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EXHIBIT F <br /> January 2, 2014 <br /> Pleasanton Planning Commission <br /> Re: P13-2468 <br /> Dear Commissioners: <br /> If one believes as Livermore does, that the downtown revitalization process is a <br /> partnership between downtown business and property owners and the City, then I'm <br /> having a hard time understanding the fairness to the other two partners in the partnership, <br /> or the long term benefits to the Downtown Revitalization Process itself, by a subjective <br /> parking rule that in real effect gives one partner (the City) the authority to pick winners <br /> and losers for the other two partners. To explain what I mean by that statement lets look at <br /> what we know and what we don't know. <br /> We know that in a tiny confined and revitalizing downtown like ours where the majority <br /> arrive by automobile, that parking is the lifeblood of its businesses. We know because its <br /> been proven, that in such an environment those property owners who cover their property <br /> (indoor and outdoor) with an income producing business(s) while using public parking, or <br /> another partner's private parking for their parking shortages are the winners. We know <br /> that unlike the Livermore partnership our partnership has no plan that would increase <br /> downtown's existing public parking supply within acceptable walking distances to Main <br /> Street for the vast majority of Main Street customers. Therefore, we know that every public <br /> or private parking space eliminated, and every new project that does not provide its fair <br /> share of parking simply dilutes the available parking for all other business and property <br /> owners in the partnership. <br /> And we know that soon the new owner of the Pool Hall on Main Street will be standing in <br /> council chambers asking for permission to tear the old historical building down, build it <br /> bigger, eliminate the private parking that now exists on site, cover the entire lot with an <br /> income producing business(s) and pay nothing for the privilege. What we don't know is <br /> where the makeup parking will come from. <br /> We know, because it has also been proven, that most anyone with a pencil, paper, and the <br /> power can pretty much cherry pick their way through downtown's thousands of pages of <br /> subjective rules and recommendations and come up with darn near predetermined <br /> outcome one might choose. And we know that "on average" public servants are "no more" <br /> or "no less" creditable then the rest of us out here in the real world. What we don't know is <br /> what's to prevent "average" or "below average" leaders in the future from <br /> "misunderstanding" or worse yet "misusing the intent of yet another subjective rule." <br /> So, knowing what we know, we know what the benefits are to these individual property <br /> owners by this new rule. But, knowing what we don't know, we don't know what the "on <br /> balance"benefits are to the rest of us in the partnership as well as to the downtown <br /> revitalization itself. Therefore, as one partner in this so-called partnership I respectively <br /> request that this Planning Commission reject this subjective parking rule before it leads to <br /> yet another unfair and misguided solution to our failures of the past. <br /> Robert W. Byrd <br />