Saranap Village

Overview

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The project applicant, Hall Equities Group (HEG), originally proposed the following:

Redevelopment of a portion of Boulevard Way into a mixed-use village with residential uses and neighborhood-serving restaurants, services, and shops. This would be accomplished by replacing outdated buildings (majority constructed in the 1960s) with four buildings (designated Sites A, B, B1, and C) containing: 235 multi-family units - a mixture of for-sale and rental; up to approximately 30,000 square feet of street-level retail and restaurant uses; approximately 14,200 square feet of community-oriented fitness club; private amenities for use by the project's residents; and off-street structured parking. The buildings would vary in size and each would reflect a different architectural style. The largest building, located on Site A, would contain approximately 315,500 square feet, including its garage. Building heights would vary to accommodate topographic changes across the project site, with Site A ranging in height from approximately 68 to 80 feet, Site B ranging from approximately 65 to 78 feet, Site B1 ranging from approximately 46 to 56 feet, and Site C ranging from approximately 55 to 58 feet.
Improvements to the Boulevard Way and Saranap Avenue rights-of-way including: reducing Boulevard Way from four lanes to two along the project frontage up to the intersection with Flora Avenue; and installing a roundabout, traffic circle, angled and parallel on-street parking, traffic calming elements, streetscape amenities, sidewalks, crosswalks, street lighting, landscaping, and utilities.
A General Plan amendment to change the existing Multiple-Family, Medium Density (MM) and Commercial (CO) land use designations to a project-specific Mixed Use (MU) designation.
A rezoning to change the existing General Commercial (C), Multiple-Family Residential (M-29), Planned Unit (P-1), Retail Business (R-B), and Neighborhood Business (N-B) zoning districts all to a project-specific Planned Unit (P-1) district.

MITIGATED PLAN ALTERNATIVE (MPA) PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Subsequent to the close of the 60-day review and comment period (September 19, 2014 through November 17, 2014) for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) which analyzed the project as described above, the project applicant submitted a plan for a smaller project identified as the "Mitigated Plan Alternative" (MPA). This MPA was designed by the applicant to reduce impacts of the project by specifically implementing and achieving "Mitigation Measure AES-1: Reduce Height" of the DEIR. On July 24, 2015, the Department of Conservation and Development published a Notice of Preparation (NOP) indicating its intent to prepare a Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report (RDEIR) analyzing the MPA and addressing additional issues raised during the DEIR public comment period. The RDEIR was posted on May 5, 2016, with the 62-day public review period spanning through July 6, 2016. The smaller MPA project is described as follows:

Redevelopment of a portion of Boulevard Way into a mixed-use village with residential uses and neighborhood-serving restaurants, services, and shops. Replacement of existing buildings with four buildings (designated Sites A, B, B1, and C) containing: 196 multi-family units (for-sale and rental); up to 22,260 square feet of retail and restaurant uses; private amenities for use by the project's residents; and off-street structured parking. The buildings would vary in size and each would reflect a different architectural style. The largest building located on Site-A would contain approximately 238,345 square feet, including its garage. Building heights would vary to accommodate topographic changes across the project site, with Site-A ranging in height from approximately 62 to 76 feet, Site-B ranging from approximately 55 to 71feet, Site-B1 ranging from approximately 47 to 57 feet, and Site-C ranging from approximately 52 to 60 feet.
Improvements to the Boulevard Way and Saranap Avenue rights-of-way including: reducing Boulevard Way from four lanes to two along the project frontage up to the intersection with Flora Avenue; and installing a roundabout, median, angled and parallel on-street parking, traffic calming elements, streetscape amenities, sidewalks, crosswalks, street lighting, landscaping, and utilities.
A rezoning to change the existing General Commercial (C), Multiple-Family Residential (M-29), Planned Unit (P-1), Retail Business (R-B), and Neighborhood Business (N-B) zoning districts all to a project-specific Planned Unit (P-1) district.
A General Plan amendment to change the existing Multiple-Family, Medium Density (MM) and Commercial (CO) land use designations to a project-specific Mixed Use (MU) designation.
A modification to the General Plan Roadway Network Map to change the roadway reclassification of Boulevard Way from "arterial" to "collector".
A General Plan text amendment to modify the text of Implementation Measure 5-w of the Transportation and Circulation Element.

2017 REVISED SUBMITTAL

Following the close of the public comment period for the RDEIR in July 2016, County staff and representatives of HEG met to discuss the comments and feedback received. In response to ongoing concerns, HEG submitted a revised design further downsizing Site A. Depending on the vantage point from which it was viewed, Site A would range in height from approximately 29.5 feet to 67.3 feet. Relative to the MPA, total building area would decrease from approximately 238,345 square feet to approximately 205,170 square feet, including a reduction in retail/commercial square footage from 22,260 to 8,700. Unit count would increase slightly from 196 to 198. The Site B, B1, and C building designs remain unchanged from the MPA. The landscape/streetscape designs would remain unchanged from the MPA except where changes were necessary to accommodate the revised Site A building design. All other aspects of the project remain unchanged from the MPA.

PROJECT PLANS

Site A (PDF)
Sites B (PDF)
Site C (PDF)
Height Zone Map - Revised 2017 (PDF)
Building Height Exhibit - New 2017 (PDF)

PROJECT LOCATION

The project site is located in the unincorporated Saranap area of Contra Costa County between the cities of Walnut Creek and Lafayette, less than one quarter mile west of the Walnut Creek city limits and just south of State Highway 24. The project site consists of approximately 4.6 acres clustered around the intersection of Boulevard Way and Saranap Avenue, extending along the north and south sides of Boulevard Way and along the east side of Saranap Avenue. Properties comprising the project site are addressed as 1285, 1298, 1299, 1300, 1310, and 1326 Boulevard Way, and 1176 and 1180 Saranap Avenue.

Resources & Documents

June 28, 2017 County Planning Commission Staff Report (PDF)

Saranap Village Project Final EIR 2017 (PDF) **uploaded 6/16/17

Saranap Village Re-circulated DEIR May 2016 (PDF) **uploaded 6/16/17

Saranap Village Re-circulated DEIR - Appendices May 2016 (PDF) **uploaded 6/16/17

Notice of Availability and Notice of Public Hearing for Saranap VillageMixed-Use Project Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report - Posted May 5, 2016 (PDF)