PC 2002-04 - Laserfiche WebLink

PROPOSED PROJECT The City is proposing to update the 1989 Downtown Specific Plan by changing certain land use designations, policies, and programs, and by expanding the Specific Plan Area to include outlying residential neighborhoods. The Proposed Specific Plan would guide development in the Downtown for the next ten years. Table 2-1 in the EIR describes the proposed land use changes of each land use by type of use under the 1989 Downtown Specific Plan and the Proposed Specific Plan. The Specific Plan Area is situated in the central portion of Pleasanton and is bounded by the Alameda County Fairgrounds (Fairgrounds) to the west, the Arroyo del Valle and a Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) line to the north, a generally straight projection of Second Street to the east, and Bemal Avenue to the south. The 308-acre Proposed Specific Plan Area is expanded from the 156-acre existing Specific Plan Area by including the outlying residential neighborhoods. The existing Specific Plan Area included only the commercial core of the Downtown. The Proposed Specific Plan area would include the Main Street commemial area, older outlying residential neighborhoods, the Civic Center, the Arroyo del Valle, and the Alameda County Transportation Corridor (a former Southern Pacific Railroad [SPRR] right-of- way). BACKGROUND In spring 1999, the City Council appointed the Downtown Specific Plan Committee whose primary task was to prepare recommendations for updating the 1989 Specific Plan. The Committee, which had 13 members at the completion of its work, formulated preliminary recommendations by conducting town meetings and employing subcommittees to address the following matters: * land use · transportation and parking · parks and trails · historic preservation · design and beautification * economic vitality and community events. A report containing the Committee's final recommendations was completed in December 2000, and City staff completed the Draft Specific Plan in July 2001. Upon completion of the Committee's final recommendations, the City prepared and circulated a notice of preparation (NOP) for an environmental impact report (EIR) on February 16, 2001. The NOP provided a brief description of the need for the Proposed Specific Plan, its objectives, a brief summary of potentially affected environmental factors, and the Initial Study. The NOP was distributed to agencies, the general public, and other concerned individuals. Page 2 of 8