REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Study Session on the Santa Clara Station Area Specific Plan
Report
BACKGROUND
The City’s General Plan identifies the Santa Clara Station Area as a near-term Focus Area. Focus Areas identify where the General Plan supports future growth through redevelopment and intensification of existing land uses. Because of their integral location, changes in these areas offer an opportunity to implement the General Plan Major Strategies to enhance the City’s quality of life and foster economic vitality. Near-term development may proceed in the near-term Focus Areas without preparation of a Specific Plan. An adopted Specific Plan provides a detailed blueprint for growth in the Station Area, ensuring its development aligns with the City's long-term vision, sets specific development standards, and guides future growth more granularly than the broader General Plan. It details land use, design standards, infrastructure, public facilities, and implementation strategies for the area, making it a primary tool for implementing the City's broader General Plan.
The Santa Clara Station Focus Area consists of 244 acres generally bounded by De La Cruz Boulevard, Reed Street, and Martin Avenue to the northeast, and Franklin Street and El Camino Real to the southwest, as shown in Attachment 1. At the center of this area is the existing Santa Clara Station, which is served by Caltrain and Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) rail lines, as well as Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) bus service. The station area will also become the terminus for the VTA’s planned extension of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system also known as BART Silicon Valley Phase II (BART Phase II). BART Phase II is an approximately six-mile-long extension of the BART system from the Berryessa/North San Jose BART Station in San Jose to the proposed Santa Clara BART Station. As such, the station area will transform into an important transit hub for the Bay Area.
Additionally, the Station Area is a Priority Development Area (PDA) as identified by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). PDAs are places with convenient public transit service prioritized by local governments for housing, jobs, and services, and are included in Plan Bay Area - the region’s long-range strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, meeting the housing needs of every community, and advancing equity, mobility and economic vitality.
The Station Area is also identified by ABAG/MTC as a Transit-Oriented Community (TOC). TOCs enable people to access and use transit more often for more types of trips by centering housing, jobs, services and shopping around public transit. MTC’s TOC Policy is one piece of Plan Bay Area 2050 that set to advance the goal of making it easier for people in the Bay Area to live a car-free or a car-light lifestyle.
DISCUSSION
Since the approval of a Cooperative Agreement with VTA in 2022 and the selection of a consultant through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process in 2023, staff has been working closely with the selected consultant, WRT, along with VTA staff and the 11 member Council-appointed Station Area Task Force (SATF) to develop the preferred land use plan.
Following the preparation of the Existing Conditions Report and Vision Plan, development of the preferred land use plan began with a review of three initial concepts: the VTA Playbook Vision (a document developed by VTA to implement the Transit-Oriented Communities vision for each BART Phase II station area), a Residential Priority Concept, and a Strategic Growth Mix.
The VTA Playbook Vision was the densest option with up to 11,525 residential units and 3.7 million square feet of office, plus industrial and academic square footage allowances.
The Residential Priority Concept envisioned approximately 9,000 residential units and 3.7 million square feet of office with similar allowances for industrial and academic uses.
The Strategic Growth Mix emerged as the preferred concept based on input from the SATF and feedback gathered during the May 2025 community workshop. It includes approximately 5,500 residential units and 3.6 million square feet of office space, with an increased emphasis on industrial uses and comparable academic space. The plan would include up to 13.6 acres of public park space.
During refinement of the Preferred Land Use Plan, additional themes emerged from the community and the SATF. Some of the input included preserving views of the historic train station through thoughtful redevelopment of the VTA/City-owned parcel along El Camino Real, maintaining the downtown area as the primary retail hub, and enhancing east-west connectivity across the railroad tracks.
In regards to the VTA/City-owned parcel more specifically, the City, VTA, and SATF conducted a deeper dive into the land use and design of this parcel as it is an important opportunity to advance the shared VTA and City goal of leveraging development potential near transit. The group envisioned an expansion of the station plaza from in front of the historic train station across Railroad Avenue to this parcel while maintaining views and sensitivity to the historic train station. With these objectives in mind, VTA’s design consultant provided various scenarios for discussion that resulted in the development of a set of draft Objectives for any future development on the parcel.
As part of the on-going outreach, staff is requesting input and feedback from the Planning Commission on the Preferred Land Use/Development Plan, building height diagram, and Plaza Design Objectives. As a next step, staff will bring the feedback from the community, SATF, and Planning Commission to the City Council for their review and input.
Following the review of the Preferred Land Use Plan by the Planning Commission and City Council, the next steps include initiating the CEQA process and developing the full Specific Plan, including detailed guidelines, and policies and standards. Staff will engage multiple stakeholders and the community at large through internal Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings, which includes City Departments and outside agencies through social media, a community workshop and an open house.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This study session does not constitute a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5), as it’s a governmental administrative activity that won’t result in a direct or indirect change to the environment.
The Specific Plan will go through the CEQA process, including a Notice of Preparation (NOP) and the circulation of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
FISCAL IMPACT
The City received two grants that collectively provide $900,000 to support preparation of the specific plan. On December 7, 2021, the City Council accepted and approved $400,000 in grant funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). The City also received $500,000 from the VTA provided from a Federal Transportation Administration grant award to fund consultant work to develop a Station Area Specific Plan with oversight by the City of Santa Clara.
There is no fiscal impact to the City other than administrative staff time.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Santa Clara Station Area Map
Staff
Prepared by: Rebecca Bustos, Principal Planner
Reviewed by: Alexander Abbe, Assistant City Attorney
Approved by: Afshan Hamid, Director, Community Development Department