Laserfiche WebLink
alleviating their pain when they have an asthma attack. She indicated that if she cannot <br /> have a balcony on the house, then the house can stay the way it is because it does not <br /> make sense to her to spend that money if her children cannot have a comfortable house <br /> when they are sick. She added that they moved to the area for the good school and the <br /> good neighborhood, and they expected that they would have good neighbors and a <br /> good support system. She asked the Commissioners to make the right decision and <br /> thanked them for their time. <br /> THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS CLOSED. <br /> Acting Chair Ritter stated that it sounds like this is a great neighborhood, and the <br /> residents are very cordial with one another. He indicated that he liked hearing people <br /> on both sides say they liked this and did not like that, and thanked them for keeping it <br /> that way. <br /> Acting Chair Ritter stated that the Commission's job it to ensure that the Zoning Code <br /> and other codes and laws are followed and that the proposal fits into the neighborhoods <br /> properly. He indicated that he has been on the Commission longer than most of the <br /> other Commissioners and noted that neighborhood issues are the most difficult cases <br /> that the Commission has to deal with, and the Commission wants to do what is best for <br /> Pleasanton and the neighborhoods. <br /> Commissioner Nagler stated that what is tough about this is that it is all about <br /> everybody's children, and every family is in the conversation because of the concern <br /> over children's health and privacy. He noted that what causes neighbors and groups of <br /> people to get along to the extent possible is compromise, and there has been no ability <br /> to compromise in any way on this project, given that everyone's concern is exactly the <br /> same heartfelt concern for their children, and the Commission will have to make a <br /> decision and choose the concern of one child over that of another. He added that it is a <br /> complete shame because the Commission is just not in a position to decide whether the <br /> totally legitimate concern of a family that their teenage daughter's privacy be properly <br /> maintained is more or less important than where the cool air is acquired for a child in the <br /> middle of an asthma attack. He stated that it is not a pleasant task and that does not <br /> think that it should be an appropriate task for the Commission when the people who are <br /> directly impacted should themselves be able to come up with a compromise. <br /> Commissioner Piper agreed that this is a difficult decision to make. She indicated that <br /> these are the Planning Commission meetings that she does not like to come to and <br /> prefers making decisions on what is being built Downtown on Main Street. She stated <br /> that she knows the Birdland area well and is quite intimately familiar with it because she <br /> grew up there. She indicated that they had a pool and all the children were in the pool, <br /> and privacy was not an issue for them back then. She added that they had second <br /> stories and people looked down, and all the children were friends and knew one <br /> another. She stated that she cannot resonate with the issues at hand relating to the <br /> children, because if the child has asthma and the proper solution is to go outside, there <br /> are many different ways to go outside other than through a balcony. She added that <br /> EXCERPT: PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES, May 27, 2015 Page 8 of 14 <br />