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neighborhood. Like the others have said, people coming down that road are going way <br />too fast and it would be great to have the little flashing light to make people realize <br />they're going a little too fast along there. But I've been looking at that empty lot for 50 <br />years and with the outbuildings and the shrubs, it would be real nice to have something <br />that looks really good there. So, I'm just kind of in agreement and I hope you'll consider <br />that and that you'll go along with the project because it's going to be great. <br />Ritter: Okay, we'll close the public hearing and bring it back to the applicant. Do you <br />have any more comments or maybe we'll just ask you questions? <br />THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS CLOSED. <br />Houston: Surely you can ask questions, but I did want to talk about some of the <br />outreach that we have done and that was another thing that staff told us from day one; <br />that you've got to go out in the community and talk to people. So to that end, a lot of our <br />local neighbors have signed on support; Ms. Young and the Lesters, Mr. Raman who is <br />next door, the Pleasant View Church of Christ. The Preserve Board of Directors support <br />the project. The Kolb Ranch Board of Directors support the project. We're going to be <br />meeting with the Canyon Meadows HOA Board later this month. They couldn't schedule <br />a meeting any earlier. Last night, we were at the Pleasanton Unified School District. <br />They have approved a negotiated mitigation agreement. The project will support <br />Pleasanton schools to the tune of $159,000 and the District will accommodate our <br />students from this development. So we've made a real effort to get out into the <br />community and talk to people. The general consensus is that this is an under - utilized, <br />and I prefer to call it an unpolished gem. A lot of other people are not quite so <br />charitable. There is a garbage dump there. It's overgrown. It hasn't been used as an <br />equestrian center for 20 -30 years and so it is an eyesore in the middle of an area. We <br />think that we can make it something a lot better and at least our local community seems <br />to think that we should give it a change. So, I can answer any questions that you have <br />and I appreciate your feedback. <br />Nagler: Thank you for all this and it is a very interesting project. I appreciate all of the <br />work you've put into it. Clearly staff is less supportive of it than what you would like them <br />to be and I think it might be helpful before making direct comments for us to get a little <br />more detail about some of the specific points that you raise in the staff report and why <br />you have responded the way you have and in many instances, not making changes that <br />apparently that staff is recommending, not only in the number of homes but some other <br />items as well. <br />So, just to start, as is pointed out in the staff report, the density or the number of lots to <br />be allowed per acre on this parcel has been the subject of several General Plan <br />updates and reviews and not withstanding all of that and not withstanding that the <br />property could be put to a better use, the density is what it is after those reviews. <br />Jennifer do you mind explaining a little bit of the rationale behind that and why staff isn't <br />supportive of this PUD to alter that density? <br />Hagen: Well, at this time this particular property has been looked at various times <br />through the Housing Element updates as well as the comprehensive General Plan <br />update that we did. The majority of the area, except for the two residential <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, January 13, 2016 Page 10 of 26 <br />