City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 i Contents
City of Pleasant Hill
General Plan 2003
Adopted
July 21, 2003
City Council
Suzanne Angeli, Mayor
David Durant Michael Harris
Chuck Escover Terri Williamson
Planning Commission
Lola Fellinger, Chair
Robert Abbott Ken Lombardi
Jim Giblin David Mascaro
Jason Hadick Beverly McDowell
General Plan Policy Task Force
Mark Edelstein, Chair
Nina Basu Paul Cooper Faye Donaghu
David Durant Sarah Elder Chuck Escover
Michael Flake John Greitzer Jason Hadick
Denise Hansen Michael Harris Ruby MacDonald
David Mascaro Linda Mayo Jack Myhill
Leo Saunders Armand Speidel Marilyn Watson
Alternates: Bob Berggren, Bill Leal, Chris Learned, Chuck Murphy, Robert Olinger,
Terry Shoaff, Greg Smith, Freda Thurston, Clinton Tubbs, Nancy Whaley, Pat Wiedemann
Consultant team
Naphtali H. Knox & Associates
MO’C Physics Applied
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 iii Contents
CONTENTS
Introduction................................................................................................................... .... 1
City Profile and History................................................................................................... 1
The New General Plan..................................................................................................... 2
Plan Organization and Content....................................................................................... 4
Administering and Amending the General Plan ............................................................ 6
Community Development Element................................................................................... 9
Land Use Pattern ............................................................................................................. 9
Neighborhoods.............................................................................................................. 13
Visual Quality................................................................................................................ 15
Public Facilities and Services......................................................................................... 18
Recreation, Parks, Open Space...................................................................................... 25
Natural Resources.......................................................................................................... 29
Conservation and Energy.............................................................................................. 30
Cultural and Historic Resources.................................................................................... 32
Economic Strategy Element.............................................................................................. 34
Commercial Uses........................................................................................................... 34
Economic Opportunities................................................................................................ 35
Circulation Element.......................................................................................................... 40
Street Network............................................................................................................... 41
Level of Service.............................................................................................................. 47
Alternate Transportation............................................................................................... 48
Growth Management Element......................................................................................... 52
Introduction................................................................................................................... 52
Traffic Levels of Service................................................................................................. 52
Performance Standards for Services.............................................................................. 55
Safety and Noise Element................................................................................................ 58
Flooding....................................................................................................................... . 58
Airport ........................................................................................................................... 59
Geologic Hazards........................................................................................................... 61
Fire Hazards................................................................................................................... 63
Hazardous Materials ..................................................................................................... 63
Noise .............................................................................................................................. 65
Air Quality..................................................................................................................... 70
Housing Element.............................................................................................................. 72
Introduction................................................................................................................... 72
Evaluation of Previous Housing Element ..................................................................... 73
Population and Employment Trends............................................................................ 80
Constraints on Housing Production.............................................................................. 99
Goals, Policies, and Programs ..................................................................................... 106
Summary of General Plan Programs ............................................................................. 120
Glossary of Planning and Housing Terms.................................................................... 130
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Contents iv July 2003
TABLES
Introduction
Table 1. General Plan Elements....................................................................................... 6
Community Development Element
Table CD1. Development Potential ................................................................................ 9
Table CD2. Public School Enrollment........................................................................... 22
Table CD3. Public Recreation, Park and Open Space Sites .......................................... 27
Table CD4. Structures of Potential Historic Significance............................................. 32
Economic Strategy Element
Table ES1. Office Rents and Vacancy Rates.................................................................. 35
Table ES2. Projected Retail Expenditure Potential....................................................... 36
Table ES3. Estimated Office Demand........................................................................... 36
Circulation Element
Table C1. Major Street Traffic Volumes........................................................................ 44
Table C2. Intersection Level of Service Definitions...................................................... 47
Table C3. Peak Hour Intersection Levels of Service..................................................... 47
Safety and Noise Element
Table SN1. Hazardous Material Incident Response..................................................... 64
Table SN2. Typical Noise Levels................................................................................... 67
Table SN3. Acceptable Noise Levels............................................................................. 68
Table SN4. Selected State and National Air Quality Standards................................... 70
Housing Element
Table H1. Evaluation of Previous Housing Element.................................................... 74
Table H2. Population Estimates and Projections, 1990- 2020........................................ 80
Table H3. City/ SOI Household and Group Quarters Projections............................... 81
Table H4. Ethnic Composition...................................................................................... 81
Table H5. Household Projections, 1990- 2020................................................................ 82
Table H6. Household Size and Ownership, 2000 ......................................................... 83
Table H7. Jobs/ Housing Balance, 1990- 2020................................................................ 83
Table H8. City Share of Regional Housing Need, 1999- 2006........................................ 85
Table H9. Age Distribution by Percent, 2000- 2020....................................................... 85
Table H10. Household Type for Persons 65 Years and Over, 2000.............................. 86
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 v Contents
TABLES
Housing Element ( continued)
Table H11. Senior and Group Care Facilities, 2001 ...................................................... 86
Table H12. Mobility, Self- care, and Work Disabilities by Age Group, 1990 ................ 87
Table H13. Percent of Overcrowding, 1990 .................................................................. 88
Table H14. Household Type and Presence of Children, 2000 ...................................... 89
Table H15. Percent of Income Paid for Housing, 1990 ................................................. 90
Table H16. Ownership Affordability, 2000................................................................... 91
Table H17. Rental Affordability, 2000........................................................................... 92
Table H18. Housing Units, 1990 and 2000 .................................................................... 92
Table H19. Age of Homes............................................................................................. 93
Table H20. Assisted Housing Units.............................................................................. 95
Table H21. Vacant Residential Land, 2002.................................................................... 95
Table H22. Potential Sites for Housing, 1999- 2006 ....................................................... 97
Table H23. Development Fees for Pleasant Hill and Selected Cities.......................... 102
Table H24. Quantified Objectives, 1999- 2006 ............................................................. 119
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Contents vi July 2003
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 1 Introduction
Introduction
City Profile and History
Pleasant Hill is a vital, progressive, suburban residential community, dedicated to
education, supportive of business, and rich in recreational opportunities. Located in
central Contra Costa County, the city covers 8.2 square miles ( including 2 square miles
of roads) and had an estimated 33,500 residents in 2002. The city is bordered to the south
by Walnut Creek, the north by Martinez and Pacheco, the east by Concord, and the west
by Lafayette.
The name Pleasant Hill derives from the Spanish “ reliez” used in an 1848 survey to
describe the area. Most of the city actually lies on an alluvial plain at the eastern edge of
the Briones Hills, which rise to 1,400 feet. The local climate is characterized by cool, wet
winters and hot, dry summers. The average annual temperature is 56° F, with average
daily temperatures ranging from 45° F in January to 68° F in September.
The Bolbone and Chupacane cultures inhabited the area before settlers arrived from
Mexico in the late 1700s. In 1844, Irish immigrant William Welch became the only non-
Mexican to obtain a land grant in the region. His Rancho Las Juntas contained more than
13,000 acres, including present- day Pleasant Hill. Early residents primarily cultivated
grains such as wheat, hay and barley, which were shipped to market via Pacheco Creek.
Other transportation options emerged with the Southern Pacific Rail line in 1891 ( now
the site of the Iron Horse Trail) and the Caldecott Tunnel in 1937. The first residential
subdivisions in Pleasant Hill were built in the 1920s and 1930s south of Gregory Lane
and west of Contra Costa Boulevard. The city grew significantly with new single- family
subdivisions north of Gregory Lane between 1946 and 1954. When Pleasa nt Hill
incorporated in 1961, about half of the existing buildings in the city were in place.
The opening of Interstate 680 in 1964 helped spur additional construction. Multifamily
projects built in the 1970s along Chilpancingo Parkway ( named for Pleasant Hill's sister
city in Mexico) began to change the city from being exclusively a community of single-family
detached houses. Subsequent transportation improvements ( including BART,
Interstate 680 widening, and Taylor Boulevard) promoted additional higher- intensity
multifamily and nonresidential development in and around Pleasant Hill. The most
significant recent developments in the city are the new downtown and multifamily
housing for seniors directly to the south.
Pleasant Hill historically has been a suburban residential community serving major
employment centers to the west and south, and the pattern of residents commuting
outside the city to work is expected to continue ( the city would need 185 new jobs per
year to achieve a 1: 1 ratio of jobs to housing). However, explosive regional growth in the
last decade has transformed Pleasant Hill, as evidenced by recent higher density
residential and commercial development, especially downtown. Future development is
expected to be more modest because the city is approaching buildout.
The city economy is highly dependent on service and retail employment, and its
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Introduction 2 July 2003
revenue- generating base is limited. Less than 10 percent of developed land is devoted to
revenue- generating commercial, office, or industrial uses. Of the roughly 200
undeveloped acres in the city, only about 5 acres are available for non- residential use.
However, several large underutilized sites have significant potential for redevelopment,
including the 19- acre Contra Costa Shopping Center ( former Montgomery Ward’s Site)
east of Interstate 680, and the DVC Plaza ( K- Mart) Shopping Center and other
commercial plazas along Contra Costa Boulevard.
The City provides building inspection, planning, redevelopment, police, street
construction and maintenance, and storm drainage services. Fire protection, recreation
and park, sewage collection and treatment, school and water services are provided
through special districts not subject to City control.
The first Pleasant Hill General Plan was adopted in 1962. The current General Plan was
adopted in 1990 and amended as recently as February 1999. Prior to implementation of
the 1991 Downtown Plan, the community lacked a central commercial core. The Plan
called for replacing traditional commercial development with mixed- use projects on
short blocks to promote a pedestrian atmosphere and to provide a central gathering
place for the community with trees, water, recreation places, streetscape amenities and
public art.
The New General Plan
In June 2000 the City Council contracted with a consultant team to assist with updating
the Pleasant Hill General Plan. In April 2001, the team published a Background Report
describing conditions in the city.
The report also summarized the following key planning issues raised by citizens:
Traffic. Residents tend to associate high traffic volumes and delays with specific streets,
and with uses such as Diablo Valley College and schools. Contra Costa Boulevard
remains an obstacle to pedestrians.
Schools. Excellence of public education is a high priority. Many residents desire more
control over the Pleasant Hill schools than is afforded through the Mount Diablo Unified
School District, which covers a much larger area.
Housing. Home purchase is beyond the reach of about half of city residents, and rentals
are scarce, especially units with more than two bedrooms. Rising regional housing costs
and the lack of vacant land for new housing in the city suggest that intensive
redevelopment, new mixed- use development, and new sites for housing will be needed.
Citizens desire that remodeled single- family homes remain compatible with surrounding
neighborhoods.
Recreation and Parks. The community needs more fields, a variety of recreation
facilities ( particularly for youth activ ities), and a new senio r center.
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 3 Introduction
Economic Development. Residents appear to prefer small, friendly stores that will help
Pleasant Hill retain its small- town atmosphere. Although the city retail base is
overshadowed by development in adjacent cities, the success of the downtown and the
potential for new business, lodging and office uses at redevelopment sites could improve
commercial viability and economic diversity.
Visual Quality. Streetscape and architectural enhancements could help bring together
otherwise separate or isolated parts of the community. A unified design theme along
Contra Costa Boulevard and redevelopment of the Contra Costa Shopping Center ( former
Montgomery Ward’s site) could extend the downtown identity and link the east side with
the rest of the city. Signs and amenities at city gateways could promote a distinct city
image.
Mangini/ Delu
Property. Home to the
only remaining
agricultural use in the
city, the 25- acre property
represents a variety of
potential future land use
scenarios.
Flooding. The potential
for serious flooding
needs to continue to be
addressed through
enforcement of federal
regulations on development in flood- prone areas. The Federal Emergency Management
Agency has proposed significantly increasing the size of the mapped 100- year floodplain
in Pleasant Hill.
Buchanan Field. Airport operations affect quality of life and safety in northeastern
Pleasant Hill. However, residents only can participate in airport planning decisions via
comment to the County Airport Land Use Commission.
Diablo Valley College. Opportunities exist to improve the physical and cultural
connections between the city and the college, perhaps through joint sponsorship of events,
sharing of facilities, and a City- College liaison or working group.
Other Issues. Additional issues the General Plan should address include the County
Library, access and care for seniors, historic and cultural preservation, and downtown
outdoor spaces.
Following publication of the Background Report, a 19- person citizen task force
( appointed by the City Council to represent the range of perspectives in Pleasant Hill)
met almost monthly from May 2001 through May 2002 to determine how the new
General Plan should address these and other issues. The General Plan Policy Task Force
included two representatives from the City Council, two from the Planning
Mangini/ Delu Property
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Introduction 4 July 2003
Commission, one from the Mount Diablo Unified School District, one from Diablo
Valley Community College, one from the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District, one
from the Chamber of Commerce, a local high school student, a member of the Traffic
Safety Committee, a representative of the Committee on Aging, a representative of the
Citizens’ Advisory Committee on redevelopment, a representative of the Education and
Schools Advisory Committee, and three citizens appointed at large.
