Laserfiche WebLink
use designation and zoning are not consistent, the General Plan land use designation <br /> governs. <br /> Additional background information on the various attempts to amend the General Plan land <br /> use designation for the subject site are discussed in more detail in the Background/History <br /> section of the April 12, 2017 Planning Commission staff report (Attachment 9). <br /> Development Proposals <br /> Over the last few years, Ponderosa Homes (Applicant or Ponderosa) has worked in <br /> collaboration with the current property owner (Evangelical Free Church of Pleasanton) to plan <br /> a residential development project for the entire 9-acre site. On July 29, 2015, Ponderosa <br /> submitted an application that would have resulted in the development of 43 single-family <br /> residences targeted to seniors on the site and associated site changes. As proposed, staff <br /> did not believe the project was sufficiently integrated into the surrounding neighborhood, as it <br /> was proposed to be surrounded by a wall and would be accessible only after passing through <br /> a security gate. Staff also sought other changes in the proposed design, ranging from <br /> modifications to the architecture to changes in the orientation of residences along Valley <br /> Trails Drive and the configuration of open space. In addition to revising the proposal to <br /> address staff's comments, staff also encouraged the applicant to continue to host <br /> neighborhood meetings with Valley Trails Neighborhood residents to discuss the project prior <br /> to presenting an application to the Planning Commission as a Work Session item. Staffs <br /> comment letter and initial project site plan are included with Exhibit D of Attachment 9. <br /> Since receiving staff's initial comments in 2015, Ponderosa sought additional input from staff <br /> and the residents in the Valley Trails Neighborhood, including a group known as the Valley <br /> Trails Advocacy Group (VTAG), which resulted in Ponderosa revising the project to address <br /> the neighborhood's desire to have Ponderosa construct a clubhouse, with a restroom facility, <br /> open to all Valley Trails Neighborhood residents. <br /> On June 24, 2016, Ponderosa submitted revised plans that were intended to conform to the <br /> development standards of the R-1-6,500 District (e.g., minimum lot area, depth, and width <br /> requirements for each parcel, meeting the minimum setbacks and building-to-building <br /> separation). Although much of the project conformed to the R-1-6,500 District development <br /> standards, two of the five corner lots had substandard widths, the front porches were <br /> substandard in dimension and/or exceeded the maximum allowed encroachment into the <br /> front yard setback, and 12 of the 37 lots were substandard in building-to-building separation. <br /> Furthermore, the development was no longer age-restricted or gated and the number of lots <br /> was reduced from 43 to 37. Please refer to the Background/History section of the April 12, <br /> 2017 Planning Commission staff report for a description of additional revisions (Attachment <br /> 9). <br /> As a part of this revised development application, Ponderosa proposed to install a new tot lot <br /> and landscape improvements (i.e., turf removal and replacement with drought-tolerant <br /> groundcover at specified locations) in Valley Trails Park to promote water conservation. The <br /> applicant also proposed an "amenities package" that included traffic calming <br /> measures/improvements within the Valley Trails Neighborhood. In addition, a community <br /> clubhouse was proposed in one of two locations (Lot 37 or Lot 11) as part of an optional <br /> Page 3 of 20 <br />