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The Pleasanton City Council will consider a developer’s plan tonight to build nine three-story-high apartment buildings and 97 single family houses just south of the Gateway Shopping Center at Bernal and Valley avenues near I-680.
Scott Trobbe of South Bay Development won the approval of the city’s Planning Commission for the project last month.
If also approved by the council, as expected, the Pleasanton Gateway housing project will cap a series of favorable high-density housing development decisions over recent months. Together, the projects will meet the requirements set forth by an Alameda County Superior Court judge in response to a suit by an Oakland-based affordable housing coalition, which had the support of Gov. Jerry Brown and the state’s housing authority.
Trobbe’s firm has owned the entire 37-acre site since 2000. At one time, South Bay had approval to build eight four- and five-story office buildings on the property, but that plan was shelved when the need for more office space collapsed 10 years ago.
South Bay later sold part of its property to Safeway Corp., which built the new Safeway Lifestyle supermarket and developed the center that now houses retail and service stores, including a gas station, Starbucks, CVS pharmacy and two banks.
Trobbe said his new development calls for construction of 210 apartment units in nine, 18-unit and 24-unit three story tall buildings just over 43 feet high. In addition, 97 new homes will be built on the 27-acre site, which is sandwiched between Valley Avenue and the I-680 freeway.
The multi-story, high-density apartment buildings will include one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, each with a one car garage. The buildings will be clustered around a core center with entrances off Valley Avenue, across from the 100-unit Kensington Apartments, and another from a roadway that runs alongside the south edge of the Gateway Center.
The project will include a leasing office building for the apartments, a recreation area that will include a building with a business center, conference facilities, gymnasium and a media center. Outdoor amenities will include a swimming pool and spa, barbecue and fire pit areas, a tot lot, cabanas, outdoor seating and a bocce ball court.
Of the 97 single-family homes planned for the site, 62 will be three-story tall homes with a maximum height of approximately 45 feet, and 35 will be two stories tall. The two-story homes will have four bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, two car garages and range in size from 3,541 to 3,654 square feet.
The three-story buildings will have three bedrooms, and will range in size from 2,830 to 3,054 square feet.
Earlier this month, the council approved construction of a 345-unit upscale apartment complex across town at Bernal Avenue at Stanley Boulevard. That project will include a three-building retail center with a drug store and drive-through pharmacy.
Last year, BRE, a national affordable housing developer, won permits to build a total of 18 three- and four-story buildings on two separate sites in Hacienda Business Park that will have 500 rental units ranging in size from studio apartments to three-bedroom units. Work on the multi-million-dollar housing project is expected to start next year.
Last April, the council approved the construction of new multi-story, high-density apartment buildings and an adjoining retail center on a portion of the office building site at Rosewood and Owens drives, called California Center. That development will contain 305 apartments ranging in size from studios to three bedrooms.
In July, the council agreed to a plan by St. Anton Partners to build a 168-unit apartment complex at 5729 W. Las Positas Boulevard. That developer is in the process of requesting building permits and will likely be the first of the high density land developers to start construction.
The City Council meeting will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Pleasanton Civic Center, 200 Old Bernal Ave.
How will this be positive for our schools? When they saw “affordable” will that include the dreaded “section 8” housing?
Just garbage who would buy a expensive home next to section 8 housing
nobody with a brain !
Pleasanton is turning into like all other citys
How much is the developers paying in these back door deals?
To get pushed thru!
JC,
It will be very bad news for our schools, our home values (i.e. your wealth), the crime rate, and our quality of life. We have the people that were dumb enough to vote for Gov. Jerry Brown to thank for this.
OK, now you left wing nuts can start your howling.
The future slums of the valley. Time for home owners to move for the writing is on the wall for Pleasanton.
Well, well, well!
As we all know. nobody wants anything in their back yard. Quit crying you cry babies. We all have to co exist.
This is not bad news, it is good news. Maybe now our school API math scores will catch back up with Dublin. Did you guys notice that Dublin’s scores are higher than Pleasanton’s scores now? Did you notice that Dublin K-3 class sizes are smaller than Pleasanton’s? Did you notice that the price premium Pleasanton houses used to enjoy compared to Dublin houses has mostly evaporated?
What’s the difference? Dublin allowed development (and passed a school parcel tax). Pleasanton didn’t.
yes, section 8 (and subsidized), see http://www.cityofpleasantonca.gov/WEBLINK8/1/fol/253610/Row1.aspx Item 14, page 15 of 19.
While other cities are fighting back on the RHNA requirements, our city council and planning commission are embracing large amounts of new housing, including section8/subsidized housing, changing policies, increasing the IZO% of low(er)-income units, etc. I think most residents are ok with (a small amount of) high-density housing, providing market rate lower rents for smaller units, and also small amount of subsidized housing, but the concern is the amount, and who will be paying for the subsidized & section 8 housing (in most cases it will be the remaining tenants of these units paying more). Also, where are the studies on impacts of schools due to influx of students (you will not see any because they do not look good). Where is the study on how much the city will lose in property tax revenue when property values decrease?
