What a great article! I think this is the main idea Pleasanton should take away from Half Moon Bay's predicament: "...the city was found to have seized private property without paying just compensation."

In my opinion, no one is saying the property can't be developed.

Some are just objecting to the proposed way it will be developed - hill top homes that creates an adverse view of the hills, major grading required, slope angles, etc.....

Just my humble opinion............

I guess "Stacey" is saying that somebody can propose anything and if it is denied that they can sue the city? Wow, I guess I can buy a property in Pleasanton, take down the house, and propose 5 story condos and when the city turns it down, I sue.

Jerry is right, no one is saying the property can't be developed; they are saying the property should not have homes on the hill tops.

I cannot believe how desperate "Stacey" is to ensure that Pleasanton has non-stop development. Everywhere she writes on this website she is advocating for development. She certainly does sound like somebody on the council who wants more developer money for her campaign. Sigh.

This article is a response to what others wrote on this Town Forum such as this: Web Link

"In the end, I agree with Stephen: it comes down to a choice of compromise now with some development so a park can be established and a huge section of hills can be permanently protected from development OR stopping this development now and working to eventually buy the land for parkland or create legislative restrictions that will render it undevelopable in hopes that the owners throw up their hands and donate it to take the tax write-off."
Posted by Patricia, a member of the Vintage Hills Elementary School community, on Dec 5, 2007 at 5:20 pm

Regarding the impact to the view of the hills, try to take a look at the property when driving around various parts of Pleasanton. The hilltops are most visible if you are north of the property and east of or at El Charro. If you drive south on Valley towards Stanley they are partially visible but about the same height as Kottinger Ranch. If you drive south down Santa Rita or Hopyard you can't see them over the trees. If you drive east on Bernal from Foothill or 680, you see Kottinger Ranch homes. So the visual impact is highly selective depending upon where in Pleasanton you are. Contrast that with the visibility of the Pleasanton Ridge, which can be seen over the treetops from almost anywhere in Pleasanton.

Furthermore, the parkland that is created by this Oak Grove agreement will prevent development on almost 500 acres _within_ the Urban Growth Boundary through the conservation easements that will be established. Seems like a much safer method to prevent development to me.