At its December 2 meeting, the Pleasanton City Council advanced a series of initiatives that reflect the City’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the local economy, supporting businesses of all sizes, and making it easier for residents and businesses to invest in Pleasanton. The actions are part of a significant effort to advance the 2024–2028 Economic Development Strategic Plan over the past two years, during which the City has modernized its economic development approach, reorganized departments to better align planning and permitting with business needs, and implemented several new business recruitment and retention initiatives. Together, these efforts are creating a clearer, more predictable environment for economic investment while preserving the high quality of life that defines Pleasanton.
This progress reflects a deliberate, results-oriented focus on Economic Development. “We are moving with purpose. Over the past two years, we’ve modernized our economic development structure, streamlined key processes, and built a clear roadmap that is already delivering results,” said Gerry Beaudin, Pleasanton City Manager. “These changes reflect our commitment to making Pleasanton easier to navigate, quicker to respond, and better aligned with the needs of our business community. This work is not theoretical – we are putting solutions in place that will make a real and measurable difference for residents, employers, and investors.”
In early 2025, the City Council identified economic development as a top priority and approved the creation of the Community & Economic Development Department, bringing permitting, planning, and economic development under one umbrella for the first time. This new structure has allowed staff to better coordinate across disciplines, streamline processes, and anticipate the needs of businesses and residents. As part of this work, the City has launched new business attraction materials, refreshed its Support Local program, expanded partnerships with organizations including the Pleasanton Downtown Association, Hacienda Business Park, the Chamber of Commerce, Innovation Tri-Valley, and the East Bay Small Business Development Center, and strengthened outreach to brokers, shopping center owners, and major employers.
At last week’s meeting, City Council approved several updates to Pleasanton’s zoning procedures that will make the development review process faster, simpler, and more consistent. The amendments modernize Design Review requirements so that many smaller residential and commercial projects no longer require formal design review, a change expected to reduce Design Review permits by at least half. The City also reduced the appeal period from 15+ days to 10 days, giving applicants faster clarity and more predictable timelines. These changes reflect the City’s broader effort to remove uncertainty, eliminate unnecessary delays, and make the permitting experience more accessible for homeowners, small businesses, and commercial property owners.
The Council also reviewed progress on implementing the Economic Development Strategic Plan, which outlines Pleasanton’s long-term vision for supporting business retention and attraction, diversifying local revenue, strengthening retail districts, and elevating the City’s role in the regional innovation ecosystem. Recent accomplishments include advancing the City’s Retail Attraction Strategy through market analysis and targeted broker engagement; expanding business communication and marketing tools; supporting entrepreneurship and small-business development through partnerships with i-GATE, East Bay SBDC, and Innovation Tri-Valley; and preparing to launch a new economic development microsite that will consolidate data, resources, and success stories to make information easier to access for employers, investors, and the community.
“Pleasanton has extraordinary potential, and the work we’re doing today is laying the groundwork for the next generation of economic opportunity,” said Jack Balch, Pleasanton Mayor. “By streamlining processes and making it easier for businesses to grow, invest, and innovate here, we’re strengthening our local economy, expanding choices for residents, and building a vibrant future for Pleasanton.”
Looking ahead, Pleasanton is positioned to continue this progress in 2026. The City will continue its work on retail attraction to strengthen shopping centers and neighborhood retail areas and will evaluate additional opportunities to streamline commercial and tenant-improvement permits to help businesses open more quickly. A key upcoming initiative will be the development of the “Pleasanton Playbook,” a user-friendly guide that will clearly explain the City’s development review process, including permits, timelines, and points of contact, to improve transparency and provide businesses, particularly small businesses and entrepreneurs, with a straightforward roadmap from idea to approval. The City will also expand partnerships around tourism and hospitality, especially as the region prepares for large-scale events such as the Super Bowl and World Cup, and launch new communication tools to help the public better understand the impact of economic development and community development services.
These efforts demonstrate Pleasanton’s commitment to supporting a healthy local economy, improving customer service, and fostering an environment where businesses, workers, and residents can thrive. By modernizing processes, strengthening partnerships, and aligning City operations with long-term economic goals, Pleasanton continues to position itself as a vibrant, welcoming, and opportunity-rich community.
More information about the City’s economic development efforts is available at www.cityofpleasantonca.gov/our-government/economic-development.