PC 101711 Special Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

first-floor level, and the revised drawings accentuate the difference between the commercial first floor and the residential above. Mr. Dolan then presented the proposed landscaping plan, stating that there is a lot of landscaping in the open space, along the garage doors, and around the perimeter of the building, particularly along the trail that will run along the site on the right hand side leading from Site 2 all the way up to Owens Drive. He noted that there is also nice landscaping at the entrance and that a much more detailed landscape plan will be developed as the project moves forward. He also presented the design of the private open space collected in the middle, a pool, a leasing office, a recreation building, and a tot lot. Mr. Dolan stated that as suggested in the staff report, the issues have been narrowed down to about five, the most fundamental being whether the Planning Commission would support exceptions to the Hacienda TOD Standards and Guidelines if the project were to move forward as proposed, one key issue being an exception for the lack of internal streets and to the depth of live/work spaces. He noted that at the time of the writing of the staff report, one key issue staff had spent a lot of time talking about was the height of the live/work and retail, which was not quite high enough with the plan submitted; however, the applicant has worked through it and staff feels this will no longer be an issue and has removed it from the presentation. Mr. Dolan stated that the Commission will also need to determine whether the building designs are appropriate in this particular context adjacent to large office buildings. He indicated that he anticipates the question of whether this has Pleasanton Look and that there can be a dialogue on that. He stated that he thinks the context of this particular physical setting, the level that is normally looked at in a residential project is not necessarily right in this context. He further noted that there has been some reaction to the colors chosen, and he thinks the applicants are willing to discuss this as well as the materials. He added that there is also the question of whether the positioning of the buildings is acceptable and whether there is anything missing from the proposal that the Commission feels it will need to make a decision on when the project comes back as a formal application. Commissioner Blank requested Mr. Dolan, as he shows the perspectives, to identify from where they are taken. Mr. Dolan then proceeded to describe Site 2, stating that this project has very much the same context as Site 1, with the exception that there are existing residential uses to the southeast. He showed a photo, looking at the corner of Gibraltar and Hacienda Drives, where the proposed design reflects that particular setting, where the buildings along Hacienda and Gibraltar Drives that are across the street from the residential are lower and have more of a residential feel to them to reflect that relationship. He indicated that on this particular project, the original proposal came in with exaggerated tops on the corner elements, but with only one per building, denoting the area of the building where the entrances are and emphasizing one part of the building. He stated that he will PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, October 17, 2011 Page 10 of 36