Laserfiche WebLink
Howard Ellman, One Ecker Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, attorney for Kaiser <br />Aluminum, indicated the staff report summarized the project very well. Hc indicated <br />various individuals who were also available to answer questions about the project, <br />including a representative from PE Biosystems, the proposed parchaser of the property. <br />IIe stated the 960,000 square l~et was arrived at by removing the top floors of the <br />proposed buildings and allowing for larger setbacks. Council expressed a desire for a <br />single campus type user and Kaiser has succeeded in doing that. He confirmed that <br />Kaiser is still willing to contribute $400,000 for construction of a park in the area. He <br />agreed with all the conditions of approval except for two. Condition #56 requires berm <br />construction with the first phase of the project. Instead of building the fall berm with the <br />first building permit, he asked that just enough be constructed to shield the parking lot <br />from view or would not require the import of fill. in that way, it ~vould not be necessary <br />to import landfill mid then have to take it away again when the rest of the project is built. <br />He would like to work with staff to amend that condition. Condition 10 requires the <br />driveway to be realigned and traffic signal installed as soon as the tenant occupies the <br />site. in ordcr to realign the driveway, it will be necessary to have a lot of grading and <br />filing in the turf bowl to bring the road closer to the freeway. He indicated that when PE <br />Biosystems first occupies the existing bttilding, there will not be any more employees <br />than were there for Kaiser a year ago. lie asked that the alignment not be done until the <br />first building is constructed, unless there is some determination that the intersection is not <br />functioning adequately. <br /> <br /> Joe DeCredico, KenKay Associates, 1045 Sansome Street, Studio 321, San <br />Francisco, representing Kaiser Aluminum, briefly reviewed how the changes to the plan <br />were developed and how they addressed the concerns of the neighbors regarding views, <br />height of buildings, setbacks and views of the parking lots along Sunol Boulevard. He <br />described various illnstrations of the visual impacts from certain residences and from <br />Interstate 680. He stated the existing building pad height is at 383 feet and indicated the <br />new buildings are two and three stories and set back farther, so will be lower than the <br />existing buildings. <br /> <br /> Ms. Michelotfi asked about the difference in height between the existing building <br />and the proposed building, taking into consideration the grading. <br /> <br />Mr. DeCredico said the ne~v building would be about twenty feet lower. <br /> <br /> Robert Ragusa, PE Biosystems, 850 Lincoln Ccntre Drive, Foster City, described <br />the history of his company, which provides life science technology to enhance the human <br />condition. One of the sister companies, Celera Genomix, has succeeded in dccodiug the <br />human genome. There are 50,000 instrument systems fi'om his company in over 100 <br />countries. The company is expanding into the East Bay because it is more affordable to <br />provide for growth of the company. This is one of the few areas that can provide space <br />for a campus setting. He believed the Pleasanton site would allow the company to attract <br />quality employees from the area. There is access to highways, public transportation and <br />affardable housing. He then reviewed the composition of the employees, their working <br />hours. and their current residences. The company has many community outreach <br /> <br />Pleasanton City Council 8 07/11/00 <br />Minutes <br /> <br /> <br />