San Ramon council denies appeal, approves 20-year Orchards master plan

San Ramon City Council on April 7 denied an appeal of the Planning Commissionapproval of the Orchards Development Project and approved Resolution No. 2026-040, clearing the way for a 20-year master plan to redevelop the 92-acre former Chevron Park at 6001 Bollinger Canyon Road.

The council voted 5-0 after hearing staff presentations, testimony from the appellant and the applicant, and more than a half-dozen public comments. The appeal, filed by Brian Swanson, challenged the cityreliance on CEQA Guidelines section 15183 (streamlining for projects consistent with a prior certified EIR) and raised eight specific grounds, with the hearing centering on whether the record contained substantial evidence on vehicle miles traveled (VMT), greenhouse gas analysis, tribal consultation and the effect of post-2023 regulatory changes.

"This appeal is not about whether growth, housing, or downtown transformation is desirable," appellant Brian Swanson told the council. "The question is whether the [15183] checklist and appendices adequately answer the four required [15183] questions for the approvals granted." Swanson argued the record did not show how waivers and a long, phased 20-year approval would avoid peculiar or cumulative environmental effects.

Staff and the city's environmental consultant, First Carbon Solutions, said the General…