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Task Force is recommending that the City Council ask staff to continue to evaluate these two items. IV. PUBLIC COMMENT Notices regarding the proposed amendments and related public hearing were sent to property owners and tenants within the entire Downtown Specific Plan Area (shown on Exhibit K), the Task Force members, and interested parties who contacted staff requesting such notice. The public notice was also published in The Valley Times. At the time this report was written, staff had received comments (Exhibit J) from the Pleasanton Downtown Association (discussed in the section below) requesting changes in order to clarify and simplify future development process in Downtown and from Michael Harmon, 4453 Second Street, expressing concern that he will have difficulty with a planned house addition and garage replacement. Staff will forward to the Commission any additional public comments as they are received. Pleasanton Downtown Association Comments Changes listed under Item #1 The Pleasanton Downtown Association (PDA) is requesting changes to two existing Specific Plan policies that only apply to commercial properties. The PDA's suggested edits would weaken the existing policies by discouraging the demolition of historically significant commercial properties (currently states prohibit demolition) and by removing "height, floor area, bulk, massing, and setbacks" from a policy stating that new non-residential building design should draw upon the primary exterior features of the Downtown's traditional design character. Staff notes that the Council directed the Task Force to not impose new regulations on the commercial properties, but it did not direct the Task Force to weaken the existing commercial policies. In addition, these policies have been in place since 2002 and staff does not feel they are an impediment to commercial development and does not see the need to weaken them and that they are needed to protect historic commercial structures from demolition such as the Pleasanton Hotel. Therefore, staff does not support the suggested edits. Changes listed under Item #2 The PDA is requesting that Specific Plan policy 7 be rewritten to only apply to residential properties, not commercial. Staff notes that this policy currently applies to all properties (both residential and commercial) in the Downtown Specific Plan Area. The Task Force's recommended amendments would provide more flexibility to all properties including commercial as it changes the language stating that additions/modifications to historic buildings "should match the original" to "should complement the original." Furthermore, the language the Task Force added stating that additions/modifications should be consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation would apply under State law (California Environmental Quality Act) whether it was mentioned in the policy or not (unless an applicant P13-2446/P13-4447/P13-4448 Page - 13 - November 13, 2013