Design review commissioners review 74‑unit Mount Diablo mixed‑use project; drainage, fire access, parking raised as concerns

Walnut Creek City Design Review Commission members on (September) reviewed plans for a seven‑story, 74‑unit mixed‑use building proposed at 2094 Mount Diablo Boulevard and asked that the applicant share drainage details with neighbors and finalize fire‑access measures before the item goes to the Planning Commission.

Senior planner Simmer Gill introduced the project as a 74‑unit rental building with a 3,000‑square‑foot ground‑floor commercial space and an 861‑square‑foot childcare center toward the rear of the site. The developer proposes eight very‑low‑income units under the state density bonus law and is requesting seven density‑bonus waivers and two concessions, Gill said.

The project site is about 24,000 square feet in the city’s West Downtown Specific Plan area and is listed in the housing element inventory as an opportunity site. Gill said the project qualifies for a Class 32 CEQA infill exemption and is being reviewed under the Housing Accountability Act (SB 330). She said the general plan’s Mixed Use Commercial designation yields a base density of 49 units; the density bonus provisions add 25 units, allowing the applicant to build 74 units.

Architect Ben Johansen of LCA Architects said the design responds to the site’s long, narrow shape by orienting…