The City of San Jose is about to start studying the environmental impacts of a massive proposed development on open space at the former Pleasant Hills Golf Course. But while that review hasn’t even started, the landowner has already begun cutting down and removing trees—destroying wildlife habitat before the city can evaluate or address the impacts.

We’re urging the City to require full mitigation for the loss of trees and wildlife habitat caused by this premature clearing. If you’re a resident of San Jose, please use our form to send an email to the City.

Habitat Lost Before Environmental Review Even Begins

The Pleasant Hills Golf Course, a 114-acre expanse of open space in the midst of urbanized San Jose next to Lake Cunningham Park, is the site of a massive proposed development. The City of San Jose recently initiated the environmental review process for this development, part of which will involve evaluating the site’s existing trees, plants, and wildlife habitat. But the landowner has started removing large numbers of trees before the environmental analysis has even begun. This means that, when biologists survey the site for the presence of sensitive wildlife or plant species, much of the habitat that was formerly present on the site will most likely have been destroyed.

City documents state that there are over 1,000 trees on the site, but due to the recent tree removal activity on the site, that number now appears to be much lower. Because the site is so huge and is closed to the public, it almost certainly provided habitat for a variety of birds, bats, and other wildlife – quite possibly including rare or endangered species. A large, secluded open space area would be an oasis for wildlife in the midst of urbanized San Jose.

Part of the environmental review process involves determining what mitigation measures the developer must undertake to compensate for the development’s environmental impacts. Mitigation means taking action to offset or reduce the severity of the harmful environmental effects caused by the development. We’re asking the City of San Jose to require the Pleasant Hills developers to mitigate the loss of trees and wildlife habitat as it existed prior to the removal of the trees.

An Important Urban Green Space for the Surrounding Community and for Wildlife

The Pleasant Hills Golf Course site is entirely open space, which means it provides irreplaceable benefits to the surrounding community in the form of greenhouse gas reduction, cooling during heat waves, absorption of stormwater, and habitat for wildlife. The San Jose City Council recognized the importance of this site for open space when they mandated that any development on this site must exceed the minimum requirements for parkland and open space. That makes the destruction of habitat on the site before the development is even underway that much more disturbing.

Furthermore, in surveys conducted by the city, local residents overwhelmingly chose parks and open space as their top priority for development on this site.

Source: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/112466/638527650308230000

The Pleasant Hills site is the last sizable undeveloped parcel in San Jose, and development here would be the largest contiguous new development the city has seen in decades. It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to save some of the open space currently on the site to benefit both surrounding communities and our region’s ecosystems. Imagine the possibilities for tree-shaded trails, community gardens, native wildflower meadows, and nature-based playgrounds where kids can dig in the dirt and climb trees.

Green Foothills has not opposed all development on the Pleasant Hills site due to the urgent need for housing in our area and because it is an infill site, meaning it is well within a city rather than in the rural unincorporated area. But if the opportunity for preserving some of the nature and habitat on this site is lost, both wildlife and the local community will suffer.

Urge the City to Require Full Mitigation for Lost Habitat

The city has the power to require the Pleasant Hills developers to mitigate for the loss of trees and wildlife habitat on the site as part of the environmental review process. We’re asking that this mitigation be required, and that parkland and open space be prioritized in the design of the development.

We’re asking the City of San Jose City to require mitigation for the loss of wildlife habitat due to the landowner’s premature removal of large numbers of trees on the site, and to prioritize parkland and open space in the design of the development. If you’re a San Jose resident, please use our form to send an email to the City Council and the San Jose Planning Department about this issue. If you’re not a San Jose resident, please share this article with friends or family who live in San Jose and urge them to send an email.