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Appendix I: Text of presentation to Planning Commission 11/12/2014 Good evening. My name is Dr. Mary Kenefick,and this evening I represent an educational entity called Young Ivy Academy. My mission is to beg you to consider context and,forgive me for using what is now a very hackneyed term,to think"outside the box," when considering this application. In response to Katherine Ferreira's emailed concerns: Young Ivy does not operate two buses. It is in possession of two right now because it is transitioning from one to the other,with a 3o-day overlap to permit adequate checking for suitability. Young Ivy was first approved in Pleasanton as a Tutoring Center,and we now request its approval as a"Heritage School." I understand that approval has been recommended, so I won't spend time trying to convince you that it deserves your"yes" vote. It does. What we are asking as regards the playground is a little unusual in context,that is, it is not the norm. But the fact that it is not the norm does not make it unreasonable, unworkable,undesirable, or inappropriate. In fact the proposal is—in its context—an entirely reasonable, workable,and desirable use of available space, and if granted, will be a significant plus to the children who are students at Young Ivy, and to the community. The Oak Hills Shopping Center is a retail development, serving local families. We fmd a bank, a full-service grocery, Mountain Mike's, Subway,Taco Bell, and other vendors of food. We also find a pet food vendor, a dance school, music school,Asian martial arts academy,Young Ivy and a Gymboree. For the ladies there is a nail parlor, and a needlepoint shop. And there is a dentist. Nearby are a hardware/lumber vendor, and an oil change service. These are local neighborhood services, clearly. Most of the families who locate in Pleasanton do so because it is a great place to raise children. Many of the families who have settled here are upwardly-mobile professionals who both work(so they can afford Pleasanton),and who want their children to get the best education possible. For these parents,Young Ivy, situated here in an informal network of child-centered services, is a godsend. And to be fair,Young Ivy is also a godsend to the dance school, the music school,the martial arts school, Subway, Raley's, sometimes Taco Bell,and the dentist. There is a clearly-discernible element of symbiosis here.