01 - Laserfiche WebLink

agreed that it is wise to be cautious of the state but advised that the Council should be even more concerned with the community and its residents and give deference to their wishes. Liang Liao said she strongly supports affordable housing opportunities within Pleasanton, but felt there should be a broader mix of housing types and ownership opportunities. She also expressed concern over the impacts that rapid growth could have on revenues, education and community safety and urged the Council to be diligent in identifying a plan that benefits both current and future residents. Jim Lee expressed strong concerns over the impacts of growth on schools. He said he fully understood and supported compliance with RHNA requirements, but not a surplus of high-density residential zoned parcels. He asked that the Council reverse or reduce the zoning on the CM Capital 2 site. Carol Cohen, representing the Ironwood community, concurred with Councilmember Brown's concerns over the strong wording in Program 46.5. She said that existing residents have made great sacrifices in the face of the current drought and any effort to move forward with additional development until a more sustainable plan can be identified is both unfair and unreasonable. Winnie Liu said her two elementary school-aged children must attend different schools due to overcrowding. The impacts of high-density residential housing on this and traffic will only worsen what is already a very difficult situation. Mike Rombach said that the impacts of growth on the city's entire infrastructure have threatened the small town character that attracted him to Pleasanton. He asked the Council to keep this in mind as it considers growth plans moving into the future. Chong Wang also shared his concerns over the impacts of growth, particularly when the city is struggling to provide for its existing residents. He said these impacts will only increase with new development, particularly what may be envisioned on the east side, and asked the Council to consider eliminating any unnecessary development opportunities from the Housing Element prior to submission. Haijie Xiao shared her support for affordable housing but said she opposed rapid growth and more high-density development than is necessary. She said she moved to Pleasanton for its small town feel, quality schools and sense of community but that these qualities have been threatened. She said her daily commute has more than doubled since 2006. She noted that the city has 1,807 very low to moderate income units approved and a RHNA surplus of almost 1,300 units, and asked the Council to consider reserving some zoning so that only what is needed is built. She expressed concern over the number of units envisioned in each of the three East Pleasanton Specific Plan proposals. Olivia Sanwong, Economic Vitality Committee, strongly urged the Council to accept the Committee's recommendations. She stressed the value of a strong housing mix to the local economy, as evidenced by the Committee's Economic Assets Report. She noted that the CEO of The Clorox Company, the city's largest employer, recently commented that the decision to expand the company's presence in Pleasanton was based on the large supply of housing in the Tri Valley. Workday, another of the city's largest employers, recently announced a project that will bring a number of jobs to Pleasanton, both white collar and workforce. It is imperative that the city continue to support its largest employers, who provide funding for both education and community resources, by providing housing for its workers. Councilmember Brown asked if Ms. Sanwong was requesting an increase in workforce housing in order to better support the city's largest employers. Ms. Sanwong clarified that her recommendation was to approve the Housing Element, with the changes recommended by the Economic Vitality Committee, not to zone additional sites for high- density housing. City Council Minutes Page 11 of 17 September 2,2014