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File Number: 14-302 <br />unsafe in terms of speed and volume to pedestrians and residents inside the community. <br />Although there were public comments that addressed crime, the cut-through traffic was the <br />overriding public safety consideration. The City’s data on violent and property crimes in <br />Council District 3, where Floresta Gardens is located, had a relatively low rate in comparison <br />to other Council Districts. <br />The design and location of the gates and fencing would meet the objective for setback and <br />sight distance. In this instance, the proposed installation would not isolate the development <br />from adjacent properties and would not change the character of the area. The proposal was <br />found to be adequate urban design by using metal with a decorative wrought iron appearance. <br />Upon comparing the gates’ setbacks to other residential developments in the area with gates <br />and of the lower density of residential units to land area of Floresta Gardens to those other <br />residential developments, there should be adequate setback for vehicles not to stack and <br />impact traffic flow. <br />The Planning Commission also recommended that arrow points (spear tops) of the gates and <br />fencing be revised to soften their appearance. Per the Planning Commission’s <br />recommendation, the applicant proposes to remove the spears atop the gates and fencing <br />and replace them with “quad flare" finials which have four sides and a ball at the tip (see <br />attached Exhibit F). In addition, the vehicular gates will be arched at the top and will include a <br />little knot or twist pattern on the vertical bars to enhance the appearance of the proposal (see <br />attached Exhibit G). <br />Analysis <br />Although the Planning Commission recommends approval of the modification of the PD to <br />install the gates and fencing, staff maintains its original recommendation that the proposal be <br />denied. As discussed in-depth later in this report, staff seeks to uphold the General Plan <br />Policy that discourages the development of “gated” communities or the gating of already <br />developed neighborhoods or subdivisions. Staff recommends other effective and less <br />exclusive safety measures to mitigate the cut-through traffic such as speed bumps/tables and <br />rows of raised buttons to slow traffic down, supplemented by additional adjacent signs posted <br />for drivers to reduce speeds. <br />Applicable General Plan Policies <br />General Plan Policy 2.10,“Gated Communities,” states, “Unless overriding public safety <br />considerations exist, discourage the development of “gated” communities or the gating of <br />already developed neighborhoods or subdivisions.” <br />Installation of the requested gates and associated fencing will result in the establishment of a <br />gated community. Although the proposal will not change the internal circulation of the <br />development it will change the character of the residential community in which it is located. <br />The gating of Floresta Gardens along the Washington Avenue frontage will make the <br />neighborhood appear separate and isolated from its surrounding environs. <br />According to Census Data, approximately 10 million housing units in the United States are in <br />secured communities (American Housing Survey, 2009). These secured or gated <br />communities restrict public access with walls, fences, gates with codes and alarms, and <br />Page 4 City of San Leandro Printed on 7/15/2014