Oak Grove
On December 5th 5,225 signatures were turned in to the City Clerk, nearly 150% of the necessary signatures to allow the citizens of Pleasanton to vote to save Pleasanton's Hills! Thanks to the nearly 100 volunteer signature gathers and all the registered voters that requested a vote on this project!
No Mega-Mansions
The Oak Grove Development proposes to build 51 homes on the rolling hills on the south side of Pleasanton. These homes can be as large as 12,500 sq ft (this doesn't include garages). Currently Pleasanton has few or no homes this large. The project proposes that homes can be three stories tall for a total height of 44'. These will be massive structures (think Home Depot big). Currently, nearly all Pleasanton homes are limited to 35' and two stories.
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 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.
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 far from existing roads and it is very steep. The developer is putting these mega-mansions on the visible hills 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. Most of the proposed lots have many trees which would have to be removed to build a house and a yard. The City's Planning staff report and the EIR consultant estimated that nearly a thousand trees could be impacted! That is 20 times the number the developer claims. Many 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.
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?
Volunteer
If you are interested in helping save Pleasanton's ridgelines, please email us.
Donate to Save the Hills
We need funds to promote the initiative to save Pleasanton's Hills. If you would like to donate, please send a check to:
Save Pleasanton Hills
4515 Gatetree Cr.
Pleasanton, CA 94566
or
Donate with PayPal
click here