CC 2022-06-14_09c Supplemental 1
MEMORANDUM
TO: City Council
FROM: Jessica Matson, Legislative & Information Services Director/City Clerk
SUBJECT: Supplemental Information
Agenda Item 9.c. – Continued Discussion and Consideration of the
Introduction of an Ordinance Amending Title 16 of the Arroyo Grande
Municipal Code to Implement Senate Bill 9; Development Code
Amendment 21-002; Location – Citywide
DATE: June 14, 2022
Attached is correspondence received before 4 p.m. for the above referenced item.
cc: City Manager
Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director
Community Development Director
City Attorney
City Clerk
City Website (or public review binder)
From:Kevin Buchanan
To:public comment; Kristen Barneich; Caren Ray Russom; Jimmy Paulding; Keith Storton; Lan George
Subject:Item 9.C - SB9 Ordinance
Date:Monday, June 13, 2022 5:51:23 AM
Attachments:Screen Shot 2022-06-11 at 3.10.06 PM.png
Councilmembers,
Adding a parking requirement to SB9 units will add about $30k to the construction cost of
each unit. That additional cost per unit would be an intentional choice on your part. This
choice would be in direct conflict with any stated claims that you as individuals have made in
support of making housing more affordable and attainable in our city. This step backward
from the ordinance that was proposed to you is also in direct conflict with adopted goals
through the Housing Element.
https://link.edgepilot.com/s/dbcf90f9/Bp73bKpOUEm573QFy3OE7Q?
u=https://www.accessmagazine.org/spring-2016/cutting-the-cost-of-parking-requirements/
When the planning commission adopted changes to the ordinance removing the parking
requirements, we deliberately did so with this in mind. No, it wasn't an easy decision. Yes, we
considered that people will likely need to park somewhere. Yes, there was disagreement. But
we deliberated, and 4 out of 5 of us felt that reducing costs, and allowing for designs that are
more affordable by design, was worth the trade off. SLO County is one of the least affordable
regions in the US. We should be looking to go beyond what state law requires here in order to
proactively permit affordable housing designs within our city.
Removing the requirement also doesn't mean that parking won't be built. Builders can
certainly choose to build parking if they think people in need of a home will want to pay for
parking. That's a choice they can make. We shouldn't be making it for them. If we're
concerned about parking in our auto oriented community, then we should take steps to reduce
the expensive auto orientated, car dependent street and transit systems. And that begins with
making it legal to build a home without a parking space.
Parking requirements weren't created for accessibility reasons, and having 1 mandated parking
space (for a home that may potentially have 5 cars, as council posited) doesn't reduce parking
on the streets. Study after study shows that off street parking requirements just increase the
amount of cars on the road, increase the on street parking being used as well, and increase the
cost of building. This isn't really up for debate. If you truly care about making homes more
affordable, then I hope you act based on evidence of what actually accomplishes that goal,
rather than personal notions based on the status quo.
Kevin Buchanan
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From:Alexis Schmitz
To:public comment
Subject:ADUs on agenda tonight
Date:Tuesday, June 14, 2022 1:31:28 PM
To whom it may concern,
I am an AG citizen writing in support of allowing additional dwelling units in the city. It is
very expensive to live in Arroyo grande. Being able to add a rental unit or a unit for adult
children to use to launch into the world would be a good option for many families. It would
also help people who are hoping to afford to retire in our community. It will also help ease the
housing crisis. I hope you will support the allowance of additional dwelling units. Especially
considering they would be a bigger benefit for the community than yet another hotel.
Sincerely,
Alexis Schmitz
From:India Dastic
To:public comment
Subject:Housing Crisis - Let"s move forward.
Date:Tuesday, June 14, 2022 1:25:30 PM
Hi City Council,
Please honor the time and energy the Planning Commission took and PASS the policy that
would allow maximum choices for homeowners in a way that is respectful of Arroyo
Grande's aesthetics.
We need more housing options in our area. People cannot afford to live here, especially
after the pandemic and people from out of town coming to live.
Please pass this and move forward.
India Dastic, AG resident
From:Miller
To:public comment
Subject:6/14/2022 Public Comment Agenda Items 8e & 9c
Date:Tuesday, June 14, 2022 2:50:56 PM
Attachments:AG Council.pdf
Please see attached. Please redact any personal information (email addresses, etc.)
Thank you.
