Planning Commission Meeting Update

June 25, 2008                  Wednesday                                7:00 p.m.

CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

ROLL CALL:      Commissioners Amanda Brodie, Dan Carpenter, Carlyn Christianson, Diana Gould-Wells, Michael Multari, Vice-Chairperson John Ashbaugh and Chairperson Charles Stevenson 

ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA:   

MINUTES:  The minutes of May 28, 2008, were approved as submitted. 

PUBLIC COMMENT: 

Eugene Jud, San Luis Obispo, spoke about a book titled “Transport Revolutions” and how it pertains to oil production and Greenhouse gases.  He referenced www.transportrevolutions.info.  He hopes that SLO will be a carbon neutral city.  

There were no further comments made from the public. 

PUBLIC HEARINGS: 

1.        Orcutt Area Specific Plan.  SP 209-98:  Review and discussion of Chapter 8, Public Facilities Financing Plan, and Chapter 9, Implementation, and Appendices of the Public Hearing Draft of the Orcutt Area Specific Plan; Barbara Parsons, Applicant.  (Michael Codron) 

Michael Codron, Associate Planner, presented the staff report with a recommendation to receive public comment and provide direction to staff on changes to be incorporated into Chapter Eight and Chapter Nine of the draft OASP. 

Bill Statler, Director of Finance/IT, gave an overview of the purpose of the financing plan and funding strategies for area-specific infrastructure needs.   

Tim Bochum, Deputy Director of Public Works, expressed the need for a bicycle/pedestrian bridge connection between the Orcutt Area and existing and future development.   

The owners’ representatives, Andrew Merriam, the Wallace Group, and Mike Cannon, expressed the property owners’ concerns for the financing plan, including their lack of support for the bicycle/pedestrian bridge and the need to have more of the public dedication counted toward their parkland requirement, concerns about growth management and the accuracy of the cost estimates associated with the public improvements.  

Four owners in the Specific Plan area expressed concern for the costs included in the facilities financing plan and requested that the bike bridge be eliminated and that more credit for parkland be given.  

Glen Matteson stated that the Bicycle Advisory Committee voted unanimously to approve the bicycle/pedestrian bridge and indicated that many people would use the bridge. 

Adam Fukushima, SLO County Bicycle Coalition, stated that he supports inclusion of the bicycle/pedestrian bridge in the plan.   

Eugene Jud, SLO, stated that the problems with current energy use will change transportation options in the future and that having a bicycle/pedestrian bridge would increase the property value of homes in the Orcutt area because it would provide the residents with more options and access to local shopping centers.       

Four other members of the public supported the bridge overpass. 

There were no further comments made from the public. 

The commission took a break from 9:05 p.m. - 9:20 p.m. 

COMMISSION COMMENTS: 

Commr. Multari stated that he would like to see a chart with a listing of the projects covered by the financing plan along with the phase in which each would be completed, the fee, the percent of the cost allocated to the OASP and any other issues that would pertain to the projects.    

Commr. Carpenter supported additional credit for parkland and did not support inclusion of the bicycle/pedestrian bridge.  He expressed concern about the cost impacting the ability to provide affordable housing.   

Vice-Chair Ashbaugh supported credit for parkland to include the creeks, bridges, and other open space.  He asked about using an under crossing instead of a bridge over the railroad tracks and supports a grade-separated crossing where the bike/ped bridge is currently proposed. 

Commr. Christianson stated that public facilities are very costly and agreed that there might be ways to qualify more areas as parkland.  She supports the bicycle/pedestrian bridge but also is open to looking at different designs for the structure and a different percentage of responsibility for the OASP landowners.   

Commr. Brodie stated that it would be important to have some education on an assessment district and how grants would play a part in the OASP.  She supports the bicycle/pedestrian bridge. 

Commr. Gould agreed with Commr. Multari to have staff present a chart detailing the projects, their fees, phases, etc.   

Chairperson Stevenson stated there needs to be flexible growth allocation separate from the City’s overall growth restriction.   

The item was continued to a future agenda with direction to staff to prepare the chart described by Commr. Multari. 

COMMENT AND DISCUSSION: 

1.        Staff 

a.      Agenda Forecast – Staff gave an agenda forecast of the July 9^th meeting. 

2.        Commission 

Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the Planning Commission regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public inspection in the Community Development, 919 Palm Street, during normal business hours.