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Ms. McKeehan said what the City has said in the past is that for an affordable <br />housing project, if it were an apartment project like the Promenade, or a Ridgeview <br />Commons, that kind of project the City could build. Now Greenbriar is taking the <br />position that it has to be 100%, which seems a little extreme. In any event, the point this <br />evening is until you have a project that is defined, the City may not know the answer to <br />the question. <br /> <br /> Ms. Michelotti said that even if it were a senior housing project, like a Ridgeview <br />Commons, then that would be affordable housing in perpetuity. There would be no <br />question on that. <br /> <br />Ms. McKeehan said that would be the City's assessment also. <br /> <br /> Ms. Ayala said her point is that if this goes to the voters, there will be uncertainty <br />as to affordable housing. There is no definition. She said she then started to think about <br />the fact that there is really not any definition about any of the other uses either and she <br />felt like the City was jumping the gun. <br /> <br />The Mayor asked for public comment. <br /> <br /> Bruce Fiedler, 251 Kottinger, said he has addressed City Council many times as <br />an advocate of affordable housing and senior housing and as an advocate for City parks. <br />He enjoys many of the parks of the City, named the parks that the City presently <br />maintains. He noted that there are regional parks on both sides of the community and the <br />available use of the fields of the Pleasanton Unified School District. In addition to these, <br />Pleasanton should have one really big park. In this concept he sees 200 acres of Oak and <br />Madrone and Buckeye trees and trails with great views of Mt. Diablo. In recognition of <br />our early California Heritage it should be named Augustine Bemal Park. Pleasanton is a <br />fortunate community because we already have that park, with those mature trees and <br />trails and the historic name. Just as Golden Gate Park, which has been noted in many of <br />the recent discussions, has 20 different facilities and uses, it seems that some of this <br />acreage within the Beruai Property can be invested in many ways to meet the critical <br />needs of our community. If San Francisco can put a sewage plant into Golden Gate Park, <br />on the south end by the windmill, Pleasanton can certainly transplant an ACE station, a <br />YMCA, some elder housing, a cultural center, and recreational uses into this site and <br />have it come out looking great. This would be a responsible plan that is truly sensitive to <br />the many different needs of this entire community. He recently visited Los Angeles and <br />upon returning he read in a local paper a story about a proposal to replace some of the <br />188 units of affordable housing that would be lost with 86 units on the Busch Property. <br />He previously noted to City Council that the idea of segregating a group of seniors out on <br />the road to the local dump, in an area without shopping and services or public <br />transportation, might not be a great idea. If the proposed rents of $761 are correct, that <br />might not be such a good idea, either, because not one person who now lives at <br />Pleasanton Gardens, nor at Kottinger Place, would be able to afford the rents at that level. <br />If Councilmembers want it to be really affordable for low-income seniors, you need to <br />have the land contributed. This might have to be within a park and he suggests the <br /> <br />Pleasanton City Council 12 06/04/02 <br />Minutes <br /> <br /> <br />