Pleasant Hill Signals Julian Woods Rezoning Fix as State Limits Loom

Pleasant Hill homeowners in four neighborhoods asked the City Council to reverse parts of last year's General Plan 2040 upzonings. The city's housing consultant warned that any rollback without a matching offset could invite state scrutiny. Council took no vote in the Oct. 19, 2026, study session but gave staff informal direction: restore single-family zoning for about 10 homes on Julian Way and Maureen Lane, and explore offsets at commercial sites such as Black Angus, Rasputin and Taylor Business Park.

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• Council backs restoring R-7 zoning for Julian Way and Maureen Lane homes
• Consultant warns that downzoning without offsets risks state housing-element trouble
• East Vivian and Beatrice/Cleveland residents press for relief; outcomes hinge on finding offset sites
• Staff told to study Black Angus, Rasputin, Taylor Business Park as alternative housing sites
• 319 Gloria Drive declared a public nuisance, 5-0, the second abatement in two years

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The State's Leash on Local Rezoning

The basics: Program F is the city's housing-element commitment to affirmatively further fair housing under AB 686. It drove last year's rezoning of some single-family parcels to mixed use along Contra Costa Boulevard and to neighborhood mixed use along Gregory Lane. RHNA is the state-assigned housing target, which is 1,803 units for Pleasant Hill this cycle. "No net loss" and SB 330, the Housing Crisis Act, limit how far cities can cut housing capacity once they adopt it.

Why it matters: If the state decertified the housing element, Pleasant Hill would be exposed to builder's remedy projects, enforcement and penalties. The next RHNA cycle starts in 2031 and is expected to bring higher numbers.

Where things stand: Council directed staff in March to ask HCD, the state housing department, about changes in the Contra Costa Boulevard and Gregory Lane focus areas and to seven parcels near Beatrice and Cleveland roads. Ryan Lester, Project Manager for consultant Mintier Harnish, reported back.

"It's not enough to just provide a housing element that shows you have enough land," Lester said. He explained that capacity must be maintained for the whole cycle.

HCD told the consultant that "reverting to a lower density where you've intended to increase housing choices" would draw scrutiny unless the city takes alternative actions. Minor changes can be handled through site-inventory updates and annual progress reports. Program F also offers more flexibility than sites-inventory programs. "You can make minor changes and make little changes like that without having to reopen your housing element," Lester told the mayor.

Lester's recommendations varied by area:

1. East Vivian: Do not downzone without an alternative action. Switching to residential-only is allowable if the site keeps at least 40 units per acre.
2. Gregory Lane back parcels: "Just due to the minimal acreage, redesignating and rezoning the parcels that back to Gregory Lane is unlikely to significantly impact implementation of Program F," Lester said.
3. Beatrice/Cleveland: These parcels count toward above-moderate RHNA capacity, and the city's surplus is only 22 units. Downzoning requires an offset, ideally within 180 days.

Asked about swapping sites, Lester said "it's preferable to replace it with a vacant site rather than with a constrained, underdeveloped site." A second Mintier Harnish consultant cautioned that an alternative is not a simple one-for-one exchange. Any swap should be documented and reviewed with HCD first.

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Julian Woods Neighbors Get a Green Light

Why it matters: This is the one reversal the consultant called low-risk. Residents spoke in a coordinated push to close the deal before state law changes.

Where things stand: Five speakers urged Council to restore single-family designation and R-7 zoning. They cited homes that face each other, private streets and safety.

• Gordon Swidler said "I'm here to advocate for the return of the 6 properties" on Julian Way. He argued their orientation makes commercial use unworkable.
• Christine Will, board member of the Julian Woods HOA, asked Council to "direct staff to pursue restoration of these properties to R-7 zoning," and to prioritize the remaining legal analysis.
• Samantha Roberts, a Maureen Lane resident, spoke after a year of meetings. "I'm hoping that you will move forward with a motion to rezone R7 for the 4 homes at the end of Maureen Lane," she said.
• Madhu Amazon, a 31-year Julian Woods resident, cited safety and private streets. She also said she supports mixed use in appropriate places.

Amanda Martin put the stakes at about 43 units: 10 parcels at 20 units per acre. She questioned why the consultant did not clearly apply SB 330 and suggested the Black Angus site as an offset. "Residents elect you to take action and to listen to the concerns that are most impactful to their lives," Martin said. Tom Vitale asked Council to follow the Oct. 15 consultant memo.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Councilmember Amanda Szakats, District 5, asked staff to act on these homes. "I would just ask that we look at taking out these parcels, these homes on Julian Way and at the end of Maureen, and perhaps look at upzoning the Mangini area," she said. Councilmember Sue Noack agreed. "I think that's relatively easy, and I think we could get that done," Noack said. Mayor Zac Shess also backed the change. About 10 households stand to regain single-family zoning, and the city appears to keep its fair-housing compliance intact.

