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There are state mandates that require each city to build their share of affordable housing units. The allotments are left to each city to decide HOW this will be done. Pleasant Hill is required to plan for and accommodate 1803 units within the next 8 years.
It should be noted that residents have commented that some cities ignore these mandates with no repercussions. Of the more than 500 cities in California, few have failed to file a plan with the state to comply with their state mandate, and none of the more vocal cities (Lafayette, Atherton, and Huntington Beach) have failed to file a plan. Pleasant Hill does not have the resources to fight the battle alone.
There is a housing shortage thereby increasing costs and making it unaffordable for many people. Most government agencies prefer infill versus sprawl, citing Los Angeles as an example. Simplistically, resources can be saved, and environmental impact reduced if people live close to where they work.
Opponents argue that we have a population problem. We strain our resources by overbuilding (water, electricity, transportation, schools, city services, etc.) Many of these activists are making their opinions known and hope to reduce the pressure being put on cities to continue growing.
They look at current available open space as well as possible redevelopment areas. They also research creative solutions such as ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) or redeveloping current sites so that more housing can be added to business areas (mixed use). Pleasant Hill has done all these things.
We believe that putting higher density developments closer to downtown, employment, and mass transit is in keeping with proper urban planning. This location has little access to businesses and public transit. Keeping the current zoning (approximately 100 homes) is in keeping with the surrounding neighborhoods.
The city has fulfilled their legal requirement of 1803 units for the current 8yr planning cycle. It includes units around the downtown area and close to transit. They didn’t need the Mangini/Delu site in order to accomplish their quota. (Winslow was originally considered a part of the site, but the Recreation & Parks District have no plans to sell the Winslow Center and, in fact, want to upgrade the building and add pickle ball courts outside. Therefore, the acreage was deleted from the Mangini/ Delu candidate site.)
Although everyone will be sad to lose the farm and open space, development is inevitable. We seek to ensure such development is in keeping with the surrounding area and preserves the creek corridor.
In 2018 the city hired a planning consultant, Mintier Harnish, to update their 20yr General Plan and develop an 8yr Housing Element plan to comply with the state mandate to construct 1803 new housing units. The City held over two dozen public meetings to review these plans and collect public input.
We formed our group in mid-2021 with the goal of protecting the Mangini/Delu site and advocating for responsible development in the city. During development of the 20yr General Plan, with input and support of residents, we
Additionally, we
The City approved the 20yr General Plan and EIR in December of 2022 and submitted the 8yr Housing Element plan to the state for approval. The state found that the city’s plan was overly reliant on redevelopment of non-vacant sites and required the city to exclude the JCPenney and Contra Costa Blvd/Gregory Lane redevelopment sites and instead include vacant sites at Paso Nogal and Morello Terrace despite vocal local opposition.
Having made revisions mandated by the state, the city’s Housing Element was approved in November 2023 after the third submittal.
Mintier Harnish identified potential sites in Pleasant Hill for new housing and the city held over two dozen public hearings before finalizing the General Plan. The city prepared an Environmental Impact (EIR) finding that meeting the state’s housing mandate would have “significant and unavoidable impacts” to traffic, noise, and green-house gases.
While the Mangini/Delu site was not included in the 8yr Housing Element, the General Plan called for a change in the land use designation from Single Family Medium Density housing (3.1 to 4.5 units/acre) to a planned development of as many as 210 units (8.8 units/acre) at a density ranging from 4.6 to 13 units/acre.
The families that own Mangini and Delu properties are very likely to sell to a developer at some time in the future. The developer will then hire a planning team to master plan the 26-acre site. A separate site-specific EIR will have to be prepared. The same impact concerns that we raised in the GP process with the General Plan must also be addressed at the site-specific level -- traffic, noise, safety, schools, protection of the Grayson Creek corridor across the entire site, greenhouse gases, utilities, etc. Traffic will be a huge issue. 210 homes could put 400 additional cars on the road with the intersection of Pleasant Hill Road and Taylor Blvd being the most congested and accident-prone in the City.
A key component of the EIR will be the analysis of a “reasonable range of alternatives” as required by CA environmental law. As required by CEQA, we will demand the city explore a range of densities, building heights, site/circulation configurations and open space protection. The site-specific EIR will have to wind thru the same process as the General Plan EIR with multiple opportunities for public input.
The city presented examples during their Town Hall Meeting held October 27th. (See presentation here)
Single Family Medium Density (3.1-4.5 per acre.) This is the site plan for the old Molino Ravioli vineyard. 17 homes on 4.5 acres, which is roughly 4 homes per acre. This is similar to the current zoning of Mangini/ Delu.
