The City of Pleasant Hill is proposing sweeping zoning changes that would permanently alter three of our most established and cherished neighborhoods: Gregory Gardens, East Vivian, and Poets Corner.
While each neighborhood faces unique threats, the outcome is the same:
The loss of single-family homes, the destruction of neighborhood character, and irreversible harm to the communities we’ve built our lives in.
Councilmember: Amanda Szakats (District 5), Email the City Council
The City’s proposal would rezone internal, residential streets — even cul-de-sacs — from single-family to Business Residential. This includes quiet, family-oriented areas that were never intended for commercial or high-density development. One of the most concerning impacts is the potential opening of Maureen Lane to through traffic, turning a safe, secluded street into a busy corridor — destroying its character and safety for families and children.
East Vivian
Councilmember: Andrei Obolenskiy (District 2), Email the City Council
East Vivian faces perhaps the most drastic changes. The City’s plan calls for removing over 150 existing homes and rezoning the area for Mixed-Use Residential. This is not an upgrade — it’s a demolition of an entire neighborhood. Families who’ve lived here for generations are now facing uncertainty and the loss of their homes. The City is willing to erase an established neighborhood for no benefit to the regulatory requirements. Why would the City do this? This District should demand answers.
Councilmember: Vice Mayor Zac Shess (Currently at large, recommended contact for District 3), Email the City Council
In Poets Corner, a proposal is on the table to connect a quiet dead-end street to Cleaveland Road, creating a new through-street that would drastically increase traffic in a peaceful, low-traffic neighborhood. On top of that, the plan would rezone several single-family homes to Business Residential, inviting commercial or high-density use into a community designed for calm and safety. These changes are not mandated by the State and there is no benefit to the housing needs.
Our neighborhoods may be different, but we’re united in what’s at stake:
Our homes. Our streets. Our way of life.
The City says this is about meeting state housing mandates — but they’re ignoring a large, vacant lots that could house new development without displacing a single family. Instead, they’re choosing the path of least resistance: sacrificing the communities that built this city.
The silver lining? These neighborhoods are located in three different City Council districts. That means if we can convince just three Council Members to vote “NO”, we can stop this devastating zoning plan.
Signup to our Newsletter to help organize the fight against these changes.
Send letters and emails to the City and your Council Member.
(Use our pre-written templates provided on this site here)
Request a meeting with your district's Council Member.
Tell them directly how this will impact your home, your family, and your neighborhood.
Show up to the City Council Meeting on October 20th.
Make your voice heard during public comment. Strength in numbers matters.
We’ve worked hard to build these neighborhoods. Let’s fight just as hard to protect them.
Let’s stand up, speak out, and stop this — before it’s too late.