Pleasanton Costco Project: Judge Rules In City's Favor

PLEASANTON, CA — Pleasanton Weekly reported that an Alameda County Superior Court Judge has ruled against a group that sued the city of Pleasanton over the proposed Johnson Drive Economic Development Zone project, which could bring a Costco and two hotels to Pleasanton.

The lawsuit was filed in March by Pleasanton Citizens for Responsible Growth, which is led by former Pleasanton City Councilmember Matt Sullivan.

The group alleged that the city violated the California Environmental Quality Act by approving an environmental impact assessment for the proposed project along Johnson Drive, near I-680 and Stoneridge Drive. The lawsuit claimed that there was not substantial evidence to support the council's determination that environmental impacts of the project would be less than significant and that the council did not adequately respond to public feedback.

The judge sided with the city and determined there was enough evidence to support the environmental impact assessment, Pleasanton city attorney Dan Sodergren told the Weekly. Pleasanton Citizens for Responsible Growth will have 60 days to appeal the decision, the paper reported.

The environmental impact assessment in question was the second issued for the Johnson Drive Economic Development Zone project proposal.

The first environmental report was completed in 2015 and was the basis of another lawsuit filed by Pleasanton Citizens for Responsible Growth. The group alleged that the CEQA had been violated because the air quality review regarding the nearby Stoneridge Apartment Community was incomplete, according to a council report.

Costco and the city agreed to perform additional air quality analyses and Pleasanton Citizens for Responsible Growth agreed to dismiss the lawsuit, the council report said.

The subsequent 2019 analysis — which was the basis of the lawsuit filed in March — was based on updated and more precise information, the city wrote in a report that the council discussed during a Feb. 4 meeting. Air impacts would be "less than significant," officials determined.

Costco also agreed to reduce the amount of gas distributed each year at its gas station to 24 million gallons.

Air quality during construction could still be poor, but workers could take steps such as using lower-emission equipment and limit equipment idling time to two minutes, said city planner Eric Luchini during the Feb. 4 council meeting.

New traffic signals would be installed to help mitigate environmental impacts from traffic to a "less than significant" level. The area along southbound Stoneridge Drive, parallel to the Dublin San Ramon Services District ponds, and westbound along Johnson Drive onto the I-680 onramp will be widened, regardless of whether the project is approved, Luchini said.

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See the lawsuit here: