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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 2 - Watry LetterGood day, Planning Commissioners: My name is Peter Watry -- is such that I am unable to attend meetings, so I am using this method to share my remarks relative to the project at 3rd & K streets. I am a member of Crossroads. Our main interest are the decisions regarding land -use issues in Chula Vista. This proposed project really upsets us. The city spent almost $1 million to develop the original Urban Core Specific Plan in 2008. The Plan created the C -1 Corridor, Third Avenue from almost H Street south to L Street, and of course includes this property. Most of that stretch of Third Avenue at present consists of small businesses, a few large ones, and little if any residential. In the original Urban Core Plan, C -1 properties could be re- developed as office and/or retail buildings, but only 40% of a building could be residential. "Mixed development" was the new catch -word. Then in March last year, there were many adjustments to the Urban Core Specific Plan. The most obvious one was correcting a problem they had with R -3 properties in the original Urban Core Specific Plan meetings. Crossroads II was involved, too, particularly with certain parking requirements. But we do not remember C -1 getting any attention at all. But the fact is, without any public input the limit on residential space was removed, and thus the project before you is 98% residential. None of us remember being aware of that change at all. As you can see by the attached, there was never any public notice about doing this. That is, the public has never had a chance to discuss this very significant change to the character of western Chula Vista that that change makes possible, indeed probable in view of the overwhelming desire of developers to build residential in Chula Vista. This change will result in yet more commercial property becoming residential. That is a "game- changer" for western Chula Vista, maybe good, maybe not. If you approve this project, it will be a precedent for the entire C -1 Corridor. I urge you to postpone a decision on this plan before you, and hold some bind of a Public Hearing about the wisdom of this dramatic change in the nature of western Chula Vista. Or, if you choose to approve this development, please include a condition that a Public Hearing must be held about the wisdom of this dramatic change in the rest of C -1 before any more such projects are considered. Peter Watry 1 (Note: NOWHERE does it mention deleting the maximum amounts for residential or any other changes in C -1 or G2) The "title" of Agenda Item #3 on the April 21, 2015 Council meeting: A. ORDINANCE NO. 3341 OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO THE URBAN CORE SPECIFIC PLAN TO: 1) REZONE CERTAIN APARTMENT RESIDENTIAL (R -3) ZONED PARCELS AND CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ZONED PARCELS FOR CONSISTENCY WITHIN THEIR UCSP SUBDISTRICT AREA EXCLUDING THE FOLLOWING SUBDISTRICTS: V-1; V 2; V-3; UC -12; AND UC -14; 2) REMOVE THE MINIMUM FLOOR AREA RATIO IN CERTAIN SUBDISTRICTS; 3) REMOVE LOT COVERAGE AS A MANDATORY DEVELOPMENT STANDARD; AND 4) MAKE MINOR MODIFICATIONS TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY WITH CITY POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND PROCESSES (SECOND READING AND ADOPTION) B. ORDINANCE NO. 3342 OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTAADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO THE URBAN CORE SPECIFIC PLAN TO: 1) REZONE CERTAIN APARTMENT RESIDENTIAL (R -3) ZONED PARCELS AND CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ZONED PARCELS FOR CONSISTENCY WITHIN THEIR UCSP AREA; 2) REMOVE THE MINIMUM FLOOR AREA RATIO IN CERTAIN SUBDISTRICTS; 3) REMOVE LOT COVERAGE AS A MANDATORY DEVELOPMENT STANDARD; AND 4) MAKE MINOR MODIFICATIONS TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY WITH CITY POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND PROCESSES (SECOND READING AND ADOPTION) C. ORDINANCE NO. 3343 OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO THE URBAN CORE SPECIFIC PLAN LAND USE MATRIX TO ALLOW CERTAIN DELETIONS AND ADDITIONS OF LAND USES AND PERMIT PROCESSES (SECOND READING AND ADOPTION) 2 (For you general enlightenment) Gary Halpert vs. Adam Smith Years ago, there was a local real estate gentleman active in Chula Vista business and civic affairs. He kept stressing that we needed "more feet on the street." His name was Chris Lewis. At one point, Ralphs built a new grocery near Naples. Not too many years later, it folded. Chris spoke before the Chula Vista City Council one night and berated them for causing the failure of that Ralphs -- the city had not encouraged enough high - density housing to support that Ralphs. He clearly felt that residences should serve the needs of business. He said that Ralphs failed because the Council had not put enough "feet on the street." On the other hand, in 1776 Adam Smith wrote: "Consumption is the sole end and purpose of all production; and the interest of the producer ought to be attended to, only so far as it may be necessary for promoting that of the consumer." The then - current system Smith was opposing was the system of how the English government gave so much monopoly power to a few men in the American colonies, and how the English government used its power at home to help producers -- for instance, high tariffs to keep out foreign competitors. He called that system the "mercantile system." Smith continued: "But in the mercantile system, the interest of the consumer is almost constantly sacrificed to that of the producer; and it seems to consider production, and not consumption, as the ultimate end and object of all industry and commerce." So Chris Lewis and Adam Smith represent the two opposite views of the object of an economy -- do residents exist to serve businesses (Lewis) or do businesses exist to serve residents (Smith)? Currently our City Council is involved in creating "Community Facilities Districts" in western Chula Vista, the purpose of which is to create higher densities than currently exist in the older parts of Chula Vista. I do not remember that we who live in western Chula Vista ever voted for such a change. Then why this effort? City Manager, Gary Halpert, made it clear at a recent Council meeting. The discussion was about how so many businesses fail in western Chula Vista because people are shopping at the malls now. So how do we help our struggling businesses? By "putting more feet on the street," said City Manager Halpert. So Chris Lewis has a disciple in saying that residents exist to serve businesses. Sorry, Mr. Smith, your "free market" beliefs lost another one. The "mercantile system" is alive and well in Chula Vista City Hall! Peter Watry 3