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Commissioner Olson noted that the Pleasanton look was eclectic, including the Hacienda look, with large office buildings. He stated that he liked these buildings as shown on the screen and believed they made a statement about the City. He stated that the plaza may pull from Downtown, which would not be helpful for Downtown. He noted that plazas should be located Downtown with the foot traffic and shoppers as well. He stated that he would not be opposed to taking a hard look at the retail part of the architecture. Commissioner Pearce agreed with the previous comments and would like to see the use of natural materials to blend with the natural environment surrounding the site. She cited Northstar Village, which blended into the natural elements without a lot of massing. She liked the pedestrian areas and would like to keep people from driving up and down Bernal Avenue during the noon hour. Commissioner Fox stated that she believed the office buildings looked like cookie-cutter rectangles to her and thought they were boring. She noted that a lot of effort was put into the fire station at Bernal Corners, which was attractive. She hoped that something more cutting edge could be done to the office buildings to make them look more like the fire station or the old Netscape complex in Mountain View along Middlefield Road or perhaps the Google complex. She agreed with Commissioner Narum's comments regarding the street elevation. She noted that a green space or plaza could be placed where the gas station is planned. She indicated that she did not believe the plaza would detract from Downtown. She noted that the three sets of retail looked almost identical and that better elements, such as pitched roofs, could be used instead of a tower element near aflat-strip shopping center. She noted that she had hoped for a more creative appearance. She noted that the office buildings closest to Valley Avenue should be reduced to three stories. She stated that she would like to buffer the uses on the other side and believed it would be beneficial to look at noise-absorbing materials. She did not want the project to become an echo chamber and would like to ensure that the materials mitigated the noise. Chairperson Blank would like to see the visuals for four stories and decide what impact it would have on the ridgeline. He noted that the office buildings needed more articulation, and liked the see-through feature. He believed the office buildings were somewhat cookie-cutter and suggested that the applicant work with Ms. Decker to explain the "Pleasanton look." He stated that color renderings and a landscape plan could improve the appearance of the project and noted that the black-and-white drawings resembled either a strip mall or a prison. 6. Does the Planning Commission support the design of the site utilizing low water use plant materials that support the water efficiency standards? Commissioner Fox stated that she would like to see more turf areas where the gas station is currently located. She would like to see more aesthetically pleasing elements, such as water features and a plan showing where they will be. She was more concerned about proper landscaping and transitions than low water. She would like the signs and PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, May 28, 2008 Page 13 of 17