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PC 02-25-02CITY OF CUPERTINO 10300 Torre Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 (408) 777-3308 APPROVED MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION HELD ON FEBRUARY 25, 2002 SALUTE TO THE FLAG ROLL CALL Commissioners present: Commissioners absent: Staff present: Chen, Patnoe, Saadati, Acting Chairperson Auerbach Corr Steve Piasecki, Director of Community Development; Ciddy Wordcll, City Planner, Therese Smith, Parks and Recreation Director. Don Wooll'c and Leon Pirofalo from Planning Resources Associates were also present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Minutes of the January 28, 2002 Planning Commission Study Session Com. Saadati requested the statement "less than LOS E" on Page I, 7 lines l¥om the bottom, be clarified. Mr. Piasecki suggested the language be revised to read: "no intersections in Cupertino worse than LOS E" Page 2, paragraph 3, second last line: (revise line format- no wording change) MOTION: SECOND: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: VOTE: Com. Auerbach moved to approve the January 28, 2002 Planning Commission study session minutes as presented Com. Chen Com. Corr Com. Patnoe Passed 3-0-1 Minutes of the January 28, 2002 Planning Commission meeting MOTION: SECOND: ABSENT: VOTE: Com. Auerbach moved to approve the January 28, 2002 Planning Commission study session minutes as presented Com. Chen Com. Corr Passed 4-0-0 WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS: None POSTPONEMENTSfREMOVALS FROM CALENDAR: ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None CONSENT CALENDAR: None OLD BUSINESS: None None Planning Commission Minutes 2 February 25, 2002 2. General Plan study session regarding the Environmental Resources Element Staff nreqelatation; Ms. Ciddy Wordell, City Planner, said that guiding principles address creating open space in parks and access to them in neighborhoods, protection of the enviromnent, thc use o~' sustainable concepts encouraging recycling and minimizing use of non renewable resources. Two significant proposals identified relate to the organization of the plan, which is proposing to locate the parks and open space policies and text in the land use element. The second main emphasis and change is to focus on sustainability as a concept. She said that staff was proposing that thc element be called environmental resources and sustainability; and not only would it be emphasized in the environmental resources element but throughout the plan. She said they were innovative changes that will help create a unique approach for Cupertino. Ms. Terese Smith, Parks and Recreation, explained the role of the Parks and Recreation Department. She said that Mike O'Dowd was currently the lead staff person on the master plan that will incorporate 60 city owned acres, and said how it plays into the long-term vision is important to Cupertino. Ms. Smith reviewed the function and purpose of the Parks and Recreation Department. She reviewed the current policies, including Policy 5-45: Park Acreage; Policy 5-47: Minimum Acreage; and Policy 5-48: Park Design. She reviewed the current park inventory, and illustrated pictures of the parks, including Creekside Park, Hoover Park, Jollyman Park, Library Field, Linda Vista Park, Monta Vista Park, Portal Park, Somerset Square Park, McClellan Ranch Park~ Memorial Park, Three Oaks Park, Varian Park, Wilson Park, Blackberry Farm and Goll' Course, and the Sports Center. She reviewed the eight sites utilized for organized recreation; noting that they did not currently use outdoor areas of the high school site. She noted that open space was an important aspect, and that the open space was large enough for active recreation, since active recreation was a major factor of why people move to the Cupertino community. She reviewed thc enrollment in classes, camps, use of Blackberry Farm, and McClellan Ranch Park; and discussed the community's desire for a community gymnasium and a community pool. She pointed out that they were experiencing difficulty in finding a location for the skateboard park; and that the sports center was an issue as it was currently serving mostly non-residents. Ms. Smith discussed thc Blackberry Farm master plan; park renovation plans; Cupertino's open space and trail priorities; and consideration of land acquisitions outside the city limits for farm demonstration or summer camp use. Whether or not 3 acres per 1,000 population is sufficient, she said that given the lack ol' available open space, they should currently plan how to use what is currently in public ownership so that it is serving residents, and the city should require that small parks be dedicated/constructed within new developments to help provide open space opportunities for new neighborhoods. As development continues, the provision for neighborhood recreational needs should be considered when proposals are evaluated, specifically in the three areas currently park deficient. She said