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ATTACHMENT 2: PUBLIC COMMENTS <br /> Kent limey,Esti. <br /> Kadin Law,Esq. <br /> T I E R N E Y R1,CE1VED <br /> F�" 232019 <br /> Date: February 22.2019 <br /> To: City Council Members&Community Dcvclopmcnt Department,City of Pleasanton <br /> Re: f)owntowp.,4pccific Plan Draft Re ort <br /> We represent several downtown property owners who are long-term members of the community. <br /> Our clients own more than a dozen properties in downtown Pleasanton and after careful review of <br /> the City's Downtown Specific Plan Draft("DSPD""),they have asked us to write this letter on their <br /> behalf to express their concerns regarding the DSPD. <br /> Our clients are concerned that downtown property owners' development rights and incentive to <br /> improve their parcels is not being protected or improved with this plan.It is a short-sited plan with <br /> no eye on the future. The current DSPD is unclear and has created a misunderstanding among <br /> property owners regarding the policy changes and recommendations. Overall, as owners of <br /> property in the heart of the downtown area,they believe the plan is the opposite of what is needed <br /> to bring back vitality to the downtown arca. They are discouraged that the DSPD emphasizes <br /> preservation and status quo and believe that the plan is ineffective and limits investment in new <br /> and under-utilized existing properties. <br /> Earting Mana>zetncttt; <br /> Our clients are requesting that the plan include a serious commitment to additional parking. This <br /> includes a potential downtown parking structure(there are several known sites for possible parking <br /> structures downtown).The downtown will continue to stagnate,as it has for several years,without <br /> the addition of new parking in the downtown core. Simply put, new development will not occur <br /> unless more parking becomes available downtown. <br /> j,and Usein4Pesign Policies <br /> I. Building Height—The character of downtown is not driven by building height. To limit <br /> downtown buildings to 30-feet is short sited. We can still maintain downtown character <br /> with building heights above the 30-foot limitation. We request any restrictions to use or <br /> height in the downtown core be removed from the current plan as it is counterproductive <br /> to innovation and forward progress that benefits the whole community. <br /> 2. Limitation on Future Residential Units — Ground floor residential units should be <br /> permitted behind commercial buildings. Our clients own several properties that have <br /> residential units behind their commercial buildings, '1'o limit these types of units is counter- <br /> productive and hampers future development. <br /> 17 <br />