In addition to formulating the goals, policies and programs of the new General Plan, the
Task Force considered in detail potential land uses at five key locations in the city and
made the following recommendations for future development:
? Contra Costa Boulevard – Facilitate private redevelopment with clustered, higher quality
retail, restaurant, convenience, and services uses.
? Contra Costa Shopping Center ( former Ward’s site) – Redesignate from Commercial and
Retail to Mixed Use with residential density and nonresidential intensity to be determined
under a specific plan that includes both vertical and horizontal integration of uses
? DVC Plaza ( K- Mart) Shopping Center – Retain neighborhood retail, and encourage college-related
us es, such as faculty and student housing, parking, cafes, food, and books, as well as
open space along the Contra Costa Canal.
? Mangini/ Delu Property – Allow single- family housing under the current zoning.
? Former Oak Park Elementary School Site – Devote the majority to flood detention and green
space, and allow up to 96 residential units.
Plan Organization and Content
The California Constitution allows cities to regulate land use planning, zoning,
subdivision and building on private property to promote the health, safety and welfare
of the general public. State law requires each city to prepare and adopt a
“ comprehensive, long- term General Plan for the physical development” of the
community. Intended to guide local decision- making regarding future growth, the
General Plan expresses community goals about the future distribution and character of
land uses and activities, both public and private.
The plan should be comprehensive, by both covering the local jurisdiction’s entire
planning area and addressing the broad range of issues facing the community, including
physical, social, aesthetic and economic concerns. The General Plan must also be
internally consistent, bearing no policy conflicts between the elements ( required and
optional). The General Plan must also be a long- term document, establishing
development policies to serve as the basis for day- to- day land use decision- making
within an approximate 20- year timeframe.
Because planning and development issues do not necessarily follow political
boundaries, the law provides for including in a city’s general plan “ any land outside its
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 5 Introduction
boundaries which, in the planning agency's judgment, bears relation to its planning.”
Therefore, this General Plan covers the incorporated area of the city and unincorporated
areas in the City's Sphere of Influence – Pacheco and the southwest hills – that could be
annexed into the city and receive City services.
The County Local Agency Formation Commission ( LAFCO) establishes spheres of
influence to denote areas under County jurisdiction where a city has a shared concern
regarding land use and development. Annexation of land in the Pleasant Hill SOI is
anticipated to occur only when desired by residents of a subject area and if expected to
provide economic benefits to the City.
Each General Plan must include policies for each of the following elements:
? Land use – designating the general distribution and intensity of land uses, including
housing, business, industry, open space, education, and public facilities.
? Circulation – identifying the general location and nature of existing and proposed
highways, arterial and collector roadways, transit terminals, and other
transportation facilities.
? Conservation – addressing treatment of natural and cultural resources, including
wetlands, trees, rivers, archeological remains, and historic structures.
? Housing – assessing the current and projected housing needs of all segments of the
community and identifying land to provide adequate housing to meet those needs.
? Noise – appraising noise sources in the community and developing ways to mitigate
nuisances.
? Open Space – detailing techniques for preserving open space areas for natural
resources, outdoor recreation, public health and safety, and agricultural activities.
? Safety – establishing policies to protect the community from risks associated with
seismic, geologic, flood, fire and other hazards.
Table 1 illustrates how the required General Plan elements are organized in a framework
that reflects the focus of future planning in Pleasant Hill. In addition to the topics
required by State law, the General Plan contains a Growth Management Element to
comply with Contra Costa County Measure C ( approved 1988). This additional element
establishes policies requiring adequate services to be in place prior to approval of new
development. The new General Plan also includes an Economic Strategy Element aimed
at optimizing commercial diversity and business opportunities in the city. The Housing
Element follows a slightly different format than the other elements in order to comply
with State requirements, including the provision that each program include a quantified
objective ( where applicable).
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Introduction 6 July 2003
Table 1. General Plan Elements
Pleasant Hill
GP Elements
Required GP
Elements
Examples of Topics Covered
Community
Development
Land Use,
Conservation,
Open Space
Development patterns, neighborhoods,
visual character, public facilities,
recreation, open space, hillsides,
riparian areas, sensitive plants and
animals, cultural and historic resources
Economic
Strategy
Optional Commercial and industrial land uses,
economic diversification, job
opportunities, tourism
Circulation Circulation Traffic, street network, parking, transit
services, bike routes
Growth
Management
Required by
Measure C
Traffic levels of service,
regional transportation planning
Safety and
Noise
Safety,
Noise
Development in hazardous areas,
hazardous waste management,
seismicity, flood control, water quality,
noise
Housing Housing Demographics, housing needs,
affordability, constraints on production
Each General Plan element contains goals, policies and programs that set a course for
future land use in the city. Goals summarize how development and future growth
should be directed by identifying physical, economic and/ or social ends that the
community wishes to achieve. The accompanying policies establish basic courses of
action for the Planning Commission and City Council to follow in working to achieve
the community goals. ( Policies directly guide the response of elected and appointed
officials to development proposals and related community actions.) Finally, programs
are identified that will need to be implemented by City departments to carry out the
policies and achieve the goals of the General Plan.
Administering and Amending the General Plan
Once adopted, the General Plan does not remain static. State law permits up to four
General Plan amendments per mandatory element per year ( Government Code
§ 65358[ b]). Most amendments propose a change in the land use designation of a
particular property. As time goes on, the City may determine that it is also necessary
to revise portions of the text to reflect changing circumstances or philosophy.
State law provides direction on how cities can maintain the plan as a contemporary
policy guide: It requires each planning department to report annually to the City
Council on “ the status of the plan and progress in its implementation” ( § 65400 [ b]).
In addition, the City should comprehensively review the Plan every five years to
determine whether or not it is still in step with community values and conditions.
Public participation in the General Plan update, adoption and amendment process is
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 7 Introduction
actively encouraged by the City and is always welcome. Any citizen wishing to amend
the General Plan would follow the procedure generally outlined below. ( More detailed
information on processing and timing is available from the Planning Department.)
1. Prior to filing an official application for a General Plan amendment, the
prospective applicant or his or her agent should discuss the proposed
amendment with the Community Development Director. This gives the
applicant a first- hand opportunity to find out the details of the amendment
process as well as any concerns the City may have about the proposed
changes.
2. Should the applicant decide to proceed with an amendment, the next step is
to file an official application with the Planning Department and pay the
required processing fees. All applications requesting a change in land use
designation must be accompanied by a development plan of sufficient detail
to ascertain the potential impacts of the proposed project on the site and the
surrounding area. What constitutes sufficient detail is determined by the
Community Development Director on a case- by- case basis.
3. Environmental review in accordance with the provisions of the California
Environmental Quality Act ( CEQA) is required of every General Plan
amendment.
4. Once an application is submitted, it will be placed on an agenda for public
hearing before the City Planning Commission according to the schedule
established by the Planning Commission for General Plan amendments. Prior
to the Planning Commission hearing, the City, in accordance with State
Government Code, will provide notice to the public of the hearing date and
the item to be discussed. For an individual amendment, this typically
involves a legal notice in The Contra Costa Times and/ or the Pleasant Hill
Record and a notice mailed to all property owners within 300 feet of the
subject property. ( Major amendments affecting the entire community, such as
this update of the Plan, are noticed differently because of their scale. In such
cases, State law provides alternative methods of notification that do not
require notice to be mailed to individual property owners.)
Planning Department staff will prepare a report to the Planning Commission
for the public hearing, describing in detail the proposed amendment, any
environmental or other impacts that may result, and comments from other
City departments or affected governmental agencies. The staff also will state
whether the Commission should recommend the amendment to the City
Council for approval or denial. The staff report is sent to the Commission and
the applicant. The staff report, comments from the applicant, and other
public testimony become factors in the Commission’s action.
State law requires that any decision on a General Plan amendment be supported by
findings of fact. These findings provide the rationale for making a decision either to
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Introduction 8 July 2003
approve or deny a future project. While specific findings may be applied on a
project- by- project basis, at least the following standard findings should be made for
each General Plan amendment:
1. The proposed amendment is deemed to be in the public interest.
2. The proposed General Plan amendment is consistent and compatible with the
rest of the General Plan and any implementation programs that may be
affected.
3. The potential impacts of the proposed amendment have been assessed and
have been determined not to be detrimental to the public health, safety, or
welfare.
4. The proposed amendment has been processed in accordance with the
applicable provisions of CEQA.
City- initiated amendments, as well as amendments requested by other public agencies,
are subject to the same basic process and requirements described above to insure
consistency and compatibility with the Plan. This includes appropriate environmental
review, public notice, and public hearings leading to an official action by Council
resolution.
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 9 Community Development
Community Development Element
Land Use Pattern
Pleasant Hill is almost entirely built- out: only about 60 acres, or 1.5 percent, of land in
the city, is available for new development. Therefore, future development is expected to
consist primarily of reuse of existing lots.
The new General Plan carries forward the 14 land use designations established in the
1990 plan, except that the Multifamily Low category has been split to create a new
Multifamily Very Low designation, and the Neighborhood Business designation has
been added ( see the attached General Plan Land Use map, adopted as part of this General
Plan). All development and redevelopment must be consistent with these categories.
Table CD1 shows how much land in the city falls into each designation, including vacant
parcels. Maximum allowed density is expressed in units per net acre ( which excludes
rights- of- way) for residential uses and floor area ratio ( FAR) for non- residential uses.
Table CD1. Development Potential
Land Use Designation
Existing Development
2002
General Plan
Buildout
Vacant Land
2002
Additional
Potential3
Allowed
Density1
SF
Units
MF
Units2
Comm.
Sq. Ft.
Parcels
Acres
Units Sq. Ft.
Parcels
Acres
Single- family Low 1.3- 3 377 2 399 316.4 87 17 26.3
Single- family Medium 3.1- 4.5 3,948 130 378 4,025 1,355.5 116 28 11.3
Single- family High 4.6- 6.9 4,177 30 63,417 4,203 796.0 35 7 5.6
Multifamily Very Low4 7- 11.9 558 76.6 10
Multifamily Low 12- 19.9 45 1,736 823 50.3 30 1 0.3
Multifamily Medium 20- 29.9 10 1,512 72,655 883 83.3 143 7 5.1
Multifamily High 30- 40 8 396 93,012 13 16.6 310
Commercial & Retail 0.4 3 551 2,328,433 187 159.9 99 250,000 5 7.0
Neighborhood Business4 0.35 28 22.8
Office 0.4 3 193 863,889 98 84.2 30 171,968 4 2.3
Mixed Use 12- 40
0.4-. 75 FAR
285 290,509 237 95.9 363 40,075
Light Industrial 0.33 365,043 20 34.2
Park 26 154.8
Open Space 15 252.8
Semi- public & Inst. 259,163 53 107.5 2 1.8
School 19 254.4
Total 8,571 4,835 4,336,499 11,587 3,861.2 1,223 462,043 71 59.7
Sources: County Assessor Data; City of Pleasant Hill Planning Department, Redevelopment Agency
1Units/ acre for residential uses; Floor Area Ratio for nonresidential uses; both for Mixed Use.
2Townhomes, condominiums and mobile homes in multifamily and commercial categories are counted as
multifamily units.
3Assumes residential on 25 percent of Mixed Use parcels; assumes an additional 250,000 sq. ft. of commercial and
50,000 sq. ft. of office at the Contra Costa Shopping Center under a specific plan; excludes other nonresidential
redevelopment potential.
4New designation created by this General Plan.
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Community Development 10 July 2003
The General Plan designations accommodate a variety of specific land uses ( which may be
permitted as of right or conditionally by the Zoning Ordinance), as follows ( see Table CD1
for allowable residential densities and commercial building intensities):
? Single Family Low Density is intended for houses on larger lots ( 15,000- 20,000 sq. ft.) at
1.3- 3 units per acre.
? Single Family Medium Density allows detached houses on lots 7,000- 10,000 sq. ft. at 3.1-
4.5 units per acre.
? Single Family High Density designates areas for detached homes on lots as small as
6,000 sq. ft. at 4.6- 6.9 units per acre.
? Multifamily Very Low Density identifies areas suitable for duplexes, townhouses and
very- small- lot single- family homes at 7- 11.9 units per acre.
? Multifamily Low Density identifies areas suitable for duplexes, townhouses, attached
single- family homes and mobile homes at 12- 19.9units per acre.
? Multifamily Medium Density allows duplexes, townhouses, condominiums and mobile
homes at 20- 29.9 units per acre.
