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tank. She further clarified that, referring to the point raised by Commissioner Fox <br />regarding why the tank was not replaced in the same location and of the same type, <br />wooden tanks are no longer fabricated and that even if the poly tank were placed in the <br />same location, it would still require a conditional use permit because it was not of the <br />same type of material or size as the old tank. <br />Bill Hicks stated that he grew up in the Happy Valley area and has seen a lot of changes <br />during the years, particularly with respect to new buildings and houses. He indicated that <br />he was a plumber by trade and had done a lot of work in the area, including helping <br />Ms. Rocha with upgrades in her house. He noted that if one actually saw the property <br />prior to its purchase by Ms. Rocha, one would realize how much she has done is to <br />improve the site. He stated that Ms. Rocha tried to do as much as possible to be on <br />everyone's side, but there is always conflict with change, and there comes a point when <br />one neighbor will be happy but another will not. <br />Mr. Hicks noted that Ms. Rocha needs the water tank with the way the site is landscaped <br />and that during the summer months, that tank would be drained out and would have to be <br />refilled to provide daily watering to keep the landscaping as it is. He stated that <br />Ms. Rocha got rid of a lot of rubble and things that should have been condemned a long <br />time ago as they were unsafe conditions with rodents and other concerns. He indicated <br />that he did not understand why the location of the tank was a big issue when the pump <br />broke and had to be replaced. He noted that the photos taken of the tank were askewed to <br />show the tank in more detail, but looking straight on, only a little bit of the tank is visible <br />as the garage hides about 90 percent of it. He stated that some thought went into the <br />placement of the tank, and for functionality, Ms. Rocha had followed the experts' <br />recommendation. <br />Ms. Amos clarified that the staff report pictures that taken from the rear neighbor's <br />property were done by staff and that some of the other pictures were provided by the <br />applicant. She noted that the neighbor to the rear of the property did not provide any <br />pictures taken from their property. <br />Frank Ziemer stated that he has lived in the area all his life and noted that Ms. Rocha had <br />worked very hard on her place and made great improvements there. He indicated that the <br />tank does not bother him and his family and that if it were moved back to where the old <br />one was located, it would be more noticeable. He added that he did not notice the tank <br />until somebody pointed it out. He stated that people should get behind Ms. Rocha and <br />help her rather than hinder her. He noted that the Fire Department would be happy to <br />have the tank in place for fire protection as the pressure of the City water line is not that <br />strong. <br />Phillip Segundo stated that his main concern in this matter is the water tank and the view <br />of the tank from his property. He noted that the tank is about 18 feet high and sits right <br />outside his front door. With respect to the comment about the entry to his house being on <br />one end, he explained that he has two entries to the house and that the side entry is now <br />the front entry. He indicated that the tank is an eyesore that is visible from his home <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, April 9, 2008 Page 11 of 33 <br />