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Mr. Church said it is a special project of the East Bay Community Foundation. The Foundation has been around since 1928, serving Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. For several years, the Board of Trustees has given grants to environmental organizations, social justice organizations, affordable housing organizations, etc. The Foundation wanted to have a more comprehensive look at the kind of process that could pull all these things together. The Foundation has donated funds for this project along with the Ford Foundation, Irvine Foundation and a foundation from New York City. These organizations are interested in seeing what local communities can do to take control of the issues of sprawl, transportation, traffic, pollution, lack of affordable housing, etc. These large foundations want to know what can be done at the local level. Mr. Campbell asked if the foundations received any direct financial benefit, or was this just for the betterment of the community? Mr. Church said it was just for the betterment of the community. Mayor Pico said he had met with Mr. Church and the Hacienda Business Park property owners association on a number of occasions to discuss this concept. He said there are a number of issues that need to be reviewed. If an application was submitted tomorrow for more housing or mixed use within the Business Park, it would probably require, among other things, an amendment to the Development Agreement. That Agreement currently prohibits additional housing in the Business Park. He believed there were many opportunities that could result from this study. Mayor Pico said he attended the Urban Land Institute Conference in Pasadena last month to talk about creating these kinds of transit-oriented development villages and the issues related to it. The mayor of the City of Dublin was also in attendance. She expressed interest in a similar concept for the Dublin side of the BART station. Mayor Pico said there is a very large list of potential stakeholders including property owners, BART, Camp Parks, RFTA, the City of Dublin, County of Alameda, etc., etc. This is an opportunity whose time has come. Whether the concept progresses beyond the feasibility study proposed is another question. He felt strongly that we needed to start now to review this kind of project. He believed that if Hacienda Business Park were being designed today, it would be very different than it was twenty years ago. The intent of the property owners association and the City is to keep it one of the most successful business parks in the country. He wanted to take advantage of the possible transit center that could be created there and possibly in Dublin to address things like shuttle services to various destinations. This is an initial feasibility study to bring in expe~ts and community members to review the possibilities. It is intended to be a one-day charrette learning experience to see whether or not the pieces fit. Ms. Michelotti indicated the planning in Hacienda Business Park has been done very well. She has attended smart growth conferences and is familiar with the concept of transit- oriented communities. However, she pointed out that at the same time she and the mayor were at these conferences and discussing this concept, the citizens of Pleasanton were in the process of referending a two unit per acre development. The reality is this will ultimately require General Plan changes, a Council majority supporting higher density projects, etc. The study will show the pros and cons for this kind of development, including traffic impacts. She supported this wholeheartedly, but she wanted people to be aware that an education process has to occur and Pleasanton City Council 23 10/01/02 Minutes