HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-13-2017 Item PH2 (Lipari)
To the San Luis Obispo City Architectural Review Commission;
From Mitchell Lipari, owner & resident of 1223 Nipomo St., Marsh St Commons;
The revised proposed development plans for Marsh, Nipomo & Higuera Streets under
consideration by this board, will negatively affect the businesses & residents currently
established in the surrounding neighborhood:…with 3 buildings that far exceed typical
height limits, 62 apartments and 36 hotel rooms that will create high-density
residential activity where it doesn’t belong, 3 restaurants & 4 retail stores….all of this
traffic and activity to be using only 136 on-site parking spaces?!
These plans as presented are too big for the property and the streets that will be used
for access, and the parking will spill well beyond the property to an already
overburdened street parking problem.
When the plans for this project were first presented to the residents of Marsh St
Commons, by invitation of the developer, my opinion of the plans as proposed for our
neighborhood, were positive…retail, restaurants, grocery store, and a few similar
residential dwellings that conformed to the local properties already established across
Marsh St, with our own small commercial/residential development at Marsh St
Commons. Most ideas presented were compatible, provided there would be enough
parking on-site, and all planning guidelines/restrictions and traffic designs were
followed.
As a Certified Real Estate Appraiser, I knew that most of the preliminary plans as
originally proposed, would enhance & support the property values of living downtown,
and agreed with the City’s idea of promoting “more homeowners living downtown”
creating a diversity of commercial & residential properties that co-exist, and
strengthen the ownership interest in the “downtown” experience and environment. At
that time, the proposed development did not include a 36 room Hotel, did not ask to
exceed the established height limit requirements with 4-5 stories overall, did not
increase the planned few residential components by such an excessive amount of
smaller “apartment/studio” sized residential units, and did not appear to impede the
views of residents living at the Marsh St Commons.
There will be 160 Hotel rooms downtown with the addition of the 2 Hotels that are
currently under construction, all within a few blocks of each other. The neighborhood
and the traffic will not support 36 more Hotel rooms, let alone 62 apartment dwellers.
This 36 room Hotel and 62 apartments addition to the original proposal is what creates
the request to exceed the height-limits so extensively. The view-shed that the 4
residences, located on Marsh St enjoy, will be negatively impacted from this height
revision/request, by blocking the established view of the local mountains and skyline.
The Marsh St Commons properties were purchased with the current views & living
environment being a major consideration that increased property values. If this board
approves these revised plans for a Hotel and 4-5 stories to accommodate these
changes, you will be exposing yourselves to the possibility of compensation litigation,
for loss of property values of at least 4 residences, when their views are negatively
affected by your decision to approve these changes to the original design, as you will
be setting aside your guidelines that were established when these residents purchased
their homes.
We were assured by the developer that this project would not affect the traffic on
Nipomo St, nor Marsh St, as the original plan included an exit-only from the proposed
parking area, to Marsh St, parallel to the Jack House eastern property line, and a one-
direction-only entrance to the property from Nipomo St….eliminating increased traffic
back-up on either Street. As now proposed, it appears the only ingress/egress is from
Nipomo St….this will be an incredible, permanent traffic snarl for all surrounding
businesses & residences.
Imagine for a moment, the amount of increased traffic a 36 room hotel, and the
additional 62 apartments will create for Nipomo St?...Show me the traffic–study that
proves otherwise. Where is the guaranty, in writing, that this will be low-income
housing….will it be “owned” housing as the City originally desired, if so, what are the
price-ranges that qualify for Low-income housing, and is it in writing?...or where in the
plans is it guaranteed to be “low-income” rent?...show me the “rent-schedules from the
local rental market that assure “low-income rents”….then put it in writing!
Please….these requests and revisions are incompatible with the neighborhood and an
assault on the well-established residential environment that has been created by the
City’s past progressive planning.
Stay the course, continue to improve, and not impede the direction you as an
empowered board have chosen to continue, by sending these plans back to the
developer for designs that work for the entire neighborhood, the ARC, the City of San
Luis Obispo, and not just the developer……