The following is published here with permission from Linda Stedjee

Removal of Community and Neighborhood Character Protections

The following document change information  was obtained through review of the  “lined out” revision copy in the CCC submission package made available by the City, and older versions from various sources.  These changes weaken or remove provisions for controlling bulk, scale, and density.  Contrary to claims made at the time, material removed was NOT replaced with equivalent protections in other sections of the plan.   

This material, from the current General Plan, was removed entirely:

Protection of Neighborhood Character:  One of the priorities of the Coastal Act is the protection of the character of the community and its neighborhoods.  Morro Bay recognizes the need to preserve the unique character of its varied neighborhoods, and to create a higher quality visual environment within them.  Among some of the issues that predicate the establishment of policy to preserve neighborhood character are the following

(1) New residences and new residential additions are often out of scale and character with other residences in the vicinity.

(2)  The current allowable height and bulk for residential development is not appropriate for some portions of the community.  Such buildings would in many cases block important views and conflict with the character of individual neighborhoods.

This material, from the current General Plan, was removed entirely:

"Policy LU-15.  The present human scale and leisurely,  low intensity appearance of Morro Bay should be maintained through careful regulation of building height, location and mass"

"Program LU-18.1.  The present human scale in building design and style should be encouraged in all future development and redevelopment in lieu of high-intensity or high-rise concepts"

This material, from the current General Plan,

Character of Residential Development

The City is experiencing a gradual transformation of its residential areas where small, older structures are being replaced by new and considerably larger homes.  This places considerable emphasis on ensuring that new projects fit well with the established neighborhoods.  Policies are included in the General Plan to preserve the character of residential neighborhoods so that new residences and residential additions are consistent with the scale and character of residences in the vicinity.

Was replaced with this:

Character of Residential Development

The City is experiencing a gradual transformation of its residential areas where small, older structures are being replaced by new and considerably larger homes. This trend is likely to continue due to the continuing dramatic increase in residential land prices in Morro Bay.

This material, which appears in the "lined out" version of the General Plan that was submitted to the CCC,

Goal 4:  an aesthetically pleasing community with effective standards for the location, amount, rate, type, scale, and quality of new development

Was replaced with this:

Goal 4: An aesthetically pleasing community that maintains the “small town fishing village” image with new development that complements existing development and does not detract from the natural environment

 

This material, which appears in the "lined out" version of the General Plan that was submitted to the CCC,

• The relationship of the built environment to the natural environment
• Variety of individual neighborhoods
• The scale and character of buildings, streets, and other public spaces, and

Was replaced with this

• The agricultural buffer around the town community isolating it from other urban development.
• The Harbor, the Bay and the natural coastal environment.
• The small town “fishing port” character.
•  The beaches, sand spit, and Morro Rock

This material, which appears in the "lined out" version of the General Plan that was submitted to the CCC,

Goal 5:  Compatible new development

Was replaced with nothing. It’s just gone.