3B Public Hearing 2012 0221 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes December 15, 2011 Agenda No. II -I2 Page S of 9 Chair Collier said that she at first gave some thought to recommending leaving Commercial Recreation and Entertainment Activities as conditionally permitted in only the IL and IP Districts, but decided against it because those two districts occupy such limited slices of land in San Leandro. She said with so many vacancies in the industrial areas, she would welcome the first person to come along to rent an idle 30,000- square -foot building for practically any purpose. Chair Collier said she agrees with the proposed changes regarding Assembly Uses, but the other proposals can come back later if necessary. In response to Commissioner Crow, Chair Collier said that if the Commission so chooses, separate motions can be made on the different parts of staffs recommendation. Chair Collier opened the public hearing. San Leandro Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dave Johnson agreed with Chair Collier that eliminating opportunities makes no sense, in any community, in any economy. He stated that taking away choices in San Leandro particularly makes no sense at a time when the broadband service to which Patrick Kennedy and OSIsoft have committed will enable the City to be one of three Bay Area communities (in addition to Santa Clara and Palo Alto) in the forefront of attracting high -tech businesses. This broadband capability also would enable the City to attract businesses such as Dave & Busters, City Beach, art galleries, daycare centers and other things that residents and potential residents want, Mr. Johnson said. And, he pointed out, the businesses all would be well - controlled under CUPS. He also noted that San Leandro's Office of Business Development has been working hard with Mr. Kennedy and OSIsoft to bring the opportunity to attract new companies to fruition and to enable existing companies to improve their operations. He mentioned, too, a City Council work session on December 12, 2011, during which Karen Engle, Executive Director of the East Bay Economic Development Alliance (EDA), spoke about older industrial communities such as San Leandro having the opportunity to make creative reuse of some of its idle space. According to Mr. Johnson, rather than looking back at a General Plan updated 10 years ago, San Leandro must look 10 years ahead. He said that the Chamber would work hard to be part of this process, which he sees as giving San Leandro a chance to brand and market the City and to provide jobs and opportunities for residents and prospective residents. No other speakers came forward. Motion to close the Public Hearing Dlugosh /Reed: 7 Aye, 0 No Commissioner Dlugosh, noting that he considers it more appropriate for Commissioners to make comments after the public has spoken, discussed his recent experience in closing a business and selling a 30,000- square -foot warehouse in San Leandro. After 16 years of it being occupied, he said he had to hold the building vacant for 18 months after closing the business. He added that he would have welcomed a use that may not have been typical of the building's last 40 years including any tenant who wanted to bring in a Commercial Recreation or Entertainment Activities use. Therefore, Commissioner Dlugosh believes it ill- advised to limit property owners' options in San Leandro if they want to lease or sell a building of a significant size. He said that if other industrial area property owners were aware of the proposal before the Commission, they would be unhappy about it. He said this isn't the right time to be making a choice of this nature. In terms of