Design review commission studies 422‑unit Mitchell Townhomes; residents raise traffic and tree‑loss concerns

Design review commissioners received a study‑session briefing on the Mitchell Townhomes proposal, a 422‑unit townhouse development on a 22‑acre site at the Walnut Creek Shadelands Executive Park that would replace 11 existing office buildings.

Simmer Gill, senior planner with Walnut Creek City, told the commission the application (file no. Y24-026) is being processed under SB 330 and the Housing Accountability Act and that the city determined an environmental impact report is required. Gill said the developer’s preliminary SB 330 submittal preceded the city’s housing element certification by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD); the formal planning application was submitted April 9, found incomplete, then determined complete after subsequent submittals and revisions.

Jonathan Fern, senior vice president of development with Signature Development Group, and the project team described a multi‑phase, townhouse‑style development made up of eight floor plans across two neighborhoods. The proposal calls for 422 homes in roughly 83 buildings, heights of 38 to 40 feet, 955 parking spaces (111 spaces along internal streets and the remainder in garages), and 510 new trees to be planted. The plan would preserve eight existing on‑site trees and remove about 457 trees on site; the project team said 28 removals were approved by the city’s consulting arborist for condition reasons, while the remainder would require planning commission review. The applicant said 55 units (about 13% of the project) would be restricted to low‑income households, which the team said triggers density‑bonus provisions that allow the project to request waivers to objective development standards; the team requested 10 waivers.

Fern described several design and mobility features the team is proposing: internal pedestrian connections and a central green spine, on‑site rain gardens and bioretention, 30 distributed bike parking spaces, day‑one electric vehicle (EV) charging provisions and solar‑ready building design. He said the project would not be gated, would provide private balconies for each unit and would be built in two phases. Civil engineer Megan Alfarness said the project includes hydro‑modification mitigation using an underground storage vault and bioretention for stormwater treatment; she said some alternative infiltration approaches tend to be more expensive and are typically lined.

Public comment focused on traffic, tree loss and neighborhood fit. Ed Sheppard, a nearby resident, warned of increased congestion and said he expects many new trips into the Shadelands area for work and services. Patty Bentonbender, chair of the ViaMonte resident council, speaking for about 250 seniors at the ViaMonte senior living community across Shadelands Drive, called traffic and safety “a big one” and suggested moving the eastern driveway farther west; she also urged a larger setback along Shadelands. Wayne Morris, representing ViaMonte’s resident council subcommittee, emphasized tree loss, saying the project proposes removing 96 of about 103 coast redwoods on the property and that the arborist report found many of those redwoods in good condition. Jan Warren and other nearby homeowners asked about bicycle parking and transit connections. A Walnut Creek homeowner, Lior Tanuakko Ross, spoke in support of infill housing and said building housing on previously developed sites is environmentally preferable.

Commissioners asked about phasing, the location and dispersal of affordable units, the central green’s programming and usability, stormwater treatment approaches, fire and emergency access, and the spacing of paseos and pedestrian corridors. Commissioner Case asked staff to confirm that 10% of units were designed to be accessible; staff replied that 10% of the units are designated accessible and that accessible units are dispersed through the plan. Commissioners repeatedly urged the applicant to consider ways to preserve more mature trees where feasible, to rethink long rows of garage entries and to enhance programming and clarity for the central walkway so it reads as a prominent public spine rather than a series of private yard cut‑throughs.

No formal commission decision was reached; the item was a study session. Gill said the commission’s feedback will be forwarded to the planning commission when the draft EIR and entitlements are scheduled for public hearings. The project team said a draft EIR is expected later this summer and that planning commission and city council consideration would come after the EIR process is complete.