From:Kate Taylor-Keeling
To:City Council
Cc:Bill Isaman
Subject:May 7th City Council Hearing - Frontage Improvement Policy Date:Thursday, April 25, 2024 3:32:28 PM
Attachments:image001.png
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Letter to Planning Commissioners_728 Ocean.pdf
P23-000084_728 Ocean_Civil Engineering Memo.pdf
P23-000084_728 Ocean_Cover Letter.pdf
External Email
Dear City Council:
I would like to submit the attached letters for review and consideration regarding the May 7th City Council determination to be made pertaining to the Frontage Improvement enforcement policy.
Thank you!
Kate Taylor-Keeling
ARCHITECT
www.isamandesign.com
SAN LUIS OBISPO
2420 broad street
san luis obispo, ca 93401
p:805.544.5672
m:650.353.6188
Stay connected with us on Instagram at @isamandesign
BILLY RUVELSON
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728 Ocean Boulevard
Shell Beach, CA 93449
April 2, 2024
Dear members of the Pismo Beach Planning Commission:
My name is Billy Ruvelson, a long-time friend of Lois Barber and the owner of her property at 728 Ocean Boulevard. As you know, I am in the midst of processing a Coastal Development Permit for a proposed residence to replace the existing single-family dwelling currently located onsite with a newer residence for my family and me. Throughout the duration of the CDP processing, we have been met with much resistance from the City engineering staff who is mandating that I install a curb, gutter and sidewalk in front of the property resulting in the elimination of a large section of planted area that currently serves as a landscape buffer between my property (similar to my neighbors) and the roadway. By installing a curb, gutter and sidewalk in this location, the curb would no longer align with the adjacent parcels and would essentially create a sidewalk to nowhere and cause a multitude of street drainage concerns. I will be replacing the current residence that has no garage and just 1 parking space in the driveway with a residence with a garage that will be able to accommodate up to 4 vehicles, completely eliminating the need for us to park on the street.
You are likely aware that this particular issue has been raised repeatedly in the Pismo Beach/Shell Beach communities over the past 10 years, with the most recent determination by the City Council occurring in November of 2022. It was at that time that they requested the planning staff and planning commission uphold the ruling and enforce installation of the aforementioned frontage improvements on any projects that improve upon 50% or more of the existing structure. In most areas of the city, Shell Beach in particular, the streets were never designed to accommodate such improvements and furthermore, piecemealing sections over the course of decades makes no sense at all.
I’m simply requesting that you consider the rationale of enforcing these public improvements that are heavily opposed by members of the community, and review the real impacts that this will have to the frontage and street drainage condition on our section of Ocean Blvd. I would greatly appreciate any support that you can provide in this matter, as this is bound to set a precedent for future projects in the vicinity. Unfortunately, I will be traveling internationally on the date of the hearing, so I will not be present, but my architects will be there on my behalf.
Thank you so much for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Billy Ruvelson
City of San Luis Obispo, Public Works, 919 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401-3218, 805.781.7200, slocity.org City of San Luis Obispo, Public Works, 919 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401-3218, 805.781.7200, slocity.org
SLO Civil Design, LLC
To: Ben Fine, Director of Public Works
City of Pismo Beach Engineering Department
From: Richard Burde, P.E.
Date: February 6, 2024
Subject: Ruvelson Residence – 728 Ocean Blvd
Dear Mr. Fine,
I have prepared this memo on behalf of Billy Ruvelson to present my assessment of property conditions at 728 Ocean Blvd. as it pertains to the implementation of City requested improvements provided on “Redlined Drawing” received on 10/20/2023. These improvements include revising Ocean Blvd’s cross section to contain a 12’ travel lane and 8’ parking lane, as well as installing standard curb, gutter and sidewalk along the property’s frontage. After preparing the site plan per the City’s direction, I have concerns about the drainage conditions that would be created, as well as the ingress/egress route onto the property, should these improvements be constructed.
