State selects development team to implement plans for redevelopment of Sonoma Developmental Center

The State of California announced on Monday that it has chosen a development team led by The Grupe Company and Rogal & Partners to purchase and redevelop the Sonoma Developmental Center.

The development will be guided by the Specific Plan for the Sonoma Developmental Center that was approved by the Board of Supervisors in December 2022. The plan permanently protects hundreds of acres of open space, builds hundreds of units of affordable and workforce housing, provides living wage jobs and creates a walkable community with neighborhood-serving businesses.

“We’re deeply grateful for the state’s work on this and for naming a developer for this vital site in the heart of Sonoma Valley,” said Supervisor Susan Gorin, whose district includes the Sonoma Developmental Center property. “We look forward to helping ensure the developer provides numerous opportunities to outreach and hear from the community to develop a project that reflects the qualities of Sonoma Valley while addressing the needs within the guidelines of the SDC specific plan.”

“This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of a massive piece of state-owned land in Sonoma County,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “We appreciate all the work that has gone into this plan so far, but there is much work still to do. We look forward to working with this developer.”

“Permit Sonoma is excited the state has chosen a purchaser,” Permit Sonoma Director Tennis Wick said. “We are ready to implement the state statute and the specific plan’s vision for open space protection, affordable housing – including homes for those with developmental disabilities, and economic development that will benefit Sonoma Valley’s future."

The Sonoma Developmental Center Specific Plan calls for:

• Open space protection for 700 acres, an enlarged wildlife corridor that removes current development from the northeast corner of the main campus, and an expanded 100-foot setback to preserve Sonoma Creek.
• A base of 620 units of housing that would be subject to the county’s affordable housing program. The units would be limited to no more than 1,800 square feet in size.
• The potential for the creation of more than 900 jobs that will provide diverse living-wage jobs in an economy dominated by agriculture and hospitality.
• A walkable core with transit, pedestrian and bike paths to provide alternatives to automobile use.
• Institutional uses focusing on research and education driving employment.
• Commercial, recreational, and civic uses for residents, employees and the greater Sonoma Valley.

In September 2022, the California State Coastal Conservancy approved a grant of up to $250,000 to the county for exploring the creation of a climate adaptation center at the site. The specific plan adopted by the board includes flex and other zoning that could be utilized by the Coastal Conservancy for such a center.

Until its closure in 2018, the Sonoma Developmental Center provided services to people with developmental disabilities for more than 120 years and, at one time, was the county’s largest employer. The property includes a historic campus, agricultural lands and vast open space resources, but would require an estimated $100 million to pay for rehabilitation and infrastructure repairs and upgrades. State law requires any redevelopment plans for the site to focus on open space preservation, to prioritize housing, especially affordable housing and housing for people with developmental disabilities, and that the plan also must be economically feasible.

The state owns the site and has forged a unique partnership with Sonoma County to allow local input in charting the future of the property. The Sonoma Developmental Center represents the first time the California Legislature has delegated land-use planning responsibility to a local agency for the redevelopment of a state psychiatric facility. The state had solicited proposals for the disposal of the property and chose The Grupe Company and Rogal & Partners. The developer will be bound by regulations of the Sonoma Developmental Center Specific Plan.

For more information about the Sonoma Developmental Center and the specific plan, visit sdcspecificplan.com.

Media Contact:

Bradley Dunn, Permit Sonoma Policy Manager

Bradley.Dunn@sonoma-county.org

(707) 321-0502

2550 Ventura Ave.

Santa Rosa, CA 95403