HomeMy WebLinkAbout4-17-2017 ARC Correspondence - Item 1 (Cooper 2)Meeting: ,hg (!/ 4 ' t�l
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To: SLO Architectural Review Commission
Re: SLO Downtown Concept Plan
From: Allan Cooper
Date: April 17, 2017
I am recommending that you give serious consideration to scaling back building
recommended in this revised concept plan based on findings gathered from the
Public Engagement" process conducted over the past year.
RECEIVED
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
APR 17 2017
(Ogf LaSTY DEVELOPMENT
The block descriptions keyed to the "Downtown Concept Plan Illustrative" recommend 3-4 story
buildings on 10 blocks (blocks 15, 16, 18, 24, 25, 28, 29, 34, 35 and 46) and "landmark"
buildings along Santa Rosa street that would presumably exceed 4 stories (block 23). Granted,
five of these blocks are located outside the Downtown Historic District east of Santa Rosa
(blocks 15, 16, 24, 25 and 35). What is disconcerting is that two of these blocks (blocks 29 and
46) are located within the Historic District. And two of these blocks (blocks 18 & 28) flank historic
properties such as the Jack House and the Creamery. All of this is puzzling because in spite of
some disagreement about building heights among the "Stakeholder Focus Groups" (which
should be expected because these groups included property and business owners) the two
workshops, the online survey and the neighborhood group meeting nearly unanimously
recommended either maintaining the current "look or feel" (393 survey responses) or keeping
downtown 2-3 stories. To confirm this please look below at the findings specific to building
heights gleaned from this "Broad Based Public Engagement" process.
Thank you!
Broad Based Public Engagement - Height Discussions
Stakeholder Focus Groups (48 participants)
Stakeholders expressed the most disagreement about building heights.
Public Workshop 1 (75 participants)
Map 2: What I like and What I'd Change
"in general, the higher concentration of sad faces were placed on ... County Building..."
Public Workshop 2 (110 participants)
Small Group Exercise Summaries by Group
Green Group
The group generally agreed that heights should stay as they are through much of the study
area, with an interest in maintaining the current look and feel of central downtown.
Red Group
Most people felt comfortable with the maximum heights as they currently are (3 stories in the
core (most historic) district.
Black Group
With regard to height and massing, the group decided to keep the scale as is in the downtown
core and the SW area.
White Group
Solar orientation was very important to the group and they generally felt that the existing
setting ...should be the primary factors evaluated when determining building heights and
massing.
Blue Group
For height and massing, the group felt that there should be no change to the scale of
development in the core or center of downtown to better maintain view sheds
Yellow Group
In general, the group was supportive of buildings that stepped back at the upper stories.
Overflow Group
Generally speaking, they do not want to see increases in height behind the current condition
in downtown.
Online Survey (393 responses)
What do you like most about Downtown SLO?
Top reply: 19%: Look/Feel
Neighborhood Meetings (35 downtown residents)
Height, Massing and Intensity of Development
Meeting participants broadly supported limitations on new building height. A few discussed
negative impacts of development on our environment and noise impacts in neighborhoods.