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<br />Beverly Hoey, a Pleasanton Arts Cultural Foundation Boardmember, supported the <br />design of this project. She believed the Firehouse Arts Center is a welcome addition to the <br />community. <br /> <br />Carl Palowitch, representing the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, <br />spoke in favor of the design for this project. He concurred with Mr. Loll's comments. As a <br />parent, he believed it was important to create more space for the children in the community to <br />experience cultural arts, and this design accomplishes that. The concern of the Chamber of <br />Commerce Board is for the City to create a vibrant place that will attract people to the downtown <br />and this design accomplishes that. <br /> <br />Judy Wheeler Ditter, President of the Pleasanton Downtown Association (PDA), stated <br />that the PDA supported this project. The Firehouse Arts Center will be an asset to the <br />downtown and bring vitality to the downtown. The PDA had questions regarding the design <br />because it does have guidelines that staff and the PDA worked together to implement. The <br />PDA did not want to do anything that would delay this project or increase the cost. <br /> <br />Greg Reznick, President of the Cultural Arts Foundation, supported the design and the <br />process. While he was not a member of the Task Force, he attended every meeting. He was <br />impressed by the breath of representation at these meetings, clarity of expression about the <br />needs, programs and the character of this building, the quality of interaction between members <br />of the Task Force and the architects, and how the design evolved during this process to meet <br />the character and design needs expressed by the community present at these meetings. The <br />Cultural Arts Foundation has completed its consultation phase and moving forward in support of <br />this project. <br /> <br />Charles Clark, a Pleasanton resident, did not favor the center section of the building as it <br />contained too much monolithic glass. He believed an outward curve constructed of brick <br />columns would tie the project together. <br /> <br />Steve Tillis, a Pleasanton resident, pointed out that the drawing as presented by Mr. Huff <br />was not based on reality. The Architects who designed the theater and gallery have dealt with <br />the spaces that are necessary. <br /> <br />Mayor Hosterman closed the public comments. <br /> <br />Mayor Hosterman believed the design for the Firehouse Arts Center had been through a <br />fully vetted publiC process with a significant amount of public input. She was supportive of the <br />design for this building. <br /> <br />Mr. Sullivan thanked the Task Force, the Architects, staff and the community for <br />participating in trying to bring this project to fruition. He supported the project and believed it <br />was a significant asset to the community for the opportunities it provides in the arts and the <br />downtown. He shared similar concerns expressed by members of the PDA. In reading the <br />Planning Commission minutes, it was clear to him the PDA's opinion of the design and how the <br />PDA would prefer to see something that is closer to the Downtown Specific Plan Guidelines that <br />would blend in better with the context of the downtown, which he supported. He asked if there <br />was Council support to discuss how the project could incorporate some of the classic designs <br />that are apparent in the downtown and have them reflected in this project without significant <br />delay. He expressed concern about the process and reminded Council that he expressed <br /> <br />Pleasanton City Council <br />Minutes <br /> <br />15 <br /> <br />04/04/06 <br />