CCMIN030502 - Laserfiche WebLink

transportation corridor. The Planning Director of the County has indicated on numerous occasions that this land has no entitlements, so it would be very difficult to sell. The City of Pleasanton has indicated on several occasions that it desires the Corridor to belong to the City. The County has many things it wants to accomplish in our community and we are trying to bring those issues together. We are reviewing the Staples Ranch property, bringing a permanent ACE train station to Pleasanton, etc. As one reviews one land proposal it leads to discussion of others and how to reach mutual interest and meeting all the needs. There are many issues between Pleasanton and Alameda County and the transportation corridor is just one of them. It is anticipated these matters will come to closure in the next few months. Finally, she indicated no one on the Pleasanton staff has seen the letter Mr. MacNeil read. She asked for a copy of the letter and indicated staff would respond in writing with reference to the many conversations that have been held over time. Bruce Myers, Pacific Union Homes, 675 Hartz Avenue #300, Danville, indicated he still supported residential designation for the property at 325 Ray Street. This has been a long process and he reminded Council the Committee and the Planning Commission voted to have this property as residential. Duke Bonde, 706 Neal Street, indicated that in 1936-37 C.T. Howard had a horse racing stable here and would ship his horses by train. Pleasanton has a lot of train history. He also referred to the success of the Napa Wine Train. His family has seen Pleasanton grow into a beautiful city that provides parks and sports centers for the youth. He felt the train would be another nice family activity. Art students could make pictures of the train and the restaurants would benefit also. He chaperoned a fourth grade class to the Niles Canyon train and they enjoyed it. It would be nice to bring the train to our city. He referred to all the people who enjoy riding this train. Rudy Johnson, 5655 Black Avenue, referred to the future use of the fire station on Railroad Avenue. There is a need for art facilities in Pleasanton. He said the fire station could be used as a gallery and theater and would be a jewel for Pleasanton. He urged Council to make it clear that the fire station will be used as a gallery and theater. In that way, they can proceed with their fund raising efforts. Architectural planning can begin while the Fire Department still occupies the building. He also suggested that the street in front of the fire station be used as a plaza with access from Main Street. He has received calls fi'om any people who would like to support this facility, but they need to know for sure that it is available to them. Fernando Cuebas, 30 West Neal Street, Meecham, Oppenheimer, Inc. Commercial Real Estate, said he is newly involved in the issue of the train, but is very involved in the downtown area. He felt it was unfortunate that the issue has become so divisive and the vision for downtown has been lost in the process. He felt the tree issue is the vitality of downtown over the next ten years and beyond. There should be an exploration of whatever possibilities for vitality, whether it is a train, cultural arts center, or any other venue that would provide a draw to downtown. He realized the issue has been studied for a long time, but he felt it is possible some of the information provided was incomplete or misconstrued. He encouraged Council to give the community the time necessary to explore this issue or others that could potentially improve the vitality of downtown. Pleasanton City Council 9 03/05/02 Minutes