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What needs to happen is that the backyard needs to be put back to the way it was. It's <br />supposed to be a buffer between their property, their uses and the residents. The back <br />entrances should be replaced by solid doors and not glass doors and they should be <br />used for emergency exit only. The patio should be removed or put the patio on the <br />southern side where it's supposed to be and there shouldn't be any party rentals of the <br />facility, certainly not outdoor party rentals. Thank you. <br />Darlene Miller: Commissioners, after nine years it's great to be here. First, we have <br />detrimental impacts to our health, safety, welfare and property because of these outdoor <br />parties. We have borne the brunt of the lodge's abuses since we are the only neighbor <br />who shares a fence line with them. Specifically, we cannot use our backyard when the <br />Masons are having parties because the noise is deafening. We are being denied our <br />enjoyment of our property and the peace of our home. Furthermore, the noise is so loud <br />that it makes it difficult for us to think, read, work or even sleep. I actually video -taped <br />the Chabad party recently from the inside of our upstairs bedroom. We didn't bring it <br />tonight because our noise engineer said it wasn't calibrated but you could easily hear <br />my voice in relation to the noise and you can hear the roar of the party inside our <br />upstairs bedroom. I want that to sink in. <br />Our property damage has been estimated to be 3% to 5% or possibly 100% if we can't <br />sell it to anybody because of this noise nuisance behind our home. Point number two, <br />staff clearly saw the problem of outdoor noise residence in the Young Ivy case. I know <br />it's been discussed but let me remind staff of what they wrote in their own staff report. <br />will quote: "The introduction of the outdoor playground area with up to 16 children and <br />no significant sound attenuation could result in increased ambient noise levels" and staff <br />denied the playground because of that. Comparing Young Ivy to the Masons, Young Ivy <br />has 16 children. The Masons has 115 to 600 people. Young Ivy has 60 to 80 feet away <br />from the neighbors. The Masons has zero. Young Ivy has four hours of outdoor activity. <br />The Masons have 12. It's obvious that staff can clearly see the problems with ambient <br />noise. We are confused and that's putting it politely as to why we are not being given <br />the same consideration as the neighbors of Young Ivy were. <br />Point number 3: the City says that the CUP is not clear but we say the CUP is perfectly <br />clear. The problem is that staff has not enforced this. The points of the CUP works is <br />that we've lived next to the Masons for 20 years without complaints and the Masons <br />made good money; $75,000 to $90,000 per year but they wanted more money so they <br />rented out the backyard, very entrepreneurial of them. We are guessing that the <br />residents in Pleasanton and maybe some of them can speak to this would also like to <br />make a little bit more money by renting out their backyards. I'm sure that you've heard <br />of Airbnb. Staff, have you heard of Airbnb, the Internet company where neighbors can <br />rent out a room in their house for money? Well, we would like to suggest to staff that <br />they create "air backyard" where neighbors can rent their backyards for parties. Oh, wait <br />a minute, that's not allowed for residents, but the Masons can do it. <br />Number 4: the goal of the CUP is to make the Masons act like a neighbor. Commercial <br />parties in the backyard is not acting like a neighbor. Did you know that most Masonic <br />lodges are in commercial areas? And that the very few who are in residential areas do <br />not rent out their backyards? Your neighbor might have an occasional large party in the <br />EXCERPT: PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, June 22, 2016 Page 14 of 52 <br />