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Commissioner Pearce seconded the motion. <br />ROLL CALL VOTE: <br />AYES: Commissioners Blank, Narum, O'Connor, Olson, and Pearce. <br />NOES: None. <br />ABSTAIN: None. <br />RECUSED: None. <br />ABSENT: None. <br />Resolutions Nos. PC- 2013 -04 approving Case P12 -1788 and PC- 2013 -05 approving <br />Case P12 -1818 were entered and adopted as motioned. <br />6. PUBLIC HEARINGS AND OTHER MATTERS <br />a. P12 -1796, City of Pleasanton <br />Application to amend Title 18 of the Pleasanton Municipal Code by <br />adding a new Chapter 18.70, Ridgeline and Hillside Protection and <br />Preservation, with development standards and review procedures for <br />commercial and residential developments in the hillside areas of the <br />City. <br />Brian Dolan presented the staff report, indicating that this item stems back to <br />Measures PP and QQ, which were passed by the Pleasanton voters in 2008 and <br />included some substantial restrictions on development on hillsides in particular areas, <br />most notably anywhere that has a slope of 25 percent or greater or within 100 vertical <br />feet of a ridgeline. He added that it had some other general language about protecting <br />the hillsides for view purposes as well as for environmental resource purposes. He <br />noted that there was an exemption for smaller developments of ten or fewer units. <br />Mr. Dolan stated that moving forward, the City has started to get projects that will be <br />affected by this, and it was determined that some of the provisions of those measures <br />needed to be codified in the Pleasanton Municipal Code because there were some <br />areas that were open to interpretation. He noted that he believes this was a sentiment <br />felt by the Planning Commission who had some frustration when it was first discussed <br />at a previous meeting. He further noted that the City Council ultimately agreed and held <br />a Workshop where several of the most pertinent items were discussed: measuring <br />slope grades; defining the terms 'ridge" and "ridgeline "; deciding if streets are structures <br />subject to Measure PP grading limits, because the Measure does limit structures from <br />being located in the 25- percent slope area; and determining whether limitations on <br />slopes having a 25- percent grade or greater apply to manufactured or man -made <br />slopes. <br />Mr. Dolan stated that staff received feedback from the Council, and there was a lot of <br />dialogue back and forth. He added that as recently as late this afternoon, it has been <br />suggested that there was at least one item that staff has misinterpreted ultimately what <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, January 23, 2013 Page 4 of 44 <br />