San Ramon: Commission to discuss General Plan update

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The San Ramon Planning Commission is set to hear a presentation Tuesday from city staff on the retail and economic development portions of the city’s General Plan update process, which kicked off last year.

The update is aimed at ensuring the compliance of the city’s policies and upcoming projects with state law, as well as their continued relevance for residents’ needs, based on economic changes.

The General Plan update as a whole will set forth officials’ vision for the city over the next 20 years. The Housing Element of the General Plan is also in the process of an update process, as part of its eight-year cycle.

The presentation set for discussion at Tuesday’s study session will include draft revisions from staff updating the Economic Development Element and a 2022 analysis of retail development opportunities.

“The last update to the Economic Development Element was completed in 2018, when the City adopted a Citywide Retail Strategy that identified what kinds of retail can be attracted to the community as well as where retail uses should best be located,” city senior planner Cindy Yee said in a staff report.

“The current update to the Economic Development Element 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 COVID19 pandemic,” Yee added.

Commissioners are set to discuss minor revisions proposed by staff to their 26 implementing policies, as well as the addition of two new policies.

One new policy would “prepare development standards specifically to address the proportion of non-commercial development allowed in the course of shopping center revitalization, and the conditions under which such proportions would be allowed,” as proposed by city staff.

The second new policy would “establish a system for ongoing coordination of specific plan areas, to maximize the potential for mutually reinforcing development to occur, with attention to emerging opportunities, transportation linkages, expanding markets, and similar considerations.”

One highlight of the retail analysis is an increase in overall retail inventory since 2019, from 2.3 million to 2.7 million square feet, which is largely due to the development and growth of City Center. In addition, retail vacancy has increased from 2.8% to 5.5% according to the analysis.

Overall, the 2022 analysis also projects an increase in development opportunities by 2035, and a rebound in retail to 94% of pre-pandemic levels in 2019. While full economic rebound isn’t expected, an increase in demand for retail opportunities is projected in the analysis due to population growth.

“The 2017 study projected future development opportunities by 2035 to range between 600,000 and 1.2 million square feet; the 2022 study shows stronger potential demand growth, ranging from 800,000 to 1.4 million square feet,” Yee wrote in the staff report.

This year’s analysis also forecasts incremental demand for office, industrial, and hotel space. Recommendations include incentives for reinvestment in existing retail spaces, actively recruiting retail tenants, and a “comprehensive/holistic approach to economic development, recognizing the potential value of promoting mixed-use ‘villages,'” according to Yee’s report.

“Given the City’s strengths of high resident income and education levels, a large and diverse employment base, and stronger-than-expected population growth, the City has the opportunity to build on the success of City Center and repurpose underperforming centers,” Yee wrote.

The San Ramon Planning Commission’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday (July 19) at 7 p.m. The agenda is available here.