'Dome' is Doomed: Appeal Denied

After three hours of public comments in support of saving the "dome" theater, the Pleasant Hill City Council decided to deny the appeal and allow SyWest to move forward with the development of the Crossroads Shopping Center.

Each of the council members expressed appreciation for the "dome," but also agreed that it could not be saved as a historical landmark since the developer would not keep it as a movie theater and could not be forced to do so.

Vice Mayor Jack Weir concluded that rules should not be made on a case-by-case basis.

"It would be patently unfair to retroactively impose criteria on a developer," said Weir.

Four members of the council agreed that the Crossroads development project adhered to the specific plan. Mayor Michael Harris dissented, saying that he did not think the project fulfilled the specific plan and that he is "disappointed."

"I don't see the quality in this project that I had expected," said Harris.

David Durant, Weir and Tim Flaherty voted "yes" to deny the appeal. Harris and Ken Carlson voted "no." 

The council meeting ran for seven hours in total, ending at around 2:26 a.m.

Browse tweets from the public hearing here.

Catch up on the story about SyWest's planned development of the Crossroads Shopping Center and the imminent demolition of the "dome" theater here on Pleasant Hill Patch.

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