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fundraising. He noted the concerns about parking and believed it can and will be solved. He noted that the Civic Arts Commission conducted a study several years ago regarding arts facilities in town and that the results showed that the City had a great need for better facilities for the arts. He believed this facility would be very important for the residents, especially young people. He believed this facility would positively affect the vitality of Downtown Pleasanton. He noted that towns such as Walnut Creek, Berkeley, and Ashland, Oregon were revitalized by first-rate arts centers; he believed those centers were vital parts of the local economies. In response to an inquiry by Chairperson Arkin regarding any discussion on the design selection during the Task Force meetings, Mr. Johnson replied that the Task Force did not hear about Mr. O'Callaghan's concerns during those meetings. He added that he was unaware that there were issues regarding the design. Charlotte Severin, 4513 Mirador Drive, noted that she served as the chair of the Task Force and added that they had met with everybody represented and that the meetings were open to the public. They had been under the impression that the design fit the Downtown Specific Plan, which had been their clear intention. She believed the issue was the brick and would have liked more brick to match the old firehouse. The architects explained that the color of the stucco would complement the bricks. She noted that the bricks had been made in Pleasanton and are not obtainable; she added that cost of those bricks had continued to elevate. She noted that more brick could be added if the funds could be obtained. She inquired what the specific objections were and added that the building was needed as soon as possible so the cost of the bids would not continue to escalate. She described the various uses that the Center would accommodate and added that there were no buildings in town to show art. Steve Tillis, 4218 Graham Street, believed that the design was anchored in a traditional building design that was part of Pleasant on's heritage and that it also looked forward to a future Pleasanton. He believed it was the perfect design for Pleasanton. Margene Gerton Rivara, 628 St. Mary Street, noted that she was a member of the Civic Arts Commission, the Cultural Arts Council, the PCAF, and the Task Force for this project. She noted that the Civic Arts Commission supported the project, liked the design, and did not want to build the project in a piecemeal fashion. She noted that the Foundation had met with many residents and that they had hired consultants from Southern California who had met with many residents. She added that they had received many positive comments from the residents, particularly that it was historical, but that it also blended with the future and the past. She noted that some of the exterior materials could be changed and added that this was an artist's rendition. THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS CLOSED. The Planning Commission recessed for a break at 9: 19 p.m. Chairperson Arkin reconvened the meeting at 9:30 p.m. EXCERPTS: PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES, February 8, 2006 Page 5 of8