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Garaventa Hills Project

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November 1, 2023, Neighborhood Meeting

A town hall meeting was held in the Multi-Purpose Room at Altamont Creek Elementary School on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, from 6:30 - 8:00 PM. 

Here is a YouTube link to a video of the Neighborhood Meeting recorded by Citizens for Balanced Growth. https://www.youtube.com/@CitizensForBalancedGrowth

Project Background

On April 22, 2019, the City Council certified a Recirculated Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and approved the Garaventa Hills project ("The Project"). The Project included 38 detached single-family units, six attached, affordable single-family residential units, an open space buffer around the perimeter of the site, two open space knolls, public trails, and a privately owned street.  

On May 23, 2019, Save the Hill Group ("Save the Hill"), a private group of concerned residents, filed a lawsuit challenging the City's certification of the EIR and approval of the Project. The Superior Court of the County of Alameda denied Save the Hill's challenge. Save the Hill appealed, and the Court of Appeals reversed the Superior Court's decision. The appellate court ruled that the EIR failed to disclose the potential availability of funding for open space acquisition and should have discussed potential feasibility of this option in the no-project alternative analysis. On September 26, 2022, the Superior Court directed the City to rescind certification of the EIR and approval of the Project. 

In accordance with the trial court's direction, on November 28, 2022, the Livermore City Council rescinded certification of the EIR and approval of the Project. However, Lafferty Communities has the right to bring the Project back for review by the City, which includes revising the EIR to analyze the no-project alternative to address the inadequacies identified by the Court of Appeal. 

In April 2023, Lafferty Communities paid the applicable City fees to cover the cost of preparing a revised EIR to resubmit the Project to the Planning Commission and City Council for review and reconsideration.  

Project Documents

Current Status

Lafferty Communities has exercised its right to resubmit the Project back for review by the City. The Project includes revising the EIR to analyze the no-project alternative to address the inadequacies identified by the appellate court. 

The City is required to process all development proposals, including any proposal for the Garaventa Hills Project, and to allow a property owner to correct or modify a project and resubmit their proposal for review. 

The property owners of the property which is the subject of this project have confirmed in writing that they are in contract with Lafferty Communities and do not wish to sell the property to the City. 

Location

The approximately 32-acre Garaventa Hills site is located at the western terminus of Bear Creek Drive and north of Altamont Creek Elementary School and Altamont Creek Park. The image below shows the project and highlights the publicly accessible trails that would be improved with the project.