? Multifamily High Density is intended for townhouses, condominiums and apartments
at 30- 40 units per acre.
? Commercial and Retail includes shopping centers, banks, hotels, personal services ( such
as barber shops and dry cleaners),
entertainment and cultural venues,
restaurants, auto sales and service,
and ancillary offices.
? Neighborhood Business includes
convenience shopping and services
primarily to meet the needs of local
residents.
? Office includes business, medical and
professional uses, office buildings and
office parks with ancillary commercial
and retail uses.
? Mixed Use combines residential with
retail, commercial, office and/ or
public uses with flexible parking and
setback requirements. Individual
Mixed Use projects are not expected to contain any specific combination of these uses,
and the development potential of each Mixed Use site shall be determined through
project review under the provisions of the Planned Unit Development ( PUD) Zoning
District.
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 11 Community Development
? Light Industrial includes small assembly operations, warehouses, printing, and recycling
transfer stations.
? Park designates existing and proposed parkland, both developed and undeveloped.
? Open Space is essentially unimproved land devoted to preservation of natural resources
and outdoor recreation.
? Semi- public and Institutional includes utility facilities and easements, libraries, City
offices, fire stations, churches and hospitals.
? School includes child day care facilities and commercial or educational athletic facilities,
such as sports training centers.
The overall land use pattern established by existing development is anticipated to
continue through the 20- year timeframe of this General Plan. None of the Community
Development programs, nor any programs in the General Plan, are intended, nor shall
they be construed, to reduce the ‘ Potential Units, Net’ specified on Table H22 or to
disallow the specific ‘ Proposed General Plan Land Use’ or ‘ Proposed Zoning’ changes
identified on Table H22.
Neighborhoods
Retaining the character and charm of residential neighborhoods is a top priority for
Pleasant Hill residents. Most neighborhoods are relatively isolated from commercial, retail
and office developments, with homes located on local or minor collector streets, rather
than busier arterial roadways. Residents generally are not exposed to heavy traffic and
noise, and live close to parks and elementary schools ( see the Creeks and Neighborhoods
map on page 13).
Single- family neighborhoods in Pleasant Hill generally have kept their original low -
density character. However, some
areas are experiencing a transition
as older homes undergo
renovation, and many residents
are concerned that more- massive
remodeled homes are not
compatible with the modest scale
of the surrounding neighbor-hoods.
Multifamily developments,
which often provide housing to
meet the needs of the growing
senior population and families less
able to afford detached housing, generally are separated from single- family
neighborhoods.
Community Development Goal 1. Preserve and enhance residential
neighborhoods.
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Community Development 12 July 2003
Community Development Policy 1A. Encourage aesthetic enhancement of residential
areas, while retaining the charm and character of individual neighborhoods.
Community Development Program 1.1. Amend the Zoning Ordinance to include design
guidelines for future residential development, redevelopment, and renovation.
Community Development Program 1.2. Continue to allow land use redesignations that increase
residential density only when 75 percent of the boundary of the area to be redesignated is adjacent
to land with the same or higher- density land use designation.
Exempt from the 75- percent rule are properties deemed by the City Council, following a
hearing and recommendation from the Planning Commission, as unsuitable for single
family residential use by virtue of noise, traffic, and proximity to nonresidential uses.
Lack of profitability from lower density development of a property ( as opposed to
higher density) shall not be a factor in deeming properties unsuitable for single family
residential use: considering ‘ profitability’ as a criterion is inappropriate in any and all
land use decisions. Development of the area or property to be redesignated shall not
have significant growth inducing impacts or significant traffic or noise impacts on
existing residential neighborhoods. Intensification of land use on properties larger than
40,000 square feet and not on Table H22 is presumed to have significant growth
inducing impacts unless it is shown that appropriate design and mitigations will
minimize impacts on schools, traffic and residential neighborhoods.
Community Development Goal 2. Maintain the historic balance among
different types and intensities of residential development, commercial retail,
office uses, and open space.
Community Development Policy 2A. Encourage uses needed by the community at
appropriate locations.
Community Development Program 2.1. Amend the Zoning Ordinance to direct uses desired by
the community to specific zoning districts.
Community Development Program 2.2. When making decisions regarding ( 1) intensification of
residential zoning or land use designations or ( 2) changes in land use designations from
commercial to residential, the City shall only permit such changes when the change in land use is
reasonably expected by the City Council to result in ( a) effective mitigation of environmental
constraints, noise, traffic, and other hazards; ( b) excellence of design; ( c) compatibility with
adjacent development; and ( d) at least one of the following: provision of affordable housing
pursuant to the policies in the City’s Housing Element; provision of parkland or recreation
facilities consistent with Community Development Goals 17, 18, and 19.
Community Development Program 2.3. Allow residential densities above the minimum
established for a specific land use designation only when the granting of a residential density
above the minimum for the density range established by the General Plan for that land use
category can be reasonably expected by the City Council to result in ( a) effective mitigation of
environmental constraints, noise, traffic, and other hazards; ( b) excellence of design; ( c)
compatibility with adjacent development; and ( d) at least one of the following: provision of
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 13 Community Development
affordable housing pursuant to the policies in the City’s Housing Element; provision of parkland
or recreation facilities consistent with Community Development Goals 17, 18, and 19.
Community Development Program 2.4. Allow changes in land use designation from residential
to commercial only when the granting of such a change can be reasonably expected by the City
Council to result in ( a) effective mitigation of environmental constraints, noise, traffic, and other
hazards; ( b) excellence of design; ( c) compatibility with adjacent development; and ( d) at least one
of the following: provision of affordable housing pursuant to the policies in the City’s Housing
Element; provision of parkland or recreation facilities consistent with Community Development
Goals 17, 18, and 19.
Community Development Program 2.5. Allow intensification of commercial land use only when
such a change can be reasonably expected by the City Council to result in ( a) effective mitigation
of environmental constraints, noise, traffic, and other hazards; ( b) excellence of design; ( c)
compatibility with adjacent development; and ( d) at least one of the following: provision of
affordable housing pursuant to the policies in the City’s Housing Element; provision of parkland
or recreation facilities consistent with Community Development Goals 17, 18, and 19.
Community Development Goal 3. Generate thriving, attractive and cohesive
development at vacant or underutilized sites.
Community Development Policy 3A. Revitalize commercial areas to benefit those who
live and work in Pleasant Hill.
Community Development Policy 3B. Require new development to adhere to high
standards of quality in design.
Community Development Program 3.1. Amend the Zoning Ordina nce to include design
guidelines for future non- residential development, redevelopment, and renovation that promote
variety in building design, including ( a) effective mitigation of environmental constraints, noise,
traffic, and other hazards; ( b) excellence of design; ( c) compatibility with adjacent development;
( d) provision of affordable housing pursuant to the policies in the City’s Housing Element; and
( e) provision of parkland or recreation facilities consistent with Community Development Goals
17, 18, and 19.
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Community Development 14 July 2003
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 15 Community Development
Visual Quality
Among its many provisions, the Zoning Ordinance includes measures to protect scenic
hillsides from unsightly development, and to preserve historic structures and large trees.
The Zoning Ordinance also requires approval by the City’s appointed Architectural
Review Commission for all exterior construction except remodeling of an existing
single- family home.
City architectural review is intended to ensure that construction incorporates high-quality
design, and that buildings blend with surrounding development and
environmental features. The design guidelines are not intended to limit creativity;
rather, they set minimum standards for achieving overall, practical, larger goals. The
City doesn’t seek uniformity, but does want sufficient aesthetic consistency to enhance
and reinforce the established character along particular streets, to portray an image of
what is best about Pleasant Hill, and to retain and create charm and individual character
while avoiding a sense of “ sameness.”
Gateways, the primary locations where people enter
and leave the city or its distinct districts, are important
in establishing an image and identity for Pleasant Hill.
Gateways give people a sense that they have left one
place and come into another. Because they convey a
feeling of arrival and provide initial and lasting
impressions, gateways should be attractive and
identifiable. Gateways can express welcome through
architectural features, signage that emphasizes a
consistent theme, landscaping, and art. Public art
( monuments, sculptures, murals, statuary, fountains,
and other artistic installations) also can enhance a
variety of spaces accessible to the general public and
foster community interaction.
Like gateways and key streets, scenic corridors through the city contribute significantly
to the overall image of Pleasant Hill. The County General Plan designates Reliez Valley
Road and Taylor Boulevard as scenic routes with a 50- foot setback for new
development. The City has designated additional scenic routes that have outstanding
views and sufficient right- of- way to facilitate landscaping and safely accommodate
bicyclists and pedestrians, as follows:
? Alhambra Avenue, also designated as a scenic route in Martinez;
? Grayson Road, from Reliez Valley Road to Taylor Boulevard, which connects the
County scenic routes;
? Golf Club Road, also a City bikeway;
? Morello Avenue north of Paso Nogal Road; and
? Paso Nogal Road southwest of Morello Avenue, also a City bikeway and part of the
regional trail system.
The City also has designated Geary Avenue, Oak Park Boulevard and Pleasant Hill
Road as scenic corridors that, though not appropriate for a development setback, merit
additional landscaping and other improvements to enhance their visual quality.
World War I Veterans Monument
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Community Development 16 July 2003
Community Development Goal 4. Promote a city image that reflects the
community’s diversity and high quality of life.
Community Development Policy 4A. Encourage efforts to publicize the benefits of living
and working in Pleasant Hill.
Community Development Policy 4B. Maintain the suburban town atmosphere of
Pleasant Hill.
Community Development Policy 4C. Promote periodic clean- up of commercial areas
and neighborhoods.
Community Development Program 4.1. In efforts to define the City’s image, emphasize:
? The high quality, intergenerational park facilities and recreational opportunities in the city.
? The community’s dedication to education, including the presence of Diablo Valley College
and its potential to provide cultural and lifelong learning opportunities.
? The vital, progressive nature of the city as a suburban residential community and a
supportive environment for business.
Community Development Goal 5. Create an attractive, integrated design
theme along Contra Costa Boulevard.
Community Development Policy 5A. Require commercial uses on Contra Costa
Boulevard to relate to and reflect uses adjacent to and behind those uses, with careful
attention to design themes common to specific blocks along the boulevard.
Community Development Program 5.1. Install streetscape features in the public right- of- way
that call attention to consistent design themes and promote pedestrian friendliness.
Community Development Program 5.2. Develop specific Zoning Ordinance criteria and design
guidelines for portions or all of Contra Costa Boulevard.
Community Development Program 5.3. Encourage incorporating Contra Costa Boulevard non-residential
properties between Downtown and Ellinwood Drive in a redevelopment project area
within 10 years.
Community Development Goal 6. Connect Downtown, Contra Costa
Boulevard, and the Contra Costa Shopping Center in an attractive manner.
Community Development Policy 6A. Ensure safe and easy pedestrian travel within and
between downtown, Contra Costa Boulevard, and the Contra Costa Shopping Center
with amenities that are aesthetically pleasing.
Community Development Program 6.1. Install downtown streetscape improvements, pedestrian
access elements, and public spaces north and east of downtown, and require new development in
those areas to incorporate complementary features.
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 17 Community Development
Community Development Goal 7. Establish clear and attractive gateways that
define Pleasant Hill.
Community Development Policy 7A. Enhance key intersections and entries to the city
with signs, art and streetscape features.
Community Development Program 7.1. Designate locations appropriate for gateway
enhancement, and identify specific enhancements for each location.
Community Development Program 7.2. Consider establishing requirements for specific gateway
treatments along Oak Park Boulevard east of Hook Avenue, possibly as part of a Specific Plan for
that area.
Community Development Goal 8. Install aesthetic improvements in public
spaces.
Community Development Policy 8A. Provide public art and other amenities in key civic
locations.
Community Development Program 8.1. Require installation of public art, landscaping, and/ or
other public amenities in conjunction with all new public and private development and major
rehabilitation or expansion of existing development.
Community Development Program 8.2. Explore in- lieu options for public art requirements, such
as paying funds or setting aside space for future installation for projects below a certain size.
Community Development Program 8.3. Promote funding for public space improvements in the
City’s biannual Capital Improvements Plan.
Community Development Goal 9. Maintain and enhance scenic routes and
corridors in the city.
Community Development Policy 9A. Protect and enhance the views from and visual
qualities of scenic routes and corridors in Pleasant Hill.
Community Development Program 9.1. Enforce a minimum 50- foot setback from the right- of-way
for scenic routes, in which only compatible features may be allowed, including appropriate
landscaping and pedestrian and bicycle routes.
Community Development Program 9.2. Amend the Zoning Ordinance to require minimization
of visual impacts from structures adjacent to scenic routes.
Community Development Program 9.3. Prepare landscaping plans for scenic routes and
corridors, including through cooperation with the Recreation and Park District.
