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THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPENED. Adam and Colleen Schwartz, applicants, thanked staff for their efforts in this project and noted that they would be available to answer questions. Mark Kearns, 261 Spring Street, noted that this would be his office space for his home inspection company. His first reaction when he saw the plans was that the three stories would divorce him somewhat from the Downtown area and would like to see something that flowed more. He noted that all the buildings on Spring Street had 20-25-foot setbacks from the sidewalk using a Mission-style motif. He was not aware of any two-story buildings on the north side of the street and believed that remodeling on the south side of the street had utilized basements as an extra story. He did not believe the architectural plan followed suit with Spring Street, and he wondered if there was a way to move it to the west side so his views would not be obstructed. He believed the building was too big for the lot and was concerned about sufficient parking. He would like to see a Mission-style design which blends in with the heritage feel of the Downtown. Bruce Torquemada, 3071 Alburni Court, noted that he had several properties on Division Street and that he was pleased to see this property developed. He believed the live-work concept was interesting and a good match for the Downtown. He suggested that the redwood trees be taken down so the building could be designed to be seen from Main Street. He liked the possibility of bringing smaller businesses Downtown and believed the Mission design would blend well with the existing buildings Downtown. Simone Hyde, 213 Spring Street, spoke in support of this project but was concerned that the building looked wider than the actual property appeared. She was concerned that it may be too crowded and overwhelming to face Spring Street. She supported the idea of live-work spaces in Downtown Pleasanton. She believed a three-story building would be too overwhelming for the scale of the street. Mr. Schwartz noted that they became interested in the site because his wife intended to open a pilates studio; at that time, there were very few suitable places to rent in the Downtown, and he saw a potential to renovate this building. They believed that Downtown Pleasanton needed space for small incubator start-up businesses, which was affirmed by the Pleasanton Downtown Association. He noted that they planned to develop this space in three sections and described their plans. He noted that the initial sketches had all of the development on the west side, and they would have proposed removing the redwood trees; there was a potential issue with a retaining wall that he believed they could engineer around. He noted that they were very flexible with respect to the design and site orientation. He anticipated restrictions about the size or the number of units. Ms. Schwartz noted that the pilates studio was nearly completed and added that they placed the retail right on Spring Street to bring the pedestrians up the street. She noted that they were open to Mission-style architecture for the front building and believed it related to a Main Street feel. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES January 10, 2007 Page 12 of 27