(PLEASANTON, Calif.) – The Pleasanton City Council expressed positive support to Bridge Housing’s proposal for a 142-unit, affordable family housing project in the Hacienda Business Park at 4780 Chabot Drive.
The City of Pleasanton held a City Council meeting on October 20 where Stephen Clarke, Senior Vice President of Bridge Housing, presented to the City Council an affordable multi-family rental housing project at the former three-story commercial office building.
Bridge Housing is a nonprofit affordable housing developer organization, founded in 1982 in San Francisco by Donald Terner. According to their website, they have more than 130 properties, with one already in Pleasanton called The Parkview, a retirement community at 100 Valley Avenue.
The nonprofit organization wants to replace the former office building with a 142-unit multifamily complex that would include apartments for rent that contain either one, two or three bedrooms.
According to the slideshow provided by Clarke to the City Council, it will be 100% affordable housing, 1.39 acres with a 0.5 parking ratio and will have onsite property management and “enhanced resident services". Additionally, the presentation stated that "[t]he building will be 6-stories over a partial subterranean parking level."
Photo Credit: Bridge Housing / The proposed project concept for the affordable housing complex at the former business park.
Clarke highlighted that the proposed neighborhood is walking distance from the Dublin/Pleasanton Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station. He also said it will provide a diverse range of job categories and that the “proposed...affordable development serves a broad income range, including extremely low income.”
The estimated cost of building the affordable housing complex will be approximately $107.6 million, where Bridge Housing is seeking government and other public and private funding for the project.
Clarke asked the City Council for support with the offsetting inclusionary fees and the city fee exemptions, with both being worth approximately $10,300,000 and $8,412,135. Along with requests for the City of Pleasanton to ratify Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance compliance, provide maximum feasible fee relief and to offer expedited entitlement approvals.
Councilmember Julie Testa expressed concerns about the project. These included how Bridge Housing could address stigma towards affordable housing and if Bridge could add additional parking for the complex.
Photo Credit: City of Pleasanton / Councilmember Julie Testa expressing concern about stigma and how Bridge Housing could add more parking for the complex.
“In the past, Pleasanton has always used inclusionary,” said Testa. “Because it’s integrating the affordable with the market-rate, it removes the stigma.”
Testa also expressed support for the project by acknowledging that it “checks the boxes” of state housing requirements.
“I support proceeding on the project,” said Vice Mayor Matt Gaidos. “I think it’s a good area to put a project like this in. It’s close to BART, there’s other tall buildings around it, there’s certainly going to be other buildings there that are going to be redeveloped.”
Councilmember Jeff Nibert also expressed support for the project, saying, "This project aligns with our 5-year strategic plan...[w]here we specifically have a provision for affordable housing.” Nibert also expressed concerns about waivers, reductions, and deferrals of fees.
Councilmember Craig Eicher and Mayor Jack Balch also supported the affordable housing project. “I think the overall project concept works,” said Balch, “I think the location works, I think you’ve explained why it works both with the state criteria and also just from ours with the transit options.”
According to Clarke, construction could start as early as 2028. With universal support from the City Council and Mayor, the Chabot Drive housing project could move forward for further review and potential approval in the coming months.
To add to or correct any information in this report, please contact me at joel.m@lead4earth.org or leave a comment below with your thoughts.
Cover Photo Credit: Bridge Housing / Image of 3850 18th Street, a Bridge Housing complex in San Francisco, CA.
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