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<br /> Eric Otis Nostrand, 3015 Hopyard Road, said he cuts through town to get to Stoneridge Mall <br /> and other places. Part of the reason we are in the traffic predicament is because Pleasanton is at the <br /> junction of two major freeways and many are viewing that as a bad thing. However, because of that <br /> position Pleasanton has a thriving business community. There is a wonderful mall at that intersection, <br /> a great business park that creates a tax revenue that allows us to have the city we all enjoy, and <br /> perhaps traffic is the price we pay for all this. He believed we should consider the glass half full and not <br /> half empty. He did have a few concerns. One was that all scenarios seemed to be looking at existing <br /> plus approved development and not planned development for the future, especially with regard to <br /> business. Consideration needs to be given to the build out of Stone ridge Mall and Hacienda Business <br /> Park. That new businesses will provide the tax base for many services in Pleasanton and if there is no <br /> consideration of the impacts of traffic, he wondered what fiscal impact will there be without the new <br /> business? He believed Highway 84 improvements should be a top priority and would give the most <br /> benefit for the investment. He objected to eliminating any possibilities from the General Plan, even <br /> though they may not be built in the foreseeable future. He supported the Stone ridge Drive extension <br /> for reasons already stated. He noted previous comments about "those people" in Dublin or Livermore <br /> coming through Pleasanton and said many of those people work for him and cannot afford to live in <br /> Pleasanton. He cited other examples of people from those communities and their connections to <br /> Pleasanton. Alternative A seems to include many traffic signals. He believed Valley Avenue and <br /> Bernal Avenue were to be a ring road to get people around town, but there are about thirty signals on <br /> that road and that does not seem like the way it should work. He also opposed roundabouts for various <br /> reasons. <br /> Gail Gilpin, 688 Windmill Lane, said when she moved here she saw a community of people, not <br /> just Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore. She felt cut-through traffic had become a very ugly phrase. <br /> When people from across Bernal drove through her neighborhood to take their children to school, she <br /> did not consider that cut-through traffic. It was a neighbor taking a child to school. But now, years <br /> later, when she wants to drive through their neighborhood to Raley's, she can't do it at certain hours <br /> because she was considered cut-through traffic. She felt it was being divisive when it gets to that level. <br /> She encouraged people to remember this is a friendly community and we are not each other's <br /> enemies. <br /> Mayor Hosterman thanked all those who attended the meeting and expressed their views. She <br /> invited the commissioners to comment on the three Alternatives proposed. <br /> There was a break at 9:20 p.m. <br /> The workshop reconvened at 9:30 p.m. <br /> 4. NEXT STEPS AND MATTERS INITIATED BY COUNCIL OR COMMISSION <br /> Commissioner Ann Fox commented about the definitions of cut-through traffic and suggested <br /> they be more in line with the Livermore definitions in terms of regional cut-through and combining <br /> citywide arterial and neighborhood into local cut-through traffic. She wanted to review some of the <br /> objectives in the Circulation Element of Livermore, such as "minimize adverse impacts of regional cut- <br /> through traffic." She cited some of their policies, such as ''the city shall recognize that increasing <br /> capacity on streets leading to 1-580 would increase regional cut-through traffic" and "the city shall not <br /> base roadway system improvements solely on the local effects or the impacts of the improvement of <br /> regional cut-through traffic." She also felt there seems to be issues whether cut-through traffic, regional <br /> Joint Workshop <br /> City Council/Planning Commission 12 08/30/05 <br />