PC 051111 - Laserfiche WebLink

Commissioner Blank inquired if the black line around First Street signifies the Downtown Specific Plan area. Ms. Stern said yes. Commissioner Blank noted that Ms. Stern mentioned there were 17 sites but that the staff report mentions that there are 18 sites. Ms. Stern replied that one of the 18 sites, the Goodnight Inn had been removed from the list, leaving a total of 17 sites. THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPENED. Dan Sapone, representing several members of the Danbury Park Neighborhood, stated that he is not here to advocate for units to be built or not be built in any particular site, but to say what they want to see addressed in the EIR. He indicated that they are interested in the traffic impact of the proposal to approve 800 housing units on three sites in the east side area. He noted that since these sites are over three miles from BART, three miles from freeways, over a mile from schools, and nearly a mile from grocery stores, the EIR will need to assess the cross-town traffic impact during both peak hours and weekends. Mr. Sapone stated that specifically, there are three things they would like to see assessed in the report: 1. Traffic levels that would result if the proposed housing units are built on the east side before Busch Road is connected to El Charro Road with resulting freeway access, as planned for 2014, compared to the traffic that would result if the units were built after Busch Road was connected to El Charro Road; 2. Citywide air-quality impacts that would be the result of this increase in cross-town traffic compared to the air-quality impacts of building these units at other sites that are closer to transportation, schools, and shopping, which would generate much less cross-town traffic; and 3. Potential traffic safety impacts at the intersection of Santa Rita Road and Valley Avenue resulting from an increase in vehicle traffic coupled with additional pedestrians and school children traveling to and from schools and the Safeway shopping center. Mr. Sapone stated that these are the specific issues that turned out to be pivotal in decisions relating to other development proposals in this part of Pleasanton in recent years, for example, a proposal for a large retail establishment, and they believe that certainly must be at the heart of these Housing Element assessments as well. Commissioner Blank asked Mr. Sapone if he was referring to the Home Depot that was proposed but was not approved. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, May 11, 2011 Page 7 of 17