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residential neighborhood, and the location is out of character with the development <br />pattern of the surrounding area, which is an objective of the Housing Element. She <br />added that rezoning this property will help maintain some semblance of their <br />community's character and will mitigate this high- density corridor that is exploding in this <br />small area of the City. She asked the Commission not to let that happen. <br />James Paxson, General Manager of Hacienda Business Park, stated that he has a <br />couple of things he wanted to go over with regard to the inventory, and urged the <br />Commission to retain the sites within the inventory that is there right now. <br />Mr. Paxson stated that this first point is really important to remember. He stated that all <br />of these sites have undergone a very deliberative, very Pleasanton planning process <br />extending in some cases for well over ten years and including the sites on West Las <br />Positas. He indicated that when he chaired the Housing Element Update in 2003, the <br />sites on West Las Positas were part of the inventory and part of the consideration at <br />that time. He stated that they looked at these sites for a long time, that these sites have <br />undergone a rigorous planning process which he would put head and shoulders above <br />what just about what other communities do in terms of looking at plans and getting a <br />program developed. He stated that he thinks that is good and that the results of that <br />have been spectacular. He added that the projects that have been developed in <br />Hacienda are first -rate. He noted that one of the things everyone is very well aware of <br />is that the community demands excellence, and these developers have produced <br />excellence, and every project that has been built and all the ones under construction <br />and under consideration have gone through that same demand and have come forward <br />and will come forward with the same types of rigor in terms of review and the types of <br />amenities people have come to expect and the type of contribution Pleasanton will be <br />proud of. <br />Mr. Paxson stated that what is developing over in the North Pleasanton area is a <br />uniquely Pleasanton design; not Dublin, not Walnut Creek, and not like the urbanization <br />happening in the larger Bay area. He indicated that this is something Pleasanton has <br />chosen and has produced, something that is actually very exciting because it is a <br />product that is not anywhere else in the community, and it is badly needed. He pointed <br />out that one of the reasons he thinks there is particular cause to preserve the planning <br />work that has been done in this area is the important General Plan objective of <br />sustainability. He pointed out that the sites over here ranked the highest in the Housing <br />Element update that was done the last time, and part of the reason they ranked so high <br />was because they were able to contribute to the City's sustainability objectives and <br />produced a type of housing that meets workforce housing objectives and creates <br />opportunities for different types of unique partnerships to get affordability that are <br />available in these sites in a way cannot be produced anywhere else in the community. <br />Mr. Paxson stated that the other thing he wanted to point out too is that in terms of the <br />impact on City services, the types of infill projects and the way they have integrated <br />jobs, housing, and transit within the Business Park means that these projects are less <br />impactful here than anywhere else in Pleasanton as well. He indicated that he wanted <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, June 25, 2014 Page 20 of 29 <br />