that linear parks can be used to augment the community's recreational inventory. Ms. Smith addressed Com. Saadati's question relative to Blackberry Farm being converted to mostly resident. She said if they did it immediately, they would stop charging I'ees, as it was probably the biggest impediment toward resident use. The beginning of the conversion would occur with the construction of the Stevens Creek trail. She noted that part of the difficulty with thc Stevens Creek trail alignment is that the revenue generating portion of the operation needs to bc kept separate from the public throughway without completely reconstructing the parks. Thc Bluc Pheasant lease expires in March 2004 and discussions are already under way with the owner ol'thc P/arming Commission Minutes 3 February business. She said the master plan process will ensue over the next 18 months, during which time community input will be received. Relative to deficient park space, Com. Saadati questioned il' there was a plan to add park space in the Vallco area or Rancho. Ms. Smith said that as development proposals came in, there was opportunity in Vallco and Villa Serra to provide park acreage in those areas; and in the Rancho area the Saratoga Creek trail project could start to drive linear park development. She recommended that the General Plan support those acquisitions. Ms. Smith explained the park in-lieu fee. A section in the state government code called thc Quimby Act empowers the developers to contribute to park land. The lee can bc used I~r land acquisition, parks use, or facility construction. Relative to private open space designation, Ms. Wordell said that in the past particularly near the hillside areas, there have been planned developments and subdivisions with a private open space component as part of thc development and a private open space zoning district that limits the things that can occur there. She noted that areas in Regnart Canyon and DeAnza Oaks on Stevens Creek toward the quarry have components of private open space. Ms. Smith said that the 3 acres per 1,000 was attainable given what is available with thc school sites, and that only portions of the school site are used for recreation. She explained that il' thcrc is surplus school land, the city has first right of refusal on acquiring the land and purchase it at their cost plus inflation, not market value. She said there was also the issue of Blackberry Farm which is not part of the calculation and the Simms property and Stocklemeir property. Discussion ensued regarding the use of community parks. Ms. Smith said that it was possible to do a survey on usage of parks, what parks Cupertino residents use. She discussed thc usagc ol' Memorial Park, noting that approximately 2,500 people per day utilized Memorial Park. Com. Patnoe suggested that a question about park usage be included on the next Godbe survey. Ms. Smith said that moving the parks element into land use was appropriate because parks arc a part of the fabric of the community and they take on the character of the surrounding land usc. Il' on a major arterial such as Stevens Creek Boulevard, the intensity of use would be different than at Somerset Square or Three Oaks park, tucked back in the neighborhood. Parks are not all equal and people should have different expectations if they live near a park. If they are in a residential area and all the streets are residential, it is not fair to put a skateboard park or a dog park in that area; but if on a major arterial street, she said that a skateboard park is a reasonable thing to expect. She said she was supportive of staff's recommendation to move parks into the land use clement. Ms. Smith said that parks are different, and the national standard may be relevant in one area, but not in another, as they have different intensities of use and are distributed differently about thc community. Chair Auerbach questioned how the distribution of parks in terms of size, size distribution of parks in Cupertino compares to the outline shown. Ms. Smith said that no emphasis was put on the play lot portion of the inventory; Cupertino is a young city and the play lots and small pocket parks arc generally the ones that serve the fewest people and cost the most to both build and maintain. She said if developing a park system in an organized manner the goal is to build those facilities that arc going to serve the most people for the least money. Those are built first to meet thc community needs, and as built out, focus is on the acquisition and development of smaller park sites. Thc wisdom in the strategy is every neighborhood would want a pocket park; and someday they will all have it, but if starting with that, where would the 4th of July celebration be held: where would thc Planning Commission Minutes 4 February skateboard park go; where are the lighted softball fields; and where are the larger community needs met? Chair Auerbach said that relative to the 3 acres per 1,000 issue, if it is defined as various acres, there