3A Public Hearing 2009 0302 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes January 22, 2009 Agenda No. 09-02 Page 11 of 14 point raised by Commissioner Brannan; "this is a phenomenal opportunity to provide childcare services," so he encourages the developers to maintain a tenacious commitment to that and do whatever it takes, because it is such an important service for working families. Corina Lopez, 199 Cherrywood Avenue, San Leandro, said that she was going to refrain from speaking but decided that she should. She sees many merits to this particular development, and sees the TOD Strategy as being both progressive and forward-thinking. She noted earlier allusions to the EIR caveats. She decided to speak up because it's "a moral thing - I think it's really wrong to have segregated housing by socioeconomic class" and "a step in the wrong direction." She says this as both a woman of color and someone who grew up below the poverty level. "If I had grown up in something like this, I wouldn't have accomplished all that I have accomplished in my life." She feels it is dangerous to put people in a box by where they come from; it breeds discrimination against those people. If this were a home ownership situation versus a rental situation, she might feel differently, but she does not see The Alameda as "a way of getting a piece of the American pie." Joe Collier, 644 Douglas Drive, San Leandro, said he would like to see something added to conditions of approval -all the employees needed to bring this project to fruition should come from this area - to help our own people who are out of jobs now -rather than being imported from Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Concord, Livermore or elsewhere. David Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of the San Leandro Chamber of Commerce, said that he is new to this community but not new to development, and he respects the extensive process involved in designing both the TOD Strategy and this project. The Chamber Board has followed all of this carefully since its inception. Listening to some of the comments this evening, he said, one of the most important things is standing as a forerunner in the change that all of our communities are going through and will go through as the economy changes. San Leandro has an opportunity to take advantage of those changes. We have a community of 80,000 people with rapid transit access immediately available and in this case a respectful development that provides, in the end, both market-rate housing and workforce housing or affordable housing -different terms, but meaningfully, rental housing that is otherwise very difficult for people who are beginning their lives. This terrible economic situation took away for several people the opportunity for affordable housing to give them a start in life. He understands Ms. Lopez' concerns about segregation, but this is part of a larger development that respects San Leandro as a City and is respectful of the first-step opportunity that The Alameda would provide. He also offered the Chamber's help in marketing these units to people who live and/or work in San Leandro. Denise Quick, 1222 Alder Creek Circle, San Leandro, had a question for both the developer and the Planning Commission. She said she thinks the proposal is a great one, but wonders if there isn't a way in The Alameda development, to make it a combination of market-rate and affordable housing rather than segregating the low-income residents from the others. If it can be less isolating, she would be 100% behind it. Chair Dlugosh asked whether anyone else in the audience wanted to speak. There being no response, he entertained a motion. Motion to Close Public Hearing Finberg /Reed; 7 Aye, 0 No Chair Dlugosh invited Commissioners' comments on the topic. Commissioner Collier said that she unfortunately agreed with everyone who spoke, making a decision difficult. Originally she wanted the market rate units and affordable units mixed, but