How big are the lots?
The size of the proposed 51 custom lots range from 30,000 to 90,000 square feet:

• 7 of the lots are 30,000-40,000 square feet (just under one acre).
• 34 of the lots are 40,000-50,000 square feet (about 1 acre).
• 10 of the lots over 50,000 square feet (between 1-2 acres).

Where are the lots?
The 51 lots will be clustered near the existing Kottinger Ranch and Grey Eagle Estates neighborhoods, along or just off a one mile extension of Hearst Drive and on the lowest portions of the property, in order to maximize the park and minimize view impacts to the community. The 497-acre park is largely south of the lots.

How much of the property will be developed?
The property is 562 acres. The 51 lots will occupy 62 acres and another four (4) acres will be developed with roads and services to support the lots, so 66 acres (12%) of the property will be dedicated to residential development and 496 acres (88%) will be given to the City at no cost, opened to the public and preserved forever with conservation easements.

How does this residential “density” compare to other nearby neighborhoods?
With 51 custom lots on 562 acres, the residential density at Oak Grove is 1 unit per 11 acres. (Excluding the area dedicated to the city as a nature park, the density is 1 unit per 1.3 acres.) Kottinger Ranch has 215 homes on 230 acres (1 unit per acre), and its open space is private with posted “no trespassing signs.” Ruby Hill has 850 homes on 850 acres (1 unit per acre), and its open space is largely developed as a private golf course.

I have heard the homes are 12,500 square feet. How big are the homes?
No homes have been approved. When a lot is purchased, each buyer will design his or her own custom home in accordance with the strict Oak Grove Design Guidelines and the City’s Conditions of Approval. The design will then be submitted to the city together with full scale drawings, computer simulations and if the City requires, a “story pole” analysis. If the City approves, then the owner may apply for a building permit.

No home can exceed 20% FAR. Some homes are limited to a 25-foot height limit, while all others are subject to a 30-foot height limit. Homes on lots deemed “visible” to neighbors have a cap on their maximum size of between 7,522 and 9,175 square feet depending on its location (and even if a 20% FAR translates into a larger home). Homes on locally visible lots must also be one story and can be no taller than 25 feet. There are only three (3), very large estate lots on which a lot owner could build a home as large as 12,500 square feet. These three lots are tucked into the property and cannot be seen by existing neighborhoods. All home size restrictions are maximum limits; lot owners can apply for homes no larger than the imposed caps, but are free to design smaller homes.

Can someone build something like the “Hayward Hotel” on the West Pleasanton Ridge?
Absolutely not. The Oak Grove Design Guidelines prohibit homes that fail to blend into the natural environment. Homes that are visible to neighbors are held to higher standards in size, height, orientation and design. There are very detailed requirements for the homes. For example, all homes must: conform to the landforms, build around heritage trees, fit within a prescribed building envelope, meet green building standards and use natural materials and colors. Every proposed home must be approved by the Oak Grove design board and then by the City of Pleasanton. The City will require each home to provide computer simulations of its view impacts and may require “story pole” studies for individual homes.

Can the homes be on the ridgelines?
In order to preserve and protect the 12,000 trees and the sensitive habitats for wildlife on the property, the Environmental Impact Report forced the homes out of the valleys and away from the drainages. As a result, the main access road is on one of the lowest of the several ridges on the property (an extension of existing Hearst Drive). The lots are to be built along the extension of Hearst and three courts in a manner similar to the existing development in Kottinger Ranch, with the following differences:

• Wherever possible, the lots will be “dropped” in elevation down below existing tree cover so that construction of a residence in the future will be behind the natural landscape.
• In addition, one new tree will be planted for every 3,000 square feet of lot area. So for example, the owner of a 45,000 square-foot lot must plant a minimum of 15 new native oak trees on his/her lot as additional view mitigation.
• Lots with the potential to impact views from offsite are limited to single story homes and 25 feet.

How much grading will be done?
Grading will be limited to only the amount that will be necessary to: build the streets, water tank, and staging area for the park; create minimum “pads” for future homes; and, ensure geologic safety. It is estimated that as much as 700,000 cubic yards of earth will need to be moved. The grading will be balanced on site, so excess soil will be placed, protected and re-vegetated in a barren location on the property and not have to be trucked away.

THE PARK

Can the City get the park without Oak Grove?
No. It is private property. The City General Plan designates 489 acres (87%) of the total 562 acres as Rural Residential and 73 acres as Open Space. The Rural Residential designation allows 98 homes, yet the approved Oak Grove plan was a compromise forged after many years of discussions with the landowner, city leaders, staff and neighbors and requiring the landowner to limit development to 51 lots on a small portion of the property and to dedicate the remainder to the public. Without the Oak Grove plan the property will revert to the prior designation of 1 unit per 5 acres on 489 acres, or 98 homes. The landowner will not give the land to the city in the absence of a project. The owners are not interested in selling to the city even if the city could afford to pay the several tens of millions of dollars the property is worth.

Why does anything have to be built on the 562-acre property?
The Lin family has owned the Oak Grove property since 1977. The site has been zoned for residential development (up to 98 homes) since 1991. It was designated for residential development when the citizens voted in 1996 to adopt the Urban Growth Boundary. The City’s General Plan and Housing Cap allow for up to 98 homes on the property. The construction of this project will fulfill the General Plan goals and objectives by clustering large-lot, custom homes, preserving large open space acreage and acquiring a public park system and trail rights-of-way through developer dedications. The property owner will continue to propose projects for this property until one is finally approved and built….with or without a park.

Can the City buy it?
It is not for sale. In order for the City to purchase the land it would have to establish a right to do so under its powers of eminent domain. If the City could meet the criteria it would then be required to pay the owner the fair market value of the property based upon the highest and best use, including the development potential based upon the existing General Plan land uses with a 98 unit holding capacity.

