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Minutes - San Leandro City Council Meeting - January 11 , 1993 Page - 11 - NEW BUSINESS (continued) George Piperis, 325 Beverly Avenue, President of the North Area Business Association, said his organization is opposed to Dunsmuir Heights. He said there will be a heavy impact on local streets. He said the North Area Program emphasized that a successful business district must be attractive, be a destination, and meet community needs. He said it is ironic that, as renewed interest in the North Area begins, the Council is weighing the possibility of adding this burden to the streets. He said the decision tonight is a linchpin to Dunsmuir Heights. He asked the Council not to undermine long-term business for short-term costs and not to let outsiders control them. Mark Behning, 725 Joaquin Avenue, said he was at the meeting because Dave Karp took it upon himself to make a deal . He said, in September the residents of San Leandro came to the Council to voice opposition to Dunsmuir Heights. He said San Leandro had no choice but to file an Appeal . He said he does not remember any Council Member instructing Mayor Karp to meet with the developer. He said $500,000 amounts to about $100 for every household affected by traffic from the project. He said the money does not take care of problems and only attempts to mitigate a few of the items listed in the City's Appeal . He said this does not justify the City withdrawing the Appeal and not suing. He said the quality of life is not for sale. He said the City Council cannot vote to withdraw the Appeal when the MOU does not mitigate all the problems. John Bailey, 495 Fortuna Avenue, said $500,000 accounts for only 30% of the total cost of improvements. He said this results in an $800,000 loss which won't be gained in sales-tax revenue. He said the development would have to generate $80 million over 20 years to make up the difference. He said taking the money will mean we are forced to get the other $800,000 somewhere else, and it will come from the Council 's constituents. He said he feels a lawsuit would be better than this. Beverly Merrick, 3058 Revere Avenue, Oakland, said she is suspicious of the Council ' s willingness to give up the community's rights and of a developer who is suddenly willing to deal . She said the dollar amount is not sufficient to make up for the loss of quality of life, the safety of children, and the view from Lake Chabot. She asked the Council to support the community, not stab them in the back. David Brooks, 3420 Rubin Drive, Oakland, said he lives in Oakland because he lost his home and neighborhood in the Oakland fire in October 1991 . He said Oakland is not prepared to fight such fires, and he does not want to see this happen again in this development. He said Oakland cannot take on a project such as this and asked the City Council not to send the wrong message.