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Katherine Bayer spoke in support of this project. She noted that she sang in the Sufi choir and practiced Sufi meditation, concentration, and physical exercises to expand her personal growth and stay healthy. She looked forward to having a larger space that has been specifically designed to enhance these activities. Brad Wilson expressed concern about the traffic impacts. He noted that in two years, there have been three accidents; one occurred at the corner and was fatal. He noted that houses were being built at Rowell Ranch across the freeway and expressed concern about the impacts of that traffic. He believed that drivers may be distracted by the dome as they go around the corner and was concerned that people may get hurt. Hamid Kutimi spoke in support of this project. He noted that he was a real estate agent and that his children attended middle school in Pleasanton. He noted that his son has attended the M.T.O. classes for teenagers, resulting in a positive change in his behavior. Maryam Sehrgosha spoke in support of this project. She noted that as a member of the congregation, she has traveled to San Ramon and Pleasant Hill to attend services and classes. She would like her children to attend classes in art and meditation without having to travel so far; she looked forward to attending local classes to accommodate their busy schedules. Mitra Zahiri spoke in support of this project. She noted that although she was not a member of the congregation, she and her daughter have attended classes for the past several years. She believed having this facility in Pleasanton would make it more convenient to attend more classes in her hometown. Michael Lambrecht, homeowners association board member, noted that he had attended the community get-together hosted by M.T.O. and believed they were very fine people. He noted that this project was not about their testimonials or the members’ credibility but, rather, about the safety and location of the project. He hoped the City’s traffic engineer would know how dangerous the road is, and he believed there should be a traffic study. He noted that there were monuments on the road to several people who had been killed in traffic accidents and added that this was a very serious issue. Kevin Sanassarian noted that Mr. Lambrecht was his neighbor and echoed his concerns. He believed the majority of the drivers exceeded the speed limit and added that there was a blind curve near the neighboring condominium development. He noted that because he was accustomed to the curve as he had been negotiating it for 11 years. He added that when I-580 backs up, traffic uses Palomares Road, which flows into Canyon Creek Circle. He distributed several pictures of traffic to the Commission members and requested that the proper traffic studies be performed for the safety of the neighbors and drivers. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES August 8, 2007 Page 8 of 24