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AGFUO - Public comments From: Zac Grant Sent: Friday, August 20, 202111:37 AM To: Shweta Bonn <sbonn@cityofpleasantonca.gov> Cc: Ellen Clark <eclark@cityofpleasantonca.gov>; Melinda Denis <mdenis@cityofpleasantonca.gov> Subject: RE: AGFUO to City Council Shweta, PDA will continue to adhere to our previous position on the mixed use exception, attached as directed most recently to the Planning Commission. Also attached is the comprehensive reading list PDA considered in forming our position. In a perfect world, an approval and enforcement approach could verify the authenticity of the active component of a mixed active/non-active use proposal, such that it wouldn't matter whether the mix was 25%/75% or some other number. However, the July 28 Planning Commission discussion and updated City Staff recommendations suggest there are imperfections in the world that make PDA's preferred solution unworkable. My recent conversations with members of the PDA Board indicate there is no reason for PDA to expend further time and energy refining our approach to the mixed use exception. Bottom line, there weren't naturally occurring examples of mixed use tenancies predating the Overlay, and the only ones to have developed since then appear to be derivative from the mixed use exception itself. If Iron Horse and Sculptsations are grandfathered, as they should be, PDA has nothing further to say on the narrow topic of the mixed use exception. Far more importantly, PDA encourages the City to keep this deliberation focused on the fate of the mixed use exception. Mission creep into re-engineering other elements of the Overlay will inevitably result in a heated re -hashing of the Overlay in total. A quick Google search makes clear that jurisdictions who have opened this conversation in recent months are uniformly repealing or relaxing similar ordinances. Given the Overlay was adopted only months prior to the COVID era, there simply isn't enough data to justify further tweaking it at this time. To repeat a theme from above, in a perfect world there would be hordes of retail and other active use tenants clamoring for space downtown. There aren't. Without further changing the Overlay ordinance, there are ways the City must encourage active use tenants to seek space downtown — which is exactly where the Overlay says they belong. Though related, this is a separate issue and discussion so I will go no further here. Thank you again for everything you have done to facilitate maximum consideration and input from PDA on this matter. Best regards, Zac Zac Grant Executive Director Pleasanton Downtown Association Distributed to City Council for the September 7, 2021, meeting Page 23