Community Development Program 9.4. Coordinate with the County in planning for scenic route
improvements.
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Community Development 18 July 2003
Community Development Program 9.5. Consider an ordinance to identify and protect significant
views of vistas and open space.
Public Facilities and Services
Incorporated in 1961, the City of Pleasant Hill provides a range of municipal services
through its police, building, community development, redevelopment and public works
departments. Its largest and most visible facilities include City Hall, the police
department building, the maintenance yard, more than 100 miles of roadways and about
20 miles of publicly and privately owned drain system. The Growth Management
Element establishes performance standards and related policies for public services.
The City Capital Improvement Program ( CIP) for the period 2000- 2006 includes about
$ 15 million worth of maintenance, road, building, landscaping, drainage, transportation
and other projects. Significant CIP projects include road resurfacing and striping,
pothole repair, sidewalk construction, storm drain installation and repair, utility
undergrounding, and upgrading of median landscaping.
CIP Projects
Transportation
22%
Drainage/ Storm
Water
6%
Maintenance
36%
Miscellaneous
4%
Landscaping
2%
Roads & Bridges
25%
Buildings
5%
CIP funding sources include revenues from State gasoline taxes, return- to- source
revenues from the Contra Costa Transportation Authority ( CCTA), City General Fund
and Recreation and Park Fund allocations, City fees and taxes ( including traffic
mitigation fees, bedroom taxes, and storm water discharge and other development fees),
and grants from County, State and Federal programs. Grant funding requires the City to
compete with other agencies, and return- to- source revenues ( which supplement City
transportation improvements and programs) require the City to fund road projects at
levels set by CCTA.
Fire Protection and Emergency Response
The Contra Costa County Consolidated Fire Protection District maintains its
headquarters and communications center at 2010 Geary Road in Pleasant Hill. The Fire
District also operates two fire stations in the city: Station 2 adjacent to headquarters and
Station 5 at 205 Boyd Road. The Fire District has purchased land and prepared plans for
a third station is at Devon Avenue near Pleasant Hill Road.
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 19 Community Development
The communications center employs a manager and 14 dispatchers. Each existing station
employs nine firefighters, working three at a time on three shifts, with one paramedic on
duty at all times. Each station houses one engine with advanced life support equipment
that can typically respond anywhere in the city within four minutes. ( The District
standard for maximum allowable response time is five minutes.) Portions of the
unincorporated county served from Stations 2 and 5 include homes that can’t qualify for
fire insurance because of necessarily longer response times.
Police
The Pleasant Hill Police Department employs 40 officers, 20 civilian employees and 12
volunteer reserve officers. The department utilizes updated equipment, including a
computer aided dispatch system, mobile data terminals in each patrol car linked to the
department computer system, and fingerprint and mug- shot technology.
Due to the high volume of commuter traffic on Pleasant Hill streets, traffic enforcement
is a high priority, and the department offers driver education programs. Officers inspect
child safety restraint devices and instruct parents on how to use them properly. They
also provide input to City staff and the Traffic Safety Committee about education,
engineering, and enforcement issues.
The department practices and encourages community oriented policing, including
through school resource and youth services programs. In addition to monitoring
campuses to deter truancy, the school resource officer acts as a community problem
solver and troubleshooter, meeting with neighborhood groups and local leaders and
assisting with issues involving graffiti, the homeless, hate crimes, and gangs. The youth
services bureau addresses problems such as suicide, runaways, child abuse, drug use
and shoplifting. A major goal of the program is to get juvenile offenders to take
responsibility for their behavior. Depending on the circumstances, a youth may be
required to compensate for damage or loss, perform community service work, write an
essay, attend a workshop and/ or participate in counseling.
Community Development Goal 10. Provide high- quality police, fire and
emergency medical response and services.
Community Development Policy 10A. Establish secondary emergency access routes for
all areas of the city currently lacking dual access.
Community Development Policy 10B. Meet City- adopted emergency response time and
efficiency objectives.
Community Development Program 10.1. Improve City streets where necessary to accommodate
emergency vehicles.
Community Development Program 10.2. Work with non- City agencies ( including through
mutual aid agreements where appropriate), and provide required funding for City services, to
maintain necessary emergency personnel staffing levels, and to build additional emergency
service facilities and infrastructure as necessary.
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Community Development 20 July 2003
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 21 Community Development
Water Supply
The primary source of water for Pleasant Hill is the surface water of the Sacramento- San
Joaquin Delta, transported via the Contra Costa Canal ( built by the U. S. Bureau of
Reclamation in the 1940s). The Contra Costa Water District ( CCWD) treats this water
and provides it directly to the area of Pleasant Hill generally east of Pleasant Hill Road.
CCWD also sells untreated water to the City of Martinez, which treats and provides
water to about 200 properties east of Alhambra Avenue, from Shetland Drive to Devon
Avenue. The East Bay Municipal Utility District provides water west of Pleasant Hill
Road. The water purveyors can also draw groundwater from wells or surface water
from their own reservoirs or the Sacramento or San Joaquin Rivers to supplement
supplies. The independent Diablo Vista Water District serves the Poet's Corner area with
water from the Contra Costa Canal ( see the Water Districts map on page 19).
CCWD installed most of the water
system in its service area, though it
also includes facilities constructed
by the Gregory Gardens Water
System before it was purchased by
CCWD in 1978. In the late 1990s,
CCWD constructed a new water
system to serve the downtown
redevelopment area and replaced
several water mains and a 24- inch
transmission main in the canal right
of way. These enhancements have
increased water pressure and flows.
Wastewater
The Central Contra Costa Sanitary
District collects and disposes of Pleasant Hill wastewater, which is treated at a facility in
an unincorporated area adjacent to Martinez. The plant has adequate capacity to
accommodate anticipated growth projected in Pleasant Hill. ( Average dry weather flow
for the 165- square mile district in 1999 was 39.6 million gallons per day [ mgd], 88
percent of the amount allowed under the current National Pollution Discharge
Elimination System permit.)
The District has applied to the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board
to increase its effluent discharge limit to 53.8 mgd to accommodate planned growth of
111,000 people in the service area over the next 35 years. The increase also would
accommodate worst- case scenarios for groundwater infiltration, which can significantly
raise flow during summer months of high rainfall years ( when groundwater
accumulation reaches its peak).
Based on its latest evaluation of treatment plant capacity, the District projects that 53.8
mgd can be discharged without constructing additional treatment facilities ( based on
consumption of 225 gallons per day [ gpd] per dwelling unit and 1,000 gpd for non-residential
uses). District collection system and treatment master plans identify facility
Trail along Contra Costa Canal
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Community Development 22 July 2003
improvements necessary to maintain service at or above this level, which are prioritized
and scheduled for implementation in an annually updated Capital Improvement Budget
and 10- year Capital Improvement Program.
Community Development Goal 11. Ensure adequacy of water supply, sewage
disposal, and solid waste services.
Community Development Policy 11A. Ensure that basic services are provided to
proposed development, and that the provision of those services does not jeopardize
service to existing uses.
Community Development Program 11.1. Consult with water providers and the Sanitary District
prior to approving development.
Community Development Program 11.2. Continue to improve on recycling efforts, with the goal
of attaining the mandated 50 percent diversion rate.
Schools
Schools are an important part of the community’s image and contribute to local pride.
Census 2000 reported that 8,676 city residents over the age of 3 were enrolled in schools,
both public and private, ranging from preschool to vocational and graduate school. Of
those students, 3,587 attended grades K- 8 ( public and private), and 1,462 were in high
school ( public and private).
Table CD2. Public School Enrollment
School
Capacity
Enrollment
“ Neighborhood”
Area
Attendees1
Pleasant Hill
Attendees
( Zip 94523 Only)
Fair Oaks Elementary 486 436 341 74
Gregory Gardens Elementary 462 442 412 395
Pleasant Hill Elementary 666 621 618 271
Sequoia Elementary 558 604 488 297
Strandwood Elementary 582 493 453 438
Valhalla Elementary 654 535 516 323
Pleasant Hill Middle 859 813 781 539
Sequoia Middle 935 808 377 172
Valley View Middle 946 777 749 258
College Park High 1607 1847 1751 1023
Subtotal, Pleasant Hill 7755 7376 6486 3790
Ygnacio Valley High 1604 67
Hidden Valley Elementary 875 58
TOTAL 9855 3915
1 “ Neighborhood” includes Pleasant Hill and various adjacent areas of Pacheco, Martinez, Lafayette, Walnut Creek,
and/ or Concord, depending on location of the school within Pleasant Hill.
Source: Marilyn Watson, Chair, Pleasant Hill Education Commission, from Mt. Diablo Unified School District, February 2002.
The Mt. Diablo Unified School District covers 150 square miles, including Pleasant Hill,
Concord and Clayton; portions of Walnut Creek, Lafayette and Martinez; and
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 23 Community Development
unincorporated areas including Pacheco and Bay Point. It is one of the largest school
districts in the state, with more than 56 school sites and programs. The District's
statistics for ethnic/ racial diversity, average class size, test scores, numbers of “ limited
English proficient” students and the primary languages they represent, mirror those for
the State as a whole. Table CD2 shows current enrollment at Pleasant Hill public schools.
If it can be determined that there is a long term need, the City is prepared to cooperate
with the School District in planning for another high school.
The District also offers the following curricula in Pleasant Hill:
? Infant Deaf Program
? Pre- School Assessment
? Horizons: Home Independent Study
? Horizons: Center for Independent Study
? Prospect Necessary Small High School
? Home and Hospital
? Special Education Mental Health
Collaborative
? Special Education Bridge Program
? Adult Education: Pleasant Hill
Education Center
Pleasant Hill also is home to a number of private schools and institutions. Many are
listed below, including information about their 2002 enrollments:
? Christ the King Catholic School, 195 Brandon Rd. ( 323, K- 8)
? Discoveryland, 800 Grayson Rd. ( 45, preschool)
? Fountainhead Montessori School, 490 Golf Club Rd. ( 90, ages 18 mo. – 6 yrs.)
? La Cheim School, 1700 Oak Park Boulevard ( 55, 1- 12)
? Mary Jane's Pre- School & Kindergarten, 2902 Vessing Road ( 132)
? Mt. Diablo Vocational Services, 490 Golf Club Road ( 12, ages 19- 60+)
? Play and Learn School, 1898 Pleasant Hill Road ( 130, ages 18 mos. – 9 yrs.)
? Pleasant Hill Christian School, 796 Grayson Road ( 264, K- 12)
? Walnut Creek Christian Academy, 2336 Buena Vista Avenue ( 385, preschool- 8)
? Western Career College, 380 Civic Drive ( 300, grades 13 and 14)
? YMCA Child Care Centers, 350 Civic Drive ( 25, ages 2- 4)
Diablo Valley College is one of three colleges in the Contra Costa Community College
District. The 100- acre campus lies between Viking Drive and Golf Club Road in
northeastern Pleasant Hill. DVC serves 22,000 students of a broad age range and is a
leader in transfer of students to the State university and college system, especially to UC
Davis and UC Berkeley. DVC
ensures access to baccalaureate
degrees for all members of the
community, regardless of their
circumstances or prior academic
record, by providing the full
range of freshman and
sophomore level courses
necessary for transfer. The college
also provides a wide variety of
occupational programs and
general education courses in an
effort to ensure a well- trained
Diablo Valley College
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Community Development 24 July 2003
work force. Fifty- one percent of Pleasant Hill high school students go to DVC, but
DVC’s connections to the lower grades could be deepened.
Community Development Goal 12. Promote excellence in public education.
Community Development Policy 12A. Acknowledge the critical contribution of schools
to the socioeconomic health of the city.
Community Development Policy 12B. Help ensure that high- quality teaching and
facilities are provided to all students.
Community Development Program 12.1. Work with public and private schools in teacher
recruitment, facilities planning, housing and other key efforts.
Community Development Program 12.2. Continue to address issues of concern to the Pleasant
Hill Schools with the Mount Diablo Unified School District through the City’s Education/
Schools Advisory Commission.
Community Development Goal 13. Facilitate lifelong learning and promote
coordinated residential and school development.
Community Development Policy 13A. Improve communication and cooperative
interaction among the City, School District, pre- schools, Diablo Valley College, JFK
University, and the Recreation and Park District.
Community Development Policy 13B. Establish strong physical and cultural connections
between the City, Diablo Valley College, JFK University, and local schools that result in
creative, proactive opportunities for cooperation.
Community Development Policy 13C. Promote the design and use of elementary schools
as focal points for neighborhood social, cultural, vocational and recreational activities,
and performing arts venues.
Community Development Program 13.1. Work with the School District to identify appropriate
locations for new or upgraded schools, facilities, additions and improvements.
