The Walnut Creek City Council on Tuesday approved a plan to build 254 units of senior housing and a 136-bed residential care facility on 9.49 acres in Shadelands business park.
Hall Equities Group will develop the Oakmont of Shadelands Senior Housing and Residential Care Facility at the former Joint Genome Institute site at 2800 Mitchell Drive.
The council voted 4-1 to approve the project, with Kevin Wilk dissenting. Wilk said he was concerned over rezoning and rebuilding a site that was specifically meant for biotech jobs.
The site and its five one-story buildings, which will be demolished, was originally built by Dow Chemical in the 1960s. It’s been vacant since 2019.
The project required the council to agree to amend its general plan to change the site’s zoning from business park to mixed use residential. It also calls for removing 105 trees – six of which are considered highly protected – and dividing the land into two parcels.
The facility will be located near the northwest border of Shadelands, adjacent to the Animal Rescue Foundation, the Springfield Montessori School and Shadelands Self-Storage. The site is separated from the Contra Costa Canal by an access driveway belonging to 1925 Oak Grove Road.
The housing will include four buildings, courtyards, and a small recreation building. Two buildings would be three stories, and two would be four stories.
The three-story care facility will be licensed by the California Department of Social Services to provide housing for people 62 years and older who need assistance, but not 24-hour medical care.
If a private residence owner wanted to remove highly protected trees their property the answer from the city would be no. If the city wants to do it? A-ok.
Also, rezoning one site in Shadelands to mixed use residential surely opens the door for more. Say hello to multiple high-rise housing developments in there. Won’t that be great?
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“The good of the one versus the good of the many.”
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It’s referred to as “decision-making” where ALL factors must be weighed and considered.
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Also known as “money talks”.
Money talks and B, well you know the rest.
Pull it from the clouds like on Tatooine
Good planning. It is walking distance to the retail center near by. The one with the BevMo. The main reason why my parents are opposed to assisted living is you can have liquor. The residents of this place will have an easy time sneaking booze in
and getting run over on the way. Not a safe area for elderly foot traffic on the loose..
I noticed your article doesn’t mention the part of the proposal about removing trees including 4 trees deemed “highly protected”. A homeowner can’t cut down an oak tree but if a developer has enough money then ok…
Oops missed that part. Skimming while reading is bad kids don’t do it
+1 … but good job Kevin….
I agree Schmee… even an old oak tree in danger of falling and killing someone will not be approved for removal by the City Arborists
There are so many volatile Oaks in Walnut Breek ready to fall in a wind stom after the drought..
…. so where is the water going to come from? … the canal next to it? 🙂
Oh come on, new trees can be planted.
And the biotech companies aren’t searching for office space. Your widowed mother is looking for a space to live out her final years after she sells her home in Walnut Creek to your gainfully employed adult children.
And what a plus, ARF next door, Safeway a nice walking distance, gotta keep moving, and health care, entertainment, etc.
Most of the residents will not be drivers and ‘visitors’ visiting, grandma would rather see the puppies at ARF, than you and your million excuses.
It takes a very long time for a Heritage Oak to grow.
It takes ten years for a healthy Heritage Oak to be at least 20 feet tall.
Ten years is not a really long time.
Walnut Creek does need more senior housing for people who want to stay in the zip code. The city wants all those prop 13 houses turned over. Property tax revenue on those older homes will quintuple. Those seniors moving into the new complexes will pay huge fees that will finance further development which drives additional tax revenue. A beautiful circle of money for the city.
Fortunately we have plenty of capacity for water, energy and traffic flow.
Oops.
A+
I like to see good jobs available in Walnut Creek, without having to commute. Shadelands has lost many office tenets over the years and appears to be transitioning away from office. If we rezone Shadelands we should support building office complexes elsewhere. North Main, Jack in the box on one side, Mikes Auto body on the other might be a good site. Retro Junkie, Car Wash could be another. Would like to see some Class A space go in there.
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing. 2018 law passed in CA. The so called “Obama house” bill. Look it up. WC council should halt all new residential development while this law is in effect. This is a full on Marxist nightmare law which will destroy your right to live in a safe, cohesive community.
Get ready…its going to happen at old nob hill plaza too about to get a big face-lift
I worry about the drug addicted homeless. My excellent plan is for our millionaire/billionaire politicians to let these unfortunate live on their gorgeous properties. This scenic setting might prevent the mental anguish they suffer. Certainly it may curb the desire to set fires.
The best part of this new development is that it’s walking distance to stores that sell alcohol.
A much needed elixir for those who live in retirement communities.
I wonder if the restaurants will have a 4:30 dinner special for the seniors?