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What has to occur in order to fully realize this vision? What has occurred there recently (past 5 years)? Describe relevant planning processes, and how the needs of the community members were addressed. Several tasks need to be accomplished in order for this to occur. Of primary importance is the completion of the Specific Plan which will accomplish the complicated task of bringing together a diverse group of land owners (including real estate investment firms, private corporations and a transit agency [BART)), on whose parcels this transformation will occur, and the community as a whole. Fortunately, a good deal has been done over the last several years to thoroughly understand the issues and needs of existing land owners in the area (both commercial and residential) as well as identifying the needs of the owners pursuing new development in the project area. In May 2003, a large community meeting was conducted by the East Bay Community Foundation to discuss the idea of land use transformation within Hacienda. The meeting was used to discuss various proposals for change within Hacienda and as a way of soliciting feedback and hearing concerns about: making changes in land uses within the development, introducing new land use types (specifically mixed use types) into the development, managing issues relating to use adjacencies and how to meet community needs through new projects. The discussion study results and, in particular, the issue areas that were identified were published as a report. This report, over the course of subsequent discussions, eventually became the basis for developing the Specific Plan. More recently, a series of meetings has been conducted with stakeholders within the plan area to work on the development of a preferred alternative that can be brought back for discussion with the community. The stakeholders have been working on developing plan concepts that the stakeholders believe are both projects that can be built and will meet with community acceptance. During this phase, work has also been conducted to make sure that the Specific Plan will align with city efforts to update the General Plan. Specifically, were appropriate and where consistent with the City Council's direction, goals, programs and policies within the proposed General Plan are being coordinated with the Specific Plan so that Specific Plan conformance is assured. Following Specific Plan preparation, the Specific Plan will need to undergo environmental review after which individual projects within the plan area can be brought forward for approval and eventual construction Describe how this priority area has the potential to be a leading example of smart growth in the Bay Area. Pleasanton already exemplifies many characteristics of a smart growth city. Compact growth and the preservation surrounding open space have been priorities with the adoption of an Urban Growth Boundary in 1996 and an initiative, in cooperation with Alameda County and the City of Hayward, to preserve the Pleasanton Ridgelands. It has successfully revitalized its downtown into a thriving, pedestrian-friendly area with locally-owned specialty stores, restaurants, a weekly Farmers Market and special events year-round. Pleasanton is also in the process of adding a downtown arts center and theater. Pleasanton is a leader in sustainable development with "green building" requirements for residential and commercial construction, and public projects which embody sustainable principals. These accomplishments are all the more significant given that Pleasanton grew up in the 1960's and 1970's as a conventional auto-oriented town on the edge of urban development. The transformation of a business park to a thriving transit-oriented development would be a further step towards creating a leading example of how smart growth principles can be applied successfully in a suburb.