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<br /> Jerry Wagner, appellant, 6344 Alisal Street, expressed concern about the nitrate ground water
<br /> contamination on this site as it related to the closed aquifer, He cited several serious health
<br /> hazards that result from ground water contamination, His well was tested at 46 parts per million,
<br /> compared with the federal limits for nitrates in drinking water often parts per million, Canada's
<br /> limit is eight parts per million, and Spain's limit is six parts per million,
<br /> Mr. Wagner noted that the two-story house would block the view of the hill and was above the
<br /> FAR allowed in the Specific Plan. He believed the size of the house violated the Happy Valley
<br /> Specific Plan and would further pollute the closed aquifer. He noted that the building permit
<br /> questionnaire completed by the architect, Terry Townsend, indicates 6,754 square feet with a
<br /> 1,623-square-foot attached garage listed separately, He noted that the figures had changed to
<br /> 6,900 square feet with an 876-square-foot garage, for a total of7,777 square feet, to improve the
<br /> FAR ratio. He believed the ground water contamination was an example of the City and builders
<br /> taking advantage of the mostly older Happy Valley neighborhood,
<br /> Terry Townsend, project architect, noted that this design was the culmination of several months
<br /> of work with Planning staff and the architectural review architect, David Bogstad, He noted that
<br /> he met with staff and the design review teams prior to the design to clarify the design criteria,
<br /> setbacks, FAR, and height limits for this project. The original plans were then modified
<br /> following that review, He noted that the Zoning Administrator approved the project. He noted
<br /> that the guidelines for this project were very specific and that this project met all the guidelines.
<br /> They had discovered and then corrected an error in the calculation of the garage square footage,
<br /> He noted that only four types of architecture were approved: Ranch Hacienda, Western
<br /> Farmhouse, Prairie Carmel, and Craftsman. The Craftsman style was selected and several details
<br /> from that style were included, borrowing elements from architects like Greene and Greene,
<br /> Those elements included multiple gabled hips, extended overhangs, beam projections, wood
<br /> corbels, porches, tables box columns, art glass and ledgestone, and masonry elements. The
<br /> house has been articulated on all four sides, carrying the same materials, even on the back
<br /> elevation of the house, which is tucked into the hillside, This lot is across the street from the golf
<br /> course and is the only lot at the intersection,
<br /> Mr. Townsend stated that modem green building techniques included job site material recycling,
<br /> high efficiency irrigation systems, engineered lumber in the construction Energy Star appliances,
<br /> gradient barrier roof sheathing, high efficiency windows, low VOC paints, and the pre-wiring for
<br /> photovoltaic cells for the future. He was confident that this project complied with setbacks,
<br /> FAR, and square footage, He requested that the Planning Commission uphold the Zoning
<br /> Administrator's decision of approval and deny the appeal.
<br /> Dave Quartaroli, applicant, noted that this was his family's dream home and that they had spent
<br /> considerable time designing it and meeting with Mr. Pavan and the neighboring property owners,
<br /> He believed the design would be an asset to Pleasanton and requested approval of the design,
<br /> Commissioner Fox stepped down from the dais during the public hearing.
<br /> Roger Manning, 1300 Happy Valley Road, spoke in support of the applicant. He noted that the
<br /> system at the golf course set up by the Commission was working and did not believe this was a
<br /> valid appeal of this design, He noted that this appeal was costing the City, the owner, the
<br /> EXCERPTS: PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES, October 19, 2005 Page 2 of 4
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