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Another in a series of developers interested in building affordable high density apartment complexes in Pleasanton has had a favorable reception from the city’s Planning Commission in a bid to build a 168-unit, three- and four-story structure on West Las Positas Boulevard near Stoneridge Drive.
Mike Serpa, a consultant with St. Anton Partners, said the Sacramento developer is seeking a permit to build the apartment complex on a 5.6-acre site at 5729 West Las Positas, property that was first developed in 1983 for Hewlett-Packard. The site is a mile from the West Pleasanton BART station and is next to a two-story office building used by the ValleyCare Health System.
It is one of nine sites included earlier this year when the City Council rezoned 73 acres in various parts of the city to accommodate high-density housing following the settlement of a law suit by Urban Habitat, an Oakland-based affordable housing coalition.
The apartment complex would include three residential buildings with a clubhouse, leasing office, swimming pool and even open space for a community vegetable garden. Two U-shaped buildings would be three stories tall with 38 apartment units in each and would front on Las Positas, with a four-story, 115,000 square-foot building to the rear, overlooking Tassajara Creek and containing 39 units.
Serpa said the residential development would accommodate mixed-income groups distributed throughout the complex.
Access to the apartments would be off West Las Positas with 268 parking spaces to be provided for tenants and guests.
But the chairman of the nearby Verona Homes apartment complex notified the Planning Commission that his group opposes the “luxury, multifamily community” planned by St. Anton Partners.
“Most of us in the Verona complex do not want it to happen,” Robert Plemmons, chairman of the Verona Home Owners Association, stated in a Nov. 5 letter to Associate Planning Director Rosalind Rondash. “When we purchased our homes, we understood (the property) would always be zoned commercial. We understand the owner can do what they want to the property, but we do not have to like it or welcome it.”
The Planning Commission, meeting in a workshop format, took no action on the St. Anton Partners plan, which is expected to be heard by the commission officially in December.
Serpa said that if the plan gains the approval of both the Planning Commission and then later the City Council, construction could begin next spring.
New apt complex – affordable housing – yes, I welcome it and near BART makes practical sense. However, reading:
Serpa said the residential development would accommodate mixed-income groups distributed throughout the complex.
Doesn’t exactly say “affordable” – may be for 1 or 2.
Then: But the chairman of the nearby Verona Homes apartment complex notified the Planning Commission that his group opposes the “luxury, multifamily community” planned by St. Anton Partners
The new complex should say how many units or what the percentage is for affordable housing. Otherwise there is nothing but more high rents and nothing in compliance with the law.
@ “affordable” – I’m pretty sure the law mandated that we eliminate the housing cap – not build more than the state 15% requirement of low-income housing. Now, of course, the lawsuit causing us to do all this was filed by Urban Habitat – a low-income advocacy group with the goals of destroying California schools and supporting developer interests by building Section 8 warehouses next to public transportation.
So, hopefully in Pleasanton developers will create market-rate housing with only a 15% set-aside so that low-income families are mixed in with the general population instead of creating a section 8 “project” which will mean Pleasanton would one day have a “ghetto” part of town. It’s great that Pleasanton can still command high rents because it’s a great place to live. Although with our changing “demographics” and “friends” from the East Bay patronizing our mall via BART – our quality of life is slowly changing.
Think of the future Pleasanton. We don’t want to become another Stockton.
William Tell said: ” Although with our changing “demographics” and “friends” from the East Bay patronizing our mall via BART – our quality of life is slowly changing.”
The opening of the mall was before my time, but I wonder how controversial the decision was to open Stoneridge Mall in the first place. Pleasanton didn’t have to accept a mall here. As for “friends” from the East Bay visiting our mall, you may not like their company but you love the money that the spend at our mall and the business tax revenue that creates for Pleasanton.
I love William Tell.
I always agree with him.
Also I say: I hate HUD.
We’re looking at future
slum projects.
@ Sam – Pleasanton Mall was doing fine before the “diversity” from the East Bay started pouring in. Now we have parking lot muggings, more thefts from shops. And even a tshirt stand that sells pro-thug tshirts – one that comes to mind had a Warner Brothers logo and said, “Warn a Brother – when the police come.” I wish I was making that up, but I’m not. Isn’t it so nice that there’s an African American subculture that celebrates their criminal activities with tshirts advocating warning them of police. Almost as spectacular as their “Stop Snitching” witness intimidation campaign that still enjoys popularity in Oakland.
@ Cholo – my ancestors won this land fair and square by beating the inferior Mexican army in a war. I abide by the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and don’t advocate English-only in the former Mexican territories – unlike many of my conservative compatriots. It’s in my best interest for their to be a self-selecting Hispanic underclass who will always work for minimum wage at low-skill jobs that I don’t want to pay very much for. I’m just glad they haven’t figured out that learning English would give them more job opportunities and raise their wages. And while I wish them luck just as I would every other newcomer group in California (Japanese, Oklahomans, Hmongs) – I would just rather not subsidize their schooling and healthcare with my tax dollars.