Question 1

Does the city review design as well as code?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and the two run on separate tracks. Projects that trigger architectural review are judged on materials, massing and how the building meets the street, months before a plans examiner looks at a single detail. We prepare the set with both in mind, because a package that satisfies the code and ignores the design guidelines still goes back around.

Question 2

Our property backs onto a creek. Does that change anything?

Accepted Answer

It changes where you can build. Creek setbacks apply through much of the city and are measured from the top of bank rather than from a line on the assessor's map, so the buildable envelope is often smaller than the lot suggests. Establishing that line is survey work. We coordinate with the surveyor and draw to what they set.

Question 3

Is downtown work different from the rest of the city?

Accepted Answer

Considerably. The downtown historic district brings design guidelines, a review body that looks at storefronts and upper facades in detail, and building stock old enough that the recorded drawings rarely match what is standing. Existing-conditions documentation is worth doing properly before the design work starts.

Question 4

Do the city's energy requirements go beyond state code?

Accepted Answer

They can. San Luis Obispo has adopted local energy standards that reach past Title 24 on new construction, and what applies depends on the building type and the year you submit. We confirm the current requirement with the department rather than working from last year's version, because it is a moving target and it lands on the drawings.

Question 5

What does a hillside lot add to the process?

Accepted Answer

Grading limits and height measured from natural grade, and on the steeper lots the design follows the slope more than anything else. We capture the terrain so the designer is working from measured ground. Geotechnical work comes from the project engineer and the drawings are coordinated to it.

Drafting and Permit Documents in the City of San Luis Obispo

01Does the city review design as well as code?

02Our property backs onto a creek. Does that change anything?

03Is downtown work different from the rest of the city?

04Do the city's energy requirements go beyond state code?

05What does a hillside lot add to the process?