Laserfiche WebLink
Peter MacDonald, representing the applicant, indicated that they agree with the staff <br />recommendation and conditions of approval. He stated that the school provides an <br />incredibly important service to Chinese families in Pleasanton and that while it is a <br />business that is to be regulated, the parents and children are those who would be <br />affected. He noted that the school promotes a structured academic environment <br />and provides Chinese language and cultural instruction, special tutoring, personal <br />discipline training, and help with the students' homework. He added that the school <br />also provides a safe, adult-supervised environment for school-aged children, <br />particularly for working mothers who have to be at work. <br />With respect to whether or not a tutoring school will be permitted in Pleasanton, <br />Mr. MacDonald asked the Commission to consider the effect of its decision on the <br />parents of the students. He stated that the church is an ideal facility for the use with <br />a symbiotic relationship that is both efficient and cost-effective, where the school <br />uses it during the weekdays, and the church uses it on the weekends and <br />weeknights. He indicated that it is a modern facility with no tenant improvements <br />required, located in a site that is both convenient and accessible to parent, and has <br />exclusive restrooms, entry controls, backdoor lock, and WiFi. He added that there <br />are no other quality locations available in the City. <br />Mr. MacDonald stated that the applicant and her husband have worked hard for over <br />a year to find a location acceptable to the City and practical for their use. He <br />indicated that the lease at the current location expires in June and that the applicant <br />was planning to purchase a location in the Hacienda Business Park but it was within <br />300 feet of a cell tower. He added that private schools are not allowed in residential <br />locations, they do notwork in office buildings for a number of reasons, and while <br />they are allowed in shopping centers, they are not the ideal situation. He indicated <br />that if business parks are off limits to tutoring schools, there will never be any <br />practical locations in Pleasanton for the size of the proposed school. <br />Mr. MacDonald noted that the Hacienda Park Owners Association also supports this <br />use and application. He stated that an anonymous complaint was received <br />suggesting that the school was a daycare facility and not a tutoring school; however, <br />while daycare facilities are not allowed by the Hacienda PUD, tutoring facilities are. <br />He explained that the primary distinction is that licensed daycares involve children <br />less than four years and nine months, and this is the basis of the letter in the packet <br />from the State exempting the school from licensing requirements. He stated that the <br />proposed facility does not accept children less than four years and nine months of <br />age, and the State made that determination after full disclosure about how the <br />business would operate. He noted that the State fully understands there will be <br />times such as school vacations and summer where children will be at the <br />after-school program for more than 15 hours in the same week, and this is the <br />State's policy to interpret. <br />Mr. MacDonald stated that the State is willing to process a childcare license for the <br />school at the proposed location if this is required, and the school is also willing to <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, December 10, 2008 Page 10 of 35 <br />