PC 121306 - Laserfiche WebLink

Commissioner O'Connor believed the Commission addressed Home Depot trucks in particulaz. Ms. Decker noted that it would be very difficult to enforce such a condition in that manner unless there was signage stating that trucks delivering Home Depot goods be identified. She noted that could take excessive police resources. She noted that it may be more practical to encourage certain routes and for Home Depot to work with City staff to determine the best routes for its operational plan. In response to an inquiry by Commissioner O'Connor regazding why Condition No. S.h. stated that the 60 KV lines would not undergrounded, Mr. Jost explained that the City ordinance exempts anything over 43 KV from being required to be constructed underground. In response to an inquiry by Commissioner O'Connor regazding whether the Commission could require the undergrounding as part of the conditional use permit, Ms. Decker replied that could happen; however, staff has known of other projects where PG&E has indicated that it did not prefer 60 KV lines to be underground. Staff would prefer some flexibility for this potential condition so staff could work with PG&E to determine whether that would be possible. With respect to the preferred routing regazding the Isabel Avenue/Stanley Boulevazd truck route, Commissioner Blank inquired whether a condition could be crafted for Home Depot-controlled trucks to be required to follow a certain route and a penalty imposed if that route is not followed. Ms. Harryman noted that could be possible. In response to an inquiry by Commissioner Peazce regazding the 100-foot green belt to act as a visual and sound buffer between Home Depot and the synagogue, Mr. Pavan replied that at the first work session the Planning Commission discussed that idea. At the second work session, staff brought the current site plan to the Planning Commission and noted that the 100-foot azea was not being provided. The outcome of that work session was such that the Planning Commission accepted the current setbacks, provided that a very thick and opaque landscape barrier was created in that azea. As conditioned, staff has stated that the shrubs would be planted on the spacing in a manner that would achieve a 50-percent overlap of the shrub canopy in five yeazs. Commissioner O'Connor noted that at the last meeting, the landscaping strip was to be a berm, and he could not tell from the photographs whether it was on a berm or level ground. Mr. Pavan noted that it was level ground and indicated that the applicant could respond to that concern. Acting Chairperson Fox inquired whether staff believed that this lazge of a center was appropriately scaled for its surrounding neighborhoods and whether it preserved and enhanced the existing chazacter of the Downtown due to its proximity to the Downtown azea. Mr. Pavan noted that staff would answer "yes" to both questions. He noted that the project had a very low floor azea ratio as specified in the staff report. Additionally, the buildings were designed to minimize, if not alleviate the "big box" look of abig-box store. The architecture was intended to replicate the Pleasanton look and chazacter. The design treatments were intended to resemble a series of individual storefronts versus a massive big-box store. Staff examined its proximity to the Downtown azea and felt that Downtown Main Street provided a level of nice eating PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES December 13, 2006 Page 7 of 26