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Mayor Plco opened the workshop to public comments. <br /> <br />James Tong, 4690 Chabot Drive, Suite 100, gave a short review of the history of the <br />Vintage Hills Shopping Center. The current owners are not willing to renew leases. Mr. <br />Tong has an option with the owners and has submitted his application for condominium <br />housing, 38 units for rent at affordable rates and 3200 square feet of retail space. The <br />Housing Commission meeting resulted in his being advised that staff cannot support the <br />for sale housing; it had to be for rent. He withdrew the application and redesigned the <br />site. The new design resulted in a 188-unit apartment with 70 of the units designed as <br />affordable housing. This resulted in parking space per unit problems. He re-examined <br />the design, which resulted in a senior housing project, consisting of 188 units with 8,500 <br />square feet of retail space. This project has 100% affordable units, 10% dedicated to very <br />low income and 90% of the units dedicated to low income. This is a quality project that <br />exceeds the guidelines of housing in Pleasanton. He would like parallel processing to <br />take place in order to have the project move forward. <br /> <br />Councilmember Hosterman asked if a small grocery store could be a viable tenant in the <br />project. <br /> <br />Mr. Tong said he did not know. He had not approached any prospective tenants and he is <br />trying to process the application in order to discuss renting the space. Potential tenants <br />are not willing to walt until 2006-07. <br /> <br />Councilmember Hosterman said she understood that Mr. Tong was interested in going <br />forward, if it was possible to separate this project from the General Plan process, with a <br />separate traffic study. Is this study adequate for the neighborhood and would it fit in with <br />everything else being discussed? <br /> <br />Mr. Tong said the other multiple housing sites under consideration would be located in <br />the Hacienda Business Park. He felt the DSRSD pond area should not even be studied. <br />The site he wants to develop should be taken out of the General Plan Update process <br />because it is a simple project, only 5 acres, is in an existing neighborhood with mostly <br />high density multiple units. He has submitted his check to go ahead with the study and <br />understood that the study will take about four weeks. Senior housing does not have a <br />large traffic impact. Vanpool services are being provided to the senior center and this <br />will improve area traffic. The option expires in October and he cannot walt until <br />December 2005 for the General Plan Update. This is a 100% affordable housing project. <br />It is a costly project to do. <br /> <br />Commissioner Roberts asked Mr. Tong about whether or not he would be using <br />inclusionary affordable housing credits on another large project. Did he want the City to <br />expedite the Oak Grove Project also? <br /> <br />Mr. Tong said it was not his intention. He does not own the Oak Grove land. He worked <br />for the property owner. That project is 98 units of single-family housing. If the <br /> <br />Minutes of the 5 06.29.04 <br />Joint Workshop <br />City Council & Planning Commission <br /> <br /> <br />