Pleasanton To Review Controversial 131-Acre Hillside Housing Proposal

PLEASANTON, CA — The Pleasanton City Council will review a major housing proposal that would annex nearly 131 acres of unincorporated Alameda County land into the city, and allow the construction of 30 single-family homes near Dublin Canyon Road. On Tuesday, the council will consider approving a package of entitlements, including the annexation request, zoning changes, General Plan amendments, development agreement, and certification of the environmental review.

If approved, the project would need to be approved by Alameda County’s Local Agency Formation Commission, a process that could still take months of negotiations.

The Hidden Canyon Residences and Preserve project would annex five parcels south of Dublin Canyon Road, near Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park. The proposal includes:

• 28 new market-rate homes
• The reconstruction of two existing homes
• Infrastructure improvements like roadway improvements, bike lanes, and a new traffic signal at Canyon Meadows Drive and Dublin Canyon Road
• Open space preservation
• A new East Bay Regional Park District staging area with parking, trail access, and restrooms
• A $500,000 developer contribution toward future Dublin Canyon Road upgrades.

The Planning Commission voted 5-0 in April to recommend approval of the project and certify the environmental impact report. The East Bay Regional Park District voiced support for the project at the Planning Commission hearing. In the current proposal, approximately 117 acres would remain open space, and more than 70 acres would be dedicated to the East Bay Regional Park District.

The city has been considering developing this land since at least the late 1990s, though earlier proposals were repeatedly revised over concerns about hillsides, ridgelines, density, and public access. In 2023, the city designated the Lester site as a future housing location in its 2023 Housing Element update.

The project has remained controversial for a host of reasons, including increased traffic along Dublin Canyon Road, visual impacts on ridgelines and open space, and interpretation of Measure PP, Pleasanton’s voter-approved hillside protection law, though staff assert that the homes avoid protected ridgelines.

An environmental review found that the project would create a “significant and unavoidable” vehicle miles traveled impacts.

See here for more information, and here for the full Tuesday city council agenda.