I suspect people in favor of all this new housing are either a) associated with the builders, b) member of special interest groups, c) do not live within the impacted areas.
And there is no way I would ever vote for a parcel tax! If the city wants all this new housing, only allow it if the builders (and special interest groups) put up the money to save our schools.
When all is said-n-done, the builders and special interest groups will get what they wanted, and then leave, moving on, while our City is left dealing with all these new issues.
Hey “Socialism”,
I live near the Bernal/Stanley development, am not “associated with the builders”, and I don’t even know what a “member of special interest groups” is. This is mainly upscale housing that is being built. This is mainly not about section 8 housing. There is very little of it planned. Are you not familiar with the plans?
Do you care to answer any of my questions concerning how things the way things have gone in Dublin? The schools have dramatically improved there, and now surpass Pleasanton’s in both higher math API scores and smaller class size. Housing values have increased more rapidly than in Pleasanton. Dublin allowed robust development and passed a school parcel tax. They are clearly seeing the benefits.
You say ” Where is the study on how much the city will lose in property tax revenue when property values decrease?” But in Dublin, property values increased, not decreased, and also increased at a faster rate. Further, the added housing also increased the tax base. It was a net benefit.
THANK YOU PEE-Town!!! for the ALL the Extra bad Smog Days, Congestion, Traffic,Crime,Higher Taxes, every 100-200yd Stop Lights, stop signs, Crappy Roads w/ loads of pot holes,Cracks,Garbage, Parking Issues Dwntwn,Higher Taxes both Property,Sales and misc… Did I mention Horrible Smog Days…Backed up Traffic fighting to get in-n-out of ‘Our’ Fair City ? This is no longer a quint little town, it is a BIG Business/budget/Company and ‘Their’ only Goal is Revenue..ie: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Don’t be Fooled by all this talk of how Great it could be or should be… Once It’s gone, it’s Gone Forever. Some of Us old Town People Remember those long ago forgotten days of ‘Our’ Sleepy lil town w/ it’s Nice,Quiet,Crime free (well almost Free), Open spaces,clean parks & streets, SAFE, No Traffic, Quality Air days, Friendly Faces ie: People,friends,Neighbors,visitor’s. ‘Our’ Best Summer Holiday of the year 4th of July (given up as Oakland Day ???) FAMILY BarBQue’s watching ‘Our’ Fireworks shows(on the 4th) behind/from the fairgrounds parking lots… the Movie theatre we Once Had & Drive-in that was once here also, 2Lane or single lane roads…Streets, less Stop lights or signs, a Family based community not in it for the REVENUE or Big Budget Planning. PEE-Town has Always been known to me as “the City of Planned Parenthood”. It’s Out of Control/ off the rails Now and will Only get more so as we/They continue to ALLOW It !! I think I’ve seen just about enough of these Planned Changes and It might be time to find another Friendly,Quiet,Quint,Small, clean, less crime infested town/City to reside in. I think 46+ yrs is enough for me of watching the changes occur and feeling like I don’t like what I’m seeing or living around any more. Just remember this, The hardest part of growing Old is Remembering when we were Young… .. . and how much Fun it was to live in a Safe,small,quint, Caring, Quiet, Clean, Friendly, Beautiful, Scenic, Historic, Little Town called… PLEASANTON.
The negative comments are so uniformed. These are the same idiots who complained about the last housing project in this area. All thase stupid comments turned out to be untrue. My bet, these home owners will pay a lot higher real estate taxes than the uniformed idiots blathering on in the negative comments above.
No, I am not a builder and do not have a financial interest in this development.
I suspect a lot of opposition in the negative comments are from the same bigoted people who are against anything that brings people of color into Pleasanton. This is one of the most homogeneous cities I’ve ever lived in. It embarrasses me when I take friends to a downtown restaurant. I say anything that contributes to greater diversity in this town is a good thing.
Sounds like mostly people are upset because no new schools have been opened in something like 14 years to handle the overcrowding that has occurred because of rampant building. The last elementary school opened was Hearst. All the schools are overcrowded 100 to 300 students above the maximum of 600 students per elementary school.
Of course, no one can answer where all those school impact fees have gone either in the last 14 years other than to pay lawyers. Pat Kernan, a lawyer, who along with his wife formed Upstart Investors LLC, was for many years a Camino resident and also serving on the Pleasanton Unified School District.
He is now a board member for the Camino Union School Districthttp://www.caminoschool.org/boardmembers . And for some reason he is somehow still involved the Pleasanton Unified School District in school impact fees.
My prediction is that Hearst Elementary and Lydiksen and Donlon and Alisal and Vintage Hills will each soon have no playground because each will be filled up with portables.
As I understand, this multi, apt-type housing is required because of both Jerry Brown and the Bay Area One plan, making us provide this (socialized) type of housing. Mandating mixing all races and all incomes together……then subsidizing those couldn’t/wouldn’t be there on their own. The REdistribution and transferring is more ‘subtle’ to both the givers and receivers, and will be ‘dictated’ (enforced). So yes, we’ll be like other cities. Individuality of communities is no longer allowed. Yet, we tell kids to BE individuals. I know, hypocrisy abounds in CA. Some national, but mostly due the CAlifornia mentality.
