Ask the business owners on Johnson and Commerce Drive whether they were given a chance at a one-on-one dialog with the Planning Commission staff before they proceeded to eliminate some of the proposed scenarios that would make this whole plan less onerous to them. But I bet the planners had a lot of one-on-one time with Nearon and Costco representatives!Is that what you mean by an 'open dialog' Mayor Thorne?

Who paid for the initial Economic Impact study contained in the draft EIR? Was that impartial input? And who influenced the planning staff to use outdated calculators for the air quality impact, as pointed out by the Bay Area Quality Management District? Sounds to me like there has been a lot of 'back door' input rather than open dialog. You know people aren't going to show up to public comment hearings until they sit fuming in the glut of traffic on Stoneridge, Johnson and Owens Drive, or start seeing the smog generated by large delivery trucks and gas tankers as well as 12,000 additional cars on a road never designed for that kind of traffic.

As much as the mayor wants a civil discussion he'll never get it. The NIMBYs will try to sink this project as they have Lund Ranch, Stonridge Drive extension to Livermore, and Hacienda Business Park before that. I hope he realizes that the NIMBYs are selfish, useful idiots who pray at the alter of Gaia while driving their fancy cars to their fancy houses with unobstructed views. He must also remember that NIMBYs never bring knives to a gunfight. Yesteryear (mostly because of money) they waved from street corners with homemade signs and decorative vests to make their point. Today, they have enough money to hire lawyers to threaten suits, firms to gather petition signatures, and carry on vigorous media campaigns to prevent property owners from developing their property. After all, that is a small price to pay for keeping their viewshed in their exclusive neighborhoods and preventing evil capitalists from clogging their streets with people wanting to do commerce.

I applaud the mayor and wish him well. However, I am not holding my breath.

@West side Observer,

Very cogent comments. Hope your neighbor @Sam, who also lists himself as a resident of Oak Hill, caught them, too.

Re: Lund Ranch II, the NIMBYs haven't sunk the project based on a fair compromise decision made by the Mayor and City Council on January 5th just yet.

We'll have to wait until June 7th when all registered Pleasanton voters hopefully get to the polls and vote to see whether the NIMBYs involved on that one will win their phony altruistic crusade (er, charade/farce, that is) to fulfill their selfish desires or not.

I've read through the numerous documents on city website about it, and it all seems reasonable to me.

I think we should create a new distinction: EIMBYs. EVERYTHING in My Back Yard. They want everything they want now, convenient and close so they aren't inconvenienced in the least. Forget those that care about clean air and traffic, forget those that want a Pleasanton that has welcoming neighborhoods and a sense of community, forget those that don't want the city to end up being just like Dublin. All they want is MORE and MORE. A massive big box wholesaler in a traffic-clogged area isn't smart growth, it's selfish growth. By the way, I don't have a fancy house on the hill or a fancy car, but I have children I care about as well as a Costco membership card.

Newer, closer Costco then what is available now? Bring it on.

SHale

If we are serious about a Johnson Drive Economic Development Zone (with a Costco). Then it's time to revisit building the West Las Positas interchange off the I-680 to alleviate some of the traffic congestion. It was on the general plan from the 1980's when Pleasanton was truly a city of planned progress.

West Las Positas interchange off the I-680 was removed from the general plan. it is no longer an option.

Michael if something has been taken off a city's general plan, I would assume it could be added back; just like the way it was removed with citizen input.

Your assumption is wrong.
It will never happen.

If the Lund Ranch is an issue, reopening West Las Positas as an interchange to I-680 in an attempt to be a part of the defunct general plan will be a huge disaster for the city council.

They know it, they will never approach the subject.

Approving ramps for las positas interchange would be the kiss of death for the city council, we don't need another option for all the "cut-thru" commuter traffic!! Let's start thinking about the locals and quit trying to help all the out-of-towners blowing through our intersections at prime commute time!