is also one policy that parks should be designed for 3.5 acres and that is different I'rom thc national park standards that gives this broader range of parks. Ms. Smith said it was a successl'ul strategy, resulting in the parks that serve tens of thousands of people served by Cupertino. She said if there was a strategy to acquire whatever people wanted from the people who were thc most vocal, there would likely be bunches of small parks everywhere and not serving thc numbcrs that are being served today. Chair Auerbach questioned the recommendation on the policy given that it would be beneficial to have a broader range of park options in the General Plan over the next 20 years. Ms. Smith said that on the immediate horizon at Villa Serra and Vallco, she felt it should be in there since they would try to acquire sites of 3 acres or more. In areas such as Rancho where there is no other opportunity, the policy currently says that if that is not possible, a park deficient neighborhood can be identified. She reported that the city was paying the General Fund back I~r thc park acquisitions in the 80s and 90s and there were major improvements to be made at Blackberry Farm and an opportunity to start to provide some community amenities there, which raises the qucstkm of how to stretch the resources. Ms. Smith said the trail system could contribute to pedestrianism with connections such as thc Mary Avenue overcrossing, making connections to Memorial Park and DeAnza College: as well as some connections from what will become Towne Center out to some parks. P, elative to thc current General Plan requirement for parks to be within one half mile of homes, Ms. Smith said that depending on the area, some places were in compliance, yet others were park poor. P, elativc to the quarter mile standard for parks, Ms. Smith said it would likely be more than 20 years bcl'orc that was the norm, as she felt it was not a priority. She said she felt that pocket parks would not achieve the goal of pedestrianism the way other improvements would, as they arc a big cxpcnsc and a drain from accomplishing some of the other Parks and Recreation priorities at this time. Chair Auerbach presented a comment from an e-mail regarding the use and funding of small parks in communities as part of a research project. Ms. Smith said that not all cities are equal, with different lengths of time they have been incorporated and different lengths of time they have actually provided parks and rec services. She said that it is usually not the first thing that has happens when a city is incorporated, but occurs many years later. The establishment of thc parks system in Cupertino is relatively new, and is successful because the people have been Ibcuscd and have addressed one set of goals at a time. She said that pocket parks were valuable, but by comparison are the least used acres in the park system and the most expensive to build and maintain. They are ideal if the city has the tax resources to support them. She said thc city has to decide where it is in the continuum of the city's development and whether or not they want to have a policy of putting resources into them. She said she did not recommend that Cupertino do so. Ms. Smith said that community response to recommendations will be what decides what goes into the General Plan, and she said her predecessors were successful because they had a ibcus and understood that there are building blocks in a park system. Ms. Smith discussed whether Blackberry Farm could be envisioned as a neighborhood park or a community park. She said there was a need for a community park and it could be located at Blackberry Farm. She said a suggestion was made to use the creek at Blackberry Farm as thc Planning Commission Minutes organizing theme throughout the properties and have the 60 acre open space lbcus not only on recreation, but the cultural and natural history of the area and have that as the organizing principle tying it together. There would be a trail corridor that would make it possible to get I'rom thc north side of Stevens Creek over to schools; and if the pools become more accessible, perhaps there will be more community use of the swim pool and the snack bar. She said they were evaluating thc I'ces charged and the possibility of increasing the rental fee for use of the facilities rather than charging an entry fee to the park. Mr. Piasecki said that the questions being asked were appropriate questions: how l'ar to walk to open space and park facilities; desire for a walkable community; '/4 mile preferable to V2 mile; what is the appropriate size of parks, etc. He said the questions should be asked as they go through the General Plan, and it should be looked at as a comprehensive package with parks, trail systems and a network of getting around the community that differs from the way it has been treated in thc past. He added that there may be opportunities through better connections that solve a lot of issucs ol' access, or that there is a tiered plan, with