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Home My WebLink About2012-09-11 Planning MIN_Attachment09/06/2012 10:22 5414826882 VRC PAGE 02/04 September 4, 2012 City of Ashland Planning Commission City of Ashland 51 Winburn Way Ashland., OR 97520 City of Ashland Planning Exhibit FXMUIT'�-UV)- - Q PA#'��-Vll� DAYE `._ STAFF L. Planning; Action 2012-01122 Subject property: 175 Lithia Way Issue: Opposition to exception to project and to exception to the site design and use standards' downtown designing standards (V1-B-3) Tax lots, 10100, 11.601, 11701, 1.5000 Greetin;;s, My name is Stan Potocki. My business partner and I own 150 N. Pioneer Street, a designated R-2 property, which borders on the proposed new project at 175 Lithia Way. I am, writing in order to oppose the project and also specifically to oppose the exception to the site design and use standards downtown design. standards involving recessed balconies. First, we do not believe recessed balconies are warranted and are not in keeping with established downtown design standards in this commercial area. T do not believe that the design farts in with the historic neighborhood. We therefore oppose and request that this not be approved.. If approved, we plan on appeal. I have a, number of other concerns which I will, now outline. In the criteria. outlined involving the "exception to the site design and use standards" (18.72.090), it is noted that approval of an exception "will not substantially negatively impact adjacent properties." Our property, 150 N. Pioneer Street will, be further negatively impacted w.hieh is another basis for opposing this. I will first briefly address background issues regarding that matter followed by further specifics. Our property has been very negatively impacted by the City of Ashland parking lot which is immediately adjacent. We were accommodating at the time it was constructed approximately 20 years ago. We worked with the City of Ashland on what amounted to a "good faith" basis. However, the City of Ashland has not followed tb rough with multiple assurances to revisit zorti.ng in the area for our affected property. We are essentially an R-2 island in the sea of commercial development. We have owned the property for approximately the past 23 years and witnessed a strong ongoing further comm.exci,al trend. The City of. Ashland previously commissioned very comprehensive studies independently which recommended rezoning of the area including our property to more of a mixed rise blend of both commercial and residential. use. 09/06/2012 10:22 5414826882 VRC PAGE 03/04 The previous City of Ashland planning director specifically advised me that he planned on redesignating our property in a new "C-2 or C-3" zoning which. would allow for both combined residential and commercial uses. However, the City of Ashland. has not followed through at all regarding that matter nor with implementing any of the previous studies which the City of Ashland commissioned. The planning department bas acknowledged on many occasions that it should take place. There vas previously a residential home located next to our property (where the parking lot exists). That home was moved to make way for the new parking lot. We did not oppose, as noted, at the time as we instead chose to work with the city on a "good faith" basis over 20 years ago. However, good ,faith has been a one way street. Our rentals are located literally several feet from the parking lot. We have had renters move out specifically because of the intrusion of the parking lot and what it brings. I will ol)jectively outline some of the specific negative impacts. Clearly these will only be exacerbated by further development immediately adjacent to the parking lot (i.e., the proposed 175 Lithia Way development) which borders our, property. Incidents and ongoing issues from having commercial parking and development immediately next to our ",residential" property include the following: • Car alarms which go off on an. ongoing basis at all hours of the day and night (several feet ,literally from our "residential" properly) for both brief periods of tip ne and also for much longer periods of time; • Ongoing remote control loud beeps from patrons of the parking lot checking and double checking to see iftlleir car is indeed locked; • Beer bottles and other trash thrown over the fence from the parking lot on a regular basis; • Dogs left in cars by patrons of the parking lot which sometimes bark incessantly; • Homeless people sleeping on the other side of the fence in the bushes, jumping the fence, and attempting to enter the buildings on our property; • Vandalism with drunken people from the bars and parking lot literally attempting to pound open our doors and uproot patio furniture in the late hours of the night; • Our renters making a decision to move due to having their doors banged on in the middle of the night ; • Driveway access being blocked by parked vehicles on the street obstructing access. These are simply some of the issues which have arisen. Further commercial development and exceptions will clearly only negatively impact what is currently mistakenly zoned a purely residential use for our property. 2 09/06/2012 10:22 5414826882 VRC PAGE 04/04 Finally, on an entirely separate issue, pedestrian traffic is very heavy at the intersection of Lithia Way and north First Street. Any further commercial development warrants a traffic light at that intersection for safety for pedestrians. There would otherwise be repeated crosswalk use with no safety for crossing the street for pedestrians as there would be much further extensive foot traffic beyond what it already is. Sincerely, 40 Stan Potocki sp$city of Ashland 090412