3A Public Hearing 2008 0303 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Excerpts from the Planning Commission Meeting Minutes December 13, 2007 Agenda No. 07-23 Page 6 of 8 After reading the letter, Mr. Gallo offered some of his own comments. He said that the original development of this property was both controversial and contentious, so the developer's proposal to reduce the front landscaping setback goes entirely against original mitigation that was imposed upon the developer. This mitigation, which softened the impact of the project on the community, was a primary factor in the project gaining ~ acceptance for construction in the first place. In regard to the liquidambar trees, if they 3 are replaced, he wants them to be replaced with trees of equal height and density. He also asked about who will do maintenance and landscaping, noting that for a long time, the developer did a good job of this, followed by a lapse. Although they seem to be back on track now; he still has long-term concerns about this. Hearing the out-of--hand rejection of lifts as a solution to increased parking spaces based on aesthetic grounds, he wonders about the aesthetics of removing what's already there in terms of landscaping -which ', was important in the acceptance of the project originally. He said that the current landscaping does add value. While not an arborist, he has observed that redwoods typically are planted in groups of three, because he understands that the roots of such groupings intertwine and stabilizes the stand, particularly under windy conditions. Will removal of two trees have a deleterious effect on the three that remain? In closing, he asked the Commissioners to consider the community's desire to retain original mitigation. Regina McMillan, who has lived at 235 Haas Avenue for five years, says that she is neither a senior nor aloes-income person. She said that it's hard enough now to find places to live, and it is difficult to pack up and get into places that are going to require first and last month's rent plus a security deposit. She wonders why it is fair to allow only seniors to stay on a rental basis and not people like her, who want to rent but cannot afford to buy. She also noted that across from the complex there is aloes-income housing apartment building, and the police are always there. Living at the end on the third floor, she said the noise is "really, really bad." There is no playground for the children in that building, so the children are running up and down the parking areas as well as on the floors where the units are. Chair Reed indicated that it seems appropriate to give special attention to noise mitigation, to determine whether anything further can be done to soften the impact. Motion to Close Public Hearing Dlugosh /Collier; 6 Ayes, 0 Noes, l Absent Chair Reed invited Commissioners to make comments and ask questions. Commissioner Collier responded to some earlier comments about the redwood trees. i ~', She said she grew up in redwoods, and has two that are 25 feet apart. She said that the danger of redwoods growing too close together is that the center one becomes weak, and doesn't get enough light and air for its own sustenance. Thus, if you remove the center tree, the other two will be okay provided that it is done professionally. On the other hand, if two trees were taken out, the one left would become weak and susceptible to wind. As far as noise is concerned, she said that double-pane windows have typically air space of 3/4th to 5/8th inch, which cut exterior noise by at least 50% to 60% percent. She also said that she is concemed to hear that there is no noise barrier between units. A lot of buildings constructed in the early 1970s and 1980s used 5/8-inch sheetrock walls with insulation, which protects from fire but does not do much about noise. She wondered whether something might be done to minimize noise between units.