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Ms. Hosternian believed it related to this process, particularly when Council is <br />discussing a one-story building versus a two-story building, its density and exchanging <br />square footage. <br /> <br /> Mr. MacDonald said that proposed office building is consistent with what has <br />been painted by the Downtown Specific Plan, and the PDA is in agreement with it. The <br />problem is getting people to invest in the side-street properties in which they are not <br />subject to erratic requirements. The investors need to be allowed simplicity. He pointed <br />out that there are many side streets throughout the downtown that are being used as office <br />buildings, but are being built to be compatible with retail. The first step is to get the <br />buildings built and get the critical mass in the downtown. Over the course of 100 years, a <br />portion of the buildings in the downtown may be office buildings or restaurants. He <br />noted that the balance of the structure in the downtown will move around if Council has <br />the kind of conventional downtown zoning that allows uses to market whatever the <br />highest and best demand of a particular building is for that time. <br /> <br /> Mayor Pico pointed out that a portion of the handout that was presented to <br />Council by Ms. Fox referenced the Downtown Specific Plan for this property. It stated <br />that future development for 325 Ray Street should be designed as a garden/office <br />complex with a one-story maximum building height, residential/architectural style and <br />preservation of the area near the Arroyo del Valle. <br /> <br /> Mr. MacDonald said that the PDA's recommendation was for an office building <br />but not a one-story office building. He did not believe the PDA's recommendation was <br />specific, but noted that it wanted that location to be for an office building rather than <br />residential. The concern came from the business owners closer to Main Street, that ifa <br />residential use was permitted, the residents would be asking Council not to allow various <br />type of uses to occur. If this were to occur, the downtown would not have the type of <br />dynamics that it currently does, where businesses stay open in the evenings, which help <br />the retail businesses to stay open later at night. He believed that the key in making the <br />downtown a success should not be set by the most sensitive person within 300 feet ora <br />proposed project, particularly because Council would deny people who chose to live in a <br />mixed-use area the option of having certain activities within walking distance. <br /> <br /> Mayor Pico asked staffif the Downtown Specific Plan specifically stated that the <br />Ray Street office building be a one-story garden/office complex? <br /> <br /> Mr. Swift said that the existing Downtown Specific Plan specifies a one-story <br />office building. Therefore, this project requires an amendment to the Specific Plan. <br /> <br /> Matt Sullivan, 7882 Flagstone Drive, and a member of the Planning Commission, <br />mentioned that he did not support this project and believed there were significant issues <br />that had not been adequately presented to Council. His issue related to what the <br />neighbors saw and when they saw it. He mentioned that the Planning Commission had a <br />lengthy discussion about it. He was still not comfortable with what the neighbors saw <br />and when they saw it, and did they really see the project that was presented to the <br /> <br />Pleasanton City Council 18 02/17/04 <br />Minutes <br /> <br /> <br />