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the community could referend whatever action the City Council takes on the matter. He also thanked Councilmember Cook-Kallio for her eight years of great service on the Council. Christine Ebner, Pleasanton Meadows resident, said she opposed the project. She cited traffic and the safety of children walking to school as primary concerns. She said the current convenience store is already very busy and that needs such as a carwash and alcohol sales are easily filled by the adjacent Walmart and two existing carwashes in the immediate vicinity. Sandra Yamaoda, Pleasanton Meadows resident, said she opposed the project. She also said she only just learned of the project, having not received the public notice or been invited to the meeting with the applicant's representative. She questioned the benefit of adding a third 7-Eleven site to the community, noting the proximity of the two existing sites and citing Yelp complaints of loitering and pandering at these locations. She suggested that the project would increase criminal activity in the area due to its proximity to 1-580 and the tendency of stores selling alcohol to attract individuals selling other controlled substances. She cited concerns related to vehicle traffic in an area already highly congested with youth foot traffic, the marketing of junk food by 7-Eleven to children, and the proximity of alcohol sales to an elementary school. She also expressed concern that retail establishes such as this do not add to the value of the neighborhood, deplete the city's image and adversely affect property values. Dan Skinner introduced himself as a 35-year employee of 7-Eleven, having operated stores throughout the world, and longtime resident of Pleasanton Meadows. He said he supported the project due to 7- Eleven's fresh product offerings, regulatory compliance and innovation, and strong partnerships with local business owners. He said he believed Mr. Roesbery to be the kind of responsible local businessman with who 7-Eleven can partner to bring forward a project that is beneficial to the area. Dee Church said she has worked for the applicant for over 20 years and is excited by the opportunity to expand the store and the type of inventory she can offer her customers. Glenn Terashita said he is not a Pleasanton resident but is a neighbor of the applicant. He shared his conviction that Mr. Roesbery would not pursue this project unless it was the right thing for both his business as well as for Pleasanton. Weldon Theobald said he is a thirty year veteran of gas and convenience store operations, the last decade of which have involved the development of 11 stations including the Shell station at Bernal Corners. He said he worked with both Mr. Roesbery and 7-Eleven over the past years and has come to wish he had the opportunity to become part of the 7-Eleven franchise when his own station first opened. He extended warm wishes to Councilmember Cook-Kallio. Kevin Schinman said he oversees approximately 89 stores and 74 franchisees in the East Bay market. He said that in his two years working with the applicant Mr. Roesbery has proven himself to be a model partner, presenting a product line and availability that is unprecedented in the area and demonstrating strong support for the community. He shared his support for the project and assured the Council and community that 7-Eleven is dedicated to adhering to the highest quality standards in both its products and its stores. Councilmember Brown said she visited Pleasanton's 2 existing 7-Eleven locations the day before. She noted that the Hopyard location had broken floor tiles and chewing gum remnants on the front exterior of the building, which the store manager informed her that the store owner would not fix until forced to do so by 7-Eleven. She appreciated Mr. Schinman's comments but said the comments of his own store manager would seem to disagree. Mr. Schinman explained that the store manager and franchisee are two separate entities, the former of whom is not necessarily aware of the intricacies of the franchise agreement or what the franchisee is responsible for versus what the 7-Eleven corporation is. He also explained that not all agreements are City Council Minutes Page 16 of 22 November 18, 2014