Planning Commission Meeting Update

March 26, 2008                  Wednesday                                7:00 p.m.

CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

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

Commrs. Multari and Brodie were absent. 

ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA:   

The order of the agenda was not modified. 

MINUTES:  Minutes of March 12, 2008.   

The minutes were approved with some minor amendments. 

PUBLIC COMMENT:   

There was no public content other than on regular agenda items. 

PUBLIC HEARINGS: 

1.        1500, 1501, 1551, 1540 Froom Ranch Way.  ABAN 201-07; The abandonment of the Southwesterly portion, 77 feet of Froom Ranch Way; R-3 zone; SLO Investments, applicant.  (Phil Dunsmore) 

Following a presentation by Planning and Public Works staff, public testimony focused on other road abandonments in the City and how the private handling of other right of ways has resulted in less-than-satisfactory conditions. The Commission focused their discussion on the proposed abandonment of the subject right of way and discussed the reasoning for the abandonment. On a motion by Commissioner Stevenson to recommend the Council adopt a resolution of intention to abandon the right of way, the Commission voted 5-0 to support the resolution. 

2.        712, 720, 722, 728, 736, & 748 Marsh Street  & 1119, 1123, 1125, 1127, 1129 & 1137 Garden Street.  TR 124-06; Discuss the Draft EIR prepared for the Garden Street Terraces Project; C-D-H zone; Garden Street SLO Partners, applicant. (Tyler Corey) 

The purpose of the meeting was to gather comments on the Draft EIR.  To that end, the Chairperson opened up the public hearing after a few Commission questions before returning to the Commission to provide their individual comments.  Ten individuals spoke during the public hearing including the applicant’s representative Carol Florence and architect George Garcia.  Most of the public comments were complimentary to the content and conclusions of the EIR with some speakers suggesting that the environmentally superior alternative should be followed.  Some of the Issues brought up by the public included the loss of historic structures, changes to the character of Garden Street, solar access to proposed public use areas, and the use of and improvements to Garden Alley.  Mike Mc Namara, one of the owners of the Verizon building at 742 Marsh, noted that negotiations had broken down with the applicant and that this parcel was no longer part of the project. 

The Commission also praised the quality of the Draft EIR and asked for particular issues to be further refined and clarified prior to publication of the Final EIR, including the impacts related to demolition and a cumulative analysis of transportation and aesthetic impacts if several of the planned projects in the downtown were to be developed concurrently. The Commission also wanted to see the EIR updated to reflect the project without the 742 Marsh property.  Staff indicated that detailed minutes would be prepared from the meeting reflecting all of the specific individual comments made by both the public and Commission members, which City staff along with the consultants would address as part of the formal responses to comments. 

COMMENT AND DISCUSSION: 

3.        Staff 

a.      Agenda Forecast – Pam Ricci provided a forecast for the April 9, 2008, agenda. 

4.        Commission 

ADJOURNMENT                                                                             

The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m.

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.