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Subject: FW: East Pleasanton Specific Plan - Comments for 5/19/2015 Council Meeting wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww May 16, 2015 SUPPLE�fdEf19 PAI. Provided tO the fl9.4TERlAL Mayor Thorne City Council Vice Mayor Brown After Distribution of Packe4 Councilmember Narum Councilmember Olson Date Councilmember Pentin �� Re: The Preliminary Draft East Pleasanton Specific Plan—Revision 1 Thank you for addressing the Preliminary Draft East Pleasanton Specific Plan—Revision 1 (EPSP) at the upcoming May 19, 2015 Council meeting. I believe that we absolutely must plan for the future of our town, and planning this particular area is certainly a big part of that future. Recently three members of the EPSP Task Force wrote a"Guest Opinion"for the May 1, 2015, issue of the Pleasanton Weekly describing why the current EPSP is a"sensible and responsible approach". They detailed their reasons for this opinion, attempting to address the major concerns brought up by residents during EPSP public meetings. I would like to address the water availability issue because, without sufficient recycled and potable water, the other concerns are a moot point. We must effectively manage the affect the drought continues to have on our available water supply with something other than, and in addition to, conservation. We must have the recycled/potable water infrastructure in place supporting existing Pleasanton with growth available for the east side, as well as sufficient storage for both, before we move forward on the EPSP. Guest Opinion: "No one knows when the current drought will ease." An interesting statement considering the current draft of the EPSP notes on page 95 under"Public Infrastructure and Services"that"this chapter was prepared under the assumption that the current drought conditions are an anomaly. The analysis assumes normal historical potable water availability, and the conditions created by the current drought are not addressed. If the drought continues, worsens, or re-occurs it is likely that other building restrictions will be mandated that are outside the scope of this Specific Plan to address." Why would you "assume's]normal historical potable water availability"when there is neither a foreseeable end to drought conditions(also noted in the Guest Opinion), nor our current water usage restrictions. Every new project must analyze and address the water use issue and its impacts on "Public Infrastructure and Services" under drought conditions-up front during the planning phase. You want to plan for the future? Let's not put it off to some undefined time when we're behind the problem and have to play catch-up. The time to start is now, with this plan, so we can protect and use our resources wisely. Guest Opinion: "Thankfully, our water supplier, Zone 7, has planned well through 2019 for what it has stated is a sufficient water supply for city needs." This is a rather disingenuous statement since the 2014 Annual Review of Sustainable Water Supply for Zone 7 Water Agency, dated April 16, 2014, actually states on page 6: "Zone 7 can meet 100% of water deliveries [in 2016-2018] [only] if normal hydrologic conditions return in 2016." In the same report(page 5) regarding water storage availability, Zone 7 states that when compared to 2013, there is 20% less water available for use in 2015 and 35% less water available for use in 2016-2018. This is without the additional demand on our water resources from the residential, commercial and public landscaping demands of the EPSP. In addition, page 96 of the EPSP states: "Total storage dedicated to the development is estimated to be 1.8 million gallons (MG) based on this criteria. According to the 2004 Master Plan, the City had a storage deficit in the Lower Zone[City's Lower Water Pressure Zone]." To further add to the problem of diminished water supplies, the plan notes (page 18): "The City's potable water supply is limited due to uncertainties associated with State Water Project operations in the Delta." 1