(SAN RAMON) -- Last night’s City Planning Commission meeting was par for the course.
Propose a development with unanswered questions, promising the public more to come at the next meeting.
The tactic is old but still works. Residents oppose development, elected officials don’t care, and before you know it, construction signs line the streets.
Last night was no different.
Consider the first vote on the Vesting Tentative Map (VTM) Extension Request for the Marketplace Mixed Use Development Project at 130 Market Place. Due to project delays and legal challenges, a time extension request was proposed.
While Planning Commission Chairman Gary Albert called it “routine and very automatic,” that did not fly with Former Mayor/Councilman Greg Carr.
Former Mayor Greg Carr is approaching the podium in anger during last night's meeting.
Clip of Former Mayor Gregg Carr Video Clip reminding the commission of their duties
“Aren’t you going to say anything about this?” Carr asked while stepping up, only to be told yes by Albert.
“That is unfortunate," Carr said. “This project has been wrong in so many ways for so long."
Carr added that the location, timing, and product are just not right before asking a simple question, "What would happen if you just said no?”
“Have you ever done that just because it’s wrong?” he asked before asking if Governor Gavin Newsom pushing the issue.
Carr, who is the boldest of all to stand up to the Planning Commission Board, seen in prior meetings, said it's simple.
"Tell them time is up, Carr said.
The only consolation Carr got was from Senior Planner Cindy Yee, who said an appeal can be filed within 10 days for a price, which in San Ramon is exorbitant.
From left to right, Lauren Barr, community development director, and Cindy Yee, senior planner.
After ignoring Carr, the proposed Orchard Development came up. Albert made it clear that they will not make any decisions on Yee’s presentation, calling it a tag-team effort for the environmental overview and the applicant and team details.
Yee went on explaining how the 20-year master development plan establishes multi-family-mixed-use and neighborhood districts.
Based on early 2020 talks, a plan was made for three districts: a mixed-use area with 619 dwelling units and 123,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial uses; and multi-family with 1,465 dwelling units, including apartments, condominiums, senior living, and affordable housing.
Location of proposed development from the planning commission meeting.
There is more.
Additionally, an application for a neighborhood of 386 lower-density homes, townhomes, and 58 optional accessory dwelling units (ADUs). After an hour of back-and-forth between officials and the applicant, citizens began taking the podium, with Carr first in line.
Carr commended the transportation assessment offered, noting its honesty.
“The consultant tells us transportation service level F,” Carr said. “That is what is coming at you."
Presentation slide noting future traffic concerns with proposed development
Though Carr noted many in the audience may not be around that far in the future, others will.
“Make sure this project on this site is doing what it is supposed to per our requirements,” Carr said.
Forty-year resident Rob Multof said, “We are designing a car wreck,” regarding traffic concerns.
Local resident calls the proposed traffic congestion a car wreck waiting to happen.
But he does question the official's concern with cost.
“If those could sell for 3 million, there may be people who want it,” he said of the proposed ADU single-family home proposal. “That can be worked out over the years.”
Board Member Santhosh Kanjula brought up traffic concerns.
“Long term, I don’t know if those points were brought up, but how will it impact Bollinger, calling the roadway the 'main artery that goes to the heart.’”
San Ramon Planning Commission meeting presentation of proposed Orchard development.
Even if you block for a few hours with construction traffic, “San Ramon will scramble across various traffic ways,” according to Kanjula, who said he looks forward to seeing the applicant’s fix.
“That will be something interesting to see,” the board member said.
Former Councilman Jim Blickenstiff also noted the issue of traffic, but with less concern than aesthetics. Color and texture of the proposed development edifice matter, with Blickenstaff noting he is not a fan of hard colors.
Presentation slide likening proposed Orchard Development to that of Bishop Ranch
With development edifice, cost, and more in the air, residents are left with thousands of pages to review on the city website, according to the commission chair, who admits the document is daunting.
“I will say I did not read all 6,000 pages,” Albert said of the document he downloaded on his computer. “Most of the information we have asked for is embedded in those documents.”
Last but not the least as shown in the slide below.
“First phase of the Project (Neighborhood District) will MEET the Orchards Design Guideline and the DMU-S zoning, with exception of six requested SDBL waivers
IF THERE ARE 6 (not 1/2 or 3, but 6) WAIVERS REQUESTED, how can you HONESTLY assert the project will MEET the guidelines?
That’s just straight MISCHARACTERIZATION, AGAIN!
Orchard Plans from Supplemental Documents and from presentation.
The matter is not just local, OpGov.ai Gilbert, Arizona reporter, Teri Tracy sees the same in her series of reports regarding American Legion property and the Heritage Park land issues.
So, San Ramon, you're not alone when it comes to being ignored.
For more answers, or not, the Planning Commission’s next meeting on the matter is Jan.20, 2026.
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