San Ramon commissioners review phased plan for Crow Canyon Gardens renovation, seek funding clarity

San Ramon’s Parks and Community Services Commission on Jan. 22 reviewed and moved to approve a multi‑phase renovation plan for Crow Canyon Gardens that prioritizes work on the former Mudds building and ties later site work to capital improvement program (CIP) funding timelines.

The plan presented by PlaceWorks principal Sarah Sutton and the city’s parks staff lays out five phases that start with detailed building assessments, hazardous‑materials testing and mothballing; continue with schematic design and construction of a preserved “jewel box” room and pavilion; and culminate in parkwide pathways, garden improvements and a creek access and stabilization project that would require separate regulatory permitting and additional study.

Why it matters: the building that anchors the park is in deteriorated condition and has been closed for years. Staff told commissioners the initial work is intended to remove safety hazards, document what can be salvaged and establish a basis of design so later construction is not driven only by the conceptual master plan. The phasing decision will inform what staff requests in the March CIP and how development fee revenue (and other sources) can be applied.

PlaceWorks’ Sutton summarized the approach: “the building…