HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/25/2018 Item 1, Brown
Goodwin, Heather
From:Kerry Brown <kerryobrown@yahoo.com>
Sent:Wednesday, July
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:790 Foothill
Dear Planning Commission:
I am very concerned about the proposed project at 790 Foothill. I live in the area and find the proposal
out of scale and objectionable. This is a neighborhood commercial area and the proposed apartment
complex is out of scale and overwhelming. Projects like these are the reason the City has a Design
Guidelines. This structure will dominate and change the character of this area. Our neighborhood enjoys
views of Bishops Peak and Cerro San Luis Obispo, these mountains provide a sense of place for this area.
With each new development these views are disappearing. This project is considered mixed-use, but it is
more of an apartment than a commercial structure. The project is inconsistent with the City’s Design
Guidelines. The two incentives are not necessary, the fourth floor should be removed and the 90%
coverage should not be granted.
The transportation impact study is inadequate. The study looked at the average rate for an apartment
NOT student housing. The data used is also not accurate considering traffic in this area has increased
significantly in the last 2 two years. This development will have 234 students living there because each 1
bedroom is really a 2-bedroom and each 2-bedroom is really a 4-bedroom. When the City adopted the
LUCE, and the special planning area standard that allows for this development (and the one at 22 Chorro);
the expected number of units was 80 with a population of 183. But since these two developments are
student housing, the actual population would be at least 234 for 790 Foothill and 96 for 22 Chorro – that a
total of 330 occupants. The traffic impacts of these developments will be significant. This is inaccurate
and needs to be corrected.
The parking is inadequate for the intended use. Since this is student housing, renting by the bed, the
parking should be one parking space for each adult living in this apartment, which would require at least
234 spaces (this is consistent with the County’s Land Use Element Policies - new development will be
required to provide adequate off-street parking to match the intended use).
This development needs more parking. Affordable housing or not – a housing development should provide
adequate parking for its residents. I don’t disagree that the occupants will use transit and bikes, but they
will still have cars. Many students need cars so that they can have transportation back to their home and
don’t use their cars.
As designed this project will have will have adverse traffic impacts and will affect public health and safety
of this area. Please protect our neighborhood and require that this development follow the rules, require
an traffic study, provide adequate parking, reduce the height to three stories, and reduce the
massing. Thank you.
Best,
Kerry Brown
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