a base level to attain. If it can move beyond thc base plan, other things can be added and there may be other resources and opportunities available. Chair Auerbach briefly discussed policies 5-48, 5-49, and 5-52, and questioned why the city accepted three parcels in Oak Valley in lieu of park fees. Ms. Wordell explained there was a difference of opinion whether the developer should pay the in-lieu fees as there was not a dcmand for a park in that neighborhood; hence in-lieu fees could not be used there. There was compromisc to accept some land as a way of working through the impasse. Relative to maintenance and operating costs, Com. Chen questioned the possibility of Ibrming a benefit district for neighborhood parks. Ms. Smith said it was possible, however it costs money to form and manage a district, and said what cities have done successfully when there is a need Ibr major renovation on several parks is to go out for a bond issue. She noted that a bond issue is more beneficial for a bigger project rather than a series of small independent ones as the overhead costs are very high. Chair Auerbach opened the meeting for public input. There was no one present who wished to speak. Chair Auerbach said that feedback was needed on what policies should be pursued, what direction staff should take relative to crafting the parks element, and whether or not to move the parks element to land use, neighborhood parks vs. large parks and comments on minimum acreage. Com. Saadati said that having too many small parks would be unmanageable; and said Ibcus should be on the community as a whole to make the streets more walkable so that people would walk to parks and not use their cars. Com. Patnoe said he supported the ~A mile park language; and favored more parks to keep as much space open as possible. He said he was not opposed to moving it into the land usc element. Relative to Policy 5-48, he said he preferred the vague language, and was in favor of it remaining the same, since it allowed flexibility to the Parks and Recreation department and thc city's planners to ensure that the same mistakes were not made relative to the t'ountains and other potential maintenance problems. Planning Commission Minutes 8 February Chair Auerbach said that he felt the language about park design should be stronger to include policy that the park should be designed for the benefit of the broadest range ot' Cupertinians and not just all for tennis and soccer use. The policy should also reflect planning tbr the next 20 years taking into consideration the aging demographics and possible change in the use o1' the park. Chair Auerbach said that he would like to have the design of parks be done in an environmentally friendly way and integrated with nature rather than shielding them off with a cyclone t~nce. Com. Chen said that she supported revisiting the calculation of 3 acres per 1,000 population, to truly speak to the ratio between the usable open space vs. the population o1' Cupertino. She said she supported the concept of designing parks system, and being addressed citywide in usage in meeting the community's needs. Com. Chen said that the design policy language was appropriatc, specifically Iow cost long-term maintenance, to create the least impact to the operating budget in maintaining the costs. She said she felt maintaining the parks was very important and sal~ety was also an important factor in the park design. Chair Auerbach said he was an advocate of the ~/~ mile grid where possible. He said thc drawback of the V2 mile standard is that people will drive the half mile; theretbre if serious about pedestrianism, it needs to be addressed, and when looking at daily activities or IYequent activities, park visitation could be one. He said it would be helpful to add the questions to the Godbc survey, and by asking different questions on the Godbe survey, a lot would be learned and about what thc consumers want. Chair Auerbach said that they considered putting more units along the arterials of DeAnza and Stevens Creek, and in trying to leave the neighborhoods more rcsidcutial with more open space, he felt it was consistent with that. He stated that the Four Seasons corner was not a good example, as it may be too large; however, smaller refuges from traffic and thc likc could be very important, which is sometimes seen in larger urban areas. He said he l'elt because they were projecting out 20 years that they should start along those corridors thinking more urban. Chair Auerbach said he was strongly in favor of moving the parks element to land use~ since hc felt it was a land use issue and not an environmental issue; the parks themselves are generally manufactured; not creatures of nature. He said he did not support the vague language; and felt thc problem around the policy of park design should be addressed. Chair Auerbach said that the 3 acres per 1,000 issued required more discussion, lie cited that Cupertino High School's fields were counted as parkland but were not 100% as they