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ATTACHMENT 14 FRIENDS OF PLEASANTON and PLEASANTON FIRST JOINT STATEMENT We, the representatives of Pleasanton First and Friends of Pleasanton, issue the following joint statement to the Pleasanton City Council. The Staples Ranch property represents an important opportunity for the City of Pleasanton. The Alameda County Surplus Property Authority is seeking to develop the property to include a 36t- acreauto mall site, 45 tacre senior continuing life community, 17t-acre community park, 5 t- acre neighborhood park and 11 t-acre commercial development project. The City's Planning Commission and City Council will need to carefully consider these land use proposals in the context of the City's Memorandum of Understanding with the County of Alameda, while also balancing the needs and interests of the Pleasanton community. We support the timely review of these applications by the City of Pleasanton in an open and transparent manner and encourage the public's participation throughout all phases of the development review process. We emphasize our support for incorporating Staples Ranch into the City of Pleasanton. This project is within the City's Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), and as such should remain within the planning influence of the City. The proposed land use plan allows the City to relocate the existing Pleasanton Auto fvtall, currently located adjacent to the Rosewood Shopping Center, to the Staples Ranch property. The Pleasanton Auto Mall is owned and operated by Hendrick Automotive, anine-year Pleasanton- based business. Hendrick Automotive is comprised of the following dealerships: Acura of Pleasanton, East Bay BMW, East Bay Mini, Infiniti of Pleasanton, Lexus of Pleasanton and Volvo of Pleasanton. In addition to these dealerships, Mercedes Benz of Pleasanton wishes to partner with Hendrick Automotive to relocate its dealership, currently located on Owens Drive in the Hacienda Business Park, to the Staples Ranch property. The Friends of Pleasanton and Pleasanton First organizations collectively support this endeavor. This relocation effort will retain valuable sales tax revenues and jobs in Pleasanton. There is also a proposal to bring additional senior housing to our community. The proposed facility provides a mix of independent, assisted and skilled nursing units. It appears that the developer, Continuing Life Communities, has put considerable thought into the planning of this 45-acre site. They have worked with adjacent neighbors and demonstrated sensitivity to visual impacts, setback requirements and architectural features. While the development proposal may need further refinement by the Planning Commission and City Council, we are generally supportive of the proposed use with the developer in direct dialog with individual neighbors. We look forward to the ongoing review of this project and ask that the City Council be mindful of inputs from the community including those concerned with affordability and the City's inclusionary housing ordinance. We strive to see a project developed that integrates well with adjacent land uses and serves as a complimentary easterri gateway feature for Pleasanton. In reviewing the proposed 11 t-acre commercial development project, it appears that the developer, Fremont Land Inc., has presented a land use opportunity that may provide a diverse retail shopping experience for area residents. We ask that the City carefully review this proposal to determine whether there are creative opportunities to augment the community park site. We believe the community park master planning process, which we will describe in a moment, may