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Ms. Garbarino stated that one of the most important things the Task Force looked at and constantly asked its members as a Task Force is if they are simplifying this process, if they are removing some of the old dead wood information in there; and she believes the answer is yes. She noted that staff has come up with some fabulous flow charts that are going to help the average person walking in the door, look at those to determine what it is that they are going to do before they spend their money upfront, and realize that maybe there is something they cannot do. She added that they received input during their outreach meetings, and what they have done is put together a document that really is going to be useful and very serviceable by staff. She asked if this is simpler and if residences would be able to come in and say "yes, everything is working the way it should be" and feel comfortable with that process. Ms. Garbarino stated that a famous quote that came from one of the Commissioners is "We do not build 100 - year -old houses anymore, which is why it is important to commit to maintaining authentic, historic inventory. She told the Commissioners that the Task Force is presenting this proposal to them and asking them to be a partner in maintaining the history that supports a real rich quality of life for Pleasanton residents. Michael Harmon stated that he moved to the Downtown in April and it seems like a lot of people have lived in the Downtown area for a long time. He indicated that one of the reasons his wife and he purchased and decided to make their home in the Downtown area is to get away from regulation. He stated that shortly after they moved in, they got this notice that said that they were in a historic home. He then emailed Steve Otto, who replied that they should come to this meeting and express their concerns. Mr. Harmon stated that they own one of those small homes built in 1928, probably 1,000 square feet in area, and they do not want to make any radical changes to it. He indicated that they like a small house and that they are a little concerned about changes in terms of property owners' rights, as some of the people who have spoken earlier have mentioned. He stated that property taxes are not a small expense, and as individual property owners, he thinks that they have certain rights in terms of their properties. He added that he is also concerned that they want to maintain that appearance, that history, and he values that as one of the reasons they bought in the Downtown; but at the same time, if he wanted to make changes to his home, he is very concerned about the specifics and the complexity of those specifics in terms of executing. He noted that he is just learning about FAR and what would need to be done if he were to expand, and the specific guidelines are daunting. He stated that as a new member of Downtown, he would like to go on record that he is concerned about property rights and also maintaining the place that he plans to live in for a very long time. Bonnie Krichbaum stated that she is a Pleasanton resident, living in the Heritage neighborhood, and was a member of the Task Force. She expressed her thanks to all the Task Force members and to staff who have worked very hard, and hoped that the Commission approves something tonight that sounds good. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, November 13, 2013 Page 29 of 50