were only available certain hours and for scheduled uses. He noted that its school yard has barbed wire fencing which was not an inviting amenity for the community. He said the language in thc ordinance of 5 acres per person seemed regional and high based on Cupertino's standards; thc 3 acres per 1000 were more appropriate. Coincident with that policy would be to obtain a policy, that is citywide construction of parks to meet the broadest need of Cupertino citizens, such as thc community gardens. He said a survey of the community would reveal the needs of the community. Ms. Smith reported that they had a long-term agreement with Cupertino Union School District, but not with the high school district, which results in the fields being off limits for usc because thc high schools use their fields in the evenings. She said they had a tenant/landlord relationship l'or gyms and pools. Discussion ensued regarding the community dog parks. It was suggested that the community bc surveyed on potential interest and percentage of Cupertino residents that would use the park. Ms. Smith also discussed the leash law, and suggested a program wherein specific parks would be open Planning Commission Minutes February to unleashed dogs at certain hours if they had passed a special training. She also discussed thc concept ora dog park in the sunken area between the Cupertino library and city hall buildings. Chair Auerbach declared a brief recess. Mr. Don Woolfe, Planning Resource Associates, discussed sustainability. He defined sustainablc planning and development as that which fulfills the needs of the present community without limiting the ability for future generations to survive and live in the community. Sustainability our purposes in planning deals with the conservation and efficient use of energy and other natural resources. It deals with the way renewable vs. non-renewable resources are treated; and also incorporates regional statewide national and now global implications. He said presently there arc 116 cities in the country that have implemented sustainability programs; it is a premier issue spurred on and bolstered by the energy crisis in the 70s and the California electric power issue last year, and by some solid scientific research which supports the notion of global warming, degradation of water bodies, and watershed management issues on a global scale. Mr. Woolfe reviewed the principles of sustainability proposed to include and adopt as a policy and implement the guiding principles: linking of resource management and economic terminations; conservation and efficiency; reduction of waste; resource management lbr benefit of l'uturc generations; prevention and mitigation for continued enforcement of CEQA, particularly carly intervention; restoration of impacted environmental resources; encouragement or' new building technologies; encouragement of innovation and design; encouragement of non conventional approaches; consideration of the substitution of materials; community participation; and preparation and dissemination of educational material. Mr. Woolfe said that one of the components central to sustainability programs is the green building program. He said they were proposing green building as a core program because it is in building design and review of buildings that addresses the sustainability issue, since I/3 o1' all the energy and 2/3 of all the electricity are used by buildings. He said there were many industrial and business entities in Cupertino who are now practicing green building maintenance, and are saving money doing so. The city's General Plan program is an excellent vehicle for coordinating of the sustainability program with the city's programs. The General Plan in this case becomes an anti- piecemealing device; because it does relate and permeate all levels of the General Plan; it coordinates it; it forces looking at the General Plan as an integrated whole and it lbrces those to avoid looking at each project as a piecemeal development, because piecemealing is what has destroyed the planning fabric in California and other places. Piecemealing focuses on thc short term without monitoring long-term results. Mr. Woolfe illustrated how the planning and regulatory processes relate to sustainability. He said that they would address how to cncouragc and ensure that people who design, build and maintain buildings to more than just comply with thc letter of Title 24 of the California Energy Regulations would be provided incentives. Mr. Wooll'c concluded by stating that although 116 cities have implemented or are in the process implementing these programs, very few if any have had the courage to make it part of their General Plans as he is proposing. He said the proposal was pioneering on the brink o1' achievement for communities; and he encouraged involvement and welcomed feedback. Com. Patnoe said he was supportive of the green building concept, and questioned how to communicate the long-term benefits to the developers and builders. Mr. Woolfe