Minutes_February 27, 2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

Angela Ramirez Holmes, consultant for JC Penney, said the Stoneridge Shopping Center is critical to the City's economic vitality and knows there is more redevelopment to come. She identified the current stakeholders and urged the Commission to place the Stoneridge Mall Area Planning Framework among the City's top priorities. Sharrell Michelotti referred to the Merritt property and said when initially approved, she served on the City Council. There was a referendum and now in looking at the plan, what was being proposed will be a plus for the community and Foothill Road will be improved. The project is a 55+ community and the upside to improvements made and current dangers of Foothill Road will be alleviated by the trail. She urged the Commission to start the planning process and place the project on the priority list. Patrick Byrne said he was undecided on the project because he needs more details, asked how students travel to school, and thought Foothill was very narrow for bicyclists and he proposed expanding the road. He recognized a board member of Foothill Knolls Homeowner Association Board who recently visited him and DeSilva Gates for visiting them recently. He also appreciates and supports priority of the public notification process. He requested time to neighboring residents, including Foothill Farms and Foothill Knolls, to understand impacts of development before moving the project to a higher priority, and notification in the mail as new developments occur. He asked to know more about comparable city priorities, impacts to local schools, traffic impacts, safety, expansion of Foothill Road near the house on Maher Properties, drainage and wildlife impact during development including burrowing animals. Jan Batcheller said she was involved in defeating the referendum in 1999 and the reason she thinks the Merritt project should go on the A-priority list is one of safety for residents. What DeSilva Gates plans to do to Foothill Road and to ameliorate this project is amazing and it dovetails with the trails plan. With improvements, there will be more safety, 55+ communities, diminished school impacts and reduced traffic and she asked that it be on the A-priority list. This development also complements those on either side of it. Patrick Costanzo, said he is working with Jim Summers with DeSilva Gates on this project. He referred to his letter which spoke to the constraints map on the property, the benefits proposed and why he thinks the City should place this project on the priority list. He described work in addressing proposed neighboring houses and second stories, privacy, no vehicular access from the three access points into the site, Foothill Road as the main entrance, the proposal for an age-qualified community, two key elements of improving Foothill Road in front of their property and a connection on the edge of the property that will connect bike and pedestrian Class A trail from Foothill Knolls, up through Eastwood to Foothill High, the offer for significant improvements in the bike trail plan with the intent to improve safe paths of travel. He asked for the Merritt project to be placed on the A-priority list. He commented they will also offer to pay for a contract planner if needed to get improvements done sooner. Scott Ose said he currently serves as the HOA president and learned about the Merritt proposal by accident. He was sorry their HOA and neighbors were not notified and while he thinks the developers would like support from the Foothill Knolls HOA, they could not offer this yet. He was in the process of gaining more information from their residents and nearby homes and thinks having something that is responsible and which meets standards of the Planning Commission Minutes Page 14 of 18 February 27, 2019 using and repurpose commercial sites. Planning Commission Minutes Page 13 of 18 February 27, 2019