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with the Staples Ranch developers regarding the neighborhood park and will authorize Fremont <br />Land to begin work on their project. He presented an update on the project, stating staff <br />circulated the EIR for the project, the comment period ended on June 4~", and they met with the <br />EIR consultant who is preparing response to comments. Staff is also working on finalizing the <br />specific plan and development agreements. <br />Mr. Ferber presented a depiction of the trail system and he discussed how the connection will <br />take place. He noted staff is working in conjunction with the City of Dublin, EBMUD, and <br />Caltrans to get the under crossing completed under I-580, this would provide access from the <br />Iron Horse Trail all the way through Pleasanton to Livermore. Also important is that Fremont <br />Land has proposed to have a bike kiosk area near the hub. <br />Councilmember Sullivan clarified that tonight would not be the final approval of the park, and <br />City Manager Fialho agreed and said staff will return with a separate PUD for that facility. <br />However, staff still needs to negotiate a ground lease with the Sharks organization. If this falls <br />apart or if the Council does not support it or feels there is not an established benefit or amenity <br />for the community, this plays into whether or not the Ice Skating facility is ultimately approved. <br />Councilmember Sullivan referred to the plan and said most of the open space and amenities are <br />on the eastern side of the site, adjacent to commercial and away from the community. He <br />questioned why those were not on the Pleasanton side instead. Jeff Ferber discussed design of <br />the park and related it to putting a puzzle together; a marriage between the vision and the <br />facilities that go in there, and trying to make the relationship between those facilities and the <br />properties around them have the best fit. He said one consideration was to have an open, <br />green feeling and to try to have a balance between those entering the park by car and users <br />within the park. <br />Councilmember Sullivan said there have been conversations with the Sharks, City staff and <br />Fremont Land, and he has had conversations with the adjacent neighborhood about pulling <br />those two uses together and better integrating commercial uses on the east side, which he <br />believes would open up more community access to a park, and he questioned if this could be <br />further discussed. City Manager Fialho said this was one option in the staff report, and the <br />Council can direct staff to go back and integrate this use with this development. This would <br />require Council direction. <br />Councilmember McGovern referred to the neighborhood park and detention basin and <br />confirmed that there is a possibility that some of the amenities such as bocce ball could go back <br />into the plan. She also confirmed that the sports teams were supportive of the removal of their <br />fields at the park due to the ability to accommodate football, lacrosse, and soccer with lighted <br />fields at the upper Bernal fields or Bernal Community Park. <br />Councilmember McGovern questioned if the parking overflow area could be rutted or damaged <br />in some way and voiced the need for a maintenance agreement. Mr. Wolfe noted parking <br />requirements for the ice facility must be met and he said Mr. Ferber could discuss this. Mr. <br />Ferber said their plan provides for green space as overflow parking during the majority of the <br />time there is not maximum use and discussed the design of the area. He said for 6 days a <br />week, there was not much of a need for parking and the area could be green space. The <br />product, Grass Pave, is designed to hold large weights, it would not be used heavily, there is a <br />structure below it, and primarily used as a way to increase parking while reducing the visual <br />impact of what a parking lot looks like. <br />Special Meeting Minutes 3 June 10, 2008 <br />