We, community members, oppose the plan to build a parking lot in Bicentennial Park on Tanager Drive.  This land was granted to the City of Pleasanton for use as a park in 1969. It features many mature and heritage trees, and green space used daily for sports and other outdoor recreation. Especially now, we need our neighborhood parks more than ever.  

Proposed development implications.  The City of Pleasanton plans to restore the adjacent Century House (2401 Santa Rita Rd.) as a gathering space and event venue.  The Parks & Recreation Commission proposes to expand venue parking on Bicentennial Park land. This approach would fragment the park; remove several large (including heritage) trees; pave much of the usable athletic space (due to slope and trees of remainder); and add emergency vehicle access on a residential street.  Beyond degrading the park, this parking lot would take away part of what makes the Century House special: it’s lovely setting.  The loss of historic grounds and trees would diminish Century House heritage and appeal as a venue, to the detriment of restoration goals.   

There are alternatives to meet project and community needs.  Best practices in other cities demonstrate that there are more effective ways to meet variable event parking needs, without sacrificing rare green space to do so:  

We call on the Pleasanton Parks & Recreation Commission to:

• Fully consider a broader range of parking alternatives to support the Century House renovation, including best practices such as shared parking with existing lots nearby;
• Allow for an open dialog with community members in this process;
• Develop a parking and site plan for the Century House Renovation that does not involve Bicentennial Park.  

We ask the Pleasanton City Council to:

• Only support a Century House Master Plan that does not compromise Bicentennial Park for parking, vehicular access or outbuildings.

Here’s how you can help:

• Sign this petition, and share it with others.
• Add a comment to share why this matters to you.
• Email citycouncil@cityofpleasantonca.gov to voice your opinion/share your perspective.
• Email SaveBicentennialPark@gmail.com if you’d like to become more involved.
• Join community conversations in the park with City Council Members and Parks and Recreation Commissioners.  See updates for upcoming meetings. 

Thank you!