The property’s frontage currently drains from east to west at slope of less than 0.5%, which is less than typical engineering standards. The implementation of the City’s requested improvements would increase the length of the flowline and reduce the slope further to approximately 0.35%. The improvements would also add four bends to the flowline, further reducing the gutter pans ability of effectively convey ing flow across the property. Ultimately this would create drainage conditions that would prevent flow from effectively reaching the existing stormwater inlet located to the west of the property, and has the potential to create ponding conditions in the gutter pan and into the travel-way.
Furthermore, the redline drawings provided by the City include improvements that would require the removal and relocation of the driveway currently serving 702 Ocean Ave. along with removal landscaping features and CMU wall located on the property line.
If implementation of road improvements were to take place it is my assessment that this should be done in concert with improvements to neighboring properties to avoid an awkward and disjointed user experience for both pedestrians and motorists. For this reason, I would encourage the City to reconsider its request and approve the application as originally presented.
Sincerely,
Richard Burde, P.E.
C 88309
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Isaman design, Inc. – www.isamandesign.com
2420 Broad Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 – P: 805.544.5672 F: 805.544.5642
MEMO
ISAMAN DESIGN, INC.
Date: February 8, 2024 Delivered:
Electronically
To: City of Pismo Dept. of Planning & Building C/O Mike Gruver City of Pismo Engineering, C/O Ben Fine
From: Bill Isaman, Isaman Design Inc.
Kate Taylor-Keeling, Isaman Design Inc.
As agent for client: Billy Ruvelson
REGARDING: Frontage Improvements at 728 Ocean (P23-000084)
To whom it may concern:
On 1/22/2024 Bill Isaman & Kate Taylor-Keeling met with Director of Public Works, Ben Fine to review a request that had been made by the engineering department via plan “redlines” regarding installation of curb, gutter & sidewalk frontage improvements for the proposed single family dwelling project at 728 Ocean Blvd. Due to the existing conditions adjacent to the parcel in question we sought to challenge this request and put forth rationale for doing so. At the conclusion of the meeting, Director Fine stated that it is his obligation to uphold the ruling of the City Council in November of 2022. Therefore he would be unable to support this project in going before planning commission should a grading and drainage plan compliant with city engineering standards not be provided. Thus, in the Coastal Development Permit application package, two different grading and drainage plans have been provided. The original design (desired by our client) and the design in line with current City direction for frontage improvements. We stand in opposition to this secondary design for the following reasons:
• At least 6’ of planted property Frontage in ROW is proposed to be recaptured by the City for a parking lane in a way that does not allow for logical transition to adjacent parcels and renderers new sidewalk unusable until adjacent parcels undergo a remodel consisting of 50% floor area or greater. Furthermore, there is no parcel on Ocean Blvd. between Windward and Cliff that contains sidewalk.
• Proposed residential development at 728 Ocean is not contributing to a public need for enhanced amenities, services or infrastructure. Therefore, the requirement is an unlawful permit condition in violation of the Mitigation Fee Act and federal constitutional law (Nollan v. Cal. Coastal Comm., 483 US 825 (1987), and Dolan v. City of Tigard, 512 US 374 (1994), as the requirement bears no nexus of rough proportionality to the project’s impacts.
• The street section at this area of Ocean is substandard to engineering guidelines given that there is a significantly eroding bluff adjacent to the traveled way. Provisions should
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Isaman design, Inc. – www.isamandesign.com
2420 Broad Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 – P: 805.544.5672 F: 805.544.5642 be made for future bluff retreat and account for that data in any future street improvements.
• The spirit of this city council ruling, while it may be applicable in certain areas of Pismo Beach with wider ROW, is not suited to the original development and right of way design in Shell Beach specifically.
• Adjacent neighbors in the surrounding vicinity are strongly opposed to the City’s stance on the frontage improvements.
In conclusion, we are submitting the alternative grading plan with frontage improvements reflected in opposition as an exhibit to show that the architectural design COULD be compatible with the City Engineering standards and frontage improvements if ultimately required.
Thank you,
Bill Isaman
ARCHITECT