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2005 Pleasanton Plan 2025 2.0 Land Use Element Throughout its elements, this General Plan recognizes the importance of smart growth and incorporates its concepts – whenever reasonable and feasible – to help Pleasanton become more sustainable. At the same time this General Plan acknowledges the importance of locating key services and businesses – e.g., Stoneridge Mall, Hacienda Business Park, and Pleasanton’s two high schools – along major arterial streets and highways. However, the City coordinates with transit agencies to provide transit to major services and businesses, which is also consistent with smart growth. Pleasanton has also instituted an Urban Growth Boundary that prohibits development beyond the urban fringe. (See discussion, above, in the Growth Management section.) Mixed Use Mixed-use development is any combination of the following land uses: office, commercial, hotel, institutional, and residential in a single building, on a single site, or on adjacent sites that are physically and functionally inter-related. Mixed-use development, a concept that has existed informally for many years in downtown areas (including Pleasanton), has gained new life as a way to provide additional housing close to jobs, services, and transit (including buses); to create vitality in downtown areas; as a way to create land-efficient development in-fill areas; and to reduce the number of auto-related trips, compared to conventional development. Transit-Oriented Development Transit-oriented development is focused around transit stations such as BART, other rail, and bus lines. These are walkable communities with mixed-use development that include shops, public services, schools, and a variety of housing types and prices within each neighborhood. These areas are often job Adopted 07 21 09 2-21 centers. Transit-oriented communities are designed for walking and bicycling, with attractive sidewalk conditions and with good street connectivity and traffic- calming features. Thus people may live a higher quality life without depending on single-occupancy vehicles, while also reducing traffic congestion and vehicle accidents, along with resulting injuries. Cities may also relax minimum parking requirements and/or limit maximum parking. Parking requirements shall also comply with State law, including reduced parking requirements where specified. Transit-oriented development within a half-mile of the West Dublin/Pleasanton and Dublin/Pleasanton BART stations and owned by BART are subject to AB 2923 and the City shall permit development on such parcels in accordance with AB 2923 and the development standards established pursuant to State law. GENERAL PLAN LAND USES The General Plan establishes sixteen land use categories, and the General Plan Map illustrates the approximate locations where the General Plan allows these uses within the Planning Area. All proposed projects must conform to the land-use designation(s) shown on the General Plan Map. Those projects which do not conform require the City Council to designate an appropriate General Plan Amendment in order to develop a different use. The land-use designations are designed to recognize existing development while providing flexibility for future growth. Per State law, a city may amend each General Plan element only up to four times per years. However, State law allows an exception to this rule for affordable housing projects. Portions of the General Plan enacted by voter initiatives (for example, the Urban Growth Boundary, Ridgelands area, and land uses in the Bernal Property) may only be amended by a vote of Pleasanton citizenry. The City’s Zoning Ordinance further defines land-use types and densities, building height, parking, and other requirements of development. Zoning designations must be consistent with the General Plan, including the General Plan Map. Zoning designations