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for even further strengthening. In addition, llowntown is the location of public buildings providing services and information to residents; these include City Hall, the Prrl>li~Library, the Veterans Memorial Building, and the Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society Museum. Residential Neighborhoods Residential neighborhoods are the heart of Pleasanton. The neighborhoods perform a major role in what makes Pleasanton an attractive place to live, work, and play. Each neighborhood has a unidue character, from the semi-rural Happy Valley, to the more conventional suburban homes in Pleasanton Valley, to the Victorian and bungalow architecture of residential streets around the downtown. In general, Pleasanton neighborhoods show a pride of ownership as reflected in improvements, such as home additions, and a high level of home maintenance. Neighborhoods consist not only of the residential buildings, but natural features (e.g. hills, creeks, and open spaced and the physical arrangement of neighborhood amenities such as roads, schools,~parks~playgrounds, and shopping areas. These again are generally attractive and well maintained, although, as noted below, some local neighborhoods built in the 1960s and 1970s would benefit from updating Often neighborhoods are identified by commonly known names related to the developer or tract name. Many recent developments have attractive, landscaped entryways with identifying signs. Signs and entrances also exist for some older tracts, although a few of these are showing their ag~e.g., the entrance way to Pleasanton Valley off Ho~yard Road). Figure II-1 and 'fable II- in the Land Use Element show the locations and names of over 70 residential neighborhoods in Pleasanton. Residential Neighborhoods Built from 1960-1980 Neighborhoods developed in the 1960s and 1970s were typically designed with separated sidewalks and street trees on collector streets, and new infrastructure: however, delayed maintenance and upgrades in these subdivisions are changing the streetsca~e. Over time numerous street trees have died or been removed, large trees are substantially pruned to be lower in height or to accommodate overhead power lines, roadwaypatches exist where cuts have been made for cable and other services, and the street lights are weathered due to exposure to the elements. In some cases, property owners have delayed needed fencing, facade, and landscaping maintenance, which further diminishes the design character in these neighborhoods. Commercial Areas Unlike many cities that saw substantial develot~ment during the mid-20th century, Pleasanton has few commercial corridors. Main Street and First Street are the exceptions. However, unlike the "strip commercial" development in other cities where garish signs, franchise architecture, and poorly landscaped parking lots dominate, development along these streets includes re-use of older, historic buildings street trees, mixed-use buildings and neighborhoods, parking located at the rear of businesses, and pedestrian amenities. As of 2006, Pleasanton has upgraded First Street -which carries Community Character 011607 redlvre 10-7 1/03/217