said education and possible incentives to the builders would help the developers to see the long-term benefits of the green building concept. Planning Commission Minutes S Februnry 25, 2[3[)2 Com. Saadati said he was familiar with the green building concept and he felt developers and builders needed encouragement to see long-term benefits of green building to offset thc initial costs. Mr. Woolfe said that he was recommending that a manual for the city on the evaluation o[ green building be prepared; customized for each city, as the cookie cutter approach would not be effective. Com. Chen said she strongly supported the conservation efficiency use of natural resources and felt that outreach was an important part to include in the General Plan. Mr. Woolfe outlined the key elements of a successful educational outreach program, including staff training, ensuring that key staff has a good background in sustainability programs, energy conservation, efficiency, and green buildings. He said there should be a key staff person in thc planning and community development department to remain abreast of all the programs and develop educational materials and seminars for the community; and invite key speakers I¥om thc Bay Area. He recommended the city conduct a sustainability audit to find out where it stands, and make it a part of the General Plan policy. Mr. Woolfe said that the governmental entity needs to lead by example in acting as showplaces for technology. Mr. Piasecki said that some of it exists within the current structure of the city, mainly because cities have been required to concern themselves with nonpoint source issues, water quality issues and recycling, reducing the waste stream. While some of this has been done in response to state related mandates, what this element will do is set the future direction and how thr to go with it. Thc city needs to be poised to take advantage when technology is appropriate to require certain implementation of some of the measures. He also discussed the benefit of compost bins. Ms. Wordell noted that the city was recycling 62% of its waste, while the state requirement is 50%. Chair Auerbach opened the meeting for public input; there was no one present who wished to speak. Com. Chen said she felt green building design guidelines were a good idea and she supportcd thc concept. Relative to the energy issue, she said automobile use should be reduced, which complies with the general vision for the city to increase the walkability. She said she was supportive o1' thc outreach, and felt the audit was an interesting concept. She said staff would be responsible Ibr recommendations on how far to take sustainability. Com. Patnoe said he was supportive of the presentation; and relative to Policy 5.10 said hc was pleased to see the change for greater protection of street trees. Relative to Policy 5.6, Mr. Woolite said that most counties and cities have banned wood burning fireplaces in new developments, but was not retroactive. Com. Saadati said he was supportive of the outreach program and sustainable materials. Mr. Piasecki said that there has been a statewide effort to get this into the ordinance structure ol' many cities but not in our structure now. Chair Auerbach said he was pleased with the direction taken. He said he previously scnt comments to city staffon how the element should be beefed up and move land use out so it could Planning Commission Minutes O Vebruary 25, 3_ 1 9_ solely focus on the truly environmental sustainable elements. He discussed compost bins, Iow flush toilets and other conservation methods, and suggested charging a different rate I'or trash collection for people using compost bins. He said it was important that staff be comlbrtable with these concepts, and said that giving people access to Pacific Energy Center was a valuable resource. He suggested incentive programs to enable them to internalize the long-term costs up front. Relative to the street tree issue, he said there were improvements, but that the policy should be further addressed; as well as storm water runoff and narrower street widths. Itc recommended a booklet be available "So You Want to Build a Home in Cupertino" that would cover thc issues, not just the green issues but also the design issues - a one-stop shopping for thc people to get resources and referral to further resources. Chair Auerbach said he had no opposition to thc presentation and was looking forward to seeing the draft. Ms. Wordell said that staff would continue working on the draft and return with more details on the preferred alternative, which would bring more to the jobs/housing ratio discussed previously, and then address residential policies. Chair Auerbach directed staff to add a guiding principle o~' city beautification. NEW BUSINESS: None REPORT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION: Environmental Review Committee: No report. Ms. Wordell reported that the I~cppermill restaurant would be replaced with a new brew/pub/pizza concept restaurant. Housing