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who were unfortunately caught in a situation they and the residents of the Val Vista <br /> neighborhood never expected would escalate from an Administrative Design Review to <br /> the City Council. She stated that she wanted to make sure that the City of Pleasanton <br /> and the Planning Division do not set a precedent that the neighbors of anyone looking <br /> to build a two-story home could just demand any type of inducement or monetary value <br /> for anything without mitigating the issues. She noted that from the very first time they <br /> went to the Administrative Design Review hearing, the intent was to mitigate an issue or <br /> concern of the neighbors, which they have faithfully done. She added that at the <br /> mediation, the Perrys refused all the options they offered, and at the City Council <br /> meeting, the option in question was provided in order to appease and be empathetic, <br /> given the fact that the Council was going to approve the proposal to build the two-story <br /> home. She reiterated her request that the Planning Commission revisit their position <br /> that the intent is and was to build the skylight, as was implied in the City Council <br /> Minutes by Mayor Hosterman and Councilmember Cook-Kallio, but the language of the <br /> condition unfortunately does not mention that intent. <br /> Mr. Lopez stated that he wanted to remind the Commission that this is a residential <br /> project and that it is their fund. He noted that during mediation, there were several other <br /> options offered for other concerns; and the City Council asked the Perrys to choose <br /> among those options, and the Perrys chose them all. He added that he was told <br /> specifically that the Perrys chose all the options because the Perrys wanted them to <br /> spend more money. He indicated that have spent a lot of money and have gone over <br /> their budget to provide the Perrys with the additional options. He concluded that he was <br /> glad the City of Pleasanton is not in the car insurance business and assisting in <br /> committing a fraud like this, because the City of Pleasanton has a high standard as a <br /> Community of Character, which he hoped would play a part in this as well. <br /> Commissioner Olson inquired what options the Lopezes provided along the way. <br /> Mr. Lopez replied that the Perrys' first concern was that when they come out of their <br /> house, they would be looking at the two-story wall of the Lopezes' house, which the <br /> Lopezes offered to mitigate in three different ways: planting a tree between the two <br /> houses, putting a decorative belly-band on the roof to break the length of a straight-up <br /> wall, and hipping the roof, again to break down the length of that wall. He noted that the <br /> Perrys declined all three options. He added that the three options were not meant to all <br /> go together and that the tree alone would take care of the concern, but the Perrys chose <br /> all three, and they [the Lopezes] incurred additional costs for the tree, the belly-band, <br /> and re-engineering for the hipping of the roof. <br /> Commissioner Olson inquired if all three have been done. <br /> Ms. Lopez said yes. She added that they have the tree but could not plant it because <br /> they still had the stucco and ladders around the house and the tree would have been <br /> thrashed from the construction. <br /> EXCERPT: PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, January 25, 2012 Page 4 of 12 <br />