Community Development Program 13.2. Establish a Diablo Valley College and JFK University
liaison to address issues of mutual concern and potential community- wide benefit.
Community Development Program 13.3. Request that the School District continue to collect
school impact fees for new residential development.
Library
The Contra Costa County library system has 23 branches, including the Central Library
on Oak Park Boulevard in Pleasant Hill. With more than 200,000 books and almost
50,000 square feet ( including administrative offices), the Pleasant Hill branch is the
largest County library ( the next largest, at 18,000 square feet, is in San Ramon). The
library offers literacy services, a toll- free reference phone service, countywide volunteer
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 25 Community Development
and staff training, and collections not available at branch libraries ( including business,
genealogy, government, history and periodicals). Current annual County funding for
the Pleasant Hill library is $ 738,000. More than 16,000 Pleasant Hill residents hold
library cards.
Community Development Goal 14. Work to ensure that a state of the art
County Library facility, preferably the central library, remains in Pleasant Hill.
Community Development Policy 14A. Acknowledge that access to an excellent library
with standard hours of operation is a key component of quality of life in the city.
Community Development Program 14.1. Work with the County Library Commission to assure
the long- term residency of the County Central Library in the city, and to site and plan a new
state- of- the- art facility in Pleasant Hill.
Community Programs
The City has identified a need for additional and upgraded community- oriented
facilities and programs. Existing facilities for senior citizens in particular are outdated
and operating well beyond capacity.
Community Development Goal 15. Improve quality of life for seniors.
Community Development Policy 15A. Provide opportunities for seniors to obtain
adequate care, housing, and support services, including by upgrading and expanding
existing facilities and constructing new ones.
Community Development Policy 15B. Advocate and support transportation and safety
improvements and development of residential and medical care facilities targeted
toward seniors.
Community Development Program 15.1. Work with public agencies and private entities
( including the Recreation and Park District, the School District, Chateau, and the YMCA) to
provide new and expanded programs, services, and facilities for seniors.
Community Development Goal 16. Provide cultural facilities that meet the
needs of the entire community.
Community Development Policy 16A. Support the arts ( e. g., Onstage Theatre, Diablo
Valley Ballet) and events that celebrate and foster cultural diversity.
Community Development Program 16.1. Enhance and expand existing cultural and art events
and sites ( e. g., July 4th, Veterans’ Day), and promote and accommodate new ones ( e. g., farmers
market, street fairs, summer concerts) that promote community character and civic pride.
Recreation, Parks, Open Space
The City has adopted a standard of 3 acres of developed parkland for each 1,000
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Community Development 26 July 2003
residents, which would require 100 acres for the estimated current estimated population
of 33,500). The Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District maintains 203.5 acres of
parkland and open space in the city ( with 68.0 developed acres), including the portion of
the Contra Costa Canal Trail that runs through Pleasant Hill ( see Table CD3).
Recreation facilities at public schools account for another 57.4 acres that qualify as
“ developed,” with landscaping, playing fields, lights and/ or buildings. Private open
space and other common areas in subdivisions include another 130 acres.
The Recreation and Park District is independent of the City government. It was
established in 1951 ( ten years before City incorporation) and encompasses about 20
percent more households than does the City ( District lands total 269 acres).
The District also operates the following facilities in Pleasant Hill:
? Administration Office and Teen Center, 147 Gregory Lane
? Community Center, 320 Civic Drive
? Senior Center, 233 Gregory Lane
? Winslow Center ( for arts and crafts), 2590 Pleasant Hill Road
? Park Maintenance office, 310 Civic Drive
? Gregory Gardens KidStop, 200 Harriet Drive
? The School House, 2050 Oak Park Boulevard
? Rodgers Ranch Historical Site, 315 Cortsen Road
The District also offers swimming and lighted softball and tennis programs at College
Park High School and a variety of after- school programs at the pool, gymnasium, fields
and tennis courts at the Pleasant Hill Education Center.
Many of the Recreation and Park District buildings ( which total 60,000 square feet) are
available for rent for special events, and community garden plots can be leased annually
at Pleasant Hill Park. Concerts are held regularly at the Community Center. The District
also co- sponsors a number of
local athletic and educational
groups and clubs.
About 100,000 people visit
District facilities, participate in its
2,100 educational and recreational
programs and/ or volunteer
annually, including about 40,000
paid registrants ( at an average of
about $ 50 per person). The
District estimates that
participation in paid activities is
increasing about 18 percent per
year, and that its combined programs run at about 85 percent capacity, with some – such
as KidStop, aquatics and the Senior Center – at or near capacity.
Pleasant Hill Park
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 27 Community Development
Table CD3. Public Recreation, Park and Open Space Sites
Site/ Facility Acres
Restrooms
Turf Area
Dev. Picnic Areas
Trails
Open Space/ Natural Area
Gym
Kitchen
Meeting Rooms
Auditorium
Parking
Theater
Historical Feature
Programs
Dogs Off Leash
Playground
Senior Center
Preschool Daycare
Vista Points
Pool
Recreation and Park District Sites
Brookwood Park ( unincorp. Contra Costa County) 6.3 X 2 X X X
Chilpancingo Park 2.5 X X
Community Center/ Frank Salfingere Park 6.3 X X X X X X X X X
Contra Costa Canal Trail X X X
Diablo Valley Estates Open Space 4.0 X X X
Dinosaur Hill Park 13.6 X X X X
Las Juntas Park 7.0 X X X
Paso Nogal Park 63.0 X X X X X
Pinewood Park 0.5 X
Pleasant Hill Park 16.5 X X 3 X X X 2 X
Pleasant Oaks Park 11.5 X X X X
Ridgeview Open Space 57.0 X X X
Rodgers/ Smith Park 4.5 X X 1 X X
Rodgers Ranch 2.1 X X X X X
School House Cultural Center 1.9 X X X X X X X
Senior Center 0.8 X X X X X X X
Shadowood Park 2.6 X 1 X X X X
Shannon Hills Park 2.1 X X X
Valley High II Open Space 12.1 X X X X
Valley High IV Open Space 11.0 X X X
Valley High V Open Space 4.6 X X
Valley High Open Space 7.0 X X X X
Winslow Center 3.1 X X X X X X X
Woodside Hills I Open Space 7.2 X X
Woodside Hills III Open Space 13.3 X X
Total District Acres 203.5
Total District Developed Acres 68.0
School Sites
College Park High School 18.0 X X X X X
Fair Oaks 4.0 X X X X
Pleasant Hill Elementary School Site 6.0 X X X
Pleasant Hill Middle School 7.0 X X X X X X
Sequoia Middle School 7.0 X X X
Strandwood Elementary School 4.5 X X X
Gregory Gardens Elementary/ KIDSTOP 3.4 X X X X X X
Valley View Middle School 5.5 X X X
Valhalla Elementary School 2.0 X X X X
Total School Sites 57.4
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Community Development 28 July 2003
Community Development Goal 17. Offer high- quality park, recreation and
trail facilities and programs for residents and visitors.
Community Development Policy 17A. Advocate a wide range of recreation programs for
all segments of the resident and visitor population.
Community Development Program 17.1. Work with the Recreation and Park District to facilitate
new and expanded recreation programs.
Community Development Program 17.2. Work with the Recreation and Park District to establish
and achieve a standard of 3 acres of developed parkland per 1,000 population.
Community Development Goal 18. Provide new sports fields and recreation
facilities.
Community Development Policy 18A. Designate appropriate sites for new playing
fields, tennis courts and other facilities.
Community Development Program 18.1. Work with the Recreation and Park District to facilitate
development and expansion of recreation and park facilities.
Community Development Program 18.2. Consider recreation- related development at the former
Oak Park Elementary School site or other sites south of Gregory Lane in a manner that
accommodates flood control.
Community Development Goal 19. Increase youth activity opportunities.
Community Development Policy 19A. Encourage new and expanded youth recreation
and extracurricular educational programs.
Community Development Program 19.1. Work with the Recreation and Park District and other
agencies and groups to expand youth programs.
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 29 Community Development
Natural Resources
Undeveloped hillsides and other open spaces in
Pleasant Hill support pockets of grassland, oak
woodland and shrubland- chaparral habitat. The city
also contains a variety of plants and trees that
provide additional cover and food for animals. This
“ urban habitat” includes residential and commercial
landscaping and streetscape plantings. Rodents,
small mammals, and birds utilize trees and
vegetated areas for foraging and nesting.
Even though the watercourses in Pleasant Hill are largely channelized, creek corridors
include wetlands and riparian vegetation that also provide habitat for birds and
terrestrial species, plus frogs and other amphibians. The remaining wetlands in the city
also are important for recharge and filtering of water supplies.
The City Zoning Ordinance protects trees, as measured 24 inches above the ground, as
follows: ( 1) native oaks and other indigenous trees one foot or more in diameter, and ( 2)
non- native trees ( primarily eucalyptus and redwood) two feet or more in diameter.
Protected species include native oak, alder, bay/ laurel, black walnut, buckeye,
elderberry, madrone, maple and sycamore trees.
Community Development Goal 20. Preserve open space areas, hillsides and
natural features.
Community Development Policy 20A. Ensure that open space and undeveloped
hillsides remain free of future development.
Community Development Program 20.1. Establish a land acquisition fund in the CIP to acquire
significant open space and undeveloped hillside areas that may be threatened by development.
Community Development Program 20.2. Amend the Zoning Ordinance to establish reasonable
aesthetic and land coverage constraints on new land divisions in open space and undeveloped
hillside areas.
Community Development Goal 21. Preserve and reclaim streams, wetlands
and riparian areas to function as open space.
Community Development Policy 21A. Require reclamation of degraded streams,
wetlands and riparian areas, including wildlife migration corridors, where possible in
cooperation with the Flood Control District.
Community Development Program 21.1. Establish guidelines for preserving and reclaiming
streams, wetland s and riparian areas in conjunction with new or modified development.
Community Development Program 21.2. Comply with directives from environmental regulatory
authorities to update the Zoning Ordinance and other ordinances, standards and regulations to
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Community Development 30 July 2003
incorporate stormwater quality and watershed protection measures to limit impacts to aquatic
ecosystems and preserve and restore the beneficial uses of natural water bodies and wetlands in
the city.
Community Development Program 21.3. For new development, consider alternatives to
impermeable surfaces that will promote gradual infiltration of precipitation.
Community Development Goal 22. Protect native species and their habitat.
Community Development Policy 22A. Minimize the impacts of development on plants
and animals, including sensitive habitat and migration corridors.
Community Development Program 22.1. Require mitigation for potential environmental impacts
of development on native species and their habitat, including migration corridors.
Community Development Program 22.2. Require construction activities to avoid disturbance to
natural features, including wildlife migration corridors, as much as possible.
Community Development Program 22.3. Continue to enforce the tree protection provisions of the
Zoning Ordinance.
Community Development Program 22.4. In areas of documented occurrence of the California
Tiger Salamander, require site- specific study and mitigation of potential impact, which may
include avoidance of habitat, reduction of habitat disturbance, and offsite or onsite restoration or
protection of similar habitat.
Community Development Program 22.5. Support efforts of the County to determine the
feasibility of constructing fish bypass facilities for flood control drop structures in area creeks.
Conservation and Energy
The City seeks to encourage conservation through responsible
approaches to energy consumption and use of resources.
Appropriate building design and recycling are the two primary
means of reducing overall consumption of resources.
The predominance of sunny conditions in Pleasant Hill offers city
residents and businesses ample opportunity to utilize solar energy.
New development and remodels can increase energy efficiency
through architecture that includes active solar components and/ or
optimizes passive solar orientation.
Appropriate use of insulation, weatherization, construction materials,
and lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation technology can also
improve energy efficiency. Deciduous trees planted around buildings
can provide shade in the summer to reduce the need for artificial
cooling, but still allow solar gain in the winter. The City Architectural
Review Guidelines include a section describing energy- efficient features.
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 31 Community Development
Pleasant Hill Bayshore Disposal provides recycling containers and service to residences
and business in the city as part of regular trash pick- up service. The Central Contra
Costa Sanitary District provides recycled water in Pleasant Hill for landscaping
irrigation at the Contra Costa Country Club, schools, parks, playgrounds, medians and
playing fields, and for dust control and industrial uses. A recently constructed 24- inch
pipeline serves as the main recycled water supply line and will ultimately deliver 1.5
million gallons per day of recycled water to Pleasant Hill. The East Bay Municipal
Utilities District Lamorinda Project is expected to make additional recycled water
available for irrigation, and the City proposes to adopt a Recycled Water Ordinance.
The City also seeks to avoid power outages and improve aesthetics by undergrounding
utilities when and where feasible.
Community Development Goal 23. Conserve natural resources.
Community Development Policy 23A. Give priority to development that incorporates
energy- efficient and resource- conserving design and construction.
