San Ramon council lowers minimum FAR in downtown to expand affordable rental housing

The San Ramon City Council on May 13 adopted a General Plan amendment, environmental review and an ordinance that reduce the minimum sitewide floor area ratio in the Downtown Mixed Use North zone from 1.25 to 0.5, a change proponents say will allow more affordable rental housing and opponents say undermines the city’s previously adopted plan. The council approved the measure in a single motion, adopted Ordinance 529 and approved Resolution 2025-048, by a 5-0 vote.

The change affects the DMU North district — roughly a 205-acre area of the city core that includes parts of Bishop Ranch and parcels bounded by Executive Parkway, I-680, Alcosta Boulevard and Norris Canyon Road. Cindy Yee, senior planner for the city, told the council the amendment would lower the minimum FAR from 1.25 to 0.5 while leaving the maximum FAR at 2.75.

City staff and the applicant, Sunset Development, said the reduction resolves an internal inconsistency between the city’s unit-based density standard (20–60 dwelling units per acre) and the FAR requirement that effectively required taller, denser structures to meet the prior minimum. “The 1.25 FAR effectively requires a five-story building,” Stephanie Ho,…