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attractive entry to Pleasanton for BART patrons exiting the station platform. Staff also believes <br /> that the density and species of trees indicated on the plan are generally appropriate. The <br /> plans show an approximately 160-foot gap in the tree planting within the CalTrans' right-of-way <br /> on the north side of the parking garage. While staff finds the design of the garage to be <br /> attractive, it is still a large structure located close to the freeway and staff believes that trees <br /> should be planted between it and the freeway to soften its appearance and provide a green <br /> buffer along a very busy and prominent freeway frontage. Therefore, staff has included a <br /> condition requiring evergreen trees to be planted in this gap to match the spacing of the other <br /> trees along the freeway. Also, since the quantities and spacing of the shrubs and groundcover <br /> are not shown on the landscape plan, a condition of approval requires that these be shown on <br /> the plans provided at the building permit stage subject to review and approval by the Director <br /> of Community Development. <br /> Tree Removal <br /> Separate tree reports have been prepared for the BART and Stoneridge Corporate Plaza sites <br /> that specify the species, size, health, and value of the existing trees on the site that exceed <br /> 6 inches in diameter. In total, approximately 362 trees would be removed as part of the <br /> modified project, including 195 heritage-sized trees. While this is a large number of trees, they <br /> are mostly ornamental trees that were planted as part of the Stoneridge Corporate Plaza <br /> development. Approximately 634 new trees would be planted on both sites ranging in size <br /> from 24-inch-box to 60-inch-box (a net increase of 272 trees on the site). Staff believes that <br /> the proposed landscape plan is generous in both number and sizes of trees and would <br /> comprise adequate mitigation for the removed trees assuming that approximately 30 percent of <br /> the trees in the final landscape plan are of a larger size (36- to 60-box sized trees). A <br /> condition of approval requires that the quantity of each box size tree be submitted for the <br /> review and approval by the Director of Community Development. <br /> PUD CONSIDERATIONS <br /> The Zoning Code sets forth purposes of the Planned Unit Development District and <br /> "considerations" to be addressed in reviewing and/or modifying a PUD development plan. <br /> These findings are discussed below. <br /> 1. The plan is in the best interests of the public health, safety, and general welfare <br /> because: <br /> The modifications to the project, as conditioned, comply with all applicable City <br /> standards concerning public health, safety, and welfare because: <br /> • the modified development project would include the installation of all required on-site <br /> utilities with connections to municipal systems in order to serve the new <br /> development; <br /> • the recommended traffic mitigations ensure that the project will not generate <br /> volumes of traffic that cannot be accommodated by existing City streets and <br /> intersections in the area; <br /> • all structures would be designed and built to meet the requirements of the CA <br /> Building Code, CA Fire Code, and other applicable City codes; <br /> • adequate access would be provided to the structures for police, fire, and other <br /> emergency response vehicles; <br /> • stormwater run-off from the site will be treated before leaving the site; <br /> PUD-104-1M/PUD-81-22-15M, 6110/6120-6160 Stoneridge Mall Road Planning Commission <br /> Page 13 of 17 <br />