CCMIN052097 - Laserfiche WebLink

The meeting reconvened at 9:15 p.m. Item 6b C0nSiderdtiOn Of AdditiOnal InfOrmatiOn for the Supplemental EIR for the Stoneridge Drive Specific Plan Amendment (SPA-95-01) (SR97: 147) Brian Swift presented the staff report. Mayor Tarver asked for public testimony Dave Clausen, 617 Windmill Lane, said he has lived in Pleasanton for over 15 years. He said the City of Pleasanton has paid close attention to building a strong economic base while managing growth. He does not understand why Council would recirculate the EIR for the Staples Ranch. Staples Ranch will provide many amenities for the City of Pleasanton. As a business owner, he is concerned about the impact of traffic. To attract skilled workers there must be affordable housing. Most of the recent development has been for large expensive homes. The proposed development will provide affordable housing. He felt the issue of gravel traffic was a moot point. E1 Charro would be a much safer route due to traffic signals and vehicles traveling at a much lower speeds. He said he was disturbed about the City's recent trend in approving expensive homes to the detriment of working families. The developers of Staples Ranch are paying millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements for Pleasanton, improvements that are badly needed. The planning process is open to the public, including public officials. In this instance there is the E1 Charro task force who met for two years on the traffic issues under consideration. Council approved the General Plan in 1996 which considered all the traffic issues. The EIR for this project took over two years to complete, including a three month review. He said if Council had a valid objection it should of been raised before now. Victoria Holt, 3390 Vermont Place, asked Council to make the best decisions and to guide the neighborhood. She asked what alternatives were available. As a homeowner, she sees future risks and costs. She would like some insurance that the future risks and costs will not impact her home. She would like to see an agreement drawn up to protect herself and others. She also had a concern with the affordable housing. The development Somerset I has only single family homes and duets, but no affordable units. In this new development, Somerset II, there are 88 townhomes. The units proposed are eight units stacked on top of one another. She feels this should not be called Somerset II but should be called something else. She asked Council when the City reaches buildout what will the City have to offer. She would like to see the City revitalize the older sections of town and offer these to first time buyers. She asked why approve projects that will not be built for two to three years. Pati Freitas, 3037 Staples Ranch Drive, said her back fence looks out over the field to 1-580. She said she has not been notified of anything. She shares many concerns of her -- neighbors regarding Staples Ranch and the future of her neighborhood. These concerns are valid Pleasanton City Council 05/20/97 Minutes 13