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Chair Blank noted that the site in question is and open agriculture, unlike that of the <br />St. Elizabeth Seton Church property. <br />Commissioner Narum stated that she did not support installing any structure around the <br />tank and that if the Commission wanted the applicant to do that, the structure should look <br />like a barn to keep in line so it blends with the agricultural character of the site. <br />Chair Blank noted that planting bushes and painting the tank would blend in with <br />agriculture. <br />Commissioner Narum stated that she did not want to make the determination of what <br />color would blend in with the site because a color that might blend in her opinion may <br />not appear to be so to someone else. She recalled that for the Sarich property, the <br />Commission went through visual analysis and planting bushes on -site. She suggested <br />that 25- gallon bushes on the back side might screen the tank, including the view from <br />Diamond Court. She added that with respect to screening from Diamond Court, she did <br />not think the applicant should be punished for something over which she had no control. <br />She reiterated that she would not support building a structure around the tank unless it <br />looked like a barn. <br />Chair Blank inquired if the color of the paint could be left to the discretion of the Director <br />of Planning and Community Development. <br />Ms. Decker noted that the typical colors of City tanks that have gone up include <br />Pleasanton green, which is more or less the same color as the tank; beige, which is meant <br />to fade into the beige landscape when summertime comes; and a lighter sage color that <br />fades off like the tank on Bonde Ranch. She noted that staff has had discussions with <br />respect to brown colors, and those were not typically done, although the applicant is <br />willing to do so only because it absorbs the heat from sun as it stands in the open. <br />Ms. Decker stated that using materials other than planting for screening sometimes makes <br />something that is not so visible much more visible with the addition of fencing, lattice, or <br />other structures. With respect to mitigation with 25- gallon shrubs, she noted that the <br />largest shrubs are 15 gallons, which is a tree size. She noted that shrubs generally <br />establish better five gallons. She added that if mitigation were being considered by the <br />Commission, she would like to suggest language such as "The applicant shall consider <br />planting shrubs to screen the tank with such plantings that would be not be harmful to the <br />health of the stock, subject to the review and approval of the Director of Planning and <br />Community Development." <br />Commissioner O'Connor commented that as a former painting contractor, although the <br />tank could be painted with the proper type of painting preparation, these tanks are meant <br />to be low maintenance and do not need to be painted. He stated that applying paint <br />would result in ongoing maintenance issues, and if the tank were not property <br />maintained, the paint could crack and peel through the years. <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, April 9, 2008 <br />Page 18 of 33 <br />