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Brad Hirst, 1811 Santa Rita Road #128, indicated he represented the Austin family, <br />beneficiaries of the Briggs Estate, who were the original owners and operators of the <br />Meadowlark Dairy. The dairy once included all the Laguna Oaks property, the park site and <br />some of the land going up towards the ridge. The Austin family still owns approximately 36 <br />acres across from the park site and intends to submit a subdivision map for eight lots with a <br />dedication of 25-27 acres to the City to complement this park. The Austin family would like to <br />see that property used for 4H purposes. He expressed the appreciation of the Austin family for <br />having a park of this nature, which commemorates elements of the Valley's history including the <br />Indians, the Spanish and the dairy industry. He believed the dairy industry was a significant part <br />of the area at one time. <br /> <br />Ms. Ayala asked what the Austin family felt about the silo. <br /> <br /> Mr. Hirst said the Austin family has a long history in the dairy industry and he felt they <br />would want to see as authentic a replica as possible. <br /> <br /> Alan Rachmiel, 3553 Milleford Court, President of the Laguna Oaks Homeowners <br />Association, said he has spent a lot of hours on this project. If the residents seem a little <br />passionate about the subject, it is because the silo challenges one of the primary reasons they <br />wanted to live along Foothill Road. He especially thanked Mr. Wolfe and Mr. Fulford for their <br />cooperation and timely provision of information. He has tried to find reasons for having the silo. <br />There is no historical significance, it would not provide additional grant funding, and would <br />probably not enhance the experience of the park for the children. He acknowledged that silos do <br />go with barns, but that mostly occurs in the Midwest on flat lands in the middle of a large <br />amount of acreage and miles from roads. There is a long list of drawbacks and no substantial <br />reason to have the silo. <br /> <br /> Bill Sumerlin, 7902 Paragon Circle, said he is part of the homeowners association and <br />was instrumental in having the association take over the landscape district and installation of the <br />beautiful landscaping to keep up the appearance of the area. Speakers have focused on <br />Meadowlark dairy and he reminded people that the first things in this valley were dinosaurs. <br />During construction of Laguna Oaks, bones of a mastodon was found and given to the University <br />of Califoruia. In addition, there was an Indian burial ground in the area, which required several <br />conditions to be imposed regarding future digging at the residences. He would prefer that <br />instead of spending money on a silo, that the funds be used for an exhibit to show the Ohlone <br />Indian culture. He was sad that the remains of the Indians that have been discovered have been <br />re-interred elsewhere. He believed the silo would impact property values. He also expressed <br />concerns about the silo being close to an earthquake fault and was concerned that it would <br />collapse onto the roadway. He believed there were only negatives concerning the silo and the <br />Council had an opportunity to do something positive for the residents who are very upset about <br />this issue. <br /> <br /> Reuben Borg, 8009 Regency Drive, said he has three small children and a business in <br />Pleasanton. He is in the approval process to build a large building on Stanley Boulevard. <br />During this time, he has worked with Mike Fulford and he commended Mr. Fulford on his ability <br />to get things done. He believed the park will have a great impact for his children and the <br /> <br />Pleasanton City Council 21 08/20/02 <br />Minutes <br /> <br /> <br />