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<br />Draft Excerpt of Minutes
<br />Apri/12, 2007 Planning Commission Meeting
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<br />Page 70f9
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<br />Acting ChairNice Chair Reed opened the public hearing, after asking Secretary Pollart to
<br />make an announcement about how it would be handled in light of the large crowd.
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<br />Secretary Pollart asked for a show of hands of people who wanted to speak on this matter.
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<br />Acting ChairNice Chair Reed said that each speaker would be allowed a maximum of five
<br />minutes each.
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<br />Jeff McGallian, 13985 Tahiti Road, represents Faith Fellowship. He said he is a former Board
<br />of Zoning Adjustments member, and has made decisions such as this many times. Addressing the
<br />issue of traffic, he said it is one of the biggest concerns when putting a new development in. The
<br />Davis Street corridor when Wal-Mart and Costco went in created a major issue, but it was a need
<br />that required addressing, because it meant a lot of money, and the City took extra measures to
<br />make it happen. Traffic is a nightmare there, he acknowledged, but we're living with it because
<br />the San Leandro economy requires it. The Catalina/Farallon area has access to 880 via Marina
<br />via Doolittle. Catalina leads to Fairway, which leads to Merced, which leads to Marina, which
<br />also leads to 880. Pike is also nearby, which leads to Merced to Marina to 880. And Farallon, he
<br />added, goes to Doolittle, Catalina, Pike, Merced, Manor and down to Lewelling, which feeds a
<br />large network of streets that take overflow and makes easy access in and out. He mentioned
<br />traffic around the Coliseum, which affects many people, but it serves a purpose. He said that
<br />Faith Fellowship, likewise, serves a purpose, and the traffic impact would be so minimal as to
<br />make it a non-issue. On the contrary, he said, it would enhance the area and bring more people in
<br />to patronize the restaurants and increase exposure for Marina Faire. He described the proposed
<br />rezone as a "plus-plus," a "win-win," with the increased traffic actually an enhancement in this
<br />situation.
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<br />Kathy Sanchez, 14723 Doolittle Drive, is President of the Marina Garden Homeowners
<br />Association, located at Doolittle Drive and Belvedere Avenue. She favors denial of the
<br />application for rezone. She referenced a letter in the Commissioners' packets that she and Ed
<br />Jaramillo, President of the Marina West Homeowners Association, sent to the Planning
<br />Commission and the City Council. The volume of traffic generated by the 1,500-plus members
<br />of the congregation would greatly impact their neighborhood, she said. In her area, Doolittle
<br />Drive is two lanes, with the speed limit just increased to 40 mph, which she does not understand
<br />because it is residential on her side. It is the direct route to access Catalina via Farallon. There is
<br />a STOP sign at Farallon, so it would be constant start-and-stop in the one lane turning left there.
<br />Farallon also is near the dead end of Doolittle Drive, which in the past has been used as a
<br />turnaround, which also creates problems. Residents on Doolittle Drive and the surrounding
<br />neighborhoods would have difficulty entering and exiting their property, in addition to
<br />experiencing more noise, congestion and pollution during peak traffic, and from the STOP at
<br />Farallon. The church traffic would also hamper access to Doolittle from other streets, such as
<br />Belvedere and Bermuda. The church could continue to increase its membership exponentially,
<br />which would exacerbate the traffic, congestion, and pollution problems. She said that noise
<br />pollution from the airport, truck traffic, industry, the 880 freeway and the railroads, and added
<br />that ongoing parking problems are already an issue with residents and business owners at the
<br />current church location. She also is concerned that if churches and other tax-exempt
<br />organizations take over industrial property not zoned for their use, the City will lose tax revenue
<br />and experience additional burdens on its infrastructure and services, with financial deficits made
<br />up by all San Leandro residents. Ms. Sanchez pointed out that while Faith Fellowship talked to
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