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C-4 | City of Pleasanton Housing Constraints C.2.2 Land Use Controls This section provides an overview of the City’s land use controls and their relation to the City’s housing supply. General Plan Land Use Designations The City adopted the Pleasanton General Plan 2005 – 2025 in 2009. The Land Use Element of the General Plan directs the location and form of future development in the city. The General Plan includes five land use designations that allow residential development at a variety of densities (see Table C-1). The General Plan indicates density ranges for residential development so that zoning districts can be consistent with the General Plan and to enable developments of varying densities to be built under each residential land use designation. The mid-point of the General Plan density ranges is used to designate holding capacity so that the City can plan its infrastructure, facilities, and services to accommodate new development. This concept acknowledges that development will occur both under and over the mid-point, while in general averaging towards the mid-point at build-out. Table C-1: City General Plan Residential Land Use Designations General Plan Designation Allowable Density Range Average (Mid-Point) Density1 Rural-Density Residential 0-0.2 units/acre 0.2 units/acre Low-Density Residential 0-2 units/acre 1.0 units/acre Medium-Density Residential 2-8 units/acre 5.0 units/acre High-Density Residential 8+ units/acre 15.0 units/acre Mixed-Use 20+ units/acre2 N/A2 1 The average or mid-point of the General Plan density ranges designates holding capacity so that the City can plan its infrastructure, facilities, and services to accommodate new development. Development is expected to occur both under and over the mid-point density, while averaging towards the mid-point at build-out. 2 Density will be based on a planned unit development (PUD) or specific plan, but is subject to 150% maximum floor area ratio (FAR). Source: City of Pleasanton General Plan The Rural-, Low-, and Medium-Density designations are discrete density ranges, and the mid-point, in addition to being used for holding capacity, indicates a density above which project amenities are required to be provided to compensate for the added density of housing built. Land Use Element Policy 11 identifies the following examples of amenities to justify higher densities: provision of affordable housing and dedication and/or improvement of parkland, open space, or trails beyond City requirements. While almost all projects have been able to achieve density above the mid-point, provision of additional amenities or benefits could add cost or uncertainty to the development process. Accordingly, Program 4.8 would be amended to clarify that limitations in General Plan Land Use Element Policy 11 requiring public amenities to justify density above the mid-point for residential developments otherwise consistent with the General Plan and