Community Development Policy 23B. Support and expand recycling programs for
residential, commercial and industrial uses, with the goal of attaining the mandated 50
percent diversion rate.
Community Development Program 23.1. Desig n new public buildings to exceed State standards
for water and energy efficiency.
Community Development Program 23.2. Explore use of grant funds to supplement the ability of
the City Housing Rehabilitation Program to assist retrofitting energy- saving features in existing
residences.
Community Development Program 23.3. Consider amending the Zoning Ordinance to include
requirements and standards for such conservation measures as energy audits, solar access,
insulation, solar retrofit and solar water heating .
Community Development Program 23.4. Develop architectural review guidelines that include
the latest and best available energy- efficiency techniques and technology.
Community Development Program 23.5. Develop a tree planting and maintenance strategy to
reduce ambient air temperature on hot sunny days.
Community Development Program 23.6. Work with Pleasant Hill Bayshore Disposal to continue
to improve citywide recycling programs, with the goal of attaining the mandated 50 percent
diversion rate.
Community Development Program 23.7. Work with the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
and the East Bay Municipal Utility District to expand the use of recycled and other non- potable
water for landscape irrigation and other appropriate uses.
Community Development Program 23.8. Continue to implement the City program to replace
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Community Development 32 July 2003
traffic signal bulbs with light- emitting diodes and back- up batteries to save energy and avoid
signal outages.
Community Development Program 23.9. Require compliance with the City Recycled Water
Ordinance.
Community Development Goal 24. Place utility lines underground.
Community Development Policy 24A. Achieve undergrounding of utilities when and
where feasible.
Community Development Program 24.1. Require undergrounding of utilities in conjunction
with installation or modification of public and private improvements.
Cultural and Historic Resources
The Zoning Ordinance includes overlay districts intended to protect and enhance
historical and cultural resources, including by guiding development around them. The
historic overlay district has been applied only to the Rodgers Ranch. Built in 1868, the
Rodgers House and Barn are the oldest remaining structures in Pleasant Hill and the
only ones in the city listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Although other
structures in Pleasant Hill have potential historical significance ( see Table CD4), there are
no State Historical Landmarks in the city.
Table CD4. Structures of Potential Historic Significance
Structure Description
Allen House, 109 Allen Way Built in the 1920s as main house on same site as Corrigan House.
Baels Adobe, Creekside Road One- story adobe house with open arrangement and large living room.
Boss- Slater House, 2485 PH Rd. A one- story cottage that may have been moved from Slater Avenue.
Brandon House
481 Boyd Road
Berkeley style, 1921, shingle house with hip roof, fireplace.
May have been moved from Brandon Road
Corrigan House
108 Allen Way
Two- story wood frame farmhouse built late 1910s.
Adjacent chicken coop remodeled as living quarters.
Dathe Barn, 265 Oak Park Lane White frame two- story barn with front hayloft opening.
DeMartini House
3200 Buskirk Avenue
One- story home of an early community leader.
Now used as a place of business.
Francisco House, 2937 Dorothy Dr. Two- story cottage style with exposed rafters.
Hobart- Daily House, 755 W. Boyd Ranch style house, 1938, built by then- owner of Rodgers Ranch.
Hook House, 6 St. Lawrence Court Arts and crafts bungalow.
Molino House, 2150 PH Road Italian style house with kitchen in basement and adjacent tank house.
Pleasant Hill Grammar School
2050 Oak Park Boulevard
Oldest public building in city, 1920. Owned by Rec. & Park District. Became
Police Dept. office in 1970. Cultural center, theater and museum since 1982.
Roche Ranch Barn, 1525 Roche Dr. California style, 1905, with central loft and side stables.
Patrick Rodgers Ranch
315 Cortsen Road
Wood farmhouse and California style barn, 1868. Owned by Recreation and
Park District. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
Rodgers House, 315 Twinview Dr. White frame 19th- century house.
Thorp House
Creekside Road
Two- story cement house with interior loft, enclosed patio and sunroom.
Built in the 1930s.
World War I Monument
Boyd Rd./ Contra Costa Boulevard
Originally dedicated 1927. Moved when Interstate 680 was built. Honors
76 men and one woman from the county who died in the war.
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 33 Community Development
Source: Pleasant Hill Historical Society, 2002
The cultural resources overlay district has not been utilized. State records list seven
Native American archeological sites in the city. Any cultural resources, including those
discovered during development, may become eligible for protection through application
to the City and review by the Cultural Resource Management Commission.
Community Development Goal 25. Preserve historic sites and structures.
Community Development Policy 25A. Pursue methods to maintain historic structures
and appropriately designate and protect additional historic and cultural resources that
may exist in the city.
Community Development Program 25.1. Maintain the historic and cultural resources overlay
districts for potential future application.
Community Development Program 25.2. Conduct a survey of the city to identify historic or
cultural sites eligible for resource protection, with specific consideration of structures 45 years old
and older.
Community Development Program 25.3. Apply for the Certified Local Government designation
necessary to receive technical assistance and grant funding from the National Park Service.
Community Development Program 25.4. Establish a commission that includes experts in local
history and archaeology to manage the city’s historic resources and/ or add cultural resource
management responsibility to the charge of the Architectural Review Commission.
Community Development Program 25.5. If cultural resources are unearthed during
construction, earth- disturbing work shall be suspended until appropriate mitigation is established
by the City in consultation with a qualified archaeologist retained by the developer and/ or with
the County Coroner.
Community Development Program 25.6. Require archaeological archival study for proposed
development projects, plus field study for projects on previously undeveloped properties.
Barn at Rodgers Ranch
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Economic Strategy 34 July 2003
Economic Strategy Element
Commercial Uses
More than half of the over- 4 million square feet of commercial development in Pleasant
Hill is devoted to retail use ( see Table CD1). About 20 percent is in office use, while less
than 10 percent ( 325,000 square feet) is services. However, the primary job base in
Pleasant Hill is the service sector, which grew by more than 1,000 jobs in the 1990s, the
largest increase for any industry segment in the city.
Most retail stores in Pleasant Hill are located either in neighborhood shopping centers,
along Contra Costa Boulevard, or downtown ( the largest retail concentration in the city
with 350,000 square feet). Centers along Contra Costa Boulevard typically mix retail uses
( such as auto parts, convenience, and hardware stores) with fast food and chain
restaurants in older buildings surrounded by parking. Several shopping centers in the
city are anchored by major supermarkets and drug stores.
Annual taxable retail sales in Pleasant Hill rose almost 40 percent during the 1990s ( from
$ 356 million to $ 494 million). Major contributors to the increase include apparel, home
furnishing, appliance, office supply, and large discount stores. With the opening of
downtown stores in 2000, this trend is expected to continue.
Retail Market Share
General
Merchandise
27%
Home Furnishings
& Appliance
13%
Other Retail
22%
Eating and
Drinking
9%
All Others
21%
Food
4%
Apparel
4%
CA Board of Equalization, 1999
The roughly 1 million square feet of rentable office space in Pleasant Hill represents
about 3 percent of total office development in the Interstate 680/ Contra Costa County
market, which stretches from Antioch to Pleasanton ( see Table ES1). With an overall
vacancy rate below 2 percent, the Interstate 680/ Contra Costa office market is generally
perceived as strong and one of the most cost- effective in the Bay Area. The relatively
high office vacancy rate in the city during late 2000 reflected the small inventory base
and trends in the high- tech industry.
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 35 Economic Strategy
About 3 million square feet of office space is under construction in the Interstate
680/ Contra Costa County area, mostly in the Tri- Valley area ( 86 percent). Almost
200,000- square foot of office/ retail development is under construction near the Pleasant
Hill BART Station, but office space in the city is not expected to increase without
redevelopment of existing sites.
Table ES1. Office Rents and Vacancy Rates
Competitive Percent of Vacancy Avg. Asking Rate ($/ sf)
Submarket Rentable Area Total Rate % Class A Class B
Walnut Creek
Downtown 4,805,983 14.0 1.3 3.50 2.25
Ygnacio 2,784,180 8.1 1.8 2.30 2.10
Pleasant Hill BART 1,470,516 4.3 0.2 3.50 2.75
Pleasant Hill 1,140,541 3.3 6.5 2.50 2.00
Concord 4,425,124 12.9 4.1 2.40 1.80
Martinez 699,270 2.0 8.9 1.75 1.65
Pittsburg 32,500 0.1 0.0 NA NA
Antioch 117,500 0.3 0.9 NA NA
Lamorinda 1,067,482 3.1 1.7 3.10 2.90
North Area Total 16,543,096 48.2 2.7
Alamo 123,220 0.4 0.0 2.75 2.40
Danville 364,481 1.1 0.5 2.75 2.40
San Ramon 5,310,030 15.5 0.5 3.00 2.50
Dublin 1,983,553 5.8 1.1 3.50 2.10
Pleasanton 9,581,548 27.9 1.3 3.50 2.75
Livermore 413,624 1.2 0.0 NA 2.00
Tri- Valley Total 17,776,456 51.8 1.0
MARKET TOTAL 34,319,552 1.8
Source: CB Richard Ellis, 2000
Central Contra Costa County has about 2,000 hotel rooms, with occupancy ranging from
about 75 percent at full- service hotels to about 90 percent for extended- stay and limited
service facilities. Pleasant Hill has four hotels and motels ( all located near Interstate 680)
with a total of 409 rooms, and a fifth is under construction with 142 rooms. The two
extended stay facilities in the city account for 60 percent of available rooms.
Economic Opportunities
About 5 acres of vacant land and 60 acres of underutilized sites are available for
commercial development in Pleasant Hill. At a floor area ratio of 0.3 ( a realistic average
for current nonresidential development), these sites could accommodate about 750,000
square feet of new business space.
Table ES2 projects a $ 100 million net sales expenditure potential by 2020 for apparel,
food, and eating and drinking, which could support 143,000 square feet of new retail
space in the city. ( Estimated sales for other retail uses exceed the projected expenditure
potential of city residents, indicating no residual potential: these businesses are
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Economic Strategy 36 July 2003
supported by a significant amount of sales to persons from outside Pleasant Hill.)
Table ES2. Projected Retail Expenditure Potential
Retail
Categories
2020
Potential
2000
Retail Sales1
Remaining
Potential
Target / square
feet2
2000 2020
New square
feet
Supportable
Apparel $ 30,635,500 $ 21,227,270 $ 9,408,230 $ 350 $ 630 15,000
General Merchandise 112,630,600 139,105,620
Home Furn./ Appliance 31,536,600 63,648,850
Other Retail 26,130,300 112,767,375
Food3 150,174,100 94,105,200 56,068,900 400 720 78,000
Eating and Drinking 85,599,300 47,341,890 38,257,410 425 770 50,000
Total 436,706,400 478,196,205 103,734,540 143,000
Source: Keyser Marston Associates, 2001
1 Average 1999 State per capita expenditure, adjusted to reflect Pleasant Hill income and 3 percent
inflation
2 2020 sales targets adjusted at 3 percent/ year for inflation
3 Adjusted to reflect 30 percent taxable sales
Notes: The base year used in the ES2 table for Retail Sales is 2000. The figures in column three (‘ 2000
Retail Sales’) represent the actual sales estimated to have transacted in the listed categories ( Apparel,
General Merchandise, Home Furnishings, Appliance, Other Retail, Food, and Eating and Drinking)
within Pleasant Hill in 2000.
The figures in the second column represent the ‘ 2020 Potential’ – the estimated future ‘ buying power’ of
Pleasant Hill residents.
Typically in a retail analysis, these two sets of figures are compared to determine whether there is retail
sales ‘ leakage’ ( where retail dollars are leaving the community because its residents are shopping at
stores outside the city) or ‘ capture’ ( where retail stores within the community are able to attract spending
from nonresidents of the city). Where Retail Potential exceeds Retail Sales, there is a ‘ leakage’ of sales
dollars; where Retail Potential is lower than Retail Sales, there is a ‘ capture’ of retail sales dollars. Thus,
in the case of Pleasant Hill, the estimated 2020 Retail Potential of the residents is lower than the
estimated 2020 Retail Sales for the categories of General Merchandise, Home Furnishings and Other
Retail. This is a positive finding that implies that the City will be able to capture sales dollars in those
three categories from nonresidents such as employees, visitors and residents of other communities, and
can therefore encourage the construction of additional square footage in those categories.
Based on land availability, about 2,500 new office jobs are projected in Pleasant Hill by
2020, mostly in services, but also in manufacturing ( including high- tech), wholesale, and
finance, insurance and real estate ( see Table ES3). About 630,000 square feet of offices ( 2
or 3 buildings) would be required to accommodate these jobs ( at 4 employees per 1000
square feet). A portion of this demand may be met by office development already
planned for downtown and the BART Station area. There is a strong preference for
adding to the retail vitality of the city over creating new office employment.