June 14, 2022
Dear City Council Members,
8e - I protest a tax increase and encourage you to consider the many
negative ramifications of passing it. With gas, food, childcare, and other
items at an all-time high, this will only further hurt the hard-working families
that make up this community. Tourism isn't high enough to justify a 1% tax,
especially with fewer and fewer events occurring and gas prices.
9c - I also protest this resolution and encourage you, again, to stop passing
items that only hurt the community in which you serve. ADUs serve as a
great way for families to help each other. With your proposal, if I wanted to
add an ADU for in-laws or adult children, I’d have to provide an offsite
parking space. With the propose “street diet” for my street, we will lose ALL
parking in front of our home. It’s a silly loop that needs to be considered.
Please stop adding hotels that we do not want and do not need. Clearly the
TOT isn’t paying for roads, and we don’t have adequate water supplies and
we’re in a drought.
A. Miller
Arroyo Grande resident
From:Lauren Ames
To:public comment
Subject:Yes on SB9!!!
Date:Tuesday, June 14, 2022 1:37:31 PM
Dear City Staff and Council Members,
Housing has become so expensive in SLO County, and Arroyo Grande is no
exception! It is so expensive that the people who live and work here cannot afford to
do so and are about to be completely priced out of this area. I personally know one
young family who was forced to move out of state to find more affordable housing for
their family, and I know of two others who are seriously considering moving out of
state as well because they just can't make ends meet and can't find
affordable housing. These are teachers, therapists, small business owners, etc. who
are wonderful contributors to our community. My family and I struggled to finally buy a
house in Arroyo Grande - we put offers on 11 homes before we were finally accepted
- and we are so happy here, but with the high cost of living we need financial help for
it to be sustainable in the long run. We'd love to be able to convert our detached two-
car garage into an ADU for long term rentals to help us endure the high cost of living
here, and to help other people who are struggling to find housing, but there are
currently so many obstacles in our way, right now it feels impossible.
Your staff and commissions have put some real thought into the proposals for SB9
and I strongly urge you to accept it as-is. The care and attention to detail they took in
creating them shows we can preserve our neighborhoods and create the housing we
need if we work with state laws, instead of against them. Getting these homes built is
a major part of your city council's goal of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, as well as
honoring the Regional Housing and Infrastructure Compact all the cities and the
County Board agreed to in 2019. Please approve the proposed ordinance!
Kind regards,
Lauren Ames, MATI
Federally Certified Court Interpreter
California State Certified Court InterpreterTexas Master Licensed Court Interpreter +1(831)277-8785
From:Mario Alcolea
To:public comment
Subject:Approve SB9
Date:Tuesday, June 14, 2022 1:47:38 PM
Dear City Staff and Council Members,
I'm worried about how expensive housing has become in SLO County, and Arroyo
Grande is no exception. Your staff and commissions have put some real thought into
the proposals for SB9 and I strongly urge you to accept it as-is. The care and
attention to detail they took in creating them shows we can preserve our
neighborhoods and create the housing we need if we work with state laws, instead of
against them. Getting these homes built is a major part of your city council's goal of
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, as well as honoring the Regional Housing and
Infrastructure Compact all the cities and the County Board agreed to in 2019. Please
approve the proposed ordinance!
Mario Alcolea
From:slomlbyrd@gmail.com
To:public comment
Subject:Agenda item 9C, June 14, 2022
Date:Tuesday, June 14, 2022 11:07:25 AM
Simply put, I ask that you adopt this resolution without watering it down any further. It is imperative
that those of us so fortunate to be able to live in our wonderful city use every measure possible to
assure that those who work and shop here have that same opportunity. Our teachers, clerks
landscapers, barbers and everyone else we rely on daily deserves to be able to live close to their
place of employment. More and more that is an economic necessity for those families as well as an
environmental imperative as we all struggle with the consequences of climate change.
Our son is one of many who left to live and work elsewhere. There isn’t a single visit when he
doesn’t say how much he would like to return here. But the cost of living here – especially the cost
of housing – makes that impossible for them right now. As it stands, a day will come when he will
inherit our property and then he will be able to fulfill his dream of returning home. But parents
shouldn’t have to die so their children can live here.
There’s much to be done if we are going to work seriously to provide affordable housing for most
everyone. And if that means setting my self-consideration aside and instead consider the needs of
the phlebotomist who drew my blood this morning so be it. The step being asked of you this evening
is just the beginning. So please let this begin now.
Thank you for this opportunity to comment.
Michael Byrd