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BACKGROUND <br /> Since the 1980's, Pleasanton City Councils have discussed various plans and taken <br /> steps to maximize the use of the civic center property to best meet community needs <br /> and meet administrative office space requirements. As a result, over the years, the City <br /> has developed the civic center site with the construction of the Police Department <br /> building and the Pleasanton Library and the acquisition of 123 Main Street. This <br /> development all occurred prior too much of the community's residential and commercial <br /> growth and in an attempt to keep pace with the resulting demands, the City installed <br /> modular buildings and acquired the 157 Main Street building and property. <br /> In recognition of an interest to develop a comprehensive plan for the entire civic center <br /> site, the City Council in 2001 authorized a Civic Center Master Plan study that resulted <br /> in various conceptual plans for the site all of which assumed retention of the Pleasanton <br /> Library and the Police Department building but replacement of administrative buildings <br /> and the addition of a community plaza area that coincided with the then recently <br /> completed Downtown Specific Plan. While this plan offered a generally plausible vision <br /> for the site, it failed to consider the considerable growth that would occur in library <br /> usage following our withdrawal from the Alameda County Library System. As such, in <br /> 2004 based on a recommendation from the Library Commission, the City Council <br /> authorized a library needs assessment study and in 2006 it authorized a Pleasanton <br /> Library Technical Study/Conceptual Design and Preliminary Cost Estimate. This later <br /> study was presented to the City Council at a joint workshop with the Library <br /> Commission in October 2009 and as an outcome of that meeting, the City Council <br /> authorized additional study related to a civic center master plan to incorporate the <br /> Pleasanton Library needs analysis generated from the previous studies. This work was <br /> completed in late 2010. <br /> DISCUSSION <br /> While the above studies have been helpful in assessing use and cost implications for <br /> the civic center site, they have generally been narrow in scope with only limited or no <br /> consideration given to a broader range of options, including use of the Bemal Property, <br /> replacement of the Police Department building, taking advantage of existing private <br /> office spaces and/or exploring ways to maximize the economic and community value of <br /> the civic center site as envisioned in the current City Council Work Plan. As such, staff <br /> is of the opinion that it would be beneficial to conduct this broader study and to do so it <br /> would also be beneficial to incorporate broader representation from the City and the <br /> community by utilizing a public ad hoc committee. <br /> While staff anticipates that the full charge of an ad hoc Civic Center Committee would <br /> be developed through the committee process, it foresees that its activities and scope <br /> would minimally include: <br /> Page 2 of 4 <br />