Lund Ranch II Development Project Approved

After a more than a decade of effort, Greenbriar Homes Communities won approval from the Pleasanton City Council Tuesday night to move ahead with the development of the former Lund cattle ranch, a nearly 195-acre parcel of land tucked into a shallow valley on the southeast side of Pleasanton. The project is known as Lund Ranch II.

“This has been a long process for everyone involved, and we appreciate that sometimes it’s more difficult than others when people with divergent points of view and interests try to reach an outcome that is suitable to all sides,” said Brian Dolan, Assistant City Manager.

The initial project application, filed in September, 2002, proposed 113 single-family homes on approximately 12,000 square-foot lots. After subsequent applications and years of conversations between the developer, neighborhood associations and City Staff, the Council considered the final proposal, which calls for 48 single-family homes to occupy roughly 34 acres of the 195-acre site. The remaining 161 acres would be preserved as natural terrain, designated as permanent open space complete with public walking trails.

The primary sticking point of Lund Ranch II has been its point of access and where the roads would go. Two neighborhood groups have been working with the developer and City Staff to discourage any new road in their respective neighborhoods. Further complications included previous agreements prohibiting access, signed Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs) enabling access, and Measure PP, a locally-approved ballot initiative designed to restrict the building of homes on hillside slopes greater than 25%.

“On the one hand, opponents of a Sunset Creek Lane connection claim that the road would violate PP provisions, whereas opponents of a Lund Ranch road connection believe the opposite,” Dolan said.

While the Environmental Impact Report analyzed eight different scenarios, the Council ended up focusing on three, carefully scrutinizing them, as well as the recommendations from the Planning Commission, which voted to support Lund Ranch II with the access road running through Sunset Creek Lane in Sycamore Heights. After much discussion, the Council voted 3 to 1 (Pentin recused) to approve the project, which will include:

• A total of 48 single family homes on 34 acres ranging between 4,200 – 4,500 square feet
• Two roads to serve as access points—one off Lund Ranch Road in Ventana Hills and one off Sunset Creek Lane in Sycamore Heights. Lund Ranch Road will provide access to a cul-de-sac of 19 homes and the road through Sunset Creek Lane will serve the remaining 29 homes.

“This decision was difficult for all parties and demonstrates the high level of involvement and deliberation by the community and our elected officials,” Dolan said, adding “and we appreciate the effort that everyone made”