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tends to be more inclusive, acknowledging both historical resources and properties that contribute to a <br /> historical resource within the local district. <br /> Mayor Thorne opened the item for public comment. <br /> Mike Carey identified himself as both a real estate professional and downtown property owner. He <br /> strongly encouraged the City to follow several applicants through the process for renovating an older <br /> home before making any sort of determination on whether or how to change it. He said that applying <br /> more a burdensome, lengthy and expensive process to historic structures carries the same risk of <br /> stifling development whether applied to residential or commercial structures and asked that residential <br /> properties enjoy the same exclusion. He referred to the Redcoats building, which sat boarded up for <br /> several years because the owner decided it was easier to let it sit vacant then deal with the City's <br /> process. He said a streamlined process, which singles out neither residential nor commercial <br /> properties, is the best path to supporting positive growth and investment in the downtown. <br /> Linda Frank expressed her disappointment that the community was not involved in this process until <br /> now. She felt that property owners by and large do an excellent job of caring for their environment and <br /> their investment and that this care and attention does not warrant the level of review being proposed by <br /> the task force. She said there are more pressing issues for the City to address, such as the fact that it <br /> has only one officer to respond to violations across the entire city or that the onus of reporting problems <br /> is placed on residents. She said it was ridiculous to exclude certain types of properties and noted that <br /> both Kottinger Barn and the old underground railroad are worthy of restoration. She said she would like <br /> to make certain accessibility improvements to her property but cannot afford the additional survey <br /> costs, which a Mills Act program would do little to offset. <br /> Chris Beratlis said Pleasanton has developed nicely under the current rules. He said he is opposed to <br /> the establishment of a historic district or additional regulations for both commercial and residential <br /> properties. <br /> Brian Moret echoed the comments of previous speakers and said he and his family opposed the <br /> inclusion of commercial properties in any part of this process. <br /> Andrew Shaper said he has spent considerable time and effort restoring his historic Division Street <br /> home and values the history, look and feel of the downtown. He expressed strong support for the intent <br /> and design guidelines of the existing Downtown Specific Plan but said he strongly opposed the <br /> recommended historic district and any additional regulations. He said the economic rationale applied to <br /> commercial properties also applies to residential properties and cautioned that he would request judicial <br /> review if the value of his own property were jeopardized in any way by additional restrictions. He asked <br /> that the City look at effectively implementing or enforcing its existing standards rather than creating <br /> new. He also noted several errors in the historical context statement. <br /> Louis Rivara said he could support some refinement of the existing specific plan language but no more. <br /> He agreed that the community is generally effective at preserving the city's unique historic integrity and, <br /> while their choices don't always match his personal preference, he did not believe they did any harm to <br /> the city. He said he did not support any change that would make the process any more difficult or costly <br /> and asked that residential and commercial properties be treated equally. <br /> Olivia Sanwong said her Division Street home was constructed in 1912 and its loving restoration adds <br /> to the charm of the neighborhood and helps to preserve the character of the downtown. She stressed <br /> the importance of preparing a comprehensive survey and adopting a framework and guidelines that <br /> make continued preservation a clear and easy to follow process. <br /> Art Dunkley, said he has lived and worked in the historic downtown since 1974 and believes that private <br /> property owners have demonstrated an earnest willingness to enhance their properties and homes. In <br /> City Council Minutes Page 7 of 16 June 4, 2013 <br />