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Karen Gonzales 3W EA i a dtyMAYu ConcRIil L From: Joanne Hall s•A2Irt]on Of Packet Sent: Monday, April 15, 2013 8:48 AM To: Pleasanton City Clerk; Brian Dolan; Maria Hoe y Subject: FW: PP Ridgeline Definitions 'ate 1,5 —?CB Attachments: ridgeline map.jpg Original Message From: Allen Roberts [ Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2013 8:05 PM To: Mayor and City Council Subject: PP Ridgeline Definitions Dear Mayor and Council Members: Last year, I spoke at the Council's public hearing about the implementation of PP. At that hearing I expressed my concern about the definition of ridges that Staff was proposing. I suggested that definition should be tested to see how it worked in the field with actual cases. At the Planning Commission meetings I explained that the Pleasanton Ridge which we would all agree is a ridge would have significant sections that would not meet with definition of a ridge with the language that staff has proposed. While the Pleasanton Ridge is already protected, if it as the most prominent ridge in the City isn't a ridge, then the definition must be flawed. I have researched how other government entities have implemented ridgeline protection, it seems that most implement an inventory approach rather than a verbal definition. Initially Staff suggested that such an inventory would be very difficult to implement. I spent less than 30 minutes with Google maps and marked the ridgelines (attached) of the Southeast hills. Now Staff suggests they wanted to handle each application on a case by case basis because they wanted to avoid the controversy such an inventory would entail. I really believe this approach is not in best interest of the community. If I was a developer, I would want to know what I could develop or not develop before I invested in a project application. Potential project neighbors and the hillside protection community doesn't want to have to keep fighting the same battle project after project. Please let's resolve this once and move on. Finally, there is much angst about whether a road is a structure or not and what the intent of PP actually was. With all due respect, I don't think that is for the City Council to decide. PP is the law now. If there is a question about where a road is a structure or not, Staff should take a conservative approach. If the Council believes this question needs to be clarified or roads to be excluded, it should put the question on the ballot for the people to resolve. PP is very clear that it can only be changed by a vote not by Staff and not by the Council. Please do not include exceptions to PP,the language of the initiative is clear it can only be modified by a popular vote. Allen Roberts 1