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Andrew Shaper stated that he has lived Downtown for 33 years within a couple of <br />hundred feet of this proposed site. He indicated that there is no question that the empty <br />lot will ultimately be developed, and he does not have a problem with most of what has <br />been proposed. He noted, however, that he has a couple of issues: <br />1. The height, at three stories. The houses down on the other side did it with two <br />stories, and that makes a lot more sense. The actual mass of the row houses <br />down on Peters Avenue is urban, compared to the old house that was preserved <br />or the existing house farther down Angela Street. It is not Downtown Pleasanton; <br />it is not small town Pleasanton; it is not historical Pleasanton. The 88 historical <br />houses got major restrictions and need all kinds of permission if the owners want <br />to do anything. So this is not like the green fields; it is not like other parts of <br />Pleasanton that are just being developed. The use of the old house is fine. <br />2. The mini - plaza. A lot of work went into the Downtown Hospitality Plan — many <br />people, a lot of public comments, a lot of meetings — and the idea was to have a <br />buffer between the main commercial zone on Main Street and the residential <br />area which really starts on the other side of Peters Avenue, and that is why it is <br />an office. Outdoor entertainment in residential areas needs a buffer; it should be <br />conditioned with no outside music on that plaza because it is directly across from <br />residences. If this were totally in compliance with all the ideas and work that <br />went into planning the Downtown area before, it would not need a change in land <br />use or amendment to the Downtown Specific Plan. <br />Mr. Shaper stated that in -lieu parking fees may help the City, but it does not do anything <br />for the parking problems that are key in the Downtown. He pointed out that it does not <br />consider the quality of life and what people are going to be living with forever. He <br />added that this is not a very satisfactory solution for those who live in the middle of all of <br />this. <br />Mr. Shaper stated that with respect to procedures, he did not hear about this project <br />until he got the yellow notice card last week as a resident within 1,000 feet of the project <br />site. He noted that clearly, a great deal of time, effort, and money have gone into <br />working on this, and by the time public input is requested, the project is a done deal. He <br />noted that everybody is financially timed and emotionally attached to all the work that <br />has been done with Planning. He requested that the community and the neighborhood <br />be informed and involved early in the process where there really is the potential for <br />meaningful input and exchange. <br />Mr. Bowers stated that he would like to address the issue of parking and that they do <br />not have on -site parking for their commercial project. He indicated that at a recent <br />workshop, the City Council talked about parking, and the City has responded in great <br />fashion to try and alleviate some of those conditions by having additional striping on <br />First Street, enforcing the three -hours parking on Main Street, and paving the DeMolay <br />lot for an additional 46 parking spaces about a block away from this project site. These <br />would alleviate the parking issues and would be very beneficial for the businesses on <br />this side of town. <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, November 18, 2015 Page 14 of 34 <br />