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The San Ramon City Council and Planning Commission are holding a joint meeting on Tuesday to discuss proposed updates to the city’s General Plan and the process for formalizing an update to the plan for its next cycle.
City staff are asking for councilmembers, commissioners and members of the public to provide feedback to them and consultants on the ongoing process of drafting, adopting and implementing the General Plan 2040 update at the special joint meeting, and to continue discussions at a later public hearing.
“The San Ramon General Plan 2040 is a long-range plan that guides decision-making and establishes rules and standards for new development and City improvements,” city planner Cindy Yee wrote in a staff report. “It reflects the community’s vision for the future and is intended to provide direction through the year 2040. This public hearing is the first in a series of public hearings as required by Measure G; tonight’s meeting will discuss the update to the General Plan elements, land use map, and alternatives.”
The process for updating all elements of the city’s General Plan began in 2021, with an eye toward conforming with recently implemented state laws and adapting to leaders’ and developers’ evolving vision for the future of San Ramon.
“The Project is centered on compliance with recent changes and mandates in State law and responds to the City’s evolving land use and growth management policies,” Yee wrote. “The General Plan Update will articulate the long-term vision for the City over the next 20 years (through 2040).”
The Housing Element update was completed early this year, and certified by state officials in February, leaving staff and city officials to focus on developing and formalizing updates to the remaining elements of the General Plan.
“As part of the GP Update review, a team comprised of Staff and Consultants audited the current General Plan 2035 and prepared tracked changes to the Elements to identify the proposed updates and edits,” Yee wrote. “To maintain internal consistency, the General Plan Maps, narratives, and policies will all be updated, along with amendments to the San Ramon Village Specific Plan and repeal of the North Camino Ramon Specific Plan. Modifications to the Dougherty Valley Specific Plan are not required.”
Yee added that no vote is planned for the upcoming meeting, with staff seeking feedback and input on the current proposed updates before coming back to officials with modifications.
One factor taken into account in the General Plan update process is the projected growth of the city’s population and job opportunities through 2040.
“At General Plan buildout, based on the anticipated housing development identified in the City’s Housing Element through 2031 and future projected housing production in future housing cycles, housing units are expected to increase by 10,155 units,” Yee wrote. “Using the average persons per household size of 2.92 people, population is expected to increase to 110,089 in 2040. Jobs are also projected to increase based on the Association of Bay Area Governments to 71,199 in San Ramon at General Plan buildout.”
The economic impact of the projected growth and the change in shopping and work habits brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic are also factors considered in future changes to the Economic Development Element of the General Plan for the next cycle.
“The current update builds on the land use, economic strategies, and zoning changes that were put in place with the 2018 Economic Element update and considers recent and on-going changes in the retail industry, including shifts in shopping patterns due to the COVID-19 pandemic and shopping trends,” Yee wrote.
Proposed updates to the Growth Management Element of the plan are also on the table in light of the forecast growth and other factors since its last update more than five years ago.
“The draft GME continues to maintain existing goals and policies to accommodate economic and population growth while also considering the quality of public services, facilities, and lifestyle that are enjoyed by those who live and work in San Ramon,” Yee wrote.
Changes over the past five years and projected growth into 2040 also mean changes for the Land Use Element of the plan.
“The Land Use Element of the General Plan contains goals and policies that will shape the City’s land use and development decisions to maintain a strong community identity and character for the next 20 years,” Yee wrote.
The newly adopted Housing Element update, along with factors considered in updates to other elements, also necessitates some further changes in order for the update as a whole to be consistent.
“Map changes associated with the (Housing Element) reflects the addition of new Housing Opportunity Sites (HOS) in the current HE and the removal of parcels that are no longer HOS,” Yee wrote. “With a large majority of HOS located within the City Core, the land use map identifies the new land use designations in the Core that are being replaced due to the repeal of the North Camino Ramon Specific Plan.”
Other portions of the General Plan, such as the Circulation and Traffic, Parks and Recreation, Open Space and Conservation, and Air Quality and Greenhouse elements are aimed at making the updated plan consistent with the city’s changing landscape as well changes in state law and increased urgency to address the impacts of climate change over the years since their last updates, most of which were in 2015 or 2018.
Public hearings on the update process are anticipated to continue through the fall, when the updated plan is set to be adopted.
The joint San Ramon City Council and Planning Commission meeting is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday (May 30). The agenda is available here.
