St. Alphonsus, San Leandro
Entitlement and Sale of Hillside Parcel
-
The Oakland Diocese sought to maximize value of a 4.7 acre surplus parcel in San Leandro before marketing it to buyers. While the property was located in a desirable neighborhood, much of the site had a Commercial General Plan designation, which limited its development value. It was also heavily sloped and adjacent to homes whose residents were concerned about the potential loss of their views. Given those constraints, the parcel drew limited interest from builders.
-
To attract a greater pool of developer/buyers, WGV processed a General Plan Amendment to residential use, and designed a turnkey program that would both appeal to residential builders and be acceptable to the surrounding community. WGV analyzed numerous civil engineering options to ensure an optimal cost/benefit balance between sitework costs and unit count. The result was a 56-unit tuck-under townhome program that was designed to blend into the existing site contours. Obtaining approval of the project required negotiation of key changes to the County’s recently adopted Design Guidelines to increase yield and revenue. This program maximized the financial value of the property while addressing concerns raised by the neighboring residents. After receiving municipal approval, WGV brokered the sale of the parcel on behalf of the Diocese to Meritage Homes, who completed construction and sale of the homes in 2019.
