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Don Henning stated that he and his wife moved to the area and watched their house <br />being built, and it was always set on the idea of what was good for the community and <br />what was good for the individual people on both sides. He noted that this water <br />shortage is going to lengthen the time it will take for trees to grow and provide a privacy <br />screen. He mentioned that the applicant remarked that she wanted to sit on her back <br />yard deck and see the mountains, but building a fence or a screen would block off the <br />very thing she wants. He indicated that he understands how it is with sick children, but <br />could not see what difference there would be with having cold air from the second -story <br />balcony versus a backyard on the first -story. He agreed with the earlier comments <br />regarding setting a precedent, indicating that they were fortunate because they face <br />onto Valley Avenue, but there are those others who may want to put a deck on their <br />backyard as well. He noted that this precedent would cause people to lose control of <br />their privacy, and it is not a good idea for the community. <br />Steven Meyers stated that like what most of the people have said, he has no objections <br />to the plan itself but to the back balcony. He agreed that there is no real guarantee that <br />one's neighbor will be there for life. He indicated that pools are a focal point for the <br />neighborhood, and on any given day, there can be up to ten children ranging from <br />pre - school age to 4th Grade playing together, and on a Friday evening, there would <br />probably be up to 12 children. He noted that it would be a place where people are <br />going to gather, and their privacy would be infringed upon by the ability of someone to <br />sit on a second -floor balcony next door and basically have direct and unfettered access <br />and view into the neighbor's backyard and to these children playing. He reiterated that <br />one cannot control one's long -term neighbors, so privacy is definitely an issue and <br />concern for the neighbors. <br />Bill Foley stated that his concern is not only privacy but that it is out of character for the <br />whole development. He stated that he has seen new construction within the <br />development which had an additional space either on the second story or first story, but <br />all facing the front, and those facing the rear are windows, not balconies. He noted that <br />the balconies on the homes in the area were constructed originally, but this would be <br />different. He stated that this is not necessarily bad, but it is different and poses <br />concerns that have been raised by the homeowners and neighbors as to privacy within <br />their own properties. He pointed out that the neighbors are not asking for the project to <br />stop but to move ahead with the exception of the balcony. He added that he has <br />traveled throughout the area on foot and on bicycle, and he did not see any rear - facing <br />decks. He asked the Commission to consider that in any decisions it will make this <br />evening. <br />Ms. Kiziloglu stated that she had an 18- year -old niece, whose mother died of cancer a <br />year ago, who was driving up Fallon Road to get on the freeway and her car suddenly <br />turned and was hit by an on- coming car, and she died on the spot. She stated that one <br />never knows what will happen, how long one is going to live, so one cannot say what <br />will happen to one's neighbor or who will be one's neighbor; whether she will be staying <br />in that house for 20 years or one year or longer than the Cummings. <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, May 27, 2015 Page 9 of 18 <br />