RESOLUTION NO. __________
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA APPROVING AND ADOPTING AN ADDENDUM TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE FREEDOM CIRCLE FUTURE FOCUS AREA PLAN / GREYSTAR PROJECT GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT, ANALYZING THE PROPOSED “SANTA CLARA PARK” RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT CONSISTING OF 1,792 APARTMENT UNITS LOCATED AT 2518 MISSION COLLEGE BOULEVARD, SANTA CLARA PLN24-00160 (General Plan Amendment and Rezone)
PLN24-00213 (Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map)
Addendum to the Future Freedom Circle Focus Area Plan Environmental Impact Report (SCH #2020060425) WHEREAS, on April 22, 2024, Irvine Company (“Applicant”), on behalf of Freedom Circle LLC (“Owner”) filed a development application for the 25.74-acre site located at 2518 Mission College Boulevard (APN:104-40-019), which is developed as a business park and consists of 12 two story commercial buildings with surface parking and site landscaping (“Project Site”); WHEREAS, the Owner simultaneously applied for a General Plan text amendment to add a new policy to the Freedom Circle Future Focus Area to clarify that a Planned Development rezone satisfies the requirement of a comprehensive plan; a rezone of the property from High Intensity Office and R&D (HO-RD) to Planned Development (PD); and a Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map application to allow the construction of the Santa Clara Park residential development with 1,792 apartment units in five residential buildings, associated on- and off-site improvements and 4.225 acres of public parks (“Project”), as shown on the attached Development Plans and Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map, incorporated herein by this reference; WHEREAS, an Addendum was prepared for the Freedom Circle Future Focus Area Plan / Greystar Project General Plan Amendment Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (2022) (“Addendum”) in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); WHEREAS, the Addendum includes four refinements to 2022 EIR mitigation measures which provide clarification and detailed protocols for Santa Clara Park project-specific implementation of the 2022 EIR mitigation measures: one in Air Quality, two in Biological Resources, and one in Cultural Resources. No further evaluation is required, and no Subsequent or Supplemental EIR is needed pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15162, and an EIR Addendum has therefore appropriately been prepared, pursuant to Section 15164:
WHEREAS, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15164(c), this Addendum will not be circulated for public review, but will be included in the public record file for the project approval; WHEREAS, a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (“MMRP”) has been prepared for implementation with Project development to reduce potentially significant impacts identified in the Freedom Circle Future Focus Area Plan EIR for the Project, along with the four refinements to 2022 EIR mitigation measures, which provide clarification and detailed protocols for Santa Clara Park project-specific implementation of the 2022 EIR mitigation measures; WHEREAS, on February 19, 2025, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing, at the conclusion of which, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the Addendum to EIR (2022), General Plan Amendment, Rezoning, and the Tentative Subdivision Map; WHEREAS, on February 5, 2025, a notice of the public hearing on the proposed General Plan Amendment was published in the Santa Clara Weekly, and on February 13, 2025, a notice was published in the San Jose Mercury News, for the City Council Hearing to be conducted on March 25, 2025; WHEREAS, on February 6 and February 13, 2025, the notice of public hearing for the March 25, 2025, City Council meeting for this item was mailed to property owners within a 1,000 foot radius of the Project Site boundaries; WHEREAS, pursuant to SCCC Section 18.146.020, on February 13, 2025, notices of the public hearing of March 25, 2025 were posted at City Hall, the Central Park Library, the Mission Branch Library, the Northside Branch Library, and on the City’s website; and WHEREAS, on March 25, 2025, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing to consider the Project, Addendum to the Freedom Circle Future Focus Area EIR, MMRP, and all pertinent information in the record, during which the City Council invited and considered any, and all verbal and written testimony and evidence offered in favor of and in opposition to the Project.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA AS FOLLOWS:
That the City Council hereby finds that the above Recitals are true and correct and by this reference makes them a part hereof.
The City Council hereby finds that the proposed Project would not cause substantial changes to the previously approved Freedom Circle Future Focus Area and Greystar General Plan Amendment Project, and major revisions to the EIR would not be required.
The City Council further finds that no substantial changes would occur with respect to the circumstances under which the previously approved Freedom Circle Future Focus Area and Greystar General Plan Amendment Project is undertaken and, therefore, no major revisions of the EIR would be required.
The City Council also finds that there is no new information of substantial importance, which was not known and could not have been known with reasonable diligence at the time the EIR was certified, that shows (1) that the Project would have one or more significant effects not discussed in the EIR, (2) significant effects previously examined in the EIR would be substantially more severe than shown in the EIR, (3) mitigation measures or alternatives previously found not feasible would in fact be feasible and would substantially reduce one or more significant effects of the proposed project, but the Applicant declined to adopt the mitigation or alternative, or (4) mitigation measures or alternatives which are considerably different from those analyzed in the EIR would substantially reduce one or more significant effects on the environment, but the Applicant declined to adopt the mitigation measure or alternative.
The City Council further finds that this Addendum includes four refinements to EIR mitigation measures which provide clarification and detailed protocols for Project-specific implementation of the EIR mitigation measures: one in Air Quality, two in Biological Resources, and one in Cultural Resources. As to those refinements, the City Council finds that the mitigation measures remain equally or more effective as originally proposed.
The City Council finds that no new significant or substantially more severe significant environmental impacts have been identified compared to the EIR. Therefore, no further evaluation is required, and no Subsequent or Supplemental EIR is needed pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15162, and an EIR Addendum has therefore appropriately been prepared, pursuant to Section 15164.
That the City Council hereby designates the Director of Community Development as the Custodian of Records for the Project, and the Planning Division at City Hall, 1500 Warburton Avenue, Santa Clara, California, is the location of the documents and other material that constitute the record of proceedings upon which this decision is based.
Effective date. This resolution shall become effective immediately.
I HEREBY CERTIFY THE FOREGOING TO BE A TRUE COPY OF A RESOLUTION PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, AT A REGULAR MEETING THEREOF HELD ON THE 25TH DAY OF MARCH 2025, BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: COUNCILORS:
NOES: COUNCILORS:
ABSENT: COUNCILORS:
ABSTAINED: COUNCILORS:
Attachments Incorporated by Reference:
Development Plans
2. Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map
3. Conditions of Approval
ATTEST:
NORA PIMENTEL, MMC
ASSISTANT CITY CLERK
CITY OF SANTA CLARA
Resolution/ Santa Clara Park Residential Project 2518 Mission College Boulevard– Addendum to the Freedom Circle Future Focus Area EIR 1 of 5 Rev. Rev: 11/22/17