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why roads or retaining walls are not structures; not one cited code nor dictionaries or <br /> ballot materials. He stated that to decide something this important, it is necessary to be <br /> able to point to something that supports the notion that roads and retaining walls are not <br /> structures. He noted that at its last meeting, the Commission found itself in a position <br /> that some walls are structures and some walls are not, that some roads are structures <br /> and some roads are not. He added that people have learned since then that roads are <br /> structures, that walls are structures, and that thousands of truckloads of dirt are going to <br /> have to be moved. He stated that one of the proposals involves building 1,000 linear <br /> feet of 10-foot tall retaining walls, roughly two football fields worth of grading, and <br /> 20+ Heritage trees being removed to cross a creek. He stated that there is no doubt <br /> Measure PP voters voted against that. <br /> Mr. Melaugh stated that looking at the traffic numbers from the report, it is very clear <br /> that his neighborhood is experiencing far more traffic right now than Ventana Hills is, <br /> and all of the traffic from this project is added to the Ventana Hills neighborhood, they <br /> would still be experiencing less traffic than Ventana Hills. He encouraged the <br /> Commission to act as a Community of Character and enforce the law and honor the role <br /> of the voters. <br /> Carol Spain, a member of the Ventana Hills Steering Committee since its inception in <br /> 1991, stated that she spoke at the June 24th meeting and will not repeat what she said <br /> then. She indicated that she would like to address two specific items that did come up <br /> during that meeting that she believes warrant some clarification: <br /> 1. A statement made by the biologist working with Greenbriar Homes indicated that <br /> using Lund Ranch Road to access the Lund Ranch II development would simplify <br /> the permanent need for the Army Corps of Engineers, the Regional Water <br /> Quality Board, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Greenbriar's <br /> current plan is mapped in the draft EIR in Figure 4.3-1A which shows the creek <br /> bed will need to be removed for the purpose of constructing seven to nine lots <br /> which would go over the existing creek channel. This construction will relocate <br /> the creek by approximately 243 feet with hundreds of linear feet of retaining walls <br /> that will back up to or over the former creek bed. The creek-crossing with bridge <br /> abutments on either side of the creek channel will pale in comparison to the <br /> wetland impact with this proposed lot layout. <br /> 2. The second item refers to the potential need for a small portion of a 25-percent <br /> slope to build a new connector road as well as the previously proposed retaining <br /> wall infrastructure to support this road. At the special City Council meeting held <br /> on June 26, 2008 which was prior to the vote of Measure PP, Councilmember <br /> Karla Brown, who is one of the Initiative sponsors, clarified that the intent of <br /> Measure PP was to control construction of residential and commercial structures <br /> and not roads that may be on 25-percent slopes. Given Ms. Brown's clarification <br /> in 2008 that Measure PP was never intended to include roads, the voter <br /> information statements that were in the ballot indicating that Measure PP would <br /> not apply to roads, the vote from the City Council in April 2013 that supported a <br /> road is not a structure, and the new 24-Foot Road Option proposed by City staff <br /> which does not require infrastructure retaining wall support, the Planning <br /> EXCERPT: PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, August 26, 2015 Page 7 of 26 <br />