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Ms. McKeehan indicated City staff had met with Zone 7 staff today. The Zone 7 Liaison Committee will meet on Thursday, May 22, 2003 to discuss this issue. The Committee generally meets only twice a year. Altematives will be identified. It was her understanding that the timing of the project has been slowed and Zone 7 is interested in receiving input from the residents. The environmental review process is being started to look at altematives. Mr. Brozosky asked if a negative declaration or an environmental impact report was being prepared. Ms. McKeehan said that is yet to be determined. Ms. Ayala felt a project of this magnitude should have been brought before the Liaison Committee for discussion first. Ms. McKeehan indicated there have been attempts to schedule a Liaison Committee meeting for a number of months. Staff has known about the proposed project for only about a month. Mark Lauer, 3618 Trenery Drive, indicated the residents had just received notice about this project within the last month. He believed Zone 7 will be "strip mining" in June. He felt this was a rushed process. The buffer strip is only 150 feet wide for most of its length. About thirty feet is proposed to be removed, which would take out a row of over a hundred trees. There are two paths in that area, one paved near Martin Avenue, and a dirt trail winding through the trees. Many people like to use that path. It is the only rural area left on the east side once the Busch property is developed. He said Zone 7 had presented an EIR which he felt was biased, since the first item said there is no potential aesthetic detriment to the area. There is wildlife in this area including deer, foxes, a whip snake, etc. The EIR indicates it is unlikely there are whip snakes in the area and they are probably garter snakes. If this area is turned into a park that is owned or maintained by the City, he asked that it not be a manicured park. People want to see nature, wildlife, wild flowers, etc. Zone 7 appears to be acting as if no one oversees its actions. He read the Alameda Surface Mining and Reclamation Act and it looks as if Zone 7 would need a surface mining permit pursuant to Section 6.80.040 before it can excavate over 80,000 cubic yards of dirt (minerals). Hopefully Council would be involved in that process. Ms. Hosterman asked Mr. Lauer to send an e-mail to Council regarding the events at the Zone 7 workshop this evening. Ms. Ayala referred to the upcoming General Plan review and indicated the east side of town is a major piece of that. She encouraged him to participate in the process. Jerry Wagner, 6344 Alisal Street, stated the Happy Valley Specific Plan indicates the City has one year from the time New Cities' portion of Sycamore Creek Road is constructed in which to start the bypass road. New Cities was given a one year extension on 4/15/03 and construction could last two to three years. Add more years to get permits and construction on the Spotomo property and it appears there will not be a bypass road for ten to fifteen years, if ever. Pleasanton City Council 6 05/20/03 Minutes