The San Ramon Planning Commission is set Tuesday to hear a presentation from staff and provide feedback on the city's mixed-use zoning requirements and objective standards for development as part of the continued General Plan Update process.

Staff will present proposed mixed-use zoning standards that will be incorporated into the General Plan update, and discuss a draft of new standards proposed as part of the update.

"Tonight's study session will focus on feedback on the purposes of each mixed-use zone, MU development standards such as floor-area ratios (FAR), average unit size, setbacks, MU definitions, and direction on objective design standards," senior planner Cindy Yee said in a staff report prepared for the meeting.

The draft update contains sections on the purposes of mixed-use zoning, land uses and permit requirements, development standards, and definitions.

"The descriptions of the MU zones are similar to the descriptions present(ed) to the commission in September 2022 with an updated description of DMU-South to reflect Bishop Ranch's recent proposals at the Chevron campus," Yee said.

The land use and permit requirements are aimed at providing clarity on what uses are allowable for mixed-use projects, with a table detailing what land uses are allowed in each mixed-use classification.

"If a use is not listed in the 'Allowed Land Uses and Permit Requirements' table, it is considered not permitted within the MU zone," Yee said. "The allowed land uses in the newly created MU zones follow closely the Zoning Ordinance's current allowed land uses in the MU and CCMU zones."

The draft standards detail four different mixed-use designation districts in different parts of the city: Mixed-Use, Commercial Emphasis (MUX), Mixed-Use Residential Emphasis (MUR), Downtown Mixed-Use North (DMU-N), and Downtown Mixed-Use South (DMU-S).

The MUX district aims to promote office and retail use with residential uses aimed at being "complementary" and primarily located behind non-residential projects. The MUR reverses that priority, with residential uses being at the forefront, and office and commercial uses intended to be complementary to these projects.

The two DMU designations are aimed at guiding development of the city's growing downtown core. The DMU-N district is aimed at incorporating housing into existing office-oriented spaces, aimed at incorporating new residential projects into the city's Walking District and commercial projects that will complement the predicted needs of future residents. The DMU-N district will seek to expand on ongoing development in and around City Center, ultimately facilitating a pedestrian and transit-friendly neighborhood with a range of commercial and retail operations.

Following feedback during the upcoming meeting, staff are set to continue work on the draft standards before incorporating them into the city's zoning ordinance.

The San Ramon Planning Commission is set to meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday (March 21). The agenda is available here.