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INITIATIVE MEASURE TO BE <br />SUBMITTED DIRECTLY TO THE VOTERS <br />The Pleasanton City Attorney has prepared the following title and summary of the chief <br />purpose and points of the proposed Initiative Measure. <br />TITLE <br />AN INITIATIVE MEASURE AMENDING THE <br />PLEASASNTON GENERAL PLAN TO ADD <br />NEW POLICIES TO <br />PROHIBIT PLACING HOUSING UNITS <br />AND PROHIBIT GRADING <br />ON PROPERTIES WITH SLOPES GREATER THAN 25% <br />OR ON PROPERTIES WITHIN 100 VERTICAL FEET OF A RIDGELINE <br />EXCEPT FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS OF 10 OR FEWER HOUSING UNITS <br />AND <br />TO DEFINE "HOUSING UNIT" FOR PURPOSES <br />OF DETERMINING THE GENERAL PLAN "HOUSING CAP" <br />SUMMARY <br />Every city in California is required to have a "General Plan." A General Plan is the city's basic, <br />but most important, planning document. It provides a roadmap for all aspects of a <br />community's development such as land use, traffic, housing and open space which are <br />embodied in the various elements of the General Plan. All land use approvals must be <br />consistent with the city's adopted General Plan. <br />Each element in a General Plan sets forth broad goals and policy statements intended to <br />provide guidance to citizens, decision makers and planners concerning tong term plans for the <br />physical development of land in the city and in its planning area. <br />In the Land Use element of the City of Pleasanton's General Plan is a Goal °to achieve and <br />maintain a complete and well rounded community of desirable neighborhoods, a strong <br />employment base, and a variety of community facilities." Under that Goal are a number of <br />policies intended to implement that Goal. Some of those policies concern Open Space. <br />One of the Open Space policies concerns scenic hillside and ridge views. The policy provides <br />"Preserve scenic hillside and ridge views of the Pleasanton, Main and Southeast Hills ridge." <br />This Initiative, if adopted by the voters, would amend the City's General Plan by adding a new <br />policy concerning Open Space. As to properties with slopes greater than 25% or within 100 <br />vertical feet of a ridgeline, this new policy would prohibit the placement of housing units and <br />prohibit grading to construct residential or commercial structures. Exempt from this policy are <br />housing developments of 10 or fewer units if the development occurs on property that as of <br />January 1, 2007, was a "legal parcel." This new policy also provides a "legal parcel" as of <br />January 1, 2007 shalt not be subdivided to approve mare than 10 housing units. <br />EXHIBIT <br />_____ <br />