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