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give them space underneath the tree. He stated that he was not a tree expert and did not know how much vegetation there would be toward the ground if the trees were not trimmed and were allowed to fill in. He added that if the case were really that the trees were going to be off the ground, there were several types of shrubs that could be planted to screen the tank; however, he stated that he did not know if the applicant or the rear neighbor should be responsible for planting those shrubs. He noted that this was an agriculturally zoned area and that the applicants had met all the setback requirements. Chair Blank noted that historically, the Planning Commission has taken a firm line on projects that applicants work on without permits. He expressed, however, that he was sympathetic with someone who says that she had to replace an old water tank, consulted with a contractor, and relied on the contractor to inform her of the requirement for a City permit. He noted that he was surprised by the mass of the water tank as well as its color. He stated that, like Commissioner Olson, he drove down Diamond Court and wondered what it would have been like if the fence had been solid because the tank would not have been quite as visible. He noted that the redwood trees are too small and would not provide any screening either. He further noted that the site is zone Agriculture. Chair Blank stated that mitigation such as additional landscaping, painting the tank a natural earthtone color, or installing some lattice work around the tank might help the situation and that he could support leaving the tank at its current location with the right mitigation measures in place. He added that he is sensitive to the issue of efficiency and could understand why the applicant installed the tank at its location. He noted that this case is troubling because it involves one neighbor against another. Commissioner Fox stated that the North Sycamore Specific Plan and the Happy Valley Specific Plan talk about agriculture. She noted that there are design guidelines in place to ensure that the agricultural character of the area is preserved. Chair Blank noted that the old tank looked "farm -y" but that the new tank does not. Commissioner Pearce commented that the new tank does not look like an old farm but like a new farm. Commissioner Fox noted that the tank did not aesthetically fit on the site. She stated that she could not see leaving it the way it is without any mitigation or screening because it does not blend into the surrounding neighborhood. Chair Blank stated that he believed there is a way to mitigate it so it blends into the surrounding neighborhood. Commissioner Olson noted that the color could be brown rather than green. Commission Pearce noted that she would be glad to discuss mitigation but would not like to spend a lot of time on mitigation that the neighbors do not want. Commissioner Olson agreed. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, April 9, 2008 Page 16 of 33