HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-16-2016 Item 12, CooperTo:
Subject:
Maier, John Paul
RE: 1101 Monterey Street
COUNCIL MEETING:
ITEM NO.: t �
FEB 11 2016
From: Allan Cooper
Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 10:03 PM
To: Marx, Jan; Carpenter, Dan; Ashbaugh, John; Christianson, Carlyn; Rivoire, Dan; Lichtig, Katie; Codron, Michael
Subject: 1101 Monterey Street
Honorable Mayor and Council Members -
You are sworn to represent the interests of those who live in San Luis Obispo and those interests are
memorialized in the General Plan. If you adhere to the General Plan you will effectively maintain the
small town ambience and historic charm cherished by a majority of those who chose to live here.
The 2007 amendment to the "Downtown Height Ordinance" states as follows:
"Bring back alternatives (within the CD zone) for moderately increasing the downtown building height
and intensity limits..." The CR zone, in which this project (1101 Monterey Street) is located,
recommends less intense development than does the CD zone. Without a zone change, increasing
the maximum building height 67% (from 45 feet to 75 feet) is not a "moderate increase".
This is bad planning and without a zone change, approving the proposed height of this project would
constitute spot zoning and it would set a dangerous precedent for the entire CR zone.
Moreover, this project does not yet meet the policy objectives for a planned development. This project
does not conform to the vision of the Conceptual Plan for the City's Center nor does it meet the
objectives of the Community Design Guidelines because it will, in its present form, dwarf everything
around it including the County Government Building (a building, by the way, that does not conform to
the General Plan because the County was exempted from its provisions). And City staff are not
presently addressing the hazmat health risks associated with the build-up of nearly a century of
petroleum product leakage on this site.
The Chair of the City's Mass Transportation Committee informed me recently that they have yet to
determine whether this site would be the best location for the much-needed transit center and a multi-
story parking garage. If you are persuaded to place the transit center here because of this
development proposal than this is a clear example of the "tail wagging the dog". More importantly
please do not allow the developers to hold the City hostage to a 75 foot tall building in return for
providing the City with a parking garage, self-help housing and transit center.
urge you to recommend the following. Reduce the building height to 45 feet with minimum 10.foot
step backs on the 2nd and 3rd floors. The developer should be required to provide off-site
improvements in the form of pedestrian -friendly crosswalks which include a safety island (or a
pedestrian bridge as suggested in the Downtown Concept Plan) at or near the intersection of Santa
Rosa and Monterey Streets.
Thank you!
Allan Cooper 756 Broad Street SLO