Save the Hills Initiative

1.      What does this initiative do?  Pleasanton City Attorney's impartial summary says it best, “The intent of the Initiative is to protect scenic hills from development, to direct development away from lands with environmentally sensitive features or with primary open space values, and to make the Pleasanton General Plan definition of housing unit consistent with federal and state definitions.”

2.      How does this initiative protect our scenic hills?  The initiative prohibits the Pleasanton from approving housing developments on top of ridgelines or on hillsides with slopes over 25%, which would require significant grading.  Many people move to Pleasanton because of the scenic hills.  Our character would be destroyed if they were developed upon.

3.      Does this prevent long time families from Pleasanton being able to develop their properties? No, there is an exemption for properties with less then 10 homes so this does not take away their property rights.

4.      We have a voter approved housing cap.  Why is this initiative needed? While we have a voter-approved housing cap of 29,000 units, the city has found a loophole and they are starting to approve homes and say they will not be counted against the housing cap.  The loophole needs to be closed as our infrastructure of roads, schools, and parks cannot handle the extra capacity.  This initiative would ensure that Pleasanton counts housing units the same way the State does.

5.      What types of housing is the City saying are not “housing”?  The City Council has already talked about excluding the Active Senior Living units in a proposed development from the housing cap.  These are not affordable units, or for our senior citizens who need special care.  This is a high priced retirement neighborhood.

6.      What other types of housing is the City talking about excluding from the housing cap?  There are proposals of potentially 1,000 homes in the Hacienda Business Park and there have been serious discussions of not counting all of those homes since they are near transit.  Dublin already has problem with people not being able to find parking places in their development near transit as people who move there still drive.

7.      Why is the City Council exploiting this loophole?  A majority of our current City Council members have received large and significant campaign donations directly and indirectly from all the major developers in Pleasanton.  It is hard to accept that much money and not support their development projects. We are seeing a greater number of large significant development projects being processed through city hall then at any time since the approvals of Hacienda Business Park twenty years ago.   If this continues, our local traffic will only get worse, not better. The campaign donations disclosures (form 460s) can be viewed at the City Clerk’s office.

8.      Why do we need a housing cap? Number one reason, traffic congestion.  Also, our schools will not be able to handle additional students over the cap.  This is a city of “Planned Progress” and it was never planned to go over 29,000 housing units.

9.      What happens if there is a really good housing plan proposed but the units would put it over the housing cap?  If the units would go over the housing cap, the developer or the city can put it on the ballot and allow the residents to approve it.  If it were a very good plan, the developers should not be worried.

10.  What does signing this initiative do?  If we have it signed by 3,500 registered Pleasanton voters, this initiative will go on the ballot in 2008 and voted upon by the voters of Pleasanton.  The Council also has the option to accept the initiative and put it into law.

11.  Why do we need both an initiative and a referendum?  The initiative protects our hills and the housing cap but the current proposal, Oak Grove, would not be affected by the initiative since it was approved by the City Council.  If the Oak Grove development is referended and this initiative also goes on the ballot, the Oak Grove development would then need to meet the standards of this initiative.

Oak Grove Referendum

1.      What is Oak Grove?  Oak Grove is a proposed housing development of 51 mega-mansions built on the rolling hills on the south side of Pleasanton.

2.      How big can those houses be?  These homes can be as large as 12,500 square feet!  These homes can be 3-stories tall for a height of 44 feet.

3.      How many trees will be affected by this development?  The City report estimates that nearly a thousand trees could be removed.  Many trees are taller than 35 feet and hundred or more years old.

4.      How will the hills be changed for these houses?  The majority of houses are situated on the most visible ridgelines of the site. This makes the houses more appealing for the potential owners, but it also makes them visible throughout the community. As alternatives to the highly visible ridgelines, there are plenty of opportunities to put home locations in lower visibility locations.

5.      Isn’t this property owner entitled to develop this parcel?  No.  The property owner already subdivided previously and created Kottinger Hills.  They have already made their money.

6.      Does this property owner live in our community?  No.  The property owner does not even live in the United States.  This was land that as bought for speculation.  The property owners have no ties to our community.

7.      Has this property owner proposed other developments in the Tri-Valley?  Yes.  The developer of this land is currently proposing a 21-story office building in Dublin right by the freeway.

8.      I thought the city was receiving a park by this property owner.  After the property owner subdivides and sells off their lots, they do not want to pay the property taxes on the rest of their land since it is not developable at all plus it costs money to maintain so they want to “give” it to the city.  They will provide trails with great views of the mega-mansions.  There will only be 11 parking spaces for the trails so it is hard to call this a park.

9.      Who will maintain the trails and the open space?  The city will.  So the taxpayers of Pleasanton will be paying for the maintenance of this property, which essentially is a scenic corridor for the mega-mansions.

10.  Is there a fire danger problem for this development?  Yes.  These homes would be in a high-fire danger area.  Our fire and medical safety crew will not be able to reach an emergency there within the 5-minute time that the rest of the community has, and is in our General Plan.  The houses will have fire sprinklers but that only protects from a fire started inside a home; not outside.  If somebody starts fire on a trail, the whole community can go up in flames; including the adjacent residential neighborhoods.

11.  I heard this project is a compromise and the adjacent property owners are satisfied with it.  Is that true?  No.  Several individuals in Kottinger Hills were in favor of this plan but it has not been agreed upon by the Kottinger Hills Home Owners Association (board or members).  Also, the other residential developments that will be viewing this property (Vintage Hills, Grey Eagle, Ruby Hills) were not even consulted on it.

12.  I heard that this plan has gone through an extensive planning process.  This is not true.  Not all the adjacent neighbors have been consulted with.  This is also the first project in the history of Pleasanton where the development plan did not go through the scrutiny of the Planning Commission.

13.  What does signing this referendum do?  If we have it signed by 3,500 registered Pleasanton voters, this development plan will go on the ballot in 2008 and voted upon by the voters of Pleasanton.