Walnut Creek Planning Commission Approves Mitchell Drive Townhomes Project in Unanimous Vote
Mitchell Drive Townhomes is a 422-unit multi-family development to be built in Shadelands, replacing 11 underutilized office buildings in Walnut Creek Executive Park.
On February 12, in a unanimous vote inside a packed City Council Chamber, the Walnut Creek Planning Commission gave Signature Development Group the green light on its multi-family Mitchell Drive Townhomes Project, which will bring 422 three-story townhouses to Shadelands on a 22.2-acre parcel in what is now Walnut Creek Executive Park (WCEP).
The project will provide much needed residential housing in Walnut Creek, which is experiencing housing challenges suffered by most towns and cities in California. The project also includes two acres of shared open space, featuring a central community area, rain garden, paseo walkways, landscaped and play areas, a dog park, and additional amenities and community benefits.
Representing the City of Walnut Creek at the Planning Commission meeting was Senior Planner Simar Gill.
The Mitchell Drive Townhomes Project went before the Planning Commission at the February public hearing after a two-and-one-half-year journey from application to proposal for approval. Walnut Creek Staff asked the Commission to certify the final Environment Impact Report (EIR) and adoption of the exhaustive Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP), which they did at the end of the more than three-hour hearing.
To watch a replay of the full Planning Commission meeting with presentations, public comment, and vote, click here.
Representing the applicant, Signature Development Group, was Jonathon Fearn, VP Development.
Representing the City of Walnut Creek at the February 12 Planning Commission meeting was Senior Planner Simar Gill; representing the applicant, Signature Development Group, was Vice President of Development Jonathan Fearn.
Simar opened the hearing with a thorough and illustrative staff report. Both her presentation and Jonathan’s offered background context that made clear how the project came about, and project details that provided a vision of the final project.
California law requires all cities and counties to adopt a Housing Element as part of their General Plan to plan for meeting the housing needs of the community. Updated every eight years and reviewed and approved by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), elements must identify adequate sites for housing and ensure zoning allows for diverse housing types.
Builder’s Remedy is a provision of the Housing Accountability Act (HAA), in place since the 1980s, that allows developers to bypass local zoning and general plan requirements for housing projects with affordable units in cities or counties that have not adopted a substantially compliant housing element. It also allows for proposal of projects that are denser than the General Plan land use designation. Signature Development Group proposed the Mitchell Drive Townhomes Project under Builder’s Remedy.
The timing of the City’s Housing Element application and Signature’s Builder’s Remedy application is key to this planned residential development coming to Shadelands. In October 2023, Signature’s preliminary Mitchell Drive Townhomes Project application was submitted in accordance with HAA and Builder’s Remedy, which was six days prior to the HCD certification of the City’s mandated Housing Element.
Since Signature’s application for the project was submitted as a Builder’s Remedy project before the City’s Housing Element was certified by HCD, the Mitchell Drive Townhomes Project was legal and allowed to proceed.
In April 2024, Signature submitted a formal planning application to the City, and after multiple rounds of reviews and revisions, the project was deemed complete as of May 2025. In June 2025, Design Review made further advisory comments and suggestions about the project to be considered during the final Planning Commission vote (which are detailed in the live presentations).
The Mitchell Drive Townhomes Project parcel is the current site of 11 two-story, 1970s-era office buildings in Walnut Creek Executive Park, here lining Shadelands Drive.
Mitchell Drive Townhomes, to be built in what is currently Walnut Creek Executive Park, will be bordered by Mitchell Drive, Oak Grove Road, and Shadelands Drive, seen here at the intersection with N. Via Monte, where a vehicular roundabout will be installed.
The 22.2-acre project parcel is the current site of 11 two-story, 1970s-era office buildings in Walnut Creek Executive Park, bordered by Shadelands Drive, Oak Grove Road, and Mitchell Drive. The surrounding area is characterized by office, educational, recreational, and residential uses, including Bank of America to the east, the Shadelands SportsMall to the west, and Viamonte Senior Living to the south, across Shadelands Drive.
