PC 03/10/82 - Laserfiche WebLink

Ralph Gordner, a merchant in the Valley Plaza Shopping Center said he is for additional lighting but he said their common area charges are already high and did not wish to have to pay for lighting for the proposed use. He said some of the lights near his store are out and part of the lights in the median strip and parking area by Perry's Liquors don't work. Commissioner Wilson asked Mr. Gordner what business he had and Mr. Gordner responded he had Courtesy T.V. He said they only have fluorescent lights on the sidewalks. He said any additional require- ments of the City would probably become the merchants' responsibility via their quarterly common area charge and he didn't want this to increase for the benefit of one merchant. He said the City pre- viously turned down this same use for another applicant proposed to be located between two bars. He indicated in his opinion there would be a drug problem in the shopping center sooner or later. He said when the kids leave the game room they go behind their store and park in front of other stores. He said he hopes he is proved wrong in this regard. He addressed parking and that there is no control over where people park in the parking lot. He said the parking lot provides overall parking spaces and there are days he can't park in front or back of his store. Commissioner Jamieson made reference to a shopping center which Mr. Gordner said went broke as a result of loitering and dope. Mr. Gordner said it is the Washington Manor Shopping Center in San Leandro. He said housewives wouldn't go in the shops anymore. He said this was basically caused by people outside of the estab- lishments. Ed Kinney, 5493 Greenfield, spoke in support of Mr. Hirst's appli- cation. He said he has two sons who like the games and they can't understand why anyone even needs permission from the City to open an arcade. He said in reviewing the staff report and Mr. Hirst's presentation he is convinced problems in the area will be reduced rather than added to inasmuch as the parking lot will be lit, it will be well supervised, etc. He said any of his concerns have been mitigated by the staff report and Mr. Hirst's presentation and urged support. Jim Fields, 4053 Walnut Drive, spoke. He said he is a teacher at Harvest Park. He said he is very impressed with Mr. Hirst meeting with the principals of the schools and knows the school systems. He said he is further impressed with the children receiving an A and B average receiving free tokens as an incentive to better education. He said he uses incentives in teaching children. He referred to the Fun Station in Livermore as having no problems with this use. -18-