HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/5/2017 Item 12, P Gomez
Christian, Kevin
From:francisco.m.gomez15@gmail.com on behalf of Pancho Gomez
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Sent:
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Regarding Subject: SLR 7/5
City Council Members,
Thank you for your service and dedication to ensuring San Luis Obispo is a city we are all proud of and lucky to
live in. I'm writing in regards to the proposed San Luis Ranch development project. I understand there are large
concerns around resource scarcity like our water supply. I trust City Council's discretion and wisdom on such
matters.
I'd like to express concern about a few things that would impact our city's culture:
1. The proposed commercial space
I'm concerned about the kind of company that new commercial space would bring to San Luis Obispo.
Though I understand new businesses equal more jobs, I think the kind of business we allow to set up
shop in San Luis Obispo is crucial. Much of the new development on Monterrey is regretfully occupied
by high-end, gaudy, consumeristic companies like Williams & Sonoma and Lululemon. Bring on the
craftsmen, local startups, and socially responsible companies. San Luis Obispo is not Santa Barbara; I'd
like it to stay that way.
2. The amount of actually affordable housing
The luxury tax we pay to live in San Luis Obispo is clearly reflected in our median wage to cost of
living ratio. I know Cal Poly Professors who can't afford to buy a house in San Luis Obispo, and I know
Mindbody employees who can barely make ends meet paying less than $1,000 in monthly rent. I'm
hopeful that San Luis Ranch would be a place for that kind of person to feasibly buy a home. For me,
making $60k/year with no help from parents to pay for college or a mortgage, to be able to buy a home.
The last thing we need is more country club housing. Their ads say "including workforce and affordable
housing.". I want to hear that 75% or more of these living units will be affordable for a household
making under 65k/year.
3. Solar, EV charging, sustainable land management, etc
This is an opportunity to be part of the solution and to take on a responsibility that our federal
government has opted to ignore. Ideally, I would like to see a housing development that is completely
offset by renewable energy and encourages the adoption of forward-thinking, sustainable technologies
like electric vehicles. Furthermore, I'd like to see landscaping that is sustainable. Install native plants and
varietals in public areas and use permaculture techniques to store water in the soil instead of flushing it
out to the ocean via storm drains. A great example of this is the riparian habitat that's been installed near
the Prado Road development.
Thank you for your time and consideration! Good luck with the process :)
Best,
Francisco (Pancho) Gomez
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Pancho Gomez
805.260.3661
panch.gomez@gmail.com
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