To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Public Infrastructure
Staff Name and Phone Number: Johannes J. Hoevertsz, 707-565-2550
Vote Requirement: Informational Only
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
New County Government Center (CGC) Plan Update
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Receive a Summary Report discussing the design and programming status of the proposed New County Government Center (CGC) and the proposed redevelopment location for residential and commercial mixed-use.
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Executive Summary:
This item provides an update on the proposed new County Government Center project. ZGF Architects is currently leading the schematic design process in coordination with key stakeholders and county departments to develop a plan that meets the County’s long-term operational needs. Upon completion of this phase, staff will return to the Board with a proposed schematic design package, anticipated to include visual models and updated planning documents, for further input and direction. Final consideration of the project will be subject to a completed and adopted Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
In addition, this item presents information on the adjacent residential/mixed-use site identified in the County’s General Plan Housing Element. This site is being included in the environmental review process as part of the broader effort to meet Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) requirements and will be studied concurrently with the County Government Center proposed project.
Discussion:
Since January 31, 2023, the Board of Supervisors has taken a series of actions to advance the development of a new County Government Center (CGC) at the site of the existing County Administration Center. These actions have included approving the site for further planning and environmental analysis, conceptually endorsing a phased approach for the configuration of new buildings, establishing a general space standard of 170 square feet per full-time employee, and directing staff to explore financing options. The Board also authorized the issuance of Requests for Proposals for various pre-development services including consultant support for environmental review, land use entitlements, and design preparation.
In alignment with the County’s General Plan Housing Element (August 2023-2031), the Board supported the identification of approximately 9.3 acres of the Mendocino Avenue campus for the development of up to 200 housing units, including a substantial portion designated as affordable housing for County employees and other priority groups. Later, the Board expanded its vision for the project by selecting a preferred alternative consisting of one or two buildings for the CGC, incorporating the residential/mixed-use component into the environmental review, and increasing the proposed housing total to up to 1,000 units on the designated site.
The Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) is included in the environmental impact report and is being planned as a future component, allowing time for a thoughtful coordination with regional partners to enhance its overall utility and effectiveness. Staff was directed to proceed with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) environmental review and pre-construction design work and to pursue opportunities for off-site building acquisitions to support cost savings and flexibility in housing some departments.
The vision now includes a master planning effort for the full 26-acre site, with the western portion designated for the new CGC office project. The identified location for the office facility is the current location of 585 Administration Drive, which is potentially planned for demolition. Approximately 17 contiguous acres to the east is under consideration and will be studied in the EIR on a programmatic level as a mixed-use development including residential units-up to 1,500 in total-and community-serving commercial uses.
A Notice of Preparation (NOP) was initially posted on December 20, 2024, followed by a public scoping meeting on January 7, 2025. On May 13, 2025, the Board exercised original jurisdiction to serve as the decision-making body for CEQA-related public hearings for the project. As the scope of the project was subsequently refined to include more housing and new opportunities, a revised NOP was issued on June 10, 2025, and an additional scoping meeting occurred on June 24, 2025, to ensure continued transparency and engagement with stakeholders.
A public hearing will be held during the 45-day Draft EIR comment period commencing early 4th quarter of this year, allowing the Board and public to provide formal input. A Final EIR will then be prepared, including responses to comments and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, before being brought to the Board for certification and project approval.
To support the design and planning efforts, the Board authorized a professional services agreement with ZGF Architects LLP in December 2024. The project design process began in early 2025. ZGF has completed extensive research and interviews with County departments, finalized a Concept Design Report, and reached the 50% milestone of schematic design. Parallel to this, a Request for Proposals is underway to select a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) who will assist with cost modeling, constructability assessments, and design integration. Together, ZGF and the CMAR team will work with staff to ensure that the proposed facility is aligned with County operational needs and is financially feasible.
The new CGC is currently planned to accommodate approximately 210,000 to 235,000 gross square feet, housing up to 880 full-time employees from multiple departments, including the Board of Supervisors, County Administrator’s Office, County Counsel, Human Resources, Public Defender, District Attorney, Probation, and others. In the interim, Probation is moving out of leased facilities and consolidating into 2300 County Center Drive (La Plaza) to create better efficiency and reduce operating expenses.
The proposed residential and mixed-use component complements the office facility by supporting workforce housing, local retail, and services, enhancing the community benefit and long-term sustainability of the project. This phase of development is expected to require multiple years, which during the initial phase will include a county workgroup to help envision the plan and facilitate the process moving forward.