Table ES3. Estimated Office Demand
Type of Business
Jobs
Square
Feet
2000 2020 Increase ( 250/ empl.)
Manufacturing, Wholesale 316 342 26 6,500
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate 4,460 5,250 790 197,500
Services 6,495 8,213 1,718 429,000
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 37 Economic Strategy
Total 11,271 13,805 2,534 633,000
Source: Keyser Marston Associates, 2001
Demand for full- service hotels is expected to increase by about 2,300 rooms in central
Contra Costa County by 2020. Although Pleasant Hill had only one 135- room full- service
hotel in 2002, pending proposals for more than 400 new extended- stay suites in the city
and the BART Station area could reduce development potential for full- service lodging.
Services are expected to continue to be the mainstay of the city economy: ABAG
forecasts a 26 percent increase in service jobs by 2020. The fastest growing services are
projected to be business, health, and engineering and management. Other potential
service niches the city can target for future employment opportunities include high- tech
and telecommunications, local government, education, transportation, construction,
utilities, and finance, insurance, real estate. With only 4,200 retail jobs in Pleasant Hill,
this sector could also expand, particularly given unmet demand for apparel, food, and
eating and drinking.
The city is well suited for concentration of service, retail and other jobs due to proximity
to major employment centers, freeway and transit accessibility, relatively affordable
housing and office space, a balance of urban and semi- suburban amenities, and high
quality of life. There already is a concentration of major public sector employers in the
city, including Diablo Valley College, the Mount Diablo Unified School District and the
Contra Costa County Office of Education.
Economic Strategy Goal 1. Promote the economic health of the downtown and
the city as a whole.
Economic Strategy Policy 1A. Expand the downtown mixed- use development where
appropriate into adjacent areas.
Economic Strategy Policy 1B. Consider annexation of land in the Sphere of Influence
when likely to generate positive fiscal benefits to the City and provide open space,
housing, or employment opportunities.
Economic Strategy Program 1.1. Encourage the use of allowable development density for office
and hotel development in the downtown and adjacent commercial areas.
Economic Strategy Program 1.2. Create incentives to encourage higher density and/ or mixed- use
development in the downtown and at other appropriate sites along transit corridors.
Economic Strategy Program 1.3. Update the Downtown Plan periodically to guide future
development and respond to emerging market opportunities.
Economic Strategy Goal 2. Create and maintain a dynamic and diverse
economic base.
Economic Strategy Policy 2A. Allow increases in land use capacity and intensity in
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Economic Strategy 38 July 2003
appropriate locations to accommodate retail and commercial growth that will serve City
residents.
Economic Strategy Policy 2B. Support existing businesses and encourage them to
expand when appropriate.
Economic Strategy Policy 2C. Attract new businesses that:
? fill unique niches and/ or unmet demand;
? augment needed services and/ or existing amenities ( including recreation, retail and
restaurant uses);
? generate net fiscal benefits to the City, such as tax revenues;
? create higher- paying, higher- skill, and/ or higher- quality jobs for local residents
? match the skill levels of the local labor pool;
? have potential to stimulate other private investment in the city;
? are compatible with existing infrastructure and the environment;
? support, participate in, and promote civic activities;
? create minimal negative impact on the surrounding community; and
? require minimal public investment.
Economic Strategy Policy 2D. Facilitate reuse of underutilized parcels when appropriate.
Economic Strategy Program 2.1. Permit additional retail, commercial, and light industrial uses
in appropriate locations, but require such uses to mitigate their impacts on schools, residential
areas, and traffic.
Economic Strategy Program 2.2. Identify the reuse potential and feasibility of commercial and
light industrial properties.
Economic Strategy Program 2.3. Work with key employers on issues that may impact their
decisions to remain in the city.
Economic Strategy Program 2.4. Work with real estate and development professionals to identify
opportunities to bring employers into the city that will diversify the job base.
Economic Strategy Program 2.5. Create a mechanism to identify and create redevelopment/ reuse
opportunities that respond to the needs of specific potential retail and commercial users.
Economic Strategy Program 2.6. Continue to support a marketing program that promotes city
amenities, ease of access, affordability, and quality of life.
Economic Strategy Program 2.7. Work with Diablo Valley College, Cal State Hayward, and other
regional educational institutions to tailor job- training programs to local businesses ( including
service, retail, finance, insurance, real estate, local government, education, and transportation).
Economic Strategy Goal 3. Facilitate additional retail and commercial
opportunities that meet local needs.
Economic Strategy Policy 3A. Encourage and support commercial catalyst projects only
at key locations ( such as the Contra Costa Shopping Center) that:
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 39 Economic Strategy
? serve local residents;
? spin off benefits to surrounding businesses;
? stimulate private investment; and
? provide net fiscal benefits to the City.
Economic Strategy Policy 3B. Facilitate the improvement and upgrading of older and
outmoded uses along Contra Costa Boulevard, including mixed use development where
feasible, such as at the DVC Plaza ( K- Mart) site ( including the portion east of the canal).
Economic Strategy Policy 3C. Strive for a balanced mix of local, regional, and national
retailers that offer a diversity of product and pricing choices to local residents.
Economic Strategy Policy 3D. Concentrate quality retail and restaurant uses near
existing successes.
Economic Strategy Program 3.1. Establish a process to identify market opportunities ( such as
population growth and change in supply) so that City policies and strategies can be proactive and
timed to market changes.
Economic Strategy Program 3.2. Develop plans for a compatible mix of office, hotel, retail, and/ or
residential uses at the Contra Costa and DVC Plaza Shopping Centers, and prohibit any net
reduction in the square footage of retail floor space that existed at DVC Plaza in July 2003.
Economic Strategy Program 3.3. Develop a specific plan or zoning regulations for upgrading
Contra Costa Boulevard that includes guidelines for land use, design, and circulation
improvements.
Economic Strategy Program 3.4. Provide technical and economic assistance to encourage the
concentration and upgrading of businesses along Contra Costa Boulevard.
Economic Strategy Goal 4. Enlarge the City’s revenue base as necessary to
sustain and support the community.
Economic Strategy Policy 4A. Evaluate proposed development to determine whether it
would impact the City’s revenue base.
Economic Strategy Policy 4B. Ensure that the cost of new development, including
necessary public improvements, is shared equitably by project proponents.
Economic Strategy Policy 4C. Consider the impact of new commercial projects and
substantial enlargements or additions on schools and public agencies.
Economic Strategy Program 4.1. Require fiscal impact analyses for major development proposals
to assess citywide impacts and to identify any burden on the City such projects might create.
Economic Strategy Program 4.2. Assess periodically the structure of permit fees, user fees, and
utility rates to ensure they cover the true costs to the City of private commercial development.
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Economic Strategy 40 July 2003
Economic Strategy Program 4.3. Analyze periodically city per capita sales by market category ( as
compared to statewide averages) to identify trends and sectors that should be targeted for growth.
Economic Strategy Program 4.4. Enact nonresidential developer and/ or impact fees as
appropriate to ensure that new development is self- supporting and does not burden the City
revenue base.
Economic Strategy Program 4.5. When reviewing new developments and substantial
enlargements or additions, ensure to the degree possible that there are no unintended negative
economic impacts on the school district or other public agencies.
Contra Costa Shopping Center
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 41 Circulation
Circulation Element
Street Network
The policies in this element are intended to ensure the safety of persons using the city
circulation system and to maintain compatibility between that system and the land uses
it serves. Local streets that provide direct access to homes and other fronting properties
comprise the majority of streets in Pleasant Hill.
Rapid growth has produced heavy travel demand on streets and highways throughout
Contra Costa County. Pleasant Hill is located on Interstate 680, the only north- south
freeway in the County, which carries more than 250,000 vehicles per day through the
city. Interchange improvements in the late 1990s helped improve access between
Interstate 680 and Contra Costa Boulevard, the busiest north- south street in the city.
In general, the city street system operates efficiently without significant delays. Table C1
and the Circulation System map on page 43 show major streets ( arterials and collectors)
in Pleasant Hill and average daily traffic in 2000. Traffic volumes are highest on
boulevards such as Contra Costa, Taylor, Monument, and Treat that accommodate
through traffic, serve concentrated commercial development, and provide access to
Interstate 680. Other through streets such as Buskirk Avenue and Pleasant Hill Road
( north of Taylor) also carry high traffic volumes.
Arterials are intended to carry traffic between areas of the city, direct service to major
traffic generators, and connect to the freeway system. Arterials also often provide direct
access to parcels, although medians commonly restrict left turn options. Arterials, which
typically carry more than 10,000 vehicles a day at speeds of 30- 40 mph, include:
Buskirk Avenue – north- south arterial with signals at Coggins Drive and Monument Boulevard.
Buskirk serves a variety of residential and nonresidential uses and is often utilized by through
traffic traveling south from Monument Boulevard to the BART station and destinations in
Walnut Creek and Concord.
Chilpancingo Parkway – arterial from a signalized intersection at Contra Costa Boulevard west
to Martinez. With a full interchange at Interstate 680, the Parkway attracts through traffic and
provides access to Diablo Valley College via Old Quarry Road. Chilpancingo Parkway also serves
adjacent commercial and medium- density multifamily residential development. The eastern
extension of this parkway is Concord Avenue, a major access route to downtown Concord.
Contra Costa Boulevard – major north- south arterial traversing the city parallel to Interstate 680
with freeway access:
? Southbound near Chilpancingo Parkway/ Concord Avenue
? Southbound at Gregory Lane off- ramp
? Southbound and northbound at Monument Boulevard
? Northbound ( off- ramp) and southbound ( on- ramp) near Boyd Road
Contra Costa Boulevard serves much of the city’s commercial and business development, as well
as Diablo Valley College ( via Viking Drive and Golf Club Road). Intersections are signalized at
Chilpancingo Parkway, Golf Club Road, Viking Drive, Taylor Boulevard, Ellinwood Drive,
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Circulation 42 July 2003
Second Avenue, Doray Drive, Vivian Drive, Woodsworth Lane, Gregory Lane, Trelany
Road/ Crescent Plaza, Monument Boulevard, Boyd Road and Astrid Drive. South of Boyd Road,
the boulevard becomes a four- lane arterial that functions as freeway frontage, providing direct
access and carrying through traffic to and from Walnut Creek.
Geary Road – arterial east from Pleasant Hill Road along the south edge of the city. It serves
regional through- traffic to the Treat Boulevard/ Interstate 680 interchange and the Pleasant Hill
BART Station in the unincorporated County, and directly accesses residences.
Gregory Lane – arterial west from Contra Costa Boulevard to Pleasant Hill Road, with signalized
intersections at Contra Costa Boulevard, Cleaveland Road, Moiso Lane Helen Road and Pleasant
Hill Road. West of Pleasant Hill Road, Gregory Lane becomes Grayson Road, a two- lane collector
west to Reliez Valley Road, with a signalized intersection at Taylor Boulevard This corridor
serves east- west through- traffic, as well as residential, church, retail and office uses.
Golf Club Road – four- lane divided arterial west from Contra Costa Boulevard to Paso Nogal
Road, with signalized intersections at Contra Costa Boulevard and Old Quarry Road; two- lane
road west to terminus at Contra Costa Country Club. Golf Club Road also provides access to
residential uses, Diablo Valley College, and several small retail centers.
Monument Boulevard/ Crescent Plaza – arterial east from Contra Costa Boulevard into Concord.
Intersections at Contra Costa Boulevard and Buskirk Avenue are signalized, and an interchange
at Interstate 680 serves through- traffic between the freeway and Concord. Most of the south side
of Monument Boulevard is developed with commercial land uses east of Interstate 680.
Oak Park Boulevard – east- west arterial from Pleasant Hill Road to Interstate 680, where it
becomes Coggins Drive, a collector serving the Pleasant Hill BART Station area. These streets
accommodate regional through- travel and local residential and commercial access, with key
intersections at Pleasant Hill Road ( stop- sign controlled), and Putnam Boulevard, Monticello
Avenue Pleasant Valley Drive, Contra Costa Boulevard and Buskirk Avenue ( signalized).
Pleasant Hill Road/ Alhambra Avenue – arterial through the city ( though a collector between
Oak Park Boulevard and Gregory Lane) with a stop sign at Oak Park Boulevard and signals at
Paso Nogal Road, Taylor Boulevard, Gregory Lane, Devon Avenue, Strand Avenue and Geary
Road. Pleasant Hill Road/ Alhambra Avenue also provides local access to adjacent residential
areas and a school.
Taylor Boulevard – carries local and through traffic. For most of its length, Taylor Boulevard is
an expressway with speed limits of 45 mph and 55 mph and limited driveway access.
