design, and Associate Planner Hook presented the report.
Mayor Settle opened the public hearing.
Theo Dunn. Pastor, St. Luke's Baptist Church, voiced concerns about changes proposed
for Brook Street and in opposition to the proposed median on Higuera Street.
Jim Morabito, 214 Higuera Street (Paul's Dry Cleaning), opposes the proposed median on
Higuera because it will interrupt business.
Sabrina Ross, 175 Brook Street, objects to extending Brook Street because it will increase
traffic.
Michael Sullivan. 1127 Seaward Street, voiced concerns about the Plan's initial
environmental study and certain mitigation measures. He objects to certain proposed land
use changes and plans to extend the bike path in the creek setback.
Gerald Parsons, 848 Venable Street (speaking on behalf of the Association of Mid - Higuera
Street property owners and residents), spoke in support of street widening but in
opposition to the proposed median and the extension of Brook Street. He urged the
Council to not include Phase II of the plan because it's too controversial.
Dave Romero. 2057 Skylark, summarized recommendations provided in his correspondence
to Council relevant to flood prevention (on file with the Office of the City Clerk). He urged
the Council to seek improvements for flood protection first and expressed opposition to the
City Council Meeting Page 2
Monday, February 26, 2001 - 7:00 p.m.
landscaped medians. He asserted that a detailed design for sidewalks is needed and asked
the Council to consider at least a ten foot sidewalk on both sides of the street. '
Steve Hilstein, 280 Higuera Street (The Drum Circuit), said he was unclear about how much
of the property he leases will be taken if the Plan is adopted. He voiced concern about
traffic impacts with the proposed expansion of Bianchi and Brook Streets. He also asserted
that the Plan seems radical and added that he wonders how soon the recommendations will
become mandates.
Buzz Neilsen, 236 Higuera (Hayward Lumber), argued that extending the access street will
make it impossible for the lumber yard to operate. He said he doesn't want to move his
business and challenged the City to come up with a solution that will allow the Plan to work
and the lumber yard to stay in its present location.
Dave Hite, 252 Higuera Street (The Tire Store), opposes the proposed median and common
driveway.
Gary Finch, 177 Brook Street (Asian Auto), voiced support for plans to widen Higuera
Street, but in opposition to the proposed median, common driveway and extension of
Brook Street. He also argued that the bike path should be on the creek side of the street.
Kurt Kupper, property owner at 180 -190 Brook Street, also supports the widening of
Higuera Street but opposes the extension of Brook Street. He asked the Council to be
careful with this special neighborhood and to develop better solutions for creating
affordable housing.
Roy Parsons, President, Hayward Lumber (236 Higuera Street), spoke in opposition to most
of the Plan including proposed changes in land use, the median and the common driveway.
He urged the City to find solutions to problems relating to flooding.
Ralph Pierro, 183 Brook Street, agrees that Higuera Street should be widened but voiced
dissatisfaction with plans to extend Brook Street.
Raymond Hanson, 3960 S. Higuera, opposes the median and plans to close Walker Street.
Fred Rattcliff, Rattcliff Welding, supports the widening of Higuera Street but not the median.
Richard Ferris, 365 Branch Street (property owner 303, 295 and 283 Higuera Street) also
voiced opposition to the median and the closure of Walker because it will impact truck
access to commercial properties.
Tony Horzen, 526 South Street (Glacier Ice Company), spoke against the closure of Walker
Street because his business relies upon it for deliveries. He urged the Council to do more
traffic analysis.
John Via, 1973 Royal Way (business owner at 34 South Street), argued that flooding should
be the first priority.
Mike Spangler, owner of properties at 1 - 34 Higuera Street, made the following
suggestions: 1) Add verbiage to the Plan noting that it is a 50 -Year concept plan driven by
property and business owners. 2) Change the flood zone from A to B to save property
owner costs for property flood insurance. 3) Investigate the possibility of having the State
assist with the flood protection plans. 4) Lower some of the area on the west side of the
creek. 5) Build the bike lane on the east side and use the west side for flood control.
City Council Meeting Page 3
Monday, February 26, 2001 -7:00 p.m.
Patricia Wilmore, Chamber of Commerce, shared results of a recent survey she conducted
of the business owners. She noted that the business owners are successful and happy
where they are. While the general membership agrees that beautification would be a
positive element, they don't want disruption to their businesses. She complimented staff
for being receptive to the needs of the propertylbusiness owners at every step in the
process.
Mayor Settle closed the public hearing.
Staff addressed some of the issues commented upon by the public and responded to
numerous questions from the Council. Individual Council comments and input to staff
followed.
Council Member Marx supports the construction of a median and suggested that permeable
materials be used to eliminate the potential for flooding. She favors the west side of the
creek for the bike path but does not believe the planning area is a good location for a
convention center.
Council Member Mulholland argued against building a bike path in the creek setback and
objected to textured crosswalks as they are difficult for seniors and the disabled. She
expressed dislike for the median and was not in favor of changing the flood plain
designation.
Vice Mayor Ewan approved of many of the Plan components, including the median, plans to
extend Bianchi and Brook Streets, the proposed closure of Walker Street and the
installation of Class I bike lanes. He did, however, note that-he wasn't fond of building the
bike lanes on the west side, but pointed out that the solution may be the only way to ensure
i the future connection to other bike paths in the community.
Council Member Schwartz commented that he believes the area is a good location for a
convention center and that the bike path would be appropriately located on the west side
along the creek. He added that he was not in complete agreement with the mixed use
concept and would prefer to see the use of a planned development overlay.
Mayor Settle spoke in support of the widening of Higuera Street and the proposed zoning
changes, which he believes will eliminate non - conforming uses. He did, however, express
dissatisfaction with many of the other components of the Plan, including the median, the
extension of Brook Street, the widening of Bianchi Street, the closure of Walker Street, the
construction of 100 -foot long bridges and the concept of a convention center in the
planning area. He concluded that the bike lanes should be on the west side.
ACTION: Moved by Marx/Ewan to conceptually approve the Council Hearing Draft
Mid - Higuera Street Enhancement Plan, with the following changes: a) modify
crosswalks to ensure accessibility, b) minimize the amount of bike path in creek set-
back area, and c) minimize the size of the bridges; motion carried 4:1 (Settle).
ACTION: Moved by Marx/Ewan to direct staff to place a draft resolution on the March
20th Council meeting agenda to approve the mitigated negative declaration,
approve the Enhancement Plan, amend the General Plan Land Use Element, and
initiate rezoning as shown in the Plan with the exception of the proposed Tourist
Commercial (CT) Zone for the CalTrans property, for which staff was directed to
bring back for Council consideration other alternatives; motion carried 3:2 (Settle,
Schwartz).
City Council Meeting
Monday, February 26, 2001 - 7:00 p.m.
There being no further business to come before the
meeting at 11:30 p.m. to Tuesday, March 6, 2004/ -t 9
Palm Street, San Luis Obispo. I I
Lee Price,
City Clerk
APPROVED BY COUNCIL: 3120101
LP:dr
Page 4
Council, Malor Sett adjourned the
i.m„irrlhe CouuncilChamber, 990
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