Ca even has it’s own different, scarce & more expensive auto fuel. Plus we spend a fortune in dollars and dirty fuel on transportation to grow and process corn to feed our cars, when there are so much better, lighter, cheaper choices, like switchgrass used in other countries.
If there are exotic, expensive, or illogical ways to do things, CA, won’t just DO it wrong, it is full of zealots who’ll immediately write DUMB LAWS, so we can never do ‘right’ way, when that hot idea is proven idiotic. The houses will already be ‘built’, so to speak. On to the next wacko idea. After all, we don’t just live in Jarry Brown’s Calif, we are fortunate enough to live in THE Bay Area, so we’re a notch or two beyond !!
Jerry Brown and some outside Bay Area group are not the ones that have failed to build schools in Pleasanton and have continually approved housing subdivisions and massive apartment buildings in Pleasanton.
That would be the current and former Pleasanton mayor and city council (they can vote “No” but they don’t) and the current and former Pleasanton school board.
Bay Area One plan and Jerry Brown are responsible for the apartments and styles and mistures and the deadlines!! The ‘stopping’ would have to take place there…they just say, well, deal with your schools.. Right, ideally, we shouldn’t have to deal with either. But, we are no longer free people in this greater Bay Area of CA.
Some extreme Pleasanton folk in years past went too far, and that pissed off Jerry Brown, so NOW we have to build by court order, and NOW. yuk! And our apartments with section 8 mixed in is the Bay Area order to mix races and incomes, and Pleasanton is but a knat to be swatted on the majority Bay Area vote, and majority rules, even though our Mayor voted against it. Ahhhh, California….and, the BAY AREA !!! we’re hanging out on our own way out here. Do you know HOW we can secede from the Bay Area. I remember 25 years ago I didn’t like forming ABAG..,knowing the best government is local government, not liberal Bay Area. The time to scream about their inevitable ‘rules’ was then. We live in Alameda County…I’m NOT happy about THAT expensive county tax program either !!
@ “Some extreme Pleasanton folk in years past went too far,”
Your use of “folk” is insulting to me. It is colloquial, informal, and therefore demeaning.
The scary stuff I’m reading here like “mix races” and such is sarcasm, right?
Did anyone miss the irony of turning down Home Depot on the corner of Bernal and Stanley because of too many large trucks in the area, yet 350+ apts are ok because that’s only approximately 400-700 cars in the same area?
Typical liberal response, racism. Always racism. Most of these guys are racists themselves. That is why they keep bringing it up. Our council is corrupt. They added a new member who is taking money from developers just like the mayor and the other 2. Now that they have a third member they can pass anything they want and make a ton more money for themselves. We let her “buy” the Council election and this is what we got. Dublin is a massively overcrowded city. It is not a model for anything. Pack more people into classrooms and ruin our schools. Respond to any complaints with racism. Always love it when white people scream racism. Disgusting.
To What from Carlton, you obviously have not been engaged in Pleasanton in recent years to spew such ignorant statements. Your rant wrongly attacks different people on different issues, yet muddles all together. You are so far off base to the process and limits. They’ll ” make a ton more money for themselves” is slanderous and idiotic. Your ignorance is corrupting your mind.
I don’t like reading such garbage about the fine, hard-working people we elected.
Again, there are both California and THE Bay Area Plan that are new shackles intruding into and altering all our lives. Stay informed, speak up. Leftist Bay Area control our every action. Our current Mayor voted NO to the new socialist BAY AREA PLAN. We no longer control our town. We must adapt to the big brother plan that is being implemented all over. The Governor over-ruled Pleasanton…we must to as we’re told…where have you been?
To “What”,
You said:
“Pack more people into classrooms and ruin our schools.”
In case you hadn’t noticed, Dublin has smaller class sizes than Pleasanton. Their classrooms aren’t overcrowded. Ours are. They also how have higher math API scores than Pleasanton.
What’s the difference? Dublin allowed robust development, and passed a school parcel tax. Pleasanton didn’t. Finally, things are turning around in Pleasanton.
The opposition to development in Pleasanton was getting downright weird. Can you believe some people opposed the new AT&T cell antenna going in near Stanley and Bernal? What is the point of opposing that?
“Longtimer”,
You said:
“Mandating mixing all races and all incomes together…..”
Again, was that some kind of sarcasm? “Mixing all races”?
Didn’t take long for some dolt like Observer to play the race card…the last resort for liberals who can’t articulate any facts or add value to a discussion. Observer, if you are as emabrassed as you say, when you go to eat at Hap’s downtown (who can afford that?..not section 8 ‘folks’), please let me help move the hell out of my town. You’ll have to rent a truck, since you won’t be able to fit all your possessions into the back of your prius….I’m sure you know the way back to Berkeley…beat it.