Intersections at Grayson Road, Pleasant Hill Road, Morello Avenue, Lucille Lane, Contra Costa
Boulevard, Apollo Way and Ruth Drive are signalized. East of Contra Costa Boulevard, Taylor
Boulevard becomes Sun Valley Boulevard, with an interchange at Interstate 680.
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 43 Circulation
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Circulation 44 July 2003
Table C1. Major Street Traffic Volumes
Arterials Daily Trips
Buskirk Avenue 10,800- 22,800
Center Avenue 7,500- 10,800
Chilpancingo Parkway 5,400- 21,800
Contra Costa Boulevard 14,800- 36,000
Geary Road 12,000- 41,500
Golf Club Road 6,700- 13,200
Gregory Lane 14,700- 17,100
Monument Boulevard 9,500- 53,600
Oak Park Boulevard 8,500- 16,200
Pleasant Hill Road 8,100- 29,100
Taylor Boulevard 16,700- 21,700
Collectors Daily Trips
Boyd Road 3,700- 9,600
Coggins Drive 5,400
Ellinwood Drive 9,000
Grayson Road 6,000- 7,400
Hookston Road 2,600- 13,200
Morello Avenue 6,200- 10,400
Norse Drive 4,000- 6,300
Old Quarry Road 7,800
Paso Nogal Road 5,000- 5,500
Patterson Boulevard 5,800
Viking Drive 4,900- 10,300
Source: TJKM, 2000
Arterials in Pleasant Hill also provide connections to adjacent areas, as follows:
? Chilpancingo Parkway extends into Concord as Concord Avenue;
? Taylor Boulevard extends into Concord as Sun Valley Boulevard;
? Alhambra Avenue, Morello Avenue, Chilpancingo Parkway and Contra Costa
Boulevard extend north into Martinez and unincorporated Pacheco;
? Taylor Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road carry traffic south into the unincorporated
areas and Lafayette;
? Contra Costa Boulevard extends south into Walnut Creek as North Main Street; and
? Geary Road continues east into Walnut Creek as Treat Boulevard.
A number of other streets in Pleasant Hill carry sufficient volume to be classified along
selected road segments as collectors, which typically carry 5,000- 10,000 vehicles a day at
speeds of 25- 30 mph. Collector streets provide access to parcels, connect adjacent
neighborhoods, link neighborhoods to arterial streets, and carry through- traffic in
residential, industrial, and commercial areas. Primary collectors in Pleasant Hill include:
Boyd Road – east- west collector linking Contra Costa Boulevard with Pleasant Hill Road and
serving Sequoia Elementary and Middle Schools. Intersections at Contra Costa Boulevard and
Cleaveland Road are signalized, with stop signs at Pleasant Hill Road and Patterson Boulevard.
Coggins Drive – east- west collector with signals at Oak Park Road/ Interstate 680. To the east,
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 45 Circulation
Coggins Drive bends south as a county road and narrows from four to two lanes. There are four-way
stops at Las Juntas Way and at the Pleasant Hill BART Station ( where it turns into Jones
Road).
Ellinwood Drive – short, divided east- west collector, with a traffic signal at Contra Costa
Boulevard, a four- way stop at Long Brook Way and a stop at Ellinwood Way.
Grayson Road – a two- lane east- west collector with separate bike lanes, and stop signs at Reliez
Valley Road and near the entrance to Oakmont Memorial Park. There is a traffic signal at Taylor
Boulevard and another at Pleasant Hill Road ( where Grayson Road turns into Gregory Lane).
Hookston Road – a short two- lane east- west collector with stop signs at Buskirk Road, Elmira
Drive, and Bancroft Road.
Morello Avenue – collector south from Chilpancingo Parkway to Taylor Boulevard. Stop signs
control the intersections at Paso Nogal Road and Kiki Drive, while the Taylor Boulevard
intersection is signalized. Morello Avenue provides access to Diablo Valley College.
Norse Drive – a north - south two- lane collector with bike lanes, a signal at Taylor Boulevard, and
stop signs at Viking Drive, Civic Drive, and Paso Nogal Road. South of Taylor Boulevard, Norse
Drive turns into Lucille Lane.
Old Quarry Road – a short north- south four- lane collector with signals at Chilpancingo Parkway
and Golf Club Road ( Diablo Valley College), and a four- way stop at Camelback Road.
Paso Nogal Road – a curving two- lane collector with stop signs at Morello Avenue and Golf Club
Road and a signal at Alhambra Avenue.
Patterson Boulevard – a two- lane north- south collector with a stop sign at Boyd Road and a
signal at Oak Park Boulevard, where it turns into Putnam Boulevard.
Viking Drive – a two- lane east- west collector with separate bike lanes, a signal at Contra Costa
Boulevard ( Sun Valley Mall), four- way stops at Norse Drive and Ruth Drive, and stop signs at
Morello Avenue.
Regional Freeways include:
? Interstate 680, which passes through the eastern edge of the city;
? State Route 4, the major east- west link across the County, is a four- to- six- lane
freeway with interchanges at Alhambra Avenue and Morello Avenue in Martinez
and at Pacheco Boulevard ( where Caltrans estimated 75,000 vehicles per day in
1998); and
? State Route 24, a four- to- six- lane freeway connecting to Oakland and the Bay Bridge,
joins Interstate 680 in Walnut Creek, diverging northeastward to connect with SR- 4
via SR 242.
Commercial vehicles with gross weight over 6,000 pounds are allowed only on certain
streets designated as Truck Routes ( see the Circulation System map, which also shows
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Circulation 46 July 2003
signalized and all- way- stop intersections).
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 47 Circulation
Level of Service
Level of Service ( LOS) describes the relative ease or congestion of traffic movement ( see
Table C2 ) with ratings from A ( free flow conditions with little or no delay) to F ( jammed
conditions with excessive delays and long back- ups on major streets in the City). Table
C3 summarizes LOS for 10 key intersections in the city, based on traffic counts collected
in January and February 2001 and on methodology adopted by the Contra Costa
Transportation Authority.
Table C2. Intersection Level of Service Definitions
LOS Delay Period Description
A 0 - 5 seconds Free/ Insignificant Delay: No approach area is fully utilized by traffic.
B 5 - 15 Stable Operation/ Minimal Delay: An approach area may be fully utilized.
Some drivers feel restricted.
C 15 - 25 Stable Operation/ Acceptable Delay: Approach areas are fully utilized.
Most drivers feel restricted.
D 25 - 40 Approaching Unstable/ Tolerable Delay: Drivers may have to wait through more
than one red signal. Queues may develop but dissipate rapidly.
E 40 - 60 Unstable Operation/ Significant Delay: Volumes at or near capacity.
Vehicles may wait through several signal cycles. Long queues form.
F > 60 Forced Flow/ Excessive Delay: Jammed conditions. Intersection operates below
capacity with low volumes. Queues may block upstream intersections.
Source: CMCA, 2002
Table C3. Peak Hour Intersection Levels of Service
Existing Conditions
A. M. Peak Hour P. M. Peak Hour
Intersection
( listed north- to- south)
V/ C LOS V/ C LOS
Contra Costa Blvd/ Interstate 680 Ramps N/ A N/ A 0.81 D
Contra Costa Blvd/ Chilpancingo Pkwy 062 B 0.83 D
Contra Costa Blvd/ Taylor Blvd 0.45 A 0.74 C
Contra Costa Blvd/ Gregory Lane N/ A N/ A 0.52 A
Contra Costa Blvd/ Monument Blvd N/ A N/ A 0.64 B
Monument Blvd/ Buskirk Av/ Ramona Drive/ Lisa Lane 0.57 A 0.71 C
Gregory Lane/ Cleaveland Road 0.45 A 0.48 A
Gregory Lane/ Pleasant Hill Road 0.63 B 0.59 A
Oak Park Blvd/ Putnam Blvd/ Patterson Blvd 0.69 B 0.64 B
Oak Park Rd./ Coggins Dr/ Buskirk Ave/ Oak Rd 0.49 A 0.48 A
Source: TJKM, 2001. N/ A: p. m. peak hour is significantly busier than a. m. peak hour
V/ C: Volume- to- capacity ratio. V/ C of 1 = LOS F.
Although the Contra Costa Boulevard intersections with Chilpancingo Parkway and the
Interstate 680 ramps in the north part of the city may be congested during p. m. peak
hours, intersections in the city are projected to continue to operate at acceptable levels
( LOS D or better) throughout the 20- year timeframe of the General Plan ( also see the
LOS discussion in the Growth Management Element). Roadway improvements that may
need to be provided by private developers to ensure future acceptability of service levels
General Plan 2003 City of Pleasant Hill
Circulation 48 July 2003
include:
? widening and realigning Buskirk Avenue and adding traffic signals at its
intersections with Hookston Road and/ or Mayhew Way to accommodate
redevelopment of the Contra Costa Shopping Center ( which could increase traffic by
10- 15 percent along Buskirk Avenue south of Monument Boulevard);
? widening Contra Costa Boulevard at Gregory Garden Shopping Center; and
? adding a traffic signal on Pleasant Hill Road in conjunction with additional
development of the Mangini/ Delu property.
Due to high volumes, complex configurations and freeway access, the intersections in
the city with the highest accident frequency are:
? Contra Costa Boulevard/ Chilpancingo Parkway/ Concord Avenue;
? Monument Boulevard/ Buskirk Avenue/ Ramona Drive/ Lisa Lane;
? Contra Costa Boulevard/ Gregory Lane; and
? Contra Costa Boulevard/ Monument Boulevard.
A February 2001 study of peak hour ( 4- 6 p. m.) traffic on Contra Costa Boulevard
indicates:
? It takes about 12 minutes to drive north from Oak Park Boulevard to Chilpancingo
Parkway ( about half spent at signals) and 10 minutes to drive south from
Chilpancingo Parkway to Oak Park Boulevard ( about one- third spent at signals).
? Average free- flow speed is about 31 mph northbound and about 28 mph
southbound, while average overall speed ( including stops) is about 16 mph
northbound and 19 mph southbound.
Viking Drive and Boyd Road experience substantial congestion associated with morning
school- related traffic. Viking Drive provides access to Valley View Middle School,
College Park High School and Diablo Valley College, while Boyd Road provides access
to Sequoia Elementary and Middle Schools.
Alternate Transportation
Bike routes are designated along most major and local streets in the city, as well as on
trails along the Contra Costa Canal, the East Bay Municipal Utility District right- of- way
and the railroad tracks (“ Iron Horse” trail; see the Circulation System map). The routes
link destinations in the city to each other and to the County bikeway system to
accommodate both work and recreation- related trips. Pedestrian access also exists on
bicycle off road routes.
County Connection provides bus service in the city and to adjacent areas ( see the
Circulation System map). Public bus routes cover most major streets and serve the
Martinez AMTRAK station and the Pleasant Hill BART station for regional commuting.
BART provides a significant alternative to the automobile for work- related trips from
Pleasant Hill to the East Bay and San Francisco. BART is expanding its service to South
San Francisco and the San Francisco International Airport. The Pleasant Hill Station has
about 3,000 parking spaces.
City of Pleasant Hill General Plan 2003
July 2003 49 Circulation
Circulation Goal 1. Establish and maintain a safe and efficient circulation
system that emphasizes the use of existing arterial and collector roadways,
paths, and bike lanes.
Circulation Policy 1A. Maintain rights- of- way at current widths, except as necessary to
relieve specific areas of congestion.
Circulation Program 1.1. Identify specific roadway segments where right- of- way widening,
narrowing, or extension may be appropriate or will likely be needed to improve safety.
Circulation Program 1.2. Continue to provide a forum such as the Traffic Safety Committee for
citizen input on traffic- related issues.
Circulation Program 1.3. Evaluate intersections with the highest accident rates.
Circulation Program 1.4. Provide roadway improvements necessary to meet the LOS standards
established for Basic Routes in the Growth Management Element.
Circulation Program 1.5. Require developers to establish comprehensive construction traffic
plans, for approval by City staff, which denote haul routes, detours, and other factors that may
impact public safety.
Circulation Goal 2. Decrease traffic delays associated with specific streets
and uses.
Circulation Policy 2A. Consider right- of- way widening, signalization, turn and/ or
parking restrictions, additional turning lanes, and other mitigation measures near
schools and other uses with congested conditions.
Circulation Program 2.1. Sponsor forums to obtain citizen input regarding the appropriateness of
roadway improvements aimed at reducing local traffic congestion.
Circulation Program 2.2. Evaluate the level of service at intersections that are congested during
the peak hour, and develop mitigation measures to alleviate that congestion.
Circulation Goal 3. Reduce speeding,
especially in neighborhoods.
Circulation Policy 3A. Focus traffic control
efforts in residential areas that experience
excessive traffic or speeding.
Circulation Program 3.1. Continue to implement
adopted c