CC Min 1997-10-21 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

- - . - - doesn't have the experience nor job skills, whatever it is, can get it through the city, county or federal government. It is debilitating. We are a capitalistic society. I think we should continue - on the capitalistic road.... I realize that we do need subsidized housing as a safety net for many people... but at the same time, I don't encourage it at all. I think it is working backwards from what our country is all about." Councilman Ruskin thanked the Planning Commission for the opportunity to participate in this discussion. He said that "last evening the Council and the Planning Commission as well as other agencies held a joint session, out of which some interesting things developed. I'd like to look back on that just briefly. We had talked about some improvements to the process and I'd like to suggest that some of those thoughts be brought into this process. For instance, dealing with the Architectural Advisory Committee. I'd like to suggest that they be brought in early on in this process, rather than later. That checks be developed dealing with the Architectural Advisory Committee at various points during the process, and that checks be included at the end regarding materials and other aspects of the project so that we don't think we are getting Project A and end up with Project B or even B+. And then on the other hand, to make certain that the process does not become too lengthy and not business friendly. I think we need to take certain steps... to make certain that we have a single liaison for the developers with the City staff, and that the Economic Developer Coordinator be brought in to monitor this process so that we are assured that it is successful from all points of view. This is a real exceptional opportunity. The developers that we have are very high quality developers. I have seen their work. We have the opportunity to do something that we can all be very proud of, and that can serve as a model not only for future development for us in our city, but for other cities in our - area on the peninsula, and I think we should strive for the highest possible quality. I'd like to suggest that... we look again at how we might create more usable internal green space. I strongly support the idea of providing for day care whether on the site or adjacent to it. I think we need to really deal with the question of how this project will face the tracks and the downtown. We don't want to have a repeat of the back of Sequoia Station to deal with after it is done. The tracks will be there, but something needs to be done to assure that there is a visual and whatever actual physical transitions or connections between this project and the other side of the tracks, whatever is possible. I think we need to be open and use our imaginations to solve these problems. I think we need to look at several other things, and I don't have answers to them. But they are things that concem me. I don't know the answer to the question of height, but we need to look at that. We need to be certain that the height of the structures, especially on El Camino is the proper height, that it is not too tall. That if we do not have retail in this project that we are certain that it is not going to damage the retail nature ofEl Camino to have that large of a gap without retaiL... One of the few disappointing features I found at the development in San Jose which I think is altogether extremely beautiful, is the fact that the retail part of it looked like it was tacked on... I wouldn't want to see replicated here. I think if we have affordable housing on the site, as I think we probably will, that it needs to be seamless and not create the same situation that we have developed out in Redwood Shores.... I am sure that as this process goes along there will be a lot of things to work out." - PLANNING COMMISSION STUDY SESSION WITH COUNCIL PARTICIPATION OCTOBER21,1997 STUDY SESSION MEETING MINUTES MINUTE BOOK NO. 55 PAGE 9 Page No. 611