Sonoma Developmental Center Specific Plan

Specific Plan Vision

The former SDC site has emerged as a culturally and ecologically vibrant and resilient community. A core 180-acre developed area is surrounded by a vast protected open space of oak woodlands, native grasslands, wetlands, forests, creeks, and lakes that provide habitats and wildlife movement corridors; agricultural land; and recreational open space integrated with the surrounding park systems.

The developed core area comprises a complementary mix of housing, commercial, and institutional uses. The SDC site is financially independent and supporting infrastructure is up to date and well maintained. A variety of housing—including affordable, workforce, mid-income, and market-rate housing; senior housing; housing for people with developmental disabilities; and in new and adaptively re-used buildings—will foster a diverse and inclusive community. New development complements the adjacent communities of Glen Ellen and Eldridge. Residents enjoy pedestrian access to essential services and parks, and seamless connections to surrounding open spaces. Employment opportunities reflect the site’s legacy of care and emphasize innovation, research, education, environment, and ecology, together with supporting commercial and visitor-serving uses. Sonoma Valley’s former largest employment hub is reinvigorated as a regional model for sustainable development.

The reinvigorated community builds upon the site’s rich historic legacy while embracing the future. Key historic resources—including the Sonoma House and the Main Building—have been repurposed for contemporary uses, and elements of the historic landscape preserved. Site design patterns—streets layout, building/street relationship, streetscape character—maintain east-west views to the Sonoma and Mayacamas mountains and foster a harmonious sense of place. Contemporary buildings are intermixed with repurposed historic structures, creating a rich and visually cohesive development fabric.

A comprehensive network of pedestrian and bicycle paths connects residents to local and regional destinations, and to transit. Well-designed bus stops, crosswalks, and protected bike lanes create an inviting sense of safety for those of all ages and abilities and provide better walking and biking access to Glen Ellen and Eldridge, and to the regional bicycle network.

New land uses contribute positively to the site’s financial feasibility, enabling efficient and sustainable construction of necessary infrastructure. Water is conserved and reused, and safety and fire protection built into the landscape, with defensible design, new fire-resistant buildings, and well-planned evacuation routes. Reuse of historic buildings has saved resources needed for new construction, and building designs reflect sustainable practices and wildfire resiliency. The surrounding open spaces, preserved in perpetuity, are home to countless local species that use SDC’s habitat corridors. Sightings of wildlife throughout the site and along Sonoma Creek enrich life for residents.