_Minutes_December 9, 2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

explained that the exercise, although not a check list, did discuss all the various site planning features and asked the Commission to opine as to whether they were successful developments. He wanted to know of any unsuccessful developments built under current standards so the guidelines could be refined. Commissioner Pace then asked if any of the areas of the tour required scheduling or interacting with people, or if the locations on the tour were in areas were open to the public. Mr. Williams replied that when he did the tour himself, he did not contact anyone and used only areas open to the public. He stated the commissioners should be able to conduct the tour without any issues. Commissioner O'Connor asked if the portion of the tour through Irby Ranch, which was still under development, was accessible. Ms. Clark stated all areas discussed in the tour guide should be accessible. Commissioner O'Connor asked if the Commission needed to consider the different looking developments, created under different guidelines, when looking at the various sites. Mr. Williams agreed, stating the Downtown area developments had a different character from those located in an office park area. He explained that the exercise was to anticipate future developments being built in a variety of locations. Ms. Clark stated the design standards would likely be a hybrid of some common elements, that represented common sense and good design principles, but there would also be a few variations and specific guidance for different areas and sites, reflecting their unique circumstances. THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPENED There were no members of the audience wishing to address the Commission. THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS CLOSED Commissioner Allen encouraged Mr. Williams and Mr. Faulkner to be proactive and inform the Commission on unsuccessful projects. She expressed her hope that the Commission's point of view was just one perspective and she really wanted the team's point of view on these matters as well. She also stated that there were not a lot of good examples of 30 and 40 units to the acre because the City had not done a lot of that. She requested examples from other communities and examples of what not to do, specifically related to building materials. Commissioner O'Connor asked the highest density in Hacienda Business Park. Ms. Clark stated that there were a few 40 unit per acre projects. Commissioner Allen stated that there might be one but it was not a good example. Commissioner Pace expressed concern about the challenges of considering higher density projects. He stated examples from other cities with similar aesthetics to Pleasanton would be helpful as the Commissioners were constrained by their own experiences. Commissioner Brown stated he was looking forward to the tour. Chair Ritter stated he was not in favor of additional regulations but understood the need to comply with standards and remove subjectivity. He expressed his desire to establish effective and smooth processes. He stated he was an advocate of streamlining the zoning code and hoped the design standards would complement the code. Ms. Clark stated the City wanted to remove laborious, uncertain design review and the purpose of the exercise was to ensure the Planning Commission Minutes Page 5 of 7 December 9, 2020 te quality development that fit the style and feel of Pleasanton. Commissioner Pace inquired if the standards being provided were real life examples relative to the standards that Mr. Williams had judged as successful or not, and whether the Commissioners were to review to see if they were aligned with the designation. Mr. Williams Planning Commission Minutes Page 4 of 7 December 9, 2020