Timeline
The following is an estimate and sequence of time of development:
Phase 1 (5 Years, 5 Months)
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1. EIR |
7/2025 - 6/2026 |
12 mo |
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2. Design - Building Permit (concurrent with EIR) |
7/2025 - 11/2026 |
17 mo |
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3. Demolish 585 Fiscal Drive |
10/2026 - 2/2027 |
4 mo |
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4. Build shell/interiors for office building |
6/2027 - 5/2029 |
24 mo |
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5. Move-in |
6/2029 - 10/2029 |
4 mo |
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6. Demolish Permit Sonoma, 575 Administration Drive, 2550 Paulin Drive |
1/2030 - 7/2030 |
6 mo |
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7. Building parking lot south of Fiscal Drive |
6/2030 - 12/2030 |
6 mo |
Financial Plan
The future CGC development would be funded through a combination of available fund balance and issuance of certificates of participation, funded by dedicated General Fund capacity. The FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget includes $20.0 million in ongoing capacity that is available to fund payments on certificates of participation. Available fund balance totals $42.5 million.
During Fiscal Year 2017-18 Budget Hearings the Board approved a deferred maintenance policy as part of the County’s Financial Policies, that called for 40% of growth in property tax, above what is needed to balance the budget, to be dedicated to a County Center Modernization Fund (originally titled Deferred Maintenance Fund) on an ongoing basis.
To date, this policy has generated total capacity of $20.0 million annually in dedicated General Fund. In addition, during the FY 2022-23 budget hearings, your Board set aside $1 million in Transient Occupancy Tax toward the deferred maintenance fund, bringing the total annual capacity to $21.0 million. During the March 2022 Board meeting discussing County Center, a plan to utilize $1 million of this annual capacity for neighborhood service centers was approved, leaving $20.0 million available for financing of construction. While there may be additional growth in future years, it is not possible to predict what this level of growth will be in advance.
In addition to the annual allocation, the County Center Modernization fund has received additional one-time allocations, including funding from the sale of the Chanate property, $14.1 million; as well as allocations of year-end fund balance in FY 2020-21, FY 2022-23 and FY 2024-25 totaling $8.3 million; and $11.3 million that was initially programmed for the purchase of the downtown Sears site. A total of $20.5 million from the accumulated funds has been utilized for critical time sensitive projects and for costs associated with the County Center project planning and development costs to date. The fund began FY 2024-25 with $72.9 million in fund balance. Based on the third quarter estimates, this was anticipated to grow to $89.5 million by the end of FY 2024-25, however a final total will not be known until the close of books later in July. Elsewhere on this agenda, $47 million was programmed for the purchase of 3850 and 3880 Brickway Boulevard, leaving an estimated fund balance of $42.5 million.
Unlike general obligation bonds, certificates of participation do not require voter approval as they not backed by dedicated ad valorem property tax and instead are secured with a pledge of real property, which can include the project that is being financed. The County engaged KNN Public Finance, the County’s Independent Registered Municipal Advisor, to develop estimates of the amount that could be financed by available resources in 2024. Based on market rates at the time, KNN used market rates from the time of approximately 4%, plus 100 basis points to account for potential increases in interest rates. Under these conditions, the County could incur approximately $314.7 million in total debt supported by $20 million in annual payments over 30 years. As reference, for each $1 million in increased annual debt payment capacity approximately $15.8 million in additional debt proceeds can be generated. Actual rates will vary based on market conditions at the time of sale. Market rates have risen since the analysis was completed, but remain lower than the 100 point buffer in the assumptions.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
May 13, 2025 - Original Jurisdiction over Project and Direction for Conduct of Environmental Review Hearings for County Administration Center Redevelopment Project located on the existing County Administration Center site.
July 23, 2024 - Proposed New County Government Center Plan
January 31, 2023 - Endorsement of Potential Project Options for Further Analysis, Planning, and Development Consideration
Fiscal Summary
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FY25-26 Adopted |
FY26-27 Projected |
FY27-28 Projected |
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Fees/Other |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
There is no direct cost associated with this item. Costs associated with contracts listed above are included in the FY 2025-26 Capital Projects Adopted Budget. Staff will return to the Board from time to time to provide additional project updates and request approval of new contracts and corresponding budget appropriations.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None
Attachments:
ZGF’s Concept Report
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None