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comments a speaker is making and that she would appreciate it if everyone in the <br />audience would have respect for the speakers as they present their point of view. <br />THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPENED. <br />Father Dan Danielson, Pastor, Catholic Community of Pleasanton, 3999 Bernal Avenue, <br />described the Saint Augustine and Saint Elizabeth Seton Churches, history of this <br />application and noted that the Church's facility at Saint Augustine had become cramped <br />and overcrowded. The Diocese of Oakland had purchased additional property and began <br />identifying needs for the community. He described the past plans for staff and other <br />office space, a chapel for smaller services and daily mass, and the lazge church and <br />pazking lot. The proposed development addressed the needs of the Church and its service <br />to the community, including the community center. He noted that the Church at Saint <br />Elizabeth Seton currently had youth groups and divorce and bereavement groups meeting <br />in chapel space rather than in a sepazate meeting space. He noted that their Catholic <br />Youth Organization (CYO) basketball program service children throughout the <br />community from third to eighth grade and that through this project, the Church tried to <br />fulfill its commitment to the youth. He indicated that the program has a small gym at <br />Saint Augustine and rented gymnasium space in town. He indicated that high school <br />youth are meeting where they can, and this facility would have a dedicated room for them <br />to meet. He indicated that he would try to accommodate reasonable expectations and <br />needs and concerns people have and indicated he was open to questions. <br />In response to Acting Chairperson Fox's inquiry regazding why the Church decided to <br />place the building next to Rheem Drive rather than at its original location on the 1998 <br />Master Plan, Fr. Danielson noted that in the first plans in 1989, nothing was proposed for <br />that space because the intent then was to sell that piece to help pay for the building of the <br />Church. The revised 1998 Master Plan included a building on the site; however, the <br />entire property was brought into the planning process, and based on the community's <br />needs as they developed, the Church felt that the space would not be lazge enough for a <br />school, given the needs of present elementazy schools. He added that should a school be <br />built in the future, the eastern portion of the property that is approximately four acres <br />between Nielsen Park and the Church would be sufficient for the necessary buildings as <br />well as a play azea. <br />Acting Chairperson Fox inquired whether, if a school and gym were both located in the <br />eastern lot between Nielsen Pazk and the existing Church, it might make sense to build <br />the gymnasium at the eastern portion next to the school to be built eventually, with both <br />buildings in the same location, so that the children would not have to walk across the <br />pazking lot to the gymnasium. Fr. Danielson replied that given what he has observed of <br />today's schools, everything available is utilized no matter where in property they aze <br />located, including across the property to get to the gym. He then introduced John Miller, <br />project architect, who will also respond to all technical questions regarding the project. <br />John Miller, project architect, 100 View Street in Mountain View, displayed the site plan <br />and elevations and described the design, circulation, and pazking features of the proposed <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES November 29, 2006 Page 8 of 28 <br />