Pleasanton Reviews Hillside Housing Plan

The Pleasanton City Council took up the Hidden Canyon Residences and Preserve Project on May 19, a long-running proposal for hillside land south of Dublin Canyon Road near Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park. The project calls for annexing nearly 131 acres of unincorporated Alameda County land into the city and approving a package of land-use entitlements tied to new housing and park access improvements. City materials and local reports describe the proposal as 28 new market-rate homes plus the reconstruction of two existing homes, for 30 homes total. The review followed a 5-0 Planning Commission recommendation in April and years of revisions tied to hillside, ridgeline and access concerns. ### Where is the project, and what exactly would be built? The Hidden Canyon site sits on five parcels south of Dublin Canyon Road in an unincorporated area of Alameda County that lies near Pleasanton’s planning area, according to city and local news accounts. The homes would be concentrated in the northeastern portion of the site. The proposal also includes roadway improvements, bike lanes and a new traffic signal at Canyon Meadows Drive and Dublin Canyon Road. (patch.com) About 117 acres would remain open space under the current plan, Patch reported, while Pleasanton Weekly said about 104 acres would be dedicated as open space and more than 70 acres would go to the East Bay Regional Park District. Project descriptions in both reports say the public improvements include a new staging area, parking, restrooms, trail access and an equestrian component tied to the regional park system. (patch.com) ### Why has this proposal been debated for so long? Pleasanton has been considering development on the land since at least the late 1990s, Patch reported. Earlier versions were revised repeatedly over concerns about hillsides, ridgelines, density and public access. In 2023, the city designated the Lester site as a future housing location in its Housing Element update, according to Patch. (patch.com) Natalie Amos, an associate planner for the city, said in an April 22 staff report quoted by Pleasanton Weekly that staff worked with the applicant over eight years and that the proposal had been revised to address comments from staff and the Planning Commission. Amos said the project was “well-designed,” would preserve a large amount of open space and would provide a public amenity through the staging area. (patch.com) ### What are the main environmental and traffic objections? The environmental review found the project would create significant and unavoidable vehicle miles traveled impacts, Patch reported. That finding has been a central point in the debate alongside traffic on Dublin Canyon Road and the project’s visual effect on ridgelines and open space. Patch also reported that disagreement has centered in part on Measure PP, Pleasanton’s voter-approved hillside protection law. (pleasantonweekly.com) City staff, according to Patch, have said the proposed homes avoid protected ridgelines. The city’s CEQA findings document, dated April 10, 2026, shows Pleasanton prepared formal findings of fact and a statement of overriding considerations for the project. (patch.com) ### Who supports the project? The East Bay Regional Park District voiced support for the project at the Planning Commission hearing, Patch reported. The park-related features are a major part of the proposal, including land dedication and a new public access point into the Pleasanton Ridge trail system. The Pleasanton Planning Commission voted 5-0 in April to recommend approval of the project and certification of the environmental impact report. (patch.com) That vote sent the matter to the City Council, which holds regular meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at City Hall, according to the city website. ### What still has to happen before anything is built? (patch.com) The May 19 council review covered annexation, zoning changes, General Plan amendments, a development agreement and environmental certification, according to Patch. Even if Pleasanton signs off on the package, the annexation would still need approval from Alameda County’s Local Agency Formation Commission. Patch said that step could take months of negotiations. (patch.com) City records show the Hidden Canyon project has already generated a full environmental review process, including a state clearinghouse filing and multiple technical appendices. The next formal milestone is the annexation review outside City Hall, a step that would determine whether the land can be brought into Pleasanton city limits under the proposed agreement. (cityofpleasantonca.gov) (patch.com)