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. met with the Committee and made a presentation. The West Las Positas Committee has a policy that when traffic impacts are considered relative to a development proposal, it will not take a position or make a recommendation as a committee but would instead review it and allow individual committee members to state their opinions and recommendations to the Planning Commission and the City Council. With respect to the West Las Positas interchange and how development would affect it, the City Council adopted an interim policy which urges new projects that contribute to more traffic to participate in traffic mitigation measures which would include either the West Las Positas interchange or other mitigations in lieu of that. Although the applicant has not proposed any specific mitigation measures at this time, it has agreed to participate in whatever traffic mitigation measures the City Council may approve if the West Las Positas interchange is not constructed. One traffic mitigation tool suggested in this case would be to condition the Development Agreement, if it is approved and if in the future, as a traffic mitigation for the West Las Positas interchange, the City Council decides to freeze further development in the North Pleasanton area, that the project would be put on an equal ground with other sites and projects in the North Pleasanton area that do not have development agreements. Staff suggests such a condition rather than denying the 202,000-square foot increase. Commissioner Cooper inquired how big Nordstrom is. He noted that the applicant is already vested with 178,000 square feet for one more large anchor store. Mr. Iserson replied that Nordstrom is between 150,000 and 200,000 square feet. The 178,000 square feet could be used for one more large anchor store, but the developer's intent is to spread it around and allow the various anchors to expand. . PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPENED Ms. Cheryl Williams, Development Director for the Taubman Company based in Bloomfield, Michigan, representing Stoneridge Regional Shopping Center, stated that Stoneridge Mall is an important part of the City of Pleasanton, contributing over $3 million in sales tax revenues to the City. She explained that the request for additional expansion will help the mall to remain competitive and be successful, thereby continuing to contribute to the City. This would also eliminate the opportunity for a department store at Stoneridge to move to another shopping center if it should need to expand and not be able to do that in Stoneridge. She added that traffic is as much a concern to them as it is to the citizens because if the customers cannot get in and park and exit easily, they would be less likely to shop here. She reiterated that Stoneridge is committed to funding alternative mitigation in lieu of the West Las Positas interchange, as determined by the City Council, even if the interchange would improve traffic conditions around the shopping center. She concluded that in a spirit of cooperation, Taubman is prepared to accept the additional conditions that staff has recommended in the report even though the City's ability to freeze the expansion clouds the certainty of long-term planning for department stores. With Taubman's acceptance of these conditions, it is now in full compliance with the guidelines established by the Council on new . Planning Commission Minntes Page 8 July 13, 1997