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Commissioner Olson stated that his interpretation is if the slope was man -made 25 or <br />30 years ago and has at this point found its natural resting point, and if it's 25 percent or <br />greater, it needs to be left alone. <br />Commissioner Blank stated that he likes that interpretation and questioned what would <br />happen if the slope was done three weeks ago and it is 25 percent. <br />Commissioner Olson stated that he does not want to lose sight of an issue and pointed <br />out that it was obvious to him tonight that there is a big traffic problem here regardless <br />of whether this project goes through or not. He noted that there are some things that <br />need to be done straight away to address the traffic problem on Junipero Street and <br />other streets in the area. He indicated that he feels strongly that additional access to <br />the project should be developed, and he thinks it is acceptable to create those <br />additional access to this project even if it involves building a road on a slope that is <br />25 percent or greater. He added that if the project is left the way it is, the existing traffic <br />problem would be exacerbated. <br />Commissioner Pearce stated that she thinks the intent of Measure PP is not natural <br />slope versus man -made slope but rather, issues of visibility and creating structures on <br />any slope. <br />Commissioner Blank stated that he likes Commissioner Olson's view that if something <br />has been there for 25 years and has become part of the landscape and if it is more than <br />25- percent, leave it alone; however, he does not know how to handle something that <br />was put there three weeks ago and by somebody who should have done it in the first <br />place and it's more than 25 percent. <br />Commissioner Pearce agreed. <br />Mr. Dolan stated that he thinks where the Commission might benefit from a little bit <br />more information about how this occurs is that most of this development is proposed in <br />a valley. He explained that it is kind of like a bowl, and in this one particular area, there <br />is a finger that is a little bit above the valley floor that projects out into it. He continued <br />that at one point, they needed to cross that finger so they just plowed right through it <br />and there was a road, and the sides of that road, just like a freeway that has been cut <br />through, are man -made and are very steep; and then at the toe of that finger, they <br />needed enough room between this finger and the creek to put in a barn, and they <br />wanted the ground to be flat so they scraped off the end of the toe and it also became <br />very sharp. He noted that if the Commission is going to interpret it the way it is heading, <br />it will end up with this bowl in the bottom that cannot be seen from anywhere except <br />from internally, a land form that is not very prominent but is right in the middle so one <br />would have to build around it. <br />Commissioner Pearce stated that her concern is that the Commission is not just talking <br />about this property but is also trying to talk about going forward with lots of properties. <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, March 14, 2012 Page 29 of 35 <br />