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Planning
Commission Meeting Update
May 24,
2006
Wednesday
7:00 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL:
Commissioners Charles Stevenson, John Ashbaugh, Peter Brown, Andrew
Carter, Jason McCoy, Vice Chairperson Carlyn Christianson, and
Chairperson Andrea Miller
ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA:
Commissioners or staff may modify the order of items.
Commissioners accepted the agenda as submitted.
MINUTES:
Minutes of May 10, 2006. Approve or amend.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
1. 520
Grand Avenue.
Use Permit Appl. A 16-06; Request for a High Occupancy Use Permit; R-1
zone; Grand Avenue Properties, applicant.
(Phil Dunsmore)
2. 614
Monterey Street.
GPC 75-06; General plan conformity analysis for potential property
acquisition; O-H zone; City of San Luis Obispo, Public Works,
applicant. (Peggy Mandeville)
On
a vote of 7-0, the Planning Commission determined that the property
acquisition, if pursued, is in compliance with the City’s General
Plan. No members of the public provided testimony and no questions
were asked or comments made by the Commission.
3. 2238
Broad Street and 642 & 2201 Emily Street.
ABAN, U and ER 62-05: Review of a new mixed-use project with 91
residential units and approximately 25,000 sq. ft. of commercial
space, including a shared and mixed use parking reduction of 30%;
street abandonment of South Street within the project area, and
environmental review; C-N-H, C-S-H and C-S-S-H zones, Halferty
Development Co., applicant. (Whitney
McIlvaine)
On
a vote of 4 to 1 (Commissioners McCoy and Stevenson recusing
themselves and Commissioner Carter voting no), the Planning Commission
adopted resolutions granting approval to a mixed use project with a
30% parking reduction and a master list of uses and recommending
approval of abandonment of a portion of South Street to City Council.
Commissioner Carter expressed concerns regarding the parking
reduction, the aesthetics of the residential units, and questioned the
neighborhood serving aspect of the proposed uses. He and other
Commissioners asked about the environmental review protocol that
assigns final action on the proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration to
the ARC rather than the Planning Commission. Director Mandeville
explained that action is assigned to the hearing body taking final
action on the development plan once the public comment period has
ended.
Other commissioners generally were very supportive of the proposal,
citing the need for housing near the City center, and agreeing that
the project’s layout and design fit well into the context of the
site. Commissioner Brown made the motion for approval with the full
30% parking reduction, after reading an excerpt from the book, “The
High Cost of Free Parking.” Commissioner Christianson seconded the
motion, noting that the site is zoned for commercial use and
incorporating housing into a commercial setting naturally yields a
different style of architecture and offers a different sort of
residential living experience than a site zoned primarily for
residential use. Chairperson Miller supported the motion saying that
the project will be a welcome replacement to the now vacant property
and improve the continuity of development in this area.
Several members of the public spoke in favor of the project, including
Carol Pruett on behalf of Mid-State Bank. Two homeowners in the
vicinity expressed their enthusiasm for the project’s overall design
and said it would be a good addition to this part of town. One
resident asked for clarification regarding traffic turning movements
once the proposed raised median is installed in Broad Street.
The project is scheduled for final review by the ARC on June 19th.
COMMENT AND DISCUSSION:
4. Staff
A.
Agenda Forecast
B.
Memo regarding the possibility of an earlier meeting start time.
5. Commission
ADJOURN
to the regular meeting of the Planning Commission scheduled for
Wednesday, June 14, 2006, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber of City
Hall, 990 Palm Street. |
