Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The San Ramon City Council is set to debate a draft plan revolving around the expansion of retail businesses in the city Tuesday night.

The proposed retail strategy plan is intended to address identified opportunities and constraints for retailers in the city. If approved, it will help guide the city’s retail industry toward increased economic opportunities, according to city staff.

“The draft retail strategy lays out a framework for how to best position retail in San Ramon to ensure the city’s fiscal sustainability while maintaining and improving the quality of life for residents and workers alike,” community development director Debbie Chamberlain said in her staff report to the council.

Strategies focus around six key areas of the city targeted for better development: the Central Bollinger Canyon Corridor, East Crow Canyon Road Corridor, Diablo Plaza Retail Node, East San Ramon/Dougherty Valley, South San Ramon and Crow Canyon Specific Plan Area.

These six areas have the best prospects at drawing in new retailers while also improving the business opportunities of those already in the city, Chamberlain said.

The retail strategy attempt to outline specific actions the city will need to take in order to achieve certain economic goals, and if approved by the council, the plan will then update the cities current economic development strategic plan.

At its core, these strategies seek to:

* Capture supportable retail square feet and increase tax base

* Support specialty retail at City Center Bishop Ranch

* Expand retail and restaurant options for residents and employees

* Encourage housing in the City Center Priority Development Area without jeopardizing retail, per Council priorities.

According to Chamberlain, the plan was developed and improved upon by the city’s Planning Commission and Economic Development Advisory Committee as well as members of the local retail community.

The councilmen are asked to either approve the draft plan outright, or make suggestions on how it can be tweaked to best serve the community.

The council will be hold its regular meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m. inside the council chamber at San Ramon City Hall, 7000 Bollinger Canyon Road.

In other business

* The councilmen will be recommended by their staff to allow the appointment of a administrative coordinator to provide administrative staff services to the Measure J Traffic Congestion Relief Agency, TRAFFIX, for a period of two years.

According to a staff report by transportation division manager Lisa Bobadilla, TRAFFIX currently has provided 22 school buses to 11 school sites and serves approximately 1,700 students.

* The council will hear a presentation recognizing May as National Water Safety Month, an effort sponsored by the American Red Cross and mostly aimed at educating parents on how to ensure their children are swimming safely on hot summer days.

* A special presentation will honor one of the city’s public servants, O.J. Plotner who has been San Ramon police fleet services coordinator for 15 years. Police Chief Dan Pratt will give a presentation recognizing Plotner’s service to the department.

* Mayor Bill Clarkson will give a presentation recognizing the Spandana Spelling Bee 2018 winners.

Join the Conversation

5 Comments

  1. I woukd like to know what the plan is to get some restaurants back in our city? We’ve lost big ones: Max’s, Chili’s, Chevy’s, Applebees and Giuseppe’s. The Max’s building has sat empty for almost 4.5 years now. Chevy’s and Giuseppe’s building also still sit empty.
    I know the new City Center will have some restaurants but options to eat elsewhere in our city would be nice. I love living here but it would be nice to have more eating options like we once had.

  2. Those lost restaurants were all victims of corporate decisions or disputes/rent increases with landlords. The city plays no part in landlord tenant issues.

  3. Unfortunately less restaurant options are still a reflection of the city and us residents are still lacking options. I’m sure the city rather have people eating here, not in surrounding cities that might have more options.

  4. A valid point regarding the former Max’s Restaurant location, now vacant for almost 4.5 to 5 years. However, I have noticed some signs of life in the past week, in the form of construction fencing and a contractor’s mobile office structure. Does anyone know if the project will be a retail entity, or a new restaurant?

Leave a comment