Single Family High Density (8.3 units per acre proposed on northern Taylor Blvd side)
Semi-Public and Institutional/Mixed Use (see example: Two Worlds Condominiums 14 du/ac)
Multi-Family Low to Medium Density (21units per acre proposed on southern PH Rd site) (see examples: Gallery Walk, 17 du/ac; Grayson Creek Apartments, 18 du/ac)
Multi-Family High Density (see example: Villa Montenaro, 35 du/ac)
40-70 units per acre (see examples: Merrill Gardens Lafayette, 53 du/ac; Lafayette Town Center Apartments, 54 du/ac; Coggins Square Apartments, 58 du/ac; Belle Terre, Lafayette, 58 du/ac; Studio 819, Mountain View, 59 du/ac; Pleasant Hill BART Avalon Walnut Ridge, 59 du/ac; Trestle Glen, San Mateo, 65 du/ac)
70-100 units per acre (see examples: Corsair Flats, Alameda, 75 du/ac; Pleasant Hill BART Avalon Walnut Creek, 90 du/ac; Pleasant Hill 85 Cleaveland, 93 du/ac; Walnut Creek Vaya, 100 du/ac; Walnut Creek 1960 North Main, 107 du/ac
Note - The highest density proposed for any Pleasant Hill site is the DVC Overflow Parking Lot 70 - 100 du's/ acre or 350 du's on 5 acres
This was part of the state’s requirement for Housing Element approval. While the City has identified 10 potential sites, they cannot force an owner to build housing. So, they must plan for more to offset those potential sites where housing will not be built.
(See consultant slides listing State funding & grants that can be withheld.)
The City needs a "consent letter" from any owner willing to construct housing to show the State proof of progress toward meeting the City's goal. If the owner has no interest, the site is removed and the City must find potential sites elsewhere.
Like most other cities, Pleasant Hill missed the state mandate to have state approval for it’s Housing Element by Jan 31, 2023. As a result, the city must rezone all sites in the 8yr Housing Element by Jan 31, 2024. Mangini/Delu was not a Housing Element opportunity site. The General Plan calls for completion of the Master Plan within five years at which time the re-zoning for the site would be completed.
Absolutely. If 210 du's are constructed on this site, you can assume approximately 400 cars will be added to our roads. People that drive south on Pleasant Hill Road each morning to reach Highway 24 already face a backup that can stretch for over two miles. This project will only make matters far worse.
Over 80 residents wrote or spoke prior to the May 2022 City Council meeting. (See the letter below to the City Council to read what was requested.) The City Council promised to do their best to honor residents requests but voted to preserve their flexibility to change the plan as needed to get state approval. That approval has now been received with the condition the city executes the plan to achieve the mandated housing target.
LETTER TO THE CITY COUNCIL:
The preferred Land Use Memorandum will come before the City Council for consideration on May 16, 2022. Of all the sites within that memorandum, the Mangini-Delu site has arguably the most dramatic proposed change transitioning from the last active farm in Pleasant Hill to a site having up to 210 dwelling units.
Residents have participated in the process in good faith expressing concerns with creek preservation, traffic, parking, and building elevation and layout. Yet because the Master Plan for the site has not been completed and there are no specific requirements associated with its special land use designation, “Mangini-Delu Residential: 4.6 – 13 du/ac”, there are no assurances the public’s concerns have been addressed.
We request the City Council amend the Preferred Land Use Memorandum for the Mangini-Delu Residential land use designation to include the following requirements:
• Consistent with discussions to date and the cap agreed to by the Planning Commission, the site shall have a maximum of 210 dwelling units.
• To assure consistency with the surrounding neighborhoods, building height shall not exceed two stories (If necessary to accommodate housing units, parking can be provided in underground structures)
• To assure sufficient parking for residents and guests and to prevent spill over to adjacent neighborhoods, a minimum of 2.5 off-street parking spaces per dwelling unit shall be provided
• To assure habitat, preserve its natural beauty, and allow public access, the creek shall be retained in its natural condition (consistent with the way it is south of the property - no use of a concrete lined culvert) and have a trail for public access.
• To assure adequate capability to conduct traffic, vehicle delays along Pleasant Hill Road during peak hours shall be no worse than they were prior to improvements made by completion of the Pleasant Hill Road Project (13.8 sec improvement per City presentation)
Consistent with zoning requirements associated with other land use designations, adding these requirements will assure the property is developed in harmony with public concerns.
YES, your opinion counts! And NO, this is not a done deal! Despite the impression you may hear there is a great deal of opportunity to influence the outcome of this housing decision. This will be a multi-year fight & we need staying power from everyone. There are numerous ways that we can still achieve our goal, so stay with us & do not give up!
Email the City Council:
https://www.pleasanthillca.org/forms.aspx?FID=137
Email your state congressional representative and Governor:
Governor Newsom: https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/
State Assembly Tim Grayson : https://a14.asmdc.org/contact-tim
State Senate Bill Dodd: https://sd03.senate.ca.gov/contact
You might also be interested in a grass roots movement to place an initiative on the ballot to restore authority for housing decisions to cities. You can find more information at OurNeighborhoodVoices.com
There is no common definition for the content or level of detail for a master plan. It has no legal gravitas. Hopefully, the master plan that the City agreed to prepare during the Jan 26, 2022 GPAC meeting will address the following concerns, at least at the conceptual level:
No, that is not a zoning designation, but zoning can be used to designate "medical/ assisted living facilities".
Absolutely! The logical location for the main entrance/exit from a housing project on Mangini-Delu would be across from Linda Lane (near the fruit/vegetable stand) with a new stoplight. In addition, a development of 100-200 homes would require a second entrance/exit for public safety & fire protection access. The ONLY logical place for this second entry is halfway down Apollo Way, where a gate has been closed for over 50 years. Opening this gate could dump 200-400 cars daily onto Apollo Way, a 2-lane residential road.
Please get & stay involved!!!!
(Note: Access directly from Taylor Blvd to the new housing project would not be an option)
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