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house that has been approved for Serenity Terrace. He noted that the house <br />includes afour-car garage and sits on a 36,000-square-foot lot with a 25-foot <br />setback on one side and a 30- to 35-foot setback on the other. <br />THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS CLOSED. <br />Commissioner Fox stated that one of the tragedies of California is that there are not <br />enough houses for grown children to move back to because everything built in this <br />area seems to be over 7,000 square feet. She indicated that she believed any <br />excess housing capacity should be allocated for houses that are of 1,200 to <br />1,700 square feet so young families can move back into areas like Pleasanton and <br />be close to the families they grew up with. <br />Commissioner Olson stated that the economics does not make sense and <br />questioned what the reaction would be in Happy Valley if 1,200-square foot homes <br />were built there. <br />Commissioner Fox replied that the economics is to limit the project to three housing <br />units, and if there are three additional housing units available in the City, these <br />should be put in the Downtown to create extra density there and make it more <br />vitalized rather than putting the extra density on the outskirts of town. <br />Commissioner Olson stated that consideration should be given to looking at this <br />from the standpoint of the property owner. <br />Commissioner Fox stated that the General Plan process has gone on for five years <br />and she does not recall thatthis matter was not brought up during that time. She <br />noted that any questions about the amendments and the housing unit allocations <br />should have been done at that point. <br />Chair Pearce asked the Commissioners forfinal comments, and there were none. <br />She asked Mr. Babbitt and Mr. Schlies if they had the direction they needed; and <br />they said they did. Chair Pearce indicated that another workshop was needed and <br />that viewscapes would help the Commissioners to understand the sizes of the <br />homes. She indicated that she was not sure if the same number of lots should be <br />kept and if she would be happy with the maximum 9,000-square-foot home on each <br />lot. She noted that she would like to see more spacing if this much building is <br />proposed. She added that she appreciates the LEED points but that it would be <br />difficult to convince her that a 7,500-square-foot home can truly be green. <br />No action was taken. <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, January 14, 2009 Page 29 of 35 <br />