March 4, 2022
San Jose City Council200 E. Santa Clara St.San Jose, CA 95113 Re: Coyote Valley Monterey Corridor Study
Dear Mayor Liccardo and Councilmembers,
The undersigned organizations submit the following comments with regard to the Coyote ValleyMonterey Corridor Study. Our organizations represent thousands of residents in San Jose andSanta Clara County who care about Coyote Valley and other open space areas. For decades,we have advocated for the protection of Coyote Valley. The recent action by the City Council tomaintain Coyote Valley as habitat, open space and agriculture was a huge step to benefitwildlife, open space, climate resilience, flood and groundwater protection, and farmlandpreservation.
First of all, the question must be asked whether this study should even be undertaken undercurrent conditions, given the enormous uncertainty surrounding the future of High-Speed Rail,which seems likely to run right through the Monterey Road/railway corridor. The variouspossibilities of eminent domain, relocation of the Monterey Road right of way, long years ofconstruction causing disruption to public access to Monterey Road parcels, and other factorsthat are complete unknowns at this point, make it questionable whether the City should beexpending staff time and resources on this study at this time.
Leaving that question aside, with regard to the proposed scope of work for the Coyote ValleyMonterey Corridor study, we have the following recommendations:
1. Any new uses along the Coyote Valley Monterey Road corridor should notnegatively impact wildlife movement or increase wildlife mortality on MontereyRoad.
Monterey Road is currently a roadkill hot spot. According to the 2019 report “Recommendationsto reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions on the Monterey Road corridor in Coyote Valley”by theSanta Clara County Wildlife Corridor Technical Working Group, more animals are struck andkilled by vehicles on the stretch of Monterey Road that goes through Coyote Valley than on
Highway 101. Any new uses or increased development as a result of the Monterey CorridorStudy should not make this problem worse. It would be ironic if, after all the actions taken by theCity and other agencies to improve wildlife connectivity through Coyote Valley, the City were totake action now that actuallyincreasedthe numberof animals killed.
Recommendations to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions on the Monterey Road corridor in Coyote Valley, Santa Clara County. SantaClara County Wildlife Corridor Technical Working Group, San Jose, CA.
At the same time, the solution is not to simply block animals from the Monterey Road corridor.Coyote Valley is a critical wildlife pathway for animals to migrate between the Santa CruzMountains and the Diablo Range. The fact that bobcats, coyotes, deer and smaller animalscontinue to be struck and killed on Monterey Road is a testament to the fact that animalsneedto move across this barrier in order to survive.
Furthermore, it should be noted that the Envision 2040 General Plan includes several policiesthat address the need to facilitate wildlife movement across roadways, specifically including theCoyote Valley Monterey Road corridor. These policies must be considered as part of theframework for the Monterey Corridor Study:
ER-7.2: In areas important to terrestrial wildlife movement, design new or improveexisting roads so that they allow wildlife to continue to move across them (e.g., eitherover the road surface or through under-crossings or over-crossings designed for theanimals moving through the areas).
ER-7.4: To facilitate the movement of wildlife acrossCoyote Valley, work with theappropriate transportation agencies to replace portions of the median barrier onMonterey Road with a barrier that maintains human safety while being more permeableto wildlife movement and implement other improvements to benefit wildlife movement.
ER-7.5: Support the ongoing identification and protectionof critical linkages for wildlifemovement in the Mid-Coyote Valley.
In conclusion, given the fragility of wildlife linkage in Coyote Valley and its importance in thedecision to protect Coyote Valley, San Jose should go beyond simply avoiding “significant”negative impacts to wildlife movement and corridors, and require that that an approved corridorpolicy have no negative impact at all on movement and corridors. Achieving this could be donevia the original proposed project and alternatives, or by requiring mitigation to eliminate all netimpacts on movement and corridors. The scientific report linked above contains severalrecommendations for how to achieve this, including constructing wildlife crossings, altering themedian barrier on Monterey Road, and reducing vehicle speeds.
2. Any new uses along the Coyote Valley Monterey Road corridor should notnegatively impact wildlife movement and habitat along the Coyote Creek corridor.
In addition to wildlife movement across Monterey Road itself, the potential exists for increaseddevelopment and activity on the parcels adjoining Monterey Road to negatively impact wildlifehabitat and connectivity along the Coyote Creek corridor. Coyote Creek, which runs along theback of the Monterey Road parcels, provides a critical pathway for wildlife movement throughCoyote Valley. Noise, nighttime lighting, trash, and other impacts from increased developmentcould have a significant negative impact on the ability of wildlife to use this migration corridor.The scope of the Monterey Corridor study must include design standards that limit theseimpacts. For instance, any uses that would need to operate after dark (such as restaurants thatare open for dinner) should be limited so that increased noise and lighting does not deternocturnal animals from using the Coyote Creek corridor or reduce the quality of their habitat.Outdoor dining is particularly problematic due to the potential for food scraps, litter, and otherdebris that can be harmful to wildlife, and the potential for noise and light to interfere with theactivity of animals along the creek at night.
