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would be effected by the loss of funding developers in areas outside of the Happy Valley <br />Specific Plan, including the North Sycamore Specific Plan, for any type of infrastructure. <br />He mentioned that the temporary entrance to the Callippe Preserve Golf Course would <br />have an increase in traffic, which will affect the residents located there. He urged <br />Council to diligently work with the property owners and the developers in the Happy <br />Valley Specific Plan area to bring forward an upper bypass road. <br /> <br /> Matt Sullivan, 7882 Flagstone Drive, member of the Planning Commission and <br />Chair of the Energy Commission, was concerned that Council had abandoned a long and <br />successful partnership of community involvement with the approval of California Splash <br />last week. Council ignored the recommendations of the Planning Commission and the <br />objections of many residents and approved a down sized version of this plan. What was <br />most disturbing out this was that Council intentionally blocked the avenue of appeal for <br />its constituents. Only Councilmember Hosterman acknowledged that this was an act to <br />disenfi'anchise the public, and she opposed it. When the public is shut out of the process, <br />the options become few and expensive. He had originally intended to ask Council to <br />reconsider its vote on the project, but learned that Council could not reconsider its vote. <br />This would have been the last gasp of a public hoping to see the process work, and <br />another in a long list of staggering irregularities associated with this project. He asked <br />why the City used a conditional use permit process, which he believed was more <br />appropriate for a Starbucks than a major project with this many impacts? Why was <br />EBRPD the decision maker for an EIR and not the City? Why did the City rezone the <br />portion of this property, thus taking away the citizens' right of the referendum, without <br />discussions? Why were limitations placed on the Youth Commission comments related <br />to negative project impacts before issuing a glowing recommendation? The developer <br />changed his plan and construction phasing many times throughout the Planning <br />Commission and City Council hearings, including at least three times during one <br />Planning Commission meeting that it made it impossible for anyone to note if what <br />Council approved is down sized or not. He was aware that a group of neighbors have <br />been assembled to work with the developer in the implementation of this project. He <br />hoped this was a sincere effort to mitigate the impacts of the project. Considering that <br />the developer has an approved project and no requirement or incentive to respond to the <br />neighbors, he hoped this did not lead to further disappointment and disillusionment. It is <br />not surprising that the Council would like a water park, and there are many people in the <br />community that would like one as well. What is surprising is the manner in which <br />Council achieved it. Involving the citizens of Pleasanton in the review of difficult and <br />controversial projects has always paid dividends. The Busch/Ponderosa project is a <br />perfect example. The developer and the Council made a commitment to work with the <br />neighbors in what started as a citizen led referendum of the first plan, and then with the <br />same neighbors speaking in favor of the consensus project. If that can happen with that <br />project, it could have happened for this project. He believed the City had a consensus <br />plan negotiated in private with the developer and a group of local investors. He believed <br />the group of local investors owed it to its neighbors, who have worked so hard to be <br />heard and then silenced to its obvious benefit, to identify themselves. He believed this <br />was a reasonable request fi.om the community that will bear the brunt of the impacts that <br />provide the local investors the majority of the benefits. He asked if California Splash was <br /> <br />Pleasanton City Council 5 04/06/04 <br />Minutes <br /> <br /> <br />