Walnut Creek voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to rezone 2.4 acres near the BART station to allow up to 282 senior housing units and commercial uses compatible with senior housing.
Measure U, placed on the ballot after supporters gathered more than 5,000 signatures from eligible Walnut Creek voters, would change the zoning of part of the Ygnacio Center property at North California Boulevard and Ygnacio Valley Road from office commercial to mixed-use residential. The property is owned by Hall Equities Group.
No formal development application has been filed. The measure would only change the zoning.
Mark Hall, owner of Hall Equities Group and the measure's chief proponent, spoke to the East Bay Times, which reported on the initiative. Hall said he chose the ballot route to avoid a lengthy city review. His firm spent about $4.5 million over five years on studies for a previous senior housing proposal at the site, first proposed in 2019.
Hall said the approach lets him "first determine what we consider to be the non-controversial aspect of whether or not we could do senior housing at the Walnut Creek BART station …" before committing millions more to a formal application.
The 6.8-acre Ygnacio Center currently hosts a two-story office building and a five-story parking garage. Under Measure U, roughly one-third of the site would be rezoned to allow senior housing for residents 55 and older and compatible commercial uses. Hall told the East Bay Times he envisions about 60,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, potentially including a grocery store or food hall, with parking underground.
The measure would also allow Hall Equities to remove the age restriction with council approval if market conditions change, the East Bay Times reported.
The density would allow up to 282 units, factoring in a 20% state density bonus for senior housing projects, according to an impartial analysis prepared by City Attorney Steve Mattas.
How it reached the ballot
The Walnut Creek City Council voted 5-0 on July 21 to place Measure U on the November ballot rather than adopt the zoning changes outright. Council members Darling, DeVinney, Silva, Mayor Kevin Wilk and Mayor Pro Tem Francois all voted yes, according to city meeting minutes.
Council members had the option to submit an argument against the measure but chose to remain impartial, the East Bay Times reported. No formal argument against Measure U was filed with the Contra Costa County Elections Office, so no argument against the measure will appear in voter pamphlets.
Council member Cindy Silva expressed mixed feelings about the initiative process at the July 21 meeting. "I'm excited about what could be but I'm not excited about the process to get there," Silva said, per the East Bay Times.
Financial projections
According to the East Bay Times, a city-commissioned impact analysis estimated the rezoning would cost the city about $250,000 in one-time staff costs to update planning documents. If a senior housing project is eventually built, the analysis projected $257,000 to $552,000 annually in new sales and property tax revenue. Development fees could reach $7.7 million if the project is 100% market rate.
Hall said if voters approve Measure U, a formal development application could go to the city's Planning Department by the end of 2027. Hall said the project could be completed two to four years after that.
What voters need to know
Measure U requires a simple majority to pass. Vote-by-mail ballots and official ballot drop boxes will be available starting Monday, Oct. 5. The last day to register to vote is Monday, Oct. 19.
Drop boxes in Walnut Creek are at City Hall (two locations), Shadelands Art Center at 111 N. Wiget Lane and Grace Presbyterian Church at 2100 Tice Valley Blvd., according to the city's election page.
The Nov. 3 ballot also includes Measure T, which would change the city treasurer from an elected to an appointed position, and two City Council seats.
