PC 02/12/97 - Laserfiche WebLink

Christine Bourg, 4512 Second Street, stated that she is not opposed to the idea of a birthing center in Pleasanton. However, she does not believe this location is the proper site for a birthing center. A great effort has been made in the last several years to upgrade and restore this neighborhood. The General Plan Steering Committee expressed that a study should be conducted of the heritage neighborhoods; she volunteered to participate on this committee. She also advised that there is a residence on Spring Street for sale and that neighborhood already has a mixed use flavor. In response to Chair Barker, Ms. Bourg advised that there were many comments made to the General Plan Steering Committee that the zoning was incompatible with the General Plan and is now inappropriate for the neighborhood. Art Dunkley, 4672 Second Street, supports the concept of a birthing center. He does not agree with the location; he has volunteered to help the applicant find another site for his center. He asked the Planning Commission to deny this application. Mr. Dunkley feels a better site would have enough space for parking, gardens, walkways, and sufficient distances from nearby uses. Staff's conditions do not solve the project's deficiencies. The elimination of the deck for parking further increases the non-residential feel of the building. The neighborhood needs to be protected from the intrusion of private/commercial businesses. One by one, houses are being renovated. Mr. Dunkley asked staff to direct their efforts to help Dr. Bleecker find another site and to initiate a rezoning to preserve the heritage character of this neighborhood. Ralph D. Hughes, 4471 Stoneridge Drive, has been retained by several homeowners to examine the applicant's proposal with respect to the law. He feels this is a land use issue and questions whether the Planning Commission can legally grant this request. He feels there are two reasons why this ~ request cannot be granted. 1) If this facility is not a hospital, this use cannot be approved. The fact that the facility has surgical capability does not define it as a hospital. He was unable to find any uses remotely similar to this was found to be considered a hospital. The facilities in town that do quasi-surgical procedures, plastic surgery, etc., are classified as medical offices. This project does not have a single quality that would qualify it as a hospital. It does not comply with the Municipal Code nor the General Plan, therefore, it is an improper use. 2) Parking is another issue. Mr. Hughes feels staff has squeezed parking in order to make this application comply with the guidelines. If this is to be considered a hospital, he feels there should be at least six on-site parking spaces per physician. The argument is that based on the number of beds, physicians, etc., four spaces are adequate. However, the Code does not allow tandem parking spaces. Mr. Hughes feels that if this were a new construction application, it would be denied simply on the basis of inadequate parking. Tom Knox, 4614 Second Street, stated he is opposed to the birthing center. As noted earlier, those supporting the plan do not live in the neighborhood. Those in the neighborhood opposing the center are opposed to it with respect to its impact to the character of the neighborhood, not the concept of a birthing center. He spoke to the character of the neighborhood and quality of life for the neighborhood. When he hears a door slam or a woman scream, he has cause for concern for his neighbors; if the birth center is approved, should he be concerned with these noises or not, is it a neighbor in trouble or people utilizing the birth center? The comfort of knowing the patterns of the neighborhood would be lost. Mr. Knox advised that Dr. Bleecker stated he would not pursue the application if the entire neighborhood were opposed to the center. If this permit is approved, there will be an adversarial relationship in the neighborhood. He does not see this use as contributing to the well-being of the neighborhood. Please consider the concerns of the neighborhood. Planning Commission Minutes Page 7 February 12, 1997