City Council Hears What San Ramon Might Look Like in the Future

What San Ramon could look like years, maybe decades, from now was the main topic at the City Council meeting Tuesday night.

The council heard two presentations. The first was the city's expected role in the regional One Bay Area Plan and the other an update on the status of the North Camino Ramon Specific Plan.

With the population expected to increase from 7 million to 9 million in the Bay Area by 2040, the hope of the One Bay Area Plan is to, as its website says, "making transportation, housing and land use decisions now to sustain the Bay Area's high quality of life for current and future generations."

Part of the goal is also lower carbon dioxide levels by 15 percent in the Bay Area, which the plan currently doesn't successfully project to do. The council was presented with five alternative plans, but the projected carbon dioxide level was between 8 and 9 percent for all five plans.

"The irony is lowering CO2 was the main impetus for this and from looking at the best and worse case scenarios there is no difference," Mayor Bill Clarkson said.

For San Ramon, the plan foresees the city's growth in the North Camino Ramon and City Center areas. The carrot the city receives for following the One Bay Area Plan is funding assistance from the state.

In a related presentation, Lauren Barr, a senior planner with the city, went over the the proposed changes to the North Camino Ramon Specific Plan.

The 235-acre area — stretching from he city limits to the north to Executive Parkway to the south and Highway 680 on the west to Alcosta Boulevard to the east — would be a blend of retail, housing and office space in an effort to maintain and enhance the quality of life for residents.

There is a joint session with the council and the planning commission scheduled for Feb. 21 to go over the plan and the council is expected to make a final decision on the proposal in May or June.

"This is just a plan," Barr said. "We would still need developers to step in and see value in it before anything happens...This is something that will slowly happen over a long period of time."

Also at the meeting...

• The council recognizied the work of the Building Bridges organization, whose volunteers conducted a number of neighborhood improvement projects in San Ramon last year.
• The city proclamed February as American Heart Month, and heard from members of the community, including the San Ramon Valley Fire Department, on the importance of heart health.