Welcome To Pleasanton Meadows Neighborhood

(This article by Deborah Grossman was published in the June 28, 2002 issue of Pleasanton Weekly.)

Gretchen Clatworthy did not see her Pleasanton Meadows home on Landsdown Court until the day she moved in. Her husband had scrutinized the house and phoned with the news that daughter Alycta could ride her hike to Fairlands Elementary without crossing a street. This, thought Clatworthy in 1974, is my kind of neighborhood.

When Andrea Campisi house-hunted in Pleasanton Meadows in 1993, she imagined strolling daughter Samantha to the park and watching her play with other toddlers on the cul-de-sac. She noticed convenient shops and easy access to I-580. She was sold.

Over the years Pleasanton Meadows, with its unique greenbelt and community pool, has consistently attracted families. Bordered by I-580 to the north, Staples Ranch to the east, Santa Rita Road to the west and West Las Positas Boulevard to the south, the area inhabits Pleasanton’s northeast corner.

Development began around 1969. The closest shopping was the Santa Rita Safeway, built in 1967; Nob Hill wouldn’t open until 1986 and Trader Joe’s in the early ‘90s.

In 1974, the area retained a rural-suburban feel. "You’d pass some fields and one stoplight at Santa Rita and Black on the drive to downtown," recalled Clatworthy. Alycia loved to watch horse-back riders along the Fairlands Park greenbelt.

The horse riders are gone, but the unique cul-de-sacs bordering the park remain neighborhood favorites. These courts, off-shoots from Churchill Drive, West Las Positas, and Gulfstream Street, butt directly onto the park with either a walkway between homes or an open area at the end.

Gloria Fredette recalls walking down Oakbrook Court in the early ‘80s every summer day to the cabana club in the park. She said, "We met other neighbors, not just from our street. We’d pack lunch and watch each other’s kids if someone ran errands."

The Pleasant Meadows Cabana Club (PMCC) remains the communal heart of the community, said Jeff Capito, president of the group. Only owners of the 836 homes in the original Pleasanton Meadows subdivision are members of the club but member guests are welcome. The PMCC holds an annual Easter egg hunt, grand opening BBQ, and fall adult wine and food party. The summer PMCC swim team competes with local teams.

Another 300 houses and townhomes, not part of the original subdivision with its cabana club, were built the mid ‘8Os. At the north-eastern end, residents in newer homes enjoy the compact but picturesque Meadows Park. There is also a condo unit by Santa Rita with its own pool.

In the ‘90s the residents erected a "Pleasanton Meadows" sign at Santa Rita and West Las Positas. Yet, if you ask Campisi where she lives. she’ll say Fairlands.

Fredette explained the name confusion. "It depends on how close the family is tied to the school. Those who never had kids in Fairlands or live farther from Fairlands Drive more frequently call the neighborhood Pleasanton Meadows."

The duality of names reflects the school’s pre-eminence in the community. Since 1973, Fairlands developed into a strong academic presence and a meeting place for neighborhood groups like the Girl Scouts.

For safety and convenience, most parents now drive their children to school, resulting in serious 15 to 20 minute backups on West Las Positas. Speeding is another community concern - teenagers periodically race down Churchill Drive and adults use West Las Positas as a speedway. The city has installed additional stop signs.

Another issue, noted Clatworthy. is the I-580 highway noise. "In the summer, when the windows are open, it sounds like trucks and cars are driving through the bedroom - and the Commute starts at 3 am," she said.

For those living behind the California Burger restaurant, the "greasy hamburger" aroma that arises during the windy fall and winter is an environmental issue. The odor prompted some residents to contact the EPA, which is working with the restaurant to solve the problem.

Neighborhood residents keep their eyes on the future of Staples Ranch development and the possible extension of Stoneridee Drive to El Charro. They helped block the extension of West Las Positas to Livermore and expansion of Livermore Airport.

But Pleasanton Meadows remains a place where neighbors phone when you inadvertently leave the garage door open at night and baby-sit your kids in a pinch.

Another generation enjoys the greenbelt. Clatworthy brings grandsons John Zachary and Jared to play on the swings. On Fredette’s court, nine kids under the ace of 12 romp their way to the park to swim or play tennis. Her son Jim told her that he’s eager for summer vacation from Cal Poly. "I really appreciate a place like this to call home," he said.

Capito enjoys watching new neighbors from out-of-state adjust to life in Pleasanton Meadows. "Everyone says people told them, 'Californians are stuck up.' Now they say, 'Those folks were wrong!'".