HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-16-2016 Item 12, GomezCOUNCIL MEETING:—u-?-- R b 'tel
ITEM NO: 1 ?11
To: Ansolabehere, Jon
Subject: RE: Need for affordable housing/downtown density
FEB 16 2016
From: Aaron's Email [
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 7:04 AM
To: Marx, Jan; Carpenter, Dan; Rivoire, Dan; Ashbaugh, John; Christianson, Carlyn
Subject: Need for affordable housing/downtown density
Hello council members,
As a SLO native, business owner, member of SLOU40, Downtown Association board, and committee member for the
Chamber, and simply just an involved citizen I wanted to take a moment to voice my opinion on the needs of my
demographic. (I do not speak on behalf of any of these organizations)The need for affordable housing in our town is at
an all time high. I personally know many of my childhood friends who have purchased homes outside of San Luis Obispo
because they cannot afford to buy homes here. They still hope to do so one day, but for now they just commute in to
SLO. From the numbers that I have seen our population doubles because of our work force commuting in to town from
more affordable outside areas. That is just unacceptable. Especially when we have projects slated that can address this
need. We can no longer afford to simply build homes for the upper class or as rental investments. I realize there is a
certain segment of the population that happens to be opposed to a large majority of these projects. I even noticed one
group is asking for a moratorium on building because of water concerns. Which is completely unthinkable to me and
very short sited.
That will force more people to commute creating more Carbon emissions, adding back to the climate change that they
themselves are concerned with. Making sure that smart water usage is associated with each project is necessary, but
stopping all building could be detrimental to the evolution of our city. It is easy for people who own their own homes or
are retired to try and sculpt our city. And they do have a wealth of knowledge and experience that is very valuable. But
one thing many of these groups do not have are young people. The next generation that this community is reliant on.
And when that demographic cannot afford to live in it, there is a problem. And we are not talking about kids fresh out of
college. These are the people that teach in our schools, run our businesses, work in our city, and support SLO life.
Which brings me to density. Both for the Downtown and SLO as a whole. Smart use of space is a necessity right now. We
do not want to create sprawl yet certain people are also opposed to going higher with buildings. I agree that we should
not have every building be 75 feet tall, but I do believe there are certain areas where this can and should happen. View
sheds are great, but that does not mean we need to have a view of the mountains from every single part of our
downtown. Especially when what we gain for our city is a far greater benefit. By that I projects that brings affordable
housing to our downtown. Keeping our downtown vibrant is going to rely on more residence DT. And who better than
the work force to live in that area. With the DT workforce living nearby you eliminate them taking up parking spots. As a
society we are moving away from this rural commuting lifestyle. People want to be able to walk to work. But we need to
first give them a place they can do that.
I strongly urge you to look at these future projects and consider what they bring to our community as a whole. Although
our demographic has been under represented we are making a push to get involved in higher numbers. We want a
sustainable, smart growth future for SLO. One in which we can actually afford to live. Similar to the SLO that was so
greatt when many of the opponents to growth purchased their homes...
And a side note: I absolutely love this town and think we have done and continue to do great things. With that said we
have to continually evolve. That is just a fact of life, constant change. How we change is up to us and the decisions we
make.
Thank you very much for your time and service.