Pleasanton Reviews Controversial Hillside Housing Plan

Pleasanton city officials spent years reviewing the Hidden Canyon proposal before the project reached a final vote this month. On May 19, the City Council approved the Hidden Canyon Residences and Preserve Project, a hillside development on 130.98 acres in an unincorporated pocket of Alameda County south of Dublin Canyon Road. City planning documents say the plan allows 28 new detached single-family homes, the demolition and reconstruction of two existing homes, and a new public staging area that would be dedicated to the East Bay Regional Park District. The approvals also advance annexation of part of the site into Pleasanton, a step that now moves beyond City Hall. ### How many homes are actually in the plan? City of Pleasanton planning documents describe the project as 28 new detached single-family units on about 23.89 acres of the site. Those same documents say two existing homes in the northeastern portion of the property would be demolished and rebuilt, bringing the total to 30 homes often cited in public discussion. (ceqanet.lci.ca.gov) Pleasanton Weekly reported before the council vote that the homes were expected to be multimillion-dollar residences near Pleasanton Ridge. The project applicant is Ponderosa Homes II, Inc., and CEQA filings list Jeff Schroeder as the developer contact. ### What else is planned besides houses? (ceqanet.lci.ca.gov) The city’s Final Environmental Impact Report notice says the proposal includes about 104.6 acres of dedicated public open space. The same notice says the project would modify portions of Dublin Canyon Road and build a public staging area with parking, a restroom and a new trail connection into the Pleasanton Ridge East Bay Regional Park District trail system. (pleasantonweekly.com) CEQA records say the annexation area would include the Oak Hills Congregation Church site as part of what the city called a logical reorganization of Pleasanton’s boundaries. The project covers five parcels in all, according to the city and state filings. ### Why did the project draw so much opposition? Pleasanton Weekly reported during the planning process that nearby residents and activists objected to the project’s location on hillside land near the city’s boundary. (cityofpleasantonca.gov) The concerns raised in public hearings included environmental effects, traffic, wildfire risk and whether approving the project would set a precedent for more hillside development in the future, according to local coverage and city environmental review records. (ceqanet.lci.ca.gov) State CEQA records show the city adopted a Statement of Overriding Considerations when it approved the project. That step indicates the Environmental Impact Report identified impacts that remained significant even after mitigation, while the city concluded the project’s benefits justified approval. ### What did Pleasanton’s planning bodies do before the council vote? (pleasantonweekly.com) The Pleasanton Planning Commission unanimously endorsed the project in late April, according to Pleasanton Weekly. The commission recommended that the council certify the Final Environmental Impact Report and approve the entitlements and pre-annexation and development agreement tied to the proposal. (ceqanet.lci.ca.gov) The city’s short-range projects page shows the Final Environmental Impact Report notice was issued on April 15, 2026, and a public hearing before the Planning Commission was scheduled for April 22. That notice laid out the annexation request, general plan amendments, rezoning, tract map and development plan needed for the project to move forward. (citizenportal.ai) ### What happens after the council’s approval? A Notice of Determination posted to the state CEQA database says the City of Pleasanton approved the project on May 19, 2026. The city’s annexation guidance says annexation is a multi-step process that also requires action by Alameda County and the Alameda Local Agency Formation Commission, known as LAFCo. (cityofpleasantonca.gov) City records say the Final Environmental Impact Report and related project materials are available through Pleasanton’s Community and Economic Development Department. The next formal milestone is completion of the annexation process for the affected parcels, including the Oak Hills Congregation Church site, through the outside agencies named in the city’s annexation procedure. (ceqanet.lci.ca.gov)