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that the latter did not meet with her perception of a heritage tree. In balancing the need for housing versus that for trees, she said she would be in favor of removing the trees along the rear of the property. She said the importance of preserving or restoring Pleasanton's heritage and history is something that will likely be a struggle in the coming years. She thought it somewhat unfair to the applicant to do so on an individual basis and said these conversations should have happened well before this point. While the existing bungalow is an old home, she is not convinced it needs to be preserved. BREAK The Mayor called for a brief break, and thereafter, reconvened the regular meeting and opened the public hearing. David DiDonato, applicant, said he has been working on this project for the last three years under the guidance of staff and the City's documents. He said he has contracted three different noise studies in an attempt to address noise issues, but the City's guidelines make it difficult. He said it is infeasible to construct a 29 -foot sound wall, but every window along the units adjacent to the railroad line has a commercial hotel grade window with an STC rating of at least 45. He said this, in conjunction with the proposed sound wall, would result in bedrooms quieter than those in existing developments along this corridor. Mr. DiDonato discussed the site's trees and arborist reports. He stated that during the time these studies were prepared, issues developed with the 3 deodar cedar trees on the property. He provided the City Clerk with photos, cited instances of limbs falling and damaging the existing home, and said that trees which have failed in the past are likely to fail in the future. While a permit has been issued for the removal of tree #62 only, the two on either of side of it are of the same age and poor structural condition. He said these trees are likely to be removed whether this project moves forward or not. He said that though 18 of the site's 22 trees will be removed by the project, they are also planting another 43 trees and paying $49,000 into the City's tree fund. Councilmember Cook- Kallio referred to Exhibit B and said she found it to be inconsistent. She asked how old the deodar cedar trees are and what their typical lifespan is. Mr. Dolan could not speak to the exact age, though they are old, and said the reports indicate their status for preservation is good. Linda Garbarino, PHA, , addressed the City Council, stated the section of Stanley Boulevard under consideration is within the Downtown Specific Plan and thus part of the historic section of Pleasanton. She said PHA would like the Council to consider maintaining as many of the twelve heritage trees as possible. Stanley Boulevard is one of the gateways to the City and should not be thoughtlessly stripped of heritage trees and landscaping that define it. She cited the arborist report findings, which stated that all but one of the trees are able to be pruned and saved, and said the trees in question would enhance any carefully planned less dense development proposed for this section of town. She provided a brief history on the existing bungalow and encouraged the Council to protect the city's diminishing inventory of historic homes through a variety of methods. She noted this would not be the first instance of restoring a vintage home on a site intended for further development. She asked the Council to take this opportunity to update the Downtown Specific Plan with language that would protect the diminishing inventory of vintage homes that are the hallmark of the historic community. City Council Minutes Page 11 of 16 December 7, 2010