Save Pleasanton's Hills
Vote NO on D June 8th
After the developer sued the City to prevent the referendum, the vote is slated for June 8th.
The Valley Times and Livermore Independent newspapers say VOTE NO!
Don't Mess with our Ridges
The Oak Grove Development proposes to build 51 homes on the ridges of the rolling hills on the south side of Pleasanton (see grading map). These homes can be as large as 12,500 sq ft (this doesn't include garages). Currently Pleasanton has very few homes this large. The project proposes that homes can be three stories tall for a total height of 44'. These will be massive structures, placed directly on our ridges. Currently, nearly all Pleasanton homes are limited to 35' and two stories. See the video
Supporters say that houses this large would never be built, that the approval process would not allow it. If that is the case, then why were the lots specifically allowed for these houses? Buyers of these lots are going to expect they can build these homes because the PUD specifically says they can. If this development is allowed, we are going to have 51 battles between buyers who expected to be able to build their dream house and the community that doesn't want huge mega-mansions on the ridges.
The developer says in their campaign material that the schools will get $2,000,000 and Pleasanton will get $1, 000, 000 in traffic mitigation. There is no agreement with the school district on fees, so the amount is much less that $2,000,000, it is limited to $2.92/sq ft which would be less than $1,000,000 even if the maximum size house were built. Those fees can only be used for capital improvements, not to fix the school budget woes. The traffic fees would mostly be spent a new signal and traffic calming on Hearst drive and unlikely to help other traffic issues in Pleasanton.
To make the project attractive, the developer proposes to provide 496 acres of open space to Pleasanton. However the open space is not really a "gift", because it is currently open space and is not usable to the developer anyway because some of it is outside the urban growth boundary, it is far from existing roads and it is very steep. The developer is putting these mega-mansions on the ridgetops and dedicating areas as open space which for the most part are not visible anywhere but to the homes on the project. So Pleasanton doesn't keep the hills as open space. Instead there will be a ridgeline full of extremely large structures looming over existing neighborhoods and visible from many parts of the city.
The developer makes a big deal that only 58 trees will be cut down for the project, but leaves out two key facts about that number. Only the largest and mature (heritage) trees were counted, so trees less than 35' tall were not counted. Also this is only the count for installing the roads, not the homes themselves. Many of the proposed lots have many trees which would have to be removed to build a house and a yard. Some of these trees are hundred or more years old will be "replaced" with seedlings which will take years and years to grow to the same size and height.
9000 sq ft home in the Oakland Hills. Is this what we want on our ridges?
This home is only 2 stories, imagine another story and 30% larger! The developer says this looks like an office building, but it is just a very large house on a ridge.
8 Reasons to Vote NO!
The developer touts the 8 reasons to vote yes, but these are actual 8 of the many reasons to vote NO. Click here
Bulldozers are lined up
Bulldozers that recently mass graded Dublin's hills north of 580 are waiting to grade Pleasanton's ridges. Say NO to ridge-top housing development in Pleasanton. Watch the Video
Sierra Club says NO Oak Grove
The local, regional, state and national branches of the Sierra Club urge you to Vote NO on Oak Grove because of the negative impact on the ridges and environment of Pleasanton's hills. Read their newsletter.
Learn the facts about the flyer
The glossy flyer sent Pleasanton residents shows the current hills, but what will happen to those hills and trees if Oak Grove is built? Click here
What can you do?
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We need funds to educate the voters about saving Pleasanton's Hills. If you would like to donate, please send a check to:
Save Pleasanton Hills
1246 Hearst Dr.
Pleasanton, CA 94566
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