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Item 6d PAP-52 (PADR-279~ Greg and Nancy Crofton). (SR 03:203) Brian Swffi presented the staffreport. Joyce Diaz, 4769 Peaceful Lane, related the experience and training of her husband and herself in real estate appraising and engineering. She said there were three concepts she wanted to convey regarding this application. One was the effect of the massive home additions on the Pleasanton housing stock, the composition of the Old Towne community, and the third was the substantial impact on her and her husband by the proposed addition. Increasing numbers of people are buying small and mid-size houses on large lots with the intent of adding on and making substantial changes to the houses and character of the neighborhoods. These are not people who have lived in the houses for many years and find circumstances have changed. She believed this expansion of small homes to larger homes forever removes the small houses from the stock of affordable houses in Pleasanton. She refuted the statements of the Croftons on the size of the houses in the Old Towne subdivision and presented a chart showing what they believed to be the correct square footage of the various models. The Croftons stated that 25% of the homes are over 3,000 sq. ft. and on that basis their addition is consistent with the community and should be approved. She disputed that and related her own findings. They also said that there had been sixteen additions and suggested their proposed additions were similar and involved the same area behind the family room, garage, or over the garage. Ms. Diaz said the Croftons did not state the size or location of these additions, which is important if they are being cited as a precedent. She related the information she had on the additions and noted the most important fact that only two were two story additions. She related the circumstances regarding two large additions which occurred twenty years ago as well as a large addition on Abbie Street, which is a one story. She then described the proposed addition of the Croftons and how it affects her house and property. She said the trees in her yard are behind her house and will not provide screening from the Cmfton house. In addition, they are deciduous and she would still be able to see a massive wall from her dining room and kitchen. She summarized that she and her husband had bought their house because it had open space around it and had many windows to let in light. The idea of a massive, two-story house looming down on her yard takes away the peaceful setting. She did not think the Crofions had made a serious effort to mitigate concerns. She and her husband were willing to compromise and suggested the Croftons reduce the size of the addition and build a one-story addition in the back of their house. She did not believe massive additions were good for Pleasanton or for the Old Towne subdivision and would have a significant adverse effect on her and her husband. She urged Council to deny the application and to encourage a smaller, one-story addition. CJreg and Nancy Crofton, 4757 Peaceful Lane, said he is not a real estate appraiser and had used his best efforts to get information on the size of houses in Old Towne. The largest house in Old Towne is about 3,000 sq. ft. and his house with the addition will be about 3,100 sq. fi., which is still consistent with the neighborhood. He noted a neighbor had built an addition which made his house about 4,000 sq. ft, so Mr. Crofion's house with the addition will be the size of the neighbor's house before his addition. He tried to work through the issues with the Diazes and not make it a neighborhood issue. When the story poles were installed, he felt the Pleasanton City Council 16 Minutes 07/15/03