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The San Ramon Planning Commission is set to discuss three potential retail land-use alternatives that could help spur economic development in the city Tuesday.
The study session discussion is part of a larger, three-phase plan to stimulate economic growth by focusing on San Ramon retail centers and their placements throughout the city.
Commissioners will be asked to provide input on possible retail land use options developed by consultants First Carbon Solutions and Bay Area Economics — the alternatives include enhancing the best-performing retail centers, shifting retail centers toward the freeway for better access and “pruning” the existing retail sites to focus effort on the best-performing centers.
All three of these options would remove mixed-use designations from high-performing retail centers, in order for them to solely focus on retail.
Removing the designation would have some side effects, however, and would need to be addressed by the city, according to interim director Debbie Chamberlain, who authored the staff report to the commission.
“With the proposal to remove the Mixed-Use designation from key retail centers to enhance their performance, this will result in the loss of Housing Opportunity Sites to satisfy the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation,” she wrote. “As a result of this, there are opportunities to implement the City Council’s Strategic Vision of encouraging housing in the City’s core to create a walkable downtown in proximity to jobs, shopping, and transit.”
The overall plan to promote economic growth was initiated in November 2016.
Phase 1 included a retail analysis report that was completed in February and the second phase, which focused on the development of alternatives, started in March. During that phase, various stakeholders were asked to participate in a retail focus group to provide insight and expertise on San Ramon retail centers.
Three key action steps were pinpointed based on the report’s analysis and focus group discussions that could strengthen the San Ramon retail sector: relocate retail to where it can be most successful, remove the mixed-use designation from high-performing retail centers and incentivize reconfiguration within existing centers.
To implement these actions, Chamberlain said, commissioners could choose one of the presented alternatives or potentially combine particular aspects from each of them.
The first alternative, enhancing the best-performing centers, would specifically affect Crow Canyon Commons, The Shops at Bishop Ranch, Diablo Plaza and Gateway Center by removing these locations’ mixed-use designation.
The second and third alternatives would also revoke those mixed-use designations, among other changes.
In addition, the second option, realigning retail toward the freeway, would relocate mixed-use designations in the North Camino Ramon Specific Plan to four sites with Crow Canyon Road frontage, with a density bonus for retail along Crow Canyon Road.
This option would also promote office development in mixed-use designations.
The final, retail “pruning” alternative would relocate mixed-use designations in the North Camino Ramon Specific Plan to two sites with Crow Canyon Road frontage, also with a density bonus for retail along the road. Additionally, this alternative would reduce retail at sites like Country Club Village, The Marketplace and Orchard Supply Center through incentivizing reconfigured retail or conversion to other, non-retail uses.
After commissioners provide input, these alternatives will be revised and presented to the City Council for consideration before continuing with the fiscal impact analysis for each of the alternatives and then recommending one alternative to the council.
Tuesday’s meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at San Ramon City Hall, 7000 Bollinger Canyon Road.
