TranslateSonoma Developmental Center Specific Plan
The Business Plan for a Center for Climate Action and Innovation at SDC is Now Available!
The County of Sonoma, in partnership with the California State Coastal Conservancy, is pleased to present the Center for Climate Action and Innovation Business Plan (Business Plan) at Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC). As a core occupant of the site the Center for Climate Action and Innovation (Center) could act as a future hub for collaboration and innovation, providing an area where key stakeholders, leaders, institutions, and private enterprise can work together to find new responses to the ongoing climate crisis. The Center could provide valuable economic contributions in the form of research and development activity that would add new jobs and diversity to the county economy while confirming Sonoma County’s place at the forefront of climate resilience and adaptation research.
The Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC) provided services to persons with developmental disabilities for over 120 years in the heart of Sonoma Valley. At 945 acres, the property includes a large historic campus, agricultural lands to the east, and vast ecological and open space resources. The SDC was the County’s largest employer at its peak. In 2018 the State of California officially closed the facility and relocated clients to smaller, community-based care facilities. The State of California which owns the site forged a unique partnership with Sonoma County that allows the County, together with the community, to chart the future role of the SDC. The culmination of that process occurred on December 16, 2022, when the Board of Supervisors passed the Sonoma Developmental Center Specific Plan and certified an environmental impact report that charts the future of the site.
Learn more about the storied history of the Sonoma Developmental Center at our new SDC History Page!
Review the adopted SDC Specific Plan in the Project Documents section below!
Specific Plan Background and Description
Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC) is the oldest facility in California established specifically for serving the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities. The facility opened its doors to 148 residents on November 24, 1891, culminating a ten-year effort led by two prominent Northern California women who had children with developmental disabilities. In 2015 the State of California decided to close the site due to a national shift in how and where people with developmental disabilities are cared for. The SDC was permanently closed in 2018 which created a unique generational opportunity to shape a new vision for this almost 1,000-acre site.
To learn more about the storied history of the Sonoma Developmental Center, please review our new SDC History Page!
On April 5, 2019, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in support of a land use planning process and considerations for disposition of the Sonoma Developmental Center. State representatives participated in the meeting in support of a $3.5 million state budget request to fund the land use process. The planning process occurred over several years and the Sonoma Developmental Center Specific Plan was approved by the Board of Supervisors on December 16th, 2022.
The priorities for the Specific Plan and future use of the property are to:
- Create a vision for future land use with extensive community involvement
- Realize the property’s potential for positive countywide economic and environmental benefits
- Preserve open space and protect natural resources
- Respect and honor the history of the property including preserving historic and cultural resources
- Provide affordable housing opportunities
- Assess and adequately address infrastructure and service needs on the property in line with the vision and future land uses identified for the site
- Demonstrate methods to build a sustainable community that provides a housing/jobs balance, enhances groundwater supplies, provides renewable energy, and substantially reduces carbon.
Please refer to the Sonoma Developmental Center Existing Conditions Assessment for more information on the current technical evaluation of the site.