Mayor outlines San Ramon priorities: housing push, Measure N funds, parks and public safety

The Mayor delivered the State of the City address, telling residents that San Ramon must plan for and show progress toward more than 5,000 new housing units by 2031 and that the city will concentrate that growth in the city core around Bishop Ranch to protect open space and neighborhoods. “We want to protect our open space,” the Mayor said.

The speech foregrounded three near-term priorities: accommodating the state-mandated housing requirement, stewarding Measure N revenues to restore services, and investing in parks and public-safety infrastructure. The Mayor said Measure N — approved by voters in 2024 — is expected to bring about $13,500,000 in additional revenue and emphasized fiscal discipline: “No new programs or positions without trade offs, no spending money we don't already have, and no unsustainable commitments.”

Why this matters: San Ramon is largely built out to its urban growth boundary, the Mayor said, so the city must direct most new housing into its core rather than into open space or existing neighborhoods. Concentrating development, he argued, will allow the city to protect parks and neighborhood character while meeting the state requirement.

The Mayor described several capital and community projects underway or planned. On transportation and active mobility, he highlighted the new bridge across Bollinger Canyon Road that has increased Iron Horse Trail use and won statewide recognition. A federally seed-funded design for a Crow Canyon Crossing bridge is in progress with a target of a shovel-ready project by about 2027.

On parks and facilities, the Mayor said Critter Crossroads Park in Dougherty Valley is complete pending county sign-off; Crow Canyon Gardens will begin phased upgrades including an expanded community garden, demonstration garden and nature-themed play space; Boone House at Forest Home Farms is slated for renovation discussions; and Memorial Park has a new bronze eagle installation.

On housing, he listed projects in the city core: Iron Horse Village (about 117 units), BR11 (about 195 units) and BR7 (about 190 units). He announced an Eden Housing affordable project on the Sunset Development service-center site of about 200 units, with roughly half for seniors and half for workforce families and on-site services to help residents remain housed. He also noted Avalon Bay has started earth-moving for 457 apartments on the lot between City Hall and City Center.

The Mayor addressed business climate and city services, saying the city has reduced some business-license fees and is streamlining permitting to repurpose older office spaces for housing and new retail activity. He said those changes help activate shopping centers and support a diverse local economy.

On public safety, the Mayor praised the partnership between the San Ramon police, the fire district and county agencies. He pointed to a new fire training facility and a state-of-the-art emergency-operations and dispatch center at Crow Canyon and Bollinger as investments in readiness.

The address closed with an appeal for thoughtful implementation and interagency coordination — including the school district, utilities and emergency services — to manage impacts such as school enrollment, water supply and traffic. The Mayor thanked residents and said, "Our future is bright."