The Town must review a development proposal for its consistency with the Town’s General Plan and any other applicable Town Ordinances and guidelines. The Town must also study and understand the potential environmental impacts of the proposal so that an informed decision regarding the proposal can be made. The Town also coordinates with other agencies such as the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District, Contra Costa County Transportation Department, and East Bay Regional Parks District to address any concerns they may have.  Finally, the Town must insure that the public review process is followed so that all interested parties have an opportunity to participate in the process.

Prior to the subdivision and development any land within the Town, the Town requires that the property owner or applicant file a development application with the Town’s Planning Division. The submittal of the development application triggers the Town’s review of the proposed project and requires that the proposal follow a public hearing process. 

An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is a planning document which evaluates the potential environmental impacts associated with a project. Typical impacts may include: traffic, air quality, noise, public services, biologic resources, water quality, visual impacts, and land use, among others. The EIR discusses these impacts and determines which ones are significant. It also describes mitigation measures to reduce the impacts to an appropriate or acceptable level, where possible.

Any interested party, organization, or agency may comment on the project/EIR at any time during the Town’s review process. Formal opportunities to comment on the project/EIR include: upon the Town’s mailing of the Request for Comments; upon the Town’s mailing of the Notice of Preparation of the draft EIR; upon the Town’s mailing of notice of public review period for the draft EIR; at the noticed Planning Commission and Town Council public hearing.