The San Luis Obispo Planning Commission will review a proposal next week to build a Tesla auto dealership in the city.
In April, the Architectural Review Commission recommended that the project was consistent with the city's Community Design Guidelines.
The 30,986 square foot auto dealership would be located on Calle Joaquin in San Luis Obispo where multiple other auto dealerships exist.
The new dealership is being proposed by Rich Development Company, a real estate developer based in Santa Ana. It would sit on 2.84 acres facing Highway 101 near the new TownePlace Suites by Marriott.
The dealership would have a modern design with metal signage, glass storefronts, and gray and white paint accents.
One concern that came up in the Architectural Review Commission meeting was Tesla's modern design. They said the City of San Luis Obispo likes its buildings to have more character.
The developer representative, Tab Johnson, proposed adding different colors to the sides of the building in order to create the "ideal look" the city desires. The commission is suggesting the developers rework the texture, material or color, and windows.
The closest Tesla dealerships are in Santa Barbara and Bakersfield, so a SLO dealership would allow a closer and more convenient location for local Tesla owners.
Johnson pointed out that the dealership would only have about three cars on display for shoppers to view.
"Tesla normally does not keep a large number of display vehicles as most purchases are done online and delivered to the store," Johnson said.
The parking lot would not look like a normal auto mall. Instead, parking will be reserved for customers who need work done on their vehicles.
The ARC moved forward with the project proposal, including the recommendation for an 8 ft. tall fence around the property versus the normal 6 ft. fence due to security concerns brought forward by the developer.
The San Luis Obispo Planning Commission will meet on Wednesday, May 25, at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at 990 Palm Street.
Click herefor details on how to submit public comment and to view the meeting.
