San Ramon releases draft Housing Element

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San Ramon officials are soliciting feedback on an updated draft Housing Element during a public review period that kicked off this week.

The seven-day review period kicked off on Wednesday, with review and feedback invited through next Tuesday (Dec. 27).

The current draft up for review has undergone revisions and incorporated comments following the submission of an earlier draft for feedback from the California Department of Housing and Community Development on Oct. 18.

While San Ramon has grown steadily and demanded more housing for years, one focus of the current Housing Element update for 2023 to 2031 is finding sites that can meet the state’s requirements under the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) that the city identify sites and make way for the development of more than 5,000 additional housing units, 61% of which are required to be affordable to low-income households.

The draft Housing Element also focuses on providing for additional workforce housing long anticipated as necessary for the city’s continued growth, and part of officials’ vision for its future.

“A central guiding theme used throughout preparation of the General Plan was ‘smart growth’ development patterns, which focus on reuse and intensification of existing sites within the core of the City to provide expanded housing opportunities,” city staff wrote in the introduction to the draft. “A significant workforce housing supply is proposed to meet the City’s share of regional housing needs, primarily through redevelopment.”

Some proposed options for redevelopment have already garnered controversy ahead of the upcoming Housing Element update as part of the city’s General Plan update, including the Marketplace Shopping Center and the Golden Skate roller rink.

Plans for housing at the Marketplace site have given rise to robust resistance from many residents, including the group Citizens Against Marketplace Apartment/Condo Development (CAMPAD).

Management at the Golden Skate had announced plans to close the rink last winter, but said it would remain open through at least the end of this year following an uptick in attendance and outpouring of community support. However, the site has long been eyed by the city and intended to be considered for redevelopment in the current housing element cycle.

Public comment is invited on the suggested sites in the revised draft Housing Element through Dec. 27 by emailing planning@sanramon.ca.gov or mailing comments to the city’s Planning Services Division at 7000 Bollinger Canyon Road.

The current draft housing element is available here.