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Steve Otto <br /> From: Linda Garbarino <br /> Sent Monday, September 21, 2015 4:28 PM <br /> To: Maria Hoey <br /> Subject: Input to Planning Commission <br /> Good Afternoon members of the Commission. This Wednesday's commission meeting agenda <br /> presents to you proposed Municipal Code language protecting the first ten feet of historic and vintage <br /> homes within the Downtown Specific Planning Area. This language is critical to protect Pleasanton's <br /> heritage neighborhoods. Why is this language important to Pleasanton? <br /> 1. Property Values must be protected. Residents living in historic and vintage homes in these <br /> neighborhoods want to protect those neighborhoods from remodels that compromise the architectural <br /> look achieved to date. <br /> 2. There will be no oversight by the city for homes not requiring a design review for remodel. There <br /> are examples of remodels in Pleasanton where inappropriate placement of windows and doors <br /> destroys the look of the home because no design review was triggered for one story homes. These <br /> are expensive errors to correct and again diminishes the value of neighboring homes. <br /> 3. Recent historic survey results found 87 out of 201 homes eligible for historic review using the rigid <br /> Secretary of Interior Standards for historic status. That leaves 114 homes unprotected from <br /> mismanaged remodels. This creates a clear possibility for major residential change especially for <br /> single story homes where 10' may represent most of the footprint of a vintage home. Without <br /> Municipal Code protection and oversight by the city we risk a look found in cities that did not protect <br /> their historic neighborhoods. Sections of Hayward, Alameda, and Dublin have all suffered from "re <br /> muddling" of unprotected homes along with the intrusion of commercial businesses into residential <br /> neighborhoods. <br /> I was a member of the Historic Preservation Task Force We discussed our concerns about the fate of <br /> unprotected homes not subject to design review. That is why the concept of protecting the first ten <br /> feet was recommended to the commission and the council. <br /> Thank you for your time and attention to this important issue. <br /> Linda Garbarino <br /> Pleasanton Resident <br /> Sent from XFINITY Connect Mobile App <br /> Click here to report this email as spam. <br /> 1 <br />