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Subject: FW:Appeal of P15-0037, Planning Commission ,`o ` ,}isAcLaufilAMIAL Kiziloglu's remodel application at 5196 Hummrr•• •. ovi s e• o the City Council After Distribution of Packet From: cseren �-�7�Z0/S� Sent: Monday, August 17, 2015 8:58 AM Date • To: Eric Luchini Cc: Mayor and City Council Subject: Appeal of P15-0037, Planning Commission's decision on Kursad and Zarina Kiziloglu's remodel application at 5196 Hummingbird Road Dear Pleasanton City Council members, As a 17-year Pleasanton resident and homeowner, I strongly urge you to vote in favor of Mr. Kiziloglu's appeal for an unconditional approval of their original project plans, P15-0037, Planning Commission's decision on Kursad and Zarina Kiziloglu's remodel application at 5196 Hummingbird Road. Any Pleasanton resident should be happy about home improvements that lift up the average house value in our town. The opposing views based on privacy of neighbors have no standing in the 21st century, where any one can buy a top-end drone that will be able to capture anyone's backyard in video from a couple of hundred feet of altitude. In an age where technology renders certain old concepts totally meaningless, the concern that one's neighbor might spy on their backyard has no meaning. In short, the argument of privacy is a false argument. I would like to to bring to your attention the following additional facts. I hope they will be enough to convince you to vote in favor of Kiziloglus' plan: - The Kiziloglu Family has applied to the City of Pleasanton (P15-0037) for a permit to remodel their home in January of this year. Their proposed plans include a second story addition over the garage of their heritage-style home as well as a small and centered balcony on the rear of their home, facing Valley Ave. Their pending remodel should not only beautify their home, but will also improve the values of all of the homes in the neighborhood. - The Pleasanton Zoning Administrator found the Kiziloglu Family's remodel plans fully compliant with all applicable building codes and approved them in their entirety. - In an appeal filed by the western neighbor of the Kiziloglus, the Planning Commission rejected the proposed balcony by a vote of 3 to 1 on questionable grounds of privacy degradation and apparently due to concerns that the balcony design would set a bad precedent in the community. However, there are already many homes with beautiful designs of balconies in Pleasanton. - The Kiziloglu's balcony design has a square footage that is at a fraction of the size of some of the existing balconies and decks in Pleasanton. With the small and centered design of the balcony, an existing large mulberry tree and additional evergreens which the Kiziloglus have planted by their adjoining fence, the neighbor's privacy will not at all be affected. The Kiziloglus have tried to offer many remedies and accommodate their neighbor, despite the official admission by the Zoning Administrator that "The R-1-6,500