Sonoma Developmental Center Specific Plan

Dyett & Bhatia led a Specific Plan for reimaging the shuttered 945-acre
former Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC) in the heart of Sonoma
Valley, with a 180-acre core campus surrounding by hundreds of acres of
some of most picturesque and resource-valuable open space in Sonoma
County. The state’s first and largest developmental center and the valley’s
largest employer in its heyday, the center was in 2018 closed by the State
of California, which owns the entire property.

The site contains 180 buildings, including some on the Natural Register,
almost all in severe disrepair or unsuitable for contemporary uses. The
Specific Plan, adopted in December 2022, envisions a vibrant community
of 750 homes and 900 jobs in a walkable setting, with new and adaptively
reused buildings, enhanced open spaces and creek setbacks, and vibrant
community gathering spaces.

The Plan generated extensive community interest, with community
meeting attendances in the hundreds, and nearly 1,000+ pages of
comments on the Draft EIR alone. Dyett & Bhatia led preparation of all
documents, including the Plan and the EIR, and conducted the community
outreach.

Following Plan adoption, the State of California selected a project
developer. The developer has submitted a “builders’ remedy” application
to the County for development of an increased number of housing units
(1,000 units). The County has asked Dyett & Bhatia to prepare a full EIR on
this project, which is expected to commence shortly.