|
Regarding issues of the Home Depot project, she was saddened that after Council approval,
<br />she thought Home Depot would step up to the table and try to build community relationships
<br />with the community through offering different types of services or something to show they could
<br />be good neighbors like small businesses are. She talked to many people, conducted a poll
<br />through email; 1) do they want no more development on this corner; 2) do they want no Home
<br />Depot? 3) do they think there should be services there for that section of Town?
<br />Overwhelmingly, people do not want a Home Depot or box store at all, but there are
<br />predominantly a large number who would say they would accept some development there with
<br />ideas for pet grooming, grocery stores, traditional Jewish deli's, restaurants, fitness centers,
<br />small retail, pharmacy, Trader Joe's, and she felt there was a niche for services for adjoining
<br />neighborhoods. People believe that if they did not have to travel down Valley Avenue, it would
<br />help with cross-city traffic. She likes the picture that Pleasanton Gateway produced for the City
<br />which does not include Home Depot, and it shows a plaza area with boutique stores, ice cream
<br />stores, and things more meaningful to that area. And, she can honestly say she was not
<br />interested in Home Depot there anymore.
<br />Mayor Hosterman said we have all struggled with this, it has been a difficult proposal to work
<br />through, it has been complicated by the fact that the City is going through its General Plan
<br />update. She loved the project in the beginning. At the time it came before the Council the
<br />numbers were different and they have changed. While Home Depot is poised to recapture
<br />dollars lost to Lowe's and the City is poised to add revenues, it has become clear that through
<br />economic analysis, current home improvement stores will lose at least 16% annually without
<br />opportunity to rebound, and thinks this cannot be tolerated by small businesses. She would like
<br />an opportunity to engage Mr. Knoelder about some of the things that have come up and
<br />whether or not there is an opportunity for Regency to continue to look at this site and other land
<br />use opportunities.
<br />She said the community has been interested in a grocery store in this area, she received emails
<br />about it, and a corporation has a series of stores called Fresh and Easy Markets of about
<br />10,000 to 15,000 square feet in size, and they are similar to a Trader Joe's. She asked because
<br />the need is so great for a grocery of that type and size, she asked if this would change traffic
<br />patterns because it would be more of a local draw, and secondly, because it is so needed, could
<br />it create the same sort of draw that we think of a big box retail anchor as providing, but give an
<br />opportunity for pet grooming type retail, pharmacies like the holistic Elephant Pharm, bookstore,
<br />video, coffee shop and restaurants. She asked if between now and January 15th, could Regency
<br />hold onto the project and re-tool it.
<br />Peter Knoelder, Regency Centers, said Tesco is definitely interested in locating a Fresh and
<br />Easy Market on the site, but the question is whether or not they would be without an anchor
<br />tenant involved. Also, if it were only a Tesco located there, could they lease up the rest of the
<br />center. He was fearful of getting into a situation similar to the vacant Vintage Hills center, as that
<br />site needs an anchor tenant and they had hoped it could be the Home Depot. They will listen to
<br />the Council, take the information, sit down with staff and review options.
<br />Councilmember McGovern asked if they could look at the idea of not increasing traffic or semi-
<br />truck traffic and said Long's Drugs does not generate the same level of semi-truck delivery. She
<br />asked about a grocery store delivery schedule, and Mr. Knoelder said he was not sure as they
<br />just opened in southern California.
<br />Councilmember McGovern said the other idea was to increase the plaza area so more people
<br />could enjoy biking and walking because of the close proximity of Shadow Cliff's, the BMX park,
<br />--
<br />City Council Minutes 15 December 4, 2007
<br />
|