Update: On September 8, the Bishop Ranch CityWalk Master Plan appeal was denied and the San Ramon City Council approved the project. We are thrilled that the Master Plan is moving forward—providing 4,500 (675 affordable) new homes to the Bay Area!
Greenbelt Alliance is pleased to endorse the CityWalk Bishop Ranch Mixed-Use Master Plan in San Ramon, CA. We applaud their commitment to stormwater management best practices, developing drought-resistant parkland, and wetlands that will introduce qualities supportive of ecological diversity.
The CityWalk Mixed-Use Master Plan will provide 4,500 units on 111 acres, alongside a 169-key hotel, and 170,000ft2 of creative office/retail use, with 15% of the units designated for low or very-low income households. This development will transform and repurpose surface parking lots into a vibrant mix of housing, retail, office, and recreational spaces. Recreational and community amenities include:
- Over ten acres of neighborhood parks
- Over 22 acres of lakes for recreational use
- 11 acres in a parkway system (with off-street bike and pedestrian trails alongside public art and seating)
- One community center
- A public amphitheater on the lake
This plan makes significant progress towards the development of a more dynamic urban form for the City of San Ramon, encouraging pedestrian and bicycle transportation for work, school, and recreation.
The Bay Area needs more developments like this that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the human impact on the environment. San Ramon currently has a large job center with more than 30,000 employees at Bishop Ranch. With this proposed increase in multi-family housing units, more people will be able to live close to where they work, reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) which will result in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Bishop Ranch also aims to emphasize transit, bicycling, and walking modes through comprehensive Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies, with mode shift goals for commuter travel. TDM strategies can be an effective way for organizations and cities to be climate-smart. Projects such as this where residential development can build on the existing TDM strategies used by the office park can serve as a powerful model around the region. We believe it will be possible to increase the number of residents, employees, and guests getting around by walking, cycling, using public transit or other transportation options that have less impact on greenhouse gas emissions than single-occupancy vehicle travel from 15% to 30%, and would encourage Bishop Ranch to publicize their goals, strategies, and monitoring processes to highlight best practices and serve as a model for the future.
While this is a Master Plan that is set to be phased over 25 years, given that our region needs development now, we encourage the City of San Ramon to work with Bishop Ranch to streamline processes and prioritize housing construction.
Every city in the Bay Area must play their part to increase their housing stock to make sure the local workforce can afford to live close to jobs, schools, and services — spending more time with family and friends and less time in traffic congestion — improving the social fabric of our communities and reducing the climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions produced by driving.
The CityWalk Bishop Ranch Master Plan is the kind of climate-smart development that we need in the Bay Area to meet our housing goals, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and make sure that local residents are able to grow and thrive in their own communities as housing costs rise.
Learn more about sprawl threats around the Bay Area by downloading our At Risk report today. You can also find out more about our Endorsement Program here. Of course, we’re always here to help so feel free to contact our team for more information and support.
Photo: Sunset Development Company
