San Ramon planning commissioners recommend city council consider Bishop Ranch affordable‑housing agreement that would create nearly 200 rental units and a $1.19

The San Ramon Planning Commission voted unanimously on July 15 to forward a development‑agreement recommendation to the City Council for a package of affordable‑housing provisions tied to the Bishop Ranch buildout that the applicant said would deliver a substantially larger number of rental and very‑low‑income units than currently approved plans.

The applicant, Sunset Development, and its proposed nonprofit partner, Eden Housing, presented the amended Bishop Ranch Affordable Housing Site Development Agreement, which would reallocate some inclusionary obligations and donate land for standalone affordable communities. “Eden will provide a completion guarantee to both its lender and investor before construction,” Stephanie Hill of Sunset Development told commissioners. Eden’s representative described the nonprofit’s resident services and long track record building affordable communities.

What the commission voted on The commission adopted a resolution recommending City Council approval of the Bishop Ranch Affordable Housing Site Development Agreement. The motion passed 4‑0 (yes 4, no 0, abstain 0). The resolution forwards the agreement — which includes an Eden Housing‑led standalone affordable community at Camino Ramon and provisions for two additional standalone sites described by the applicant — for final action by the City Council.

Key points of the agreement and the applicant’s proposal - Units and affordability: Sunset said the package would deliver something like 198 affordable rental homes at the Eden site(s) (about 200 total units minus manager units) and that the overall proposal increases the city’s number of very‑low‑income units by more than 95 above current approvals. The proposal also increases the ratio of rental‑equivalent homes to ownership homes compared with the city’s inclusionary baseline. - Financial contribution: Sunset proposed a voluntary contribution to the city housing fund of $3,000 per unit from specified Bishop Ranch projects, totaling roughly $1,185,000, to offset moderate‑income obligations not delivered on site. - Delivery and risk protections: The development agreement would allow Eden five years to secure financing, with a discretionary five‑year extension available to the city. If financing is not secured within the approved period, the graded site with impact fees paid could transfer to the city. The applicant highlighted Eden’s financing model, which relies on donated land to make competitive tax‑credit financing feasible.

Why the applicants argue this is beneficial Sunset and Eden told commissioners the arrangement produces more total affordable homes, deeper levels of affordability (a greater share of very‑low‑income units), and a guaranteed nonprofit owner/operator with resident services. The applicant argued standalone, nonprofit‑led rental communities make deeper affordability practical in current financing markets by donating land to reduce project costs.

Concerns and public comment Several residents and public commenters urged a like‑for‑like model—keeping ownership affordable homes in the original subdivisions rather than converting them into off‑site rentals—and asked whether workforce priorities (teachers, public safety, city employees) would receive preference. Commissioners and members of the public repeatedly requested clearer apples‑to‑apples comparisons between on‑site ownership units and off‑site rental equivalents, and asked staff to ensure the council packet explains the numbers and assumptions in plain terms.

Commissioner direction to staff and the applicant Commissioners asked staff to: (1) include a clearer table that shows unit allocations and assumptions for council review; (2) consider indexing the $3,000 per‑unit contribution so it retains purchasing power at permit/construction time; (3) request regular status updates from Eden on financing efforts (staff noted annual development‑agreement reviews would provide updates); and (4) explore mitigation for senior parking if on‑site parking proves insufficient (one suggestion was shared/off‑hour parking in nearby business parks).

What happens next The commission’s action was a recommendation; the City Council must approve the development agreement for it to take effect. Staff said the development agreement will be refined with council direction and then the planning commission will review any amended conditions of approval for the covered sites after council action.

Action extracted - Motion: recommend the City Council approve the Bishop Ranch Affordable Housing Site Development Agreement (motion text: staff resolution forwarding the DA to council). Mover/second: not specified in the record. Vote: 4 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain. Outcome: forwarded to City Council for decision.