CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA PACKET

Page 4 of 6 the controlling policy language of the VACSP and the General Plan, respectively, prohibits or discourages the installation of gates. Therefore, modifications to both documents would be required to allow the gate. General Plan, Specific Plan, and Zoning The proposed project is inconsistent with the following General Plan Policies: • Circulation Element Program 7.4: Calls for the City to “discourage new gated communities.” • Community Character Element 17.1: Calls for “neighborhoods [to be] open and accessible to one another.” Although the General Plan discourages gated communities, numerous gated private streets and communities exist throughout Pleasanton. Some gates may have originally been agricultural gates, gates installed before a property was annexed into the City, or gates may have been approved prior to or despite the General Plan program. One such gate is at the base of Silver Oaks Terrace, within one mile of the subject area. Ruby Hill is another gated community off of Vineyard Avenue, and recently, the Merritt project, an age-restricted community, was approved with a gate. Vineyard Avenue Corridor Specific Plan. The proposed project is inconsistent with the following VACSP programs and design requirements: • Program 5.3: Discourage the development of further gated communities which inhibit the sense of greater community and make City utility and emergency services more difficult to provide. • Circulation Plan V(E)(6): Gated developments which preclude public access shall not be permitted unless required for agricultural protection purposes. To permit the installation of a gate at this location, staff recommends amending Circulation Plan V(E)(6) (page 63 of the VACSP) to read as follows: Gates, or gated developments, which preclude public access should not be permitted on private streets unless required for agricultural protection purposes there are unusual circumstances justifying the installation of a gate, as determined by the Community and Economic Development Director or their designee. In addition to providing guidance on processing requests for gates, or gated developments, the proposed language would also be consistent with the General Plan. Winding Oaks Drive is a private street, serving a limited number of properties and with no through connection that would be impeded by its installation. These conditions and the recent break-in attempts could be considered an “unusual circumstance” that justifies the installation of a gate. Page 15 of 200