by Tony Hicks – The Walnut Creek City Council on Tuesday unanimously decided to move forward with Toyota Walnut Creek to explore rezoning six acres north of Ygnacio Valley Boulevard into mixed-use buildings with multiple floors of housing or hotel rooms over auto facilities.
Councilmembers Cindy Silva and Cindy Darling, both former city planning commissioners, will head an ad hoc committee working with Toyota on a development agreement with the city.
“I think this is exciting; it’s forward thinking,” said Silva. “It will kickstart the improvements in the North Downtown Specific Plan area.”
“It will bring the vision of the future about auto sales and service into Walnut Creek in a way that allows it to be financially viable at the same time meeting some other needs, potentially, that we might have in the transit-oriented environment,” Silva said.
Toyota representative Stephen Scanlon said the carmaker would consider this project a prototype for dealers nationwide. The pandemic has altered the way auto dealerships do business, which is becoming more online-centric, requiring less on-site space for inventory.
Since about a third of Walnut Creek’s sales tax revenue comes from auto sales — and cities are looking for ways to increase housing density, especially near transit — mixed-use spaces are a logical answer.
City staff said expanding vertically in the area could more than triple the current taxable acreage, from 6 to 20 acres. And, while Walnut Creek currently meets state housing goals, required numbers are expected to increase significantly after 2022, according to a city report.
“We really hadn’t though outside the box the way that this conversation has caused us to think,” said councilmember Matt Francois. “I do believe that this project could be a catalyst and a model for other dealerships to remain in Walnut Creek, remain viable, to help us meet our housing needs in an area that’s in close proximity to BART and also see the rest of the plan area get developed.”
The area now encompasses 10 parcels over six acres, fronting both sides of North Broadway on the east side of North Main Street, south of Pine Street. The Toyota dealership at 2100 North Broadway would remain, though adjacent parcels would be affected.
Though officials from Toyota showed slides of mixed-use possibilities — including hotel rooms, and apartments over ground level auto showrooms and other retail uses — the dealership hasn’t officially submitted any studies or plans for the redevelopment project. The proposal, so far, conceptualizes 600 residential units, should the city choose to go that direction. Building heights couldn’t exceed 50 feet.
To move forward, the city would have to rezone the land — currently zoned for auto sales and repairs — and amend its general plan, as well as its North Downtown Specific Plan. The project would likely be subject to city design review, as well as state environmental review, which could take anywhere from six months to a year. The planning commission would also have to approve it before it went to the City Council for a final decision.
Members of the council said the project offered opportunities to increase pedestrian access to BART and perhaps an opportunity for city auto dealers to collaborate on inventory space.
“… apartments over ground level auto showrooms” -Seems classy.
Why is this confusing? I live at the Toyota dealership! Just hang a left at the Tacoma and take the elevator up!
How much more do you have to pay to live over the service department?
What say you Concord?
Will allllll those new homeowners or renters be DINKS, dual income no kids? I thought WCI and Las Lomas are already impacted.
At least the properties planned at Seven Hills Ranch will not impact the already crowded schools. It’s for seniors, correct?
Oh these cities don’t care about trivialities like infrastructure, water, rolling power outages, BART already being overcrowded, etc. They are addicted to high density housing. I always wonder who would live in something like that?
Not a good place to raise kids. The car salesmen will either steal your kids candy or try to sell them 10-year-old Life Savers for $20. And pocket lint will be a dealer add-on for an extra $10.
Neat.
Walnut Creek needs to adjust its height limit. It is absurd to have a height restriction of 50 feet in an area that close to transit and freeways. The more people allowed to live there would better support the retail and businesses at street level.
Walnut Creek has been careful not to have architectural nightmares all over the place. I was so critical of the WC city council. I was way wrong.
Progress needs to prevail. I have lived here since the fourth grade. From Walnut Orchards to all the investment opportunities as far as the developers are concerned. WC has cut off cheap inexpensive short cuts. So keep it up Walnut Creek. You are doing and excellent job. Also I must say, essential workers are keeping our economical success towards our future. WE are a team.
High density housing was done previously and some ended up with a two word descriptor. “The Projects”
Those considering need to keep in mind the almost ponzi scheme lure
of tax revenue needs, which to be weighed against reality.
A city must provide city services to each parcel. Those city services are at a fixed to usually rising cost due to costs associated with city employees.
As was made so painfully evident during the economic downturn, cities with a large cushion of tax revenue to city services costs, did well. A certain city east of Pittsburg with a much smaller cushion because of grievously short sighted decision making resulting in smaller square footage residences on postage stamp sized lots, along with multiple high density projects.
In short lower cost housing.
If memory serves during downturn that small cushion city laid off Police and other city employees.
Is no longer a city I’d buy a house in.
Walnut Creek is on its way to becoming the new San Francisco. I can’t wait for the poop all over the place.
… it doesn’t matter what residents or the taxpayers say – they will do what they want – the voters put in height limitations and rules on high density and they rezone at will and ignore citizens input.