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East Vivian, Beatrice/Cleveland Face Harder Math

Why it matters: These neighborhoods carry more housing capacity. Any relief requires the city to find replacement sites the state will accept.

Where things stand: East Vivian, also known as Sherman Acres, residents argued that their area is the wrong place for density. "Forcing high-density mixed-use development into the area will overwhelm our narrow streets, ruin neighborhood charm, and negatively impact values for long-term homeowners," said Carrie Balderson. She asked staff to evaluate Taylor Business Park and the former Rite Aid site.

Elizabeth Nunez said the area is lower-income and occupied, and that it carries 40% of Program F acreage. "Sherman Acres is not an appropriate Program F site," she said. Dina Robach questioned how RCAAs (racially concentrated areas of affluence) were identified and pressed for analysis of Mangini Farms: "So what prevents the city from increasing the residential density?" A 36-year Maxine Drive resident identified as Garcia raised traffic on Shirley Drive and flooding.

Near the creek, neighbors made a flood argument. "Please downzone the Cleveland Beatrice area," said Leslie Altman. Ryan Guest and Tara Legaspi said three parcels are owned by the flood control district and are not for sale. They said five homes on Soleil and Beatrice should stay single-family. Lester responded that the site was already designated multifamily medium in 2018, so downzoning would conflict with SB 330. City Planner Troy Fujimoto said the old planned unit development had no standards, which made the label change housekeeping.

The other side: Valerie Slovin urged denser options and noted that her children left California because of cost. "I ask that you have political courage and embrace change," she said. Vice Mayor Andrei Obolenskiy, District 2, defended the original rezoning: "Adopting our own zoning kept Pleasant Hill not a developer or court in charge of where housing goes." Noack described the RHNA process as a state-mandated fight: "When people say you should be fighting for us, we did fight." Albert L. Franco opposed any taxes supporting mixed-use development, including a Measure K extension.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts:

• Councilmember Belle La, District 1, said "I stand by the fact of looking at changing commercial zone to allow for mixed use and multifamily development." She asked staff to model the Rasputin, Black Angus and Taylor Business Park sites.
• Noack asked staff to look at shifting density around the Beatrice/Cleveland parcels. She noted that Black Angus is being marketed with hotel entitlements.
• Shess asked whether density could move from the creek's west side to the other side. He drew a line on broader trades: "I don't want to horse trade some other part of the city to accommodate that." He also warned against relying on Black Angus to solve everything, given that future RHNA numbers will be higher.
• Shess rejected any notion that "we're going to just open up the housing element and make ginormous wholesale changes."

No motion or vote was taken.

What's next: Staff will return with analysis of offset sites; no date was set. Relief for East Vivian depends on whether those offsets satisfy HCD. Obolenskiy pledged District 2 town halls and newsletter updates as work on the next cycle begins.

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Gloria Drive Weeds Declared a Nuisance, Again

Where things stand: Fujimoto described 3-foot weeds at 319 Gloria Drive. The property was abated in 2025 with a recorded special assessment, received two notices to abate this year and was the site of a hostile welfare check. He said the "property owner responded that the city should essentially do what we need to do." Police confirmed that the owner refused contact. Staff said Protective Services had also been turned away.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Noack moved and Obolenskiy seconded the resolution under Ordinance 973. Council approved it (For: 5, La, Noack, Obolenskiy, Szakats, Shess; Against: 0; Absent: 0). Abatement costs may become a lien on the property. No one spoke during public comment.

What's next: "I'm just trying to think of ways to just not have this keep coming back every single year," Shess said. Under the ordinance, staff can skip the hearing step if the weeds recur within a year.

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Minor Items

• Consent calendar passed 5-0: It included the Sept. 21 and Oct. 5 minutes, the check registers and a successor AFSCME Local 1 labor agreement running Sept. 1, 2026, to Aug. 30, 2029. La moved, Szakats seconded, and no terms were discussed publicly.
• United Against Hate Week: Shess proclaimed Oct. 18–24, 2026. Diversity Commission events include an Oct. 26 fireside chat with College Park students.
• Summer concerts: Civic Action Commission Vice Chair Anthony Garcia reported the best-attended Sunset by the Lake season and a Diablo Magazine readers' pick. Sponsor and band applications for year 27 are open.
• Blue Dot launch: City Manager Ethan Bindernagel is enrolling businesses in a new city communication platform and pointed residents to Neighborhood Watch.
• Assembly outreach: Annie Harlan, field representative for Assemblymember Avila-Farías, promoted a Fall Harvest Festival (Oct. 23), a Cafecito meet-and-greet (Oct. 29) and a Día de los Muertos event (Nov. 1).

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Looking Ahead

Council adjourned to its next regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 2. Residents tracking the rezoning should watch for staff's offset analysis, which will shape what comes back for formal action.