Committee: Com. Patnoe reported that the February 14 meeting Ibcused on organizational items. He reported that the Housing Committee was changing its namc to thc Housing Commision, and its meeting day to 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month. Mayor's Breakfast: Com. Chen reported that she attended the recent breakfast. She commended the teen commissioner, and discussed their work plan to ensure consistency between the teen commissions because of the frequent turnover. REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Mr. Piasecki reported on his attendance at a three week program at Harvard University program ~br senior executives in local and state government offered by the John F. Kennedy School of Government at I larvard. DISCUSSION OF NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS: None OTHER: Com. Patnoe read the following statement into the record: "As most of you know, I got married four months ago to an amazing women I met in 1992 while we were both waiters at the now closed Good Earth Restaurant. Over the past four months wc began planning for our future and spent several weeks researching housing opportunities so that we might finally purchase a home in Cupertino instead of continuing to rent. What we I'ound compared to what we could afford as a young couple was, as you might imagine, was disappointing. In addition, the economic slowdown has affected everyone in this region, especially those of us in technology industry. With that in mind, Christine and I began to reevaluate our plans for the future and have made the difficult decision to move out of Cupertino. Planning Commission Minutes 10 February 25, 2[)[)2 As a result, I will be submitting a letter in the morning to the Mayor and City Council that I will bc resigning my seat on the Cupertino Planning Commission effective March 6, 2002. Christine and I made this decision about our future based on what is best lbr both ol~ us Ilnancially and personally. I feel very strongly about this community and am sad about the prospect ol~ leaving my hometown; however, I am excited about starting our life together in San Diego. I feel very good about the role I have been able to play on the Planning Commission over the past 14 months with regard to responsible land use planning, the work on the General Plan and cl'lbrts to improve Cupertino's housing crises. I am also proud of the preliminary work conducted to create a downtown vision for this community. A vision that will oiler opportunities for residents to spend their time and their dollars in Cupertino through an improved walkable, mixed usc corridor along Stevens Creek Boulevard. I have truly enjoyed serving on the Planning Commission and I will miss this unique opportunity to serve my community. Thank you so much to City Councilmember James, Mayor Lowenthal and tbrmer Councihnan Burnett for this opportunity. To my fellow commissioners, Angela Chen, Taghi Saadati, Chuck Corr and to my good friend Marc Auerbach, thank you all for your friendship and dedication which you demonstrate each week in your position on the Planning Commission. I also wanted to thank members of the city staff for their help, patience and energy, especially Klm Smith and Carol Atwood. Most importantly, I want to thank the Planning staff including Steve Piasecki, Ciddy Wordell and your impressive team. Steve, you and your staff are one o1' thc hidden treasures of this community and the way in which your department goes about helping plan and shape the Cupertino of tomorrow - while dealing with several opinionated decision makcrs - is truly amazing. The residents of Cupertino are very lucky to have you working lbr them. I also did not want to forget and thank my good friends with the City Channel who are downstairs working to send this broadcast over the television and interact. Thanks to webcasting on the internet, I will be able to look in on the Planning Commission I'rom my new home in San Diego. I look forward to watching you all continue to shape Cupertino, but do not be surprised if you receive an e-mail, a phone call or even a visit t¥om time to time with my two cents on a project, plan or idea. Cupertino was an incredible place to grow up and I am grateful for the opportunity to have bccn able to give something back to a city and to the people who have played such a critical role in my life. Wherever 1 may live or work in the future, Cupertino will always be my home. It was bore that I first learned the value of activism and the importance of community and lbr that I will always be grateful. Thank you .... JqffPatnoe" The Planning Commissioners thanked Com. Patnoe for his contributions to the Planning Commission and the city, and wished him success in his future. Mr. Piasecki and Ms. WordcU thanked Com. Patnoe for his support and contributions and congratulated him. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 10:06 p.m. to the Planning Commission meeting at 6:45 p.m. on March 11, 2002. - Respectfully Submitted,