RES 00111A - Laserfiche WebLink

2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PLANNING CONTEXT As discussed in [he Introduction to this Plan, [he Bernal Property site has been the subject of intense planning efforts during the past several yeazs. The site is one of the few remaining large pieces of vacant land within Pleasanton's Planning Area, and it is located along one of the City's major entryways into the downtown. It is a highly visible property that has provided a significant open space benefit to the surrounding community. Its eventual development represents an important planning oppormnity and challenge for the City. New uses anticipated for the site should complement the surrounding area, represent the best of current planning approaches, and result in new neighborhoods that the City wilt be proud to incorporate. This document refines the City's General Plan policies guiding furore development of [he Planning Area. These policies include the ultimate mix of land uses for the site, consisting of: low, medium and high density residential land uses to accommodate a range of residential units within a mix of housing types and densities, a range of neighborhood and community-serving shopping and employment opportunities, public/civic uses complementary to nearby downtown, a number of public facilities including a new elementary school and a new fire station, traffic circulation facilities, and open space uses. The City of Pleasanton also sees the planning for this site as an oppormnity to incorporate neo- [raditional land planning concepts for the new neighborhoods. "Neo-traditional" is a term that describes a planning approach that recalls urban development patterns and building forms of the 19th Century. The Specific Plan reflects this neo-traditional philosophy by employing a variety of siting and design strategies that de-emphasize the automobile and emphasize public places, pedestrian orientation and a strong sense of streetscape with tree-lined streets and z-I