SAN RAMON — A mixed-use project proposed for downtown San Ramon landed a crucial municipal endorsement after the City Council rejected an appeal Tuesday to stop the new neighborhood.
With the denial, work can continue on Orchards, a 144-acre development that would be on the site of Chevron’s former office park and headquarters campus in Bishop Ranch.
Orchards, a 144-acre neighborhood of homes, shops, restaurants and open spaces near the interchange of Interstate 680 and Bollinger Canyon Road in downtown San Ramon, evening view, concept. (Sunset Development)
Brian Swanson, a San Ramon resident who opposes the Orchards neighborhood in the municipality’s downtown, speaks during a City Council hearing regarding the project, April 7, 2026. (San Ramon City Council)
Residences in Orchards, a 144-acre neighborhood of homes, shops, restaurants and open spaces near the interchange of Interstate 680 and Bollinger Canyon Road in downtown San Ramon, concept. (Sunset Development)
Sunset Development, the principal developer of Bishop Ranch, proposed the new neighborhood.
“Orchards represents the next chapter in the evolution of Bishop Ranch and the city’s vision for a vibrant downtown San Ramon,” Stephanie Miller, a senior vice president with Sunset Development, said during the council’s special hearing Tuesday.
In 2022, a Sunset Development affiliate bought the Chevron complex for $174.5 million and then began work to transform the park into a neighborhood that became known as Orchards.
Brian Swanson, a San Ramon resident opposed to the development, filed an appeal that urged the council to reject the project.
“This appeal is not about whether growth, housing, or downtown transformation are desirable,” Swanson said.
Swanson claimed the city failed to properly follow the California Environmental Quality Act when it previously gave final approval. Swanson also said the city hasn’t fully analyzed potential traffic impacts.
“It’s a dramatic transformation,” Swanson said. “Yes, it’s housing. But the analysis is incomplete.”
San Ramon Mayor Mark Armstrong disagreed.
“I do believe the city followed the appropriate law and process” in its prior decision to approve the project, Armstrong said.
The council, in a 5-0 vote, unanimously rejected the appeal.
“At its core, Orchards is an infill mixed-use development that transforms a private campus into a connected community,” Miller said.
Upon completion, Orchards is expected to include 2,600 homes, 125,000 square feet of retail, a 2.5-acre park, and a perimeter greenway that links to Iron Horse Trail, according to Sunset Development.
The residential mix will include affordable homes, according to Sunset Development.
The retail is slated to be unique compared with the shops and restaurants in other parts of downtown San Ramon, such as the destination City Center Bishop Ranch commercial and entertainment hub.
“We have talked about Santana Row in San Jose, where you have the ground-floor retail that is really focused on residents, and then you have residential units on top,” Miller said.
Orchards will be developed in phases over a 20-year time frame.
Alex Mehran Jr., Sunset Development’s president, sees Orchards as one of several pieces to the mosaic of the evolving downtown San Ramon.
“Everything is a significant project within a bigger story at Bishop Ranch,” Mehran Jr. said. “There is a dramatic change in the texture of the place with each project. You keep seeing vibe shifts every time something new opens and transforms the place. This is an exciting place that changes day by day.”