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2. Are the proposed development standards and guidelines, including the amount of <br /> development allowed, appropriate for the site? <br /> Commissioner Blank stated that he was initially skeptical and a little concerned about <br /> the development scenarios and the idea of having one big great garage structure, but <br /> after hearing the presentation, which he found to be very good and effective, the <br /> scenarios made sense to him. He indicated that he liked Option 3. <br /> Commissioner Pearce stated that she also liked Option 3 in general, but she would not <br /> sign off right now on a 10-15-story tower or 100 units/acre. She indicated that she <br /> would like to leave it flexible and is pleased with what has been presented. <br /> Chair Narum agreed and stated that she likes Option 3 the best, having the parking <br /> garage along the freeway and not along the street front. She noted, however, that she <br /> would not want to see a massive eight-story garage structure behind two-story <br /> buildings. She added that she like the idea of hiding the garage structure from the <br /> Pleasanton side, with the front street side being part of a pedestrian zone with people <br /> sitting and walking around. She indicated that she wants to ensure there is something <br /> in the guidelines to addresses that. <br /> Mr. Williams pointed out that a seven- or eight-story parking garage does not equate to <br /> a seven- or eight-story residential or office structure because garage floors are lower. <br /> Mr. Fleissig indicated that Chair Narum's request would be added to the next draft. <br /> Commissioner Blank inquired who would own the parking structure once it gets built. <br /> Mr. Dolan replied that this has never been done in the past and would have to be <br /> discussed. <br /> Mr. McPartland stated that this would have to be negotiated. <br /> Mr. Fleissig stated that he has approached both the BART Director and BART staff, and <br /> BART has been open to the notion that it does not have to be a BART-owned garage. <br /> He indicated that BART's standards and the way their engineers design things is not <br /> quite massive but close to that in terms of cost per space. He noted that this product <br /> may actually serve as a great prototype for how a private developer, working in concert <br /> with BART, could actually create an environment where the garage could be built for <br /> less cost per space, meet the standards, and be more aesthetically pleasing and more <br /> flexibly designed to accommodate both future development and the commuter traffic. <br /> He added that this could actually become the case study once these are adopted and <br /> once the BART Board decides they want to allow for it. He noted that there has been <br /> encouragement from all the different levels —operational, staff, and the Commission — <br /> that this can be a very interesting case. He added that if there is this need and demand, <br /> it actually could create the basis for this different approach to BART. <br /> EXCERPT: PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, MAY 25, 2011 Page 15 of 18 <br />