01 - Laserfiche WebLink

new litigation and voiced concern over this community losing local control and having land use decisions made by a court. Even when writing that piece, he could not have imagined the very serious implication of the court shutting down the issuance of non residential building permits. He voiced concern as a property owner, as a resident, and as someone who truly enjoys the community. He asked that moving forward staff expand its analysis of the issue and that each option include an analysis of the economic and service implications. He said Pleasanton has often been on the cutting edge of things and it is unfortunate to now be on the cutting edge of the implications associated with failure to comply with the State housing law. He wished the Council luck and urged them to be sure they have all pertinent information before moving forward. Scott Raty, Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce, said that today is memorable as the date when business, labor, and environmental groups are in agreement. He thanked the Council for using this hearing to educate the public, said it provided an outstanding overview, and asked if the information might be made available in a PowerPoint presentation. He underscored the economic impacts mentioned by others but said it goes beyond business and potentially effects healthcare and other community groups, as well. He urged the Council to seek as swift a resolution as possible and said he was encouraged to learn that it may be possible to adopt a RHNA exception even with the cap in place. He noted the irony that the very vote the public used to ensure local control is what has now taken that control away. He would like to think that in time, an informed citizenry will recognize that perhaps the objectives of the State, that those of this community are not polar opposites, and that there are healthy decisions to be discovered as the needs of the community continue to evolve. Peter MacDonald said that the 1996 General Plan's build -out projection was reasonable but when the Council put that projection on the ballot, even a near miss became a liability. He said the 2009 General Plan made it apparent that the few remaining developable parcels in Pleasanton could lift that build -out from 29,000 to 31,500 units, but that Measure PP advocates pushed to further restrict any flexibility in the cap by rigidly defining housing units. He said this militant embrace of the cap is what doomed it to failure. He said the consequences of defending the indefensible cap have escalated dramatically, and will continue to escalate until the City addresses the legal requirement to provide for its fair share of the regional housing need. He cautioned that the already overdue Housing Element update would be hopeless with the existing cap in place. He said an appeal would put Pleasanton's formerly good name at an appellate court decision destined to be the definitive rejection of exclusionary local zoning practices. That outcome would besmirch a long tradition of good and socially responsible planning in this City, and he recommended the Council comply with the court order and negotiate a reasonable solution. Mayor Hosterman closed the hearing to public comments and asked the City Manager to speak to the process going forward. City Manager Fialho stated that the City has been engaging in global settlement discussions with the petitioners and from the perspective of trying to identify what would be a possible solution to the issue at hand. He said the City has not tied its hands in terms of options and he characterized it as a parallel track of 3 independent approaches. The next public hearing is set for April 20 at which time staff will provide a comprehensive report, which spells out issues related to the history of the cap, what RHNA means, how it applies to the third and fourth planning periods, and its consequences on the City. By that time, staff also hopes to understand more about what compliance means in the context of the court order or settlement, to share that City Council Minutes Page 16 of 22 April 6, 2010