3. The City should not allow uses that are more expansive in size or intensity of usethan what is permitted in the County jurisdiction.
Due to historic patterns of annexation, the Monterey Road corridor through Coyote Valley is apatchwork of City and County jurisdiction. Currently, County zoning allows more uses within the agricultural zone than the City’s zoning ordinance allows. We are generally supportive of theCity aligning its zoning requirements with the County’s in order to reduce confusion and createconsistency and equal treatment for all landowners along the Coyote Valley Monterey Roadcorridor, as well as to allow landowners the ability to undertake ag-supportive uses such asfarmstands and pick-your-own operations.
However, the scope of the study as outlined in the Staff memo goes farther than what is allowedin the County zoning jurisdiction. For example, the Staff memo includes potential uses such asbeer gardens, restaurants and outdoor special event areas. These uses are not allowed in theCounty’s agriculture district and thus should not be included in the scope of this study. Inaddition, the category of small eco-hotels and bed and breakfasts should be clarified to ensurealignment with the County’s restriction of only 6 guestrooms.
4. The Study should not result in approval of significant agricultural, wildlife, orhabitat impacts The point of protecting Coyote Valley in areas under both City and County jurisdiction was andis to preserve its agricultural and open space character, including the crucial biological valuesacross the valley floor and along the Coyote Creek corridor. When the Council directed staff tocome back with a budget and timeline for the Monterey Corridor Study, that directionemphasized that any new uses must be compatible with the Coyote Creek Park Chain and withbroader environmental objectives for Coyote Valley. While the use of the EIR process couldallow the City to accept significant impacts on agriculture and wildlife, doing so would directlycontravene the entire reason and trajectory of protection for Coyote Valley dating at least to theinterim protection of Mid-Coyote Valley in the 2011 General Plan. The City has the authority todetermine in advance that it will not accept significant impacts for these issues, and design theCorridor Study and EIR accordingly to fully explore avoidance of significant impacts on theseissues. This will provide the broadest range of options to avoid impacts, as opposed to arelatively narrow consideration of what is the key reason for protecting Coyote Valley.
Thank you for your consideration of these comments.
Sincerely,
Alice Kaufman, Legislative Advocacy Director Shani Kleinhaus, Environmental AdvocateGreen Foothills Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society James Eggers, Chapter Chair Deb Kramer, Executive DirectorSierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful
33 Las Colinas Lane, San Jose, CA 95119 | 408.224.7476 T | 408.224.7548 F | openspaceauthority.org
Andrea Mackenzie, General Manager
Alex Kennett, District 1
Mike Flaugher, District 2
Helen Chapman, District 3
Dorsey Moore, District 4
Vicki Alexander, District 5
Mike Potter, District 6
Kalvin Gill, District 7
March 7, 2022
San José Mayor & City Council
City of San José
200 E. Santa Clara Street
San José, CA 95113
Re: Comments on Item 8.4 Report on the Proposed Scope, Schedule, and Budget for the Coyote Valley Monterey Corridor Study
Dear Mayor, City Councilmembers,
On behalf of the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (Open Space Authority), I am writing to support the steps recommended by staff in the memo dated February 22, 2022, the additional recommendations highlighted in the memo from Councilmember Jimenez, dated March 4, 2022, to initiate the Monterey Corridor Study, and support in the City’s budget to fund this important planning study.
The Open Space Authority is a public, independent special district created by the California State Legislature in 1993 to conserve the natural environment, support agriculture, and connect people to nature by protecting open spaces, natural areas, and working farms and ranches for future generations.
Within the proposed staff recommendations, the Authority would like to emphasize its support for:
• “Agricultural supportive uses” as outlined in the staff memo, especially as those uses are aligned with the County’s Agricultural zoning district.
• Consideration in the plan for maintaining and enhancing wildlife movement across Monterey Rd. and to Coyote Creek, and minimizing disturbance of wildlife by allowed uses along the Corridor.
• Close coordination between the Monterey Corridor Study and the Coyote Valley Conservation Areas Master Plan (CVCAMP).
• Encourage engaging consultants that preferably have familiarity with Coyote Valley land use, agriculture and the local agricultural economy.
• Consideration of how the development of high-speed rail will affect future uses and improvements along the Monterey Road Corridor.
• Consideration of Monterey Road itself and complete street design recommendations for Monterey Road that support traffic safety for wildlife and people.
• Placemaking/economic development for the village of Coyote.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide these comments. The Authority looks forward to working closely with the City of San Jose and other stakeholders as the City undertakes the Monterey Corridor Study.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Andrea M
ackenzie
General Manager
CC: Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority Board of Directors