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Matt Sullivan, 4324 Muirwood Drive, endorsed some of the suggestions of the business <br />community to get past the interchange and move on to study alternatives. He believed the <br />question was how to do a study in a fair and adequate manner so the process has integrity and <br />the study results are valid. Traffic generated by future development already in the General Plan <br />can be quantified and evaluated in the study. But new development approvals granted during <br />the study period could invalidate any assumptions, analysis or conclusions made by the <br />committee. He recommended the City Council adopt staff recommendations and discourage new <br />applications or major modifications to existing approvals which would have a significant impact <br />to traffic related to the interchange. Any agreement made with San Francisco should include <br />traffic mitigations necessary assuming the West Las Positas interchange is not built. Since this <br />questions is so important, he was concerned that the Mayor is not here to vote. <br /> <br /> There being no further testimony, the public hearing was closed. <br /> <br /> Ms. Dennis expressed concern about discouraging business. She applauded the efforts <br />to change the focus of the study to mitigation alternatives instead of whether or not the <br />interchange will be constructed. In terms of evaluating development applications, she suggested <br />establishing a policy to ask applicants to include in their applications ways the project would <br />reduce anticipated impacts of traffic on the interchanges that we have. Rather than discouraging <br />applications, Council would be encouraging applications that demonstrate ways to achieve the <br />goals. She agreed the study should emphasize alternatives and liked the idea of involving <br />businesses in creating ways to mitigate impacts. <br /> <br /> Ms. Michelotti referred to her participation on the General Plan review committee in <br />1983 which established the current levels of service for Pleasanton. The current General Plan <br />establishes LOS D and requires that to be maintained. It troubles her that the staff <br />recommendations seem to indicate the City is willing to have unacceptable levels of traffic. The <br />City has built a wonderful infrastructure but conditions have changed because the residents of <br />surrounding communities are now using our local streets. Since an exemption is proposed for <br />the development on the San Francisco Bernal Avenue property and other properties are not <br />affected because of previously approved development agreements, she questioned what property <br />was left on which to discourage applications. She did not feel it appropriate to send shockwaves <br />throughout the business community. She felt the staff recommendations were acceptable. She <br />did not want any language that was discouraging. As projects are reviewed on a case by case <br />basis, they should be conditioned for necessary traffic mitigations. She agreed the West Las <br />Positas group should be focused on a solution. The business and residential communities should <br />work together. She felt projects will pay a fair share of traffic mitigations. The Economic <br />Development Advisory Committee offered the suggestion that we proceed with the assumption <br />that the interchange will not be built and to find out what can be done. She concurred with the <br />staff recommendation and to continue on a case by case basis. <br /> <br /> Ms. Ayala indicated Pleasanton has attracted high profile, leading edge companies, as <br />indicated in the January Forbes magazine. She is strongly in favor of anything that will continue <br /> <br /> 7 1/21/97 <br /> <br /> <br />