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does have concerns about open space, the Council needs to recognize that these are urban developments the City is being forced to plan for. In this context, the City has done the best it can to protect the community by preparing these guidelines. Councilmember McGovern referred to page 12, Public and Community Uses, and asked if childcare facilities are prohibited in commercial spaces. Ms. Stern said it would be a conditional use and referred her to the next page. Councilmember McGovern asked and Ms. Stern confirmed that "small family daycare" would allow someone to offer daycare services out of their apartment, provided they satisfy relevant state law requirements. Councilmember McGovern referred to text on page 46 that says usable open space may be located on the roof of an attached garage or carport and said this is another instance where she wonders if children will have sufficient open space. Ms. Stern said it is part of the existing ordinance related to open space. Councilmember McGovern reiterated her earlier concerns that the City has never undertaken multi- family development, which she thinks mandates different open space requirements, to this extent. She also requested and staff agreed to replace the maximums analyzed by the SEIR with the density range on each of the site descriptions Councilmember Cook-Kallio said that throughout this process, staff, the Council and the public have worked very hard to retain the things that Pleasantonians believe to be important, particularly with respect to children, schools, open space and the quality of buildings. She said she liked the idea of a density range, which moves everyone closer to where was intended. She said she too has concerns about open space, which is one reason it is so important to ensure that they provide connections to nearby parks. She thanked everyone who participated in what was a long and difficult process. Vice-Mayor Thorne said his fellow Councilmembers said most of what needs to be said. He requested clarification on the statement that any changes made to the guidelines for a specific project must meet the intent of the guidelines. He asked if staff has reviewed any of the requests received from potential developers for consistency with this intent. Mr. Dolan said he could think of several that would, some with compelling explanations. Vice-Mayor Thorne said his concern was that the City would back itself into a corner and be unable to approve a project that is good and meets the intent of the Council but that he is reassured to learn there is the potential to make exceptions. Mr. Dolan said that staff feels the guidelines have evolved to the right balance of encouragement and direction while still allowing ultimate flexibility for unique situations and creative solutions. Vice-Mayor Thorne echoed the Council's thanks. Councilmember McGovern repeated her request to address a limit on the number of stories. Mr. Dolan recommended that the Council rely on the guidelines that discuss compatibility with the neighborhood. He said staff typically considers compatibility to be within one story of surrounding development. He cautioned against setting a hard maximum because they have made a point in requesting a mixture of building types. These would typically be at different densities to allow for neighborhood compatibility on one end of the site while still meeting density needs with the other. City Council Minutes Page 17 of 19 August 21, 2012