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Item 3A Attachment 2 �`,,,,/, EASANTON CLHAMBER f COMMERCE Date: 2/5/19 Memo To:Gerry Beaudin, Director,Community Development Department,City of Pleasanton From:Steve Van Dorn, President/CEO, Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce Subject: Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce comments regarding the Downtown Specific Plan Draft Report Thank you for presenting the Downtown Specific Plan Draft(DSPD)to our 2020 Forum back in December. Our Economic Development and Government Relations Committee(EDGR) recently met to carefully review the DSPD and request the City and Task Force consider including our thoughts and recommendations outlined below in your final report. Overall,we feel the DSPD's Vision Statement emphasizes preservation and status quo to the detriment of needed vitality. Many parts of the DSPD as written are counterproductive and will limit investment in new and existing properties that will expand the vitality of the downtown area. We do not believe the DSPD is ready for adoption and needs to be revised to incorporate encouragement for vitality. Including downtown property owners in the process moving forward will also add to the plan's validity. Streetscape Design The text,graphics and imagery shown on pages 32-34 do not take into account the streetscape improvements that were done in 1994. Bulb-outs were added to intersections,concrete benches that provide flexibility in seating options, planters and trash receptacles were installed the length of Main Street. Ignoring this established character and adding"Pleasanton green" metal benches instead seems very generic compared to what we already have and will create less of a cohesive streetscape. Why not supplement with additional amenities that fit this already established character? How does the City pay for things like adding stamped asphalt in the parking zone and pavers at the bulb outs? Statements like "Tree grates and benches are also available, but do not have a cohesive design and are infrequently placed" is simply incorrect in reference to the benches. Tree grates do need a replacement program. But lumping them together is not an accurate assessment of existing conditions and sounds like setting things up to simply change out all existing amenities to something that every Central Valley town already has. We are referencing pages 32 &33. Street trees,sidewalk width and parking:The current street trees were also re-planted in 1994 and are just now maturing. While there are a number of narrow areas in the sidewalk, effort should be made to look at those areas individually, rather than trying to remake the entire length of the street. Just a cohesive replacement of missing tree grates would "add width"to the perception of the sidewalks. The DSPD also says "To maximize the pedestrian zone,outdoor dining is reduced unless the pedestrian sidewalk area can be kept at a minimum of 6'- 0"." Again, looking at individual areas that need improvement rather than a blanket statement that actually hurts downtown restaurants. There also needs to be an analysis of how many parking stalls are lost by moving the trees out into the parking bays. Are they in planters or cages (like Livermore)?