CCMIN011916 - Laserfiche WebLink

He has 180 team members in his organization and Costco will increase his building's value. However, he is concerned about the traffic that 12,000 to 16,000 vehicles will bring to the area. He looked at the details of the plan and stated he has lived in Pleasanton since 1971 and his parents still live here. He wants to keep Pleasanton an attractive City, and although the Council has been very upfront about the additional tax base the City will receive, he is concerned whether $2.6 million in revenue is worth the.additional traffic and congestion Costco will bring. He supports reasonable growth and has ideas and thoughts regarding economically viable prospects for that area. Councilmember Brown suggested that the speaker bring his ideas to the City's Economic Development Director, Pamela Ott. Bill Lincoln stated he missed the Lund Ranch vote on January 5, 2016 but has since formed "Save Pleasanton Hillsides" to referend the approval of that vote and put this matter on the June ballot. The petition drive is going well and he believes there is too much building going on and this project will bring too much traffic and will impact schools. Residents have a right to disagree with the Council's decision. He believes a small group in the Ventana/Mission Hills area has aligned with the developer and Kay Ayala to run two full page ads. He respects their right to disagree, but disagrees with their signature gathering tactics especially at the Farmer's Market. The police • became involved after reports of bullying tactics and violation of civil rights. If Pleasanton is truly a community of character, this should not be tolerated. He requested that Greenbriar Homes and activists back off and allow them to petition their government without harassment. Carrie Cox commented that the proposed Costco at Johnson Drive would be devastating to their family business and others. Many of their customers have thanked them for fighting against Costco, and have told them they feel like the decision has been made and there is nothing they can do. She stated that residents have told her they do not want the traffic in that area and do not mind driving an additional ten minutes to patronize the already existing Costco in the area. Vice Mayor Narum advised that there is a scheduled joint workshop with the Planning Commission on the economic development zone in March and staff is currently gathering information, economic analyses, and fiscal and traffic studies. She suggested the speaker meet with the City Manager and staff prior to the workshop so that she can share her concerns. Carol Spain wanted to go on record as being disappointed in the manner the signatures for the referendum petition have been handled. Although she does respect the rights of the process, she is concerned regarding the verbal abuse and attacks by paid signature gatherers who do not care about the community. She is concerned for Pleasanton residents who do not support referendum who are being fed blatant lies and false statements, such as "being asked to stop mansions" and "raising the minimum wage." She believes their tactics are illegal and noncompliant. She was the individual who called the police in the recent Farmer's Market incident and described the interaction that took place. Bill Wheeler, owner of Black Tie Transportation, wanted to draw attention to of the Planning Commission's review of the Johnson Drive economic development zone, which is planned to include a Costco. He was made aware in October 2015 and tried to draw attention to it, although there were actions to move quickly on approvals for the plan without comments from the community. Last Wednesday at the Pleasanton 20/20, City Planning staff were explaining project scenarios, noting Costco has signed a lease and they are here. Mayor Thorne said the project would get full public vetting, however it appears the decision has already been made without approval of the people of Pleasanton. He expressed concerns regarding the impacts on public safety, quality of life, and whether the taxpayers will have to pay $20 million in improvements. He cautioned that Council should invite public comment immediately and referenced the "NoCostcohere.com"website. City Council Minutes Page 3 of 6 January 19,2016