In the wider perimeter, the project area is located near shopping, dining, medical facilities, arts programs, public transportation, and other lifestyle amenities that benefit neighborhoods.
All 11 buildings will be demolished for project construction. The twelfth building in WCEP, which fronts Oak Grove Road, is a three-story brick building that will remain operating as office space.
Mitchell Drive Townhomes is a 422-unit multi-family development of three-story townhomes, with 55 low-income residential units.
Mitchell Drive Townhomes is a 422-unit multi-family development of three-story townhomes (two to four bedrooms) with 55 low-income residential units. Each unit has a private two-car garage and outdoor deck. There will be 955 parking spaces, including 111 guest parking spaces available on new internal streets.
In addition to 422 townhomes, each with a two-car garage, the Mitchell Drive Townhomes Project includes two acres of open space, 111 additional public parking spaces on new internal streets, improved sidewalks, and walking paths.
Development includes two acres of centralized, publicly accessed open space areas, with the addition of new sidewalks, street lights, bike lane extensions, and a traffic calming roundabout at the intersection of Shadelands Drive and N. Via Monte.
Mitchell Drive Townhomes includes two acres of shared open space, featuring a central community area, rain garden, paseo walkways, landscaped and play areas, and a dog park,
Signature Development Group will widen sidewalks and extend bike lanes along Mitchell and Shadelands drives, and add a traffic calming roundabout at the intersection of Shadelands Drive and N. Via Monte.
Mitchell Drive Townhomes will be built in two phases as two different neighborhoods, with an expected completion date in 2030. While there are internal roadways within the development, there is no straight cut-through access for vehicles between Shadelands Drive and Mitchell Drive. There is, however, a pedestrian walkway with access between Shadelands Drive and Mitchell Drive, across the entire development.
Mitchell Drive Townhomes will be built in two phases, with a completion date in 2030.
After the City’s Staff Report and the applicant’s presentation, the meeting was open to Public Comment. A large number of Viamonte residents had filled Chamber seats, along with neighborhood residents, local businesses and unions, and leadership in housing and economic growth organizations.
More than 30 people stepped up to the microphone to speak eloquently and passionately in favor of or in opposition to the housing project. Each was given two minutes to share.
After the formal presentations, the hearing was open to Public Comment; each speaker was given two minutes to voice opinions and comments.
Common themes in opposition centered on the density of the project; compatibility with existing neighborhood character; traffic congestion and intersection safety; effects on emergency vehicle access and response times; air quality during demolition, clean up, and construction; and the need to closely monitor, in real time, noise and air pollution levels. These issues are referenced and addressed in the EIR and MMRP, available from the City.
Common themes in support centered on the need for affordable housing in Walnut Creek; the addition of a quality development of new homes in a truly walkable community near existing neighborhoods and lifestyle amenities; the positive impact of an increased population of prospective employees, school-age children, nonprofit volunteers, and community leaders; the work opportunities for members of local unions including electricians, plumbers, and sheet, pipe, and sprinkler fitters; and the opportunities for younger families and homeowners to move into Walnut Creek, enjoy the benefits of the city, and contribute to its growth and quality of life.
Mark Orcutt, president & CEO of East Bay Leadership Council, represented the organization in support of the project, saying it turns an underutilized office site and parking lot into much needed housing along a major transportation corridor in a city with access to jobs and opportunity. “Simply put, housing near jobs, retail, and services is part of the solution to our traffic and affordability challenges, not the cause of them.”
After thoughtful and well-spoken comments provided by each of the five Planning commissioners, the vote was unanimous to approve Mitchell Drive Townhomes, which will bring essential market rate and affordable housing to Walnut Creek.
Shadelands Walnut Creek and the Shadelands PBID look forward to working together with Signature as the project breaks ground and takes shape, addressing Walnut Creek’s housing challenges and enhancing the character and attraction of our Shadelands communities.
