Applicants for one of San Ramon's most prominent upcoming housing projects will present the Planning Commission with an amendment to the project Tuesday that would allow them to avoid obstacles raised by recent revisions by the local water district.

Recent changes to the East Bay Municipal Utility District's (EBMUD) requirements for water meter locations on individually mapped properties, which were implemented after the approval of the tentative map for the 404-unit City Village project last November, meant that developers from SummerHill Homes were faced with a four to six month delay thanks to a backlog of projects, according to EBMUD.

The applicants are seeking to get around this obstacle by requesting that the council approve a minor amendment that would shift a total of 268 units from simple fee lots to condominium lots, a move that would be in keeping with the city's General Plan and zoning ordinance according to staff and developers.

"The proposed minor amendment will not result in any changes to the number of units, building sites, or structures and the changes are consistent with the intent and spirit of the (original) map approval," wrote Michael Keaney, director of development at SummerHill Homes in a letter to city senior planner Cindy Yee on March 23.

Under the amendment, plans for architecture, yards, and landscaping for the project's 404 units would remain the same, as would the requirements for the homeowners association and individual owners.

"By amending the tentative map for condominium purposes, it allows for a more efficient utility design that will avoid the four to six-month delay," Yee wrote in a staff report for Tuesday's meeting.

"Amending the tentative map will also allow SummerHill to meet EBMUD's technical requirements without sacrificing units or common open space," Yee added. "The amendment of the tentative map will also have the added benefit of creating more space for landscaping in the courtyards and between driveways where opportunities for landscaping are currently limited."

Yee said that the applicant had sought alternative solutions to the amendment that would avoid the months-long delay, but that none had been accepted by EBMUD.

The San Ramon Planning Commission's next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday (May 3) at 7 p.m.. The agenda is available here.

In other business

* Commissioners will consider a resolution that would approve development plan, tree removal, environmental review, architectural review and land-use permit applications for the proposed 84-bed El Nido Senior Living Facility.

The move comes in the wake of the City Council's April 26 vote approving a specific plan amendment that would allow the property to be redesignated as a residential land use zone rather than its previous limitations under "park" zoning according to the city's Westside Specific Plan.

The same day, applicant Sohail Siddiqi submitted revised project plans, in response to ongoing and robust public comments from supporters of the project and wary neighbors.

* The commission will consider approving development plan, architectural review and minor use permit applications for the proposed Primrose Daycare Facility at 18080 San Ramon Valley Blvd.