RES 12493 - Laserfiche WebLink

Comment Letter 2 November 9, 2011 Via E-Mail Janice Stern, Planning Manager Community Development Department P.O. Box 520, Pleasanton, CA 94566 Re: Review of Housing Element Update DSEIR with Respect to Site 7 Dear Janice: I am writing to provide a few brief comments on the DSEIR prepared for Pleasanton's Housing Element Update and Climate Action Plan. First, I want to commend you and the rest of the City Staff for expeditiously moving forward with a thoughtful Housing Element Update and first rate DSEIR. Pleasanton Gateway supports the City's efforts to adopt both the I-lousing Element Update and the Climate Action Plan. I do however want to raise two issues with respect to the Pleasanton Gateway site, identified as Site 7 in the DSEIR. Visual Resources The DSEIR finds that development on Site 7 may have "significant" impacts on a "scenic corridor" because views of Pleasanton Ridge from Bernal and Valley may be impacted. To mitigate this impact, Mitigation Measure 4.A-I requires that development on Site 7 "incorporate view corridors through the site." We have several concerns with both the analysis and this mitigation measure and request revision or clarification in the Final EIR. 2-1 The DSEIR finds that impact is `significant" due to the fact that Site 7 is within the 1-680 "scenic corridor" and that views from Bernal and Valley would be impacted. However, the "scenic corridor" protects views from the designated state scenic highway, not views from city streets in the vicinity of that highway. As a result, the DSEIR's conclusion that the impact may be significant is flawed. Because development on Site 7 would not impede important views from 1-680, the DSEIR should find that the impact is less than significant. _ Even if views from Valley and Bernal are protected, the DSEIR does not account for existing— site specific characteristics that minimize the importance of these views. Mature trees currently line Bernal and the center median of Valley. Furthermore, there is significant mature vegetation in the landscape setback area along the east side of Valley such that the views of Pleasanton Ridge from those streets and residences are already obstructed. Further, 2-2 the DSEIR assumes that any development of Site 7 will necessarily obstruct views of Pleasanton Ridge. While site plans remain under development, current plans call for the shortest buildings—no more than two stories—to be located closest to Valley and the tallest buildings to be close to 1-680. By clustering the tallest buildings away from Valley, impacts to views will be minimized. Finally, it should be noted in the DSEIR that Site 7 is currently entitled for seven (7) four(4) story office buildings. A development agreement provides 2-3 vested rights to those entitlements through September 2017. The DSEIR should note that these vested office buildings would have more significant impacts on views, especially givenV sf-3068668