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San Ramon council continues hearing on Bishop Ranch FAR change after debate over affordable housing plan
Summary
City Council held a lengthy public hearing on a proposed reduction to the Downtown Mixed Use (DMU) North minimum site-wide floor-area-ratio (FAR) that Sunset Development says would enable a larger standalone affordable-housing project; council accepted public testimony and continued the hearing to April 22 for more information.
San Ramon City Council on April 8 heard a detailed staff report and applicant presentation on a proposed amendment to the city General Plan and zoning rules that would reduce the DMU North minimum sitewide floor-area-ratio (FAR) from 1.25 to 0.5, then voted to continue the public hearing to April 22 for additional information and responses to council questions.
Planning Services Division Manager Lauren Barr told council the request would not change the city's housing-element certification and that FAR is a form-and-massing standard, not a density standard. "This particular reduction in FAR ... would not result in any additional impacts beyond those already analyzed in the EIR," Barr said. She described the history: the 1.25 FAR was set after a general-plan ad hoc process in 2022 and reiterated that the change is meant to give developers flexibility under varying market conditions.
Applicant Stephanie Hill, representing Sunset Development, said the FAR and the dwelling-units-per-acre ranges do not align for 100% residential projects in DMU North and that the mismatch has forced developers to rely on the state density-bonus…
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