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.