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Tom Foley, Property Manager at Meadows Shopping Center, said he lost two more tenants since the last hearing and the center is now 80% vacant. He said an anchor tenant is paramount to the success and survival of other merchants. He felt the issue was purely one of zoning and that the Zoning Administrator acted appropriately. Kent Anderson reiterated many of Mr. Foley's comments. He said the new operator would be an excellent anchor tenant and asked that the Council not base its decision on the public's personal resentment. Bill Smith said he had yet to hear a point of law or procedure that would prevent Wal-Mart from being able to operate a business at this location. Ken Morgan said he would very much like to see another grocery store at this location. Wal-Mart appears to meet the legal requirements and seems evident that any other grocery operator would have been approved without this same opposition. Brenda Wood asked the Council to grant the appeal. Scott Miller said he moved his business out of the Meadows Shopping Center in March due to a decrease in sales. He estimated that since Nob Hill Grocery moved, tenants have experienced an average decrease in sales of 40%. He and other tenants have been directly damaged by this unnecessarily long and drawn out process. Enrique Bognot said he is an 8-year employee of Wal-Mart, who is a fair employer, and asked the Council to deny the appeal. Mindy Davis said she is concerned with allowing a business that pays elected officials instead of workers, takes government subsidies, and drives down property values to operate in Pleasanton. Simone Mock asked the Council to approve the appeal and deny the project. Jackie Andrews said that an additional grocery store in Pleasanton would stretch the local market beyond capacity and asked the Council to deny the project. Carol Sturholm said Wal-Mart would likely drive neighboring businesses out of the Meadows Shopping Center and lowers the wage base for all Pleasanton grocery workers. She asked the Council to grant the appeal. Angel Luerano, Vice President of National League of Latin American Citizens (NLAC), said the record demonstrates that crime and other unwanted problems accompany Wal-Mart. Mark Wolfe asked the Council to grant the appeal and that it reconsider introducing an ordinance that would allow for discretionary review of projects such as this. Janice Phalen said that in order to attract and retain businesses, it is important to provide them with a predictable path to follow and allow them to rely on the zoning code. She asked the Council to deny the appeal. Robert Allen encouraged the Council to deny the appeal. City Council Special Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 7 May 7, 2012