How does the park compare with Pleasanton’s other parks?
The Oak Grove park will be Pleasanton’s largest park. It will be twice the size of Augustin Bernal, three times the size of the new Bernal park, and five times the size of Pleasanton’s massive sports park. The park at Oak Grove is a natural open space upon which the developer will build miles of trails and an 11-stall staging area with bathrooms. There will not be any sports fields, picnic grounds or community centers. The Oak Grove park provides public access to the southeast hills. More importantly, the Oak Grove park will provide the “keystone” to an additional 1,000 to 2,000 acres of open space recreation in the southeast hills of Pleasanton. Conversely, without Oak Grove, it is unlikely that the City will end up with any public access to open space there.

How can we make sure the City gets the park?
The Development Agreement requires the landowner to give to the City 496 acres free of charge when the final map is recorded (and before any lots are created or sold). The Development Agreement also requires the developer to build the miles of trails, the staging area and public bathrooms by the time the 5th lot is sold.

Who will own the park?
Development Agreement (Section 3.04.a)—adopted at the time of the approval of the Oak Grove project—requires the property owner to dedicate to the City of Pleasanton 496 acres of open space when the approved project’s first final map is recorded.

Who pays for the park and its maintenance?
The City gets the 496 acres free of charge. Construction of the multipurpose trails, staging area and bathroom will be paid for by the developer and be completed by the time the 5th lot is sold. Maintenance will be paid for through an endowment established by the property owner.

Can a future City Council develop the park or build cut-through roads?
No. Conservation easements will be placed over the entire 496-acre park, which means that it will be preserved as open space in perpetuity. These deed restrictions will be held by the Tri-Valley Conservancy or a similar land trust.

What will the trails at Oak Grove be like?
They will generally follow the Pleasanton trails master plan, which calls for a portion of a regional trail linking Callippe Preserve with Shadow Cliffs and the Iron Horse trail, and miles of local trails. The trails will be similar to those at Augustin Bernal: multi-use trails suitable for hiking, biking and equestrian uses. In general the topography is more gentle than the Pleasanton ridge trails, yet the views of the Tri-Valley area are equally rewarding. The City of Pleasanton through its Trails Ad Hoc Committee and the Pleasanton Parks and Recreation Commission will design the trail system and address possible conflicts among non-motorized uses.

Who can use the new park?
All members of the public for generations to come. The City will own the park. Public access and nature are preserved forever by public ownership and conservation easements. There is no gate barring access to Oak Grove along Hearst Drive. However, the staging area will be closed and locked at night.

Will the park attract unwanted visitors?
The Oak Grove park will be similar to Augustin Bernal Park on Pleasanton Ridge and the Preserve. Parking at the staging area is limited to 11 spaces. The park will be closed and locked at night. Additional measures are being considered to ensure that the new park remains safe and nature is protected.

ADDRESSING IMPACTS

Will Oak Grove exacerbate school overcrowding?
The Oak Grove EIR states that the 51 custom lots could generate as much as 22 new students at Vintage Hills Elementary, 14 new students at Pleasanton Middle School and 17 new students at Foothill High School. The Pleasanton School District has a mitigation program that currently requires payment of a fee of $8.45 per square foot (up to a maximum of 7,000 square feet.) The mitigation fee, which can be increased, is due when building permits are issued. Assuming the maximum size and published fee, 51 custom homes at Oak Grove would generate $59,150 per residence in school mitigation fees, or $3,016,650 for the entire project. In addition, fiscal studies prepared for similar large lot projects consistently show that these 51 homes, when taxed at 1% of assessed valuation, will more than pay their fair share of the cost of services provided.

Will Oak Grove contribute to affordable housing?
The Oak Grove developer will either build 20 affordable units elsewhere or pay in-lieu fees to build these affordable units elsewhere.

How many oak trees will be lost?
There are over 12,000 oak trees at Oak Grove. Nearly all 12,000 trees will be preserved. There are 58 trees that will need to be removed to create the lots. These lost trees will be replaced by 410 new oak trees planted to extend natural oak groves within the new park.

Will Oak Grove houses ruin views of the southeast hills?
While placing homes just off the ridges preserves streams, trees, and oak woodland at Oak Grove, it does make some of the 51 homes more visible—at least to the immediate neighbors in Kottinger Ranch, Vintage Hills II and Grey Eagle Estates—than if they were in the valleys. The Draft EIR (DEIR) dedicated a lengthy chapter to the possible visual impacts of the Oak Grove homes both on surrounding neighborhoods and to the public at large. The DEIR found that “the site is not visible in its entirety from any single ground-level public vantage point,” and that Oak Grove would have “no adverse impact…to views of the Southeast Hills.” Visual simulations in the DEIR show possible visual impacts to immediate neighbors. The DEIR concludes that these visual impacts can be mitigated through the Community Design Standards, which prescribe where and how the homes can be built on each lot, and through mitigation tree plantings. City approval of Oak Grove also designated that nine (9) lots are “visible” to neighbors and imposed additional conditions on the design of homes on these nine lots, including a 9,175 square foot cap and a one-story, 25-foot height limit.

What will Oak Grove do to traffic in Pleasanton?
By halving the number of lots from 98 to 51, traffic impacts are half of what was analyzed in the EIR, which found traffic impacts citywide to be less than significant. Nonetheless, the City required the developer to pay $1 million to offset traffic impacts. This money will go into an account that the City will use to fund traffic mitigation, a possible traffic light at Kottinger and Bernal, and traffic calming measures along Hearst Drive in Kottinger Ranch.