RESOLUTION NO. _____
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA APPROVING AND ADOPTING AN AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING CODE TO REVISE THE PERMITTED USES UNDER THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT MASTER COMMUNITY (PD-MC) LAND USE DESIGNATION AND TO ADD A NEW SCHEME C LAND USE SCENARIO TO THE MASTER COMMUNITY PLAN FOR THE RELATED SANTA CLARA PROJECT LOCATED AT 5155 STARS AND STRIPES DRIVE, SANTA CLARA Addendum to the Santa Clara City Place Environmental Impact Report (SCH #2014072078) PLN24-00060 (General Plan Amendment, Rezoning, and Development Agreement Amendment) WHEREAS, on January 31, 2024, Related Santa Clara, LLC (“Developer”), filed a development application to modify the approvals for a mixed-use development project for the approximately 240-acre City-owned site generally located north of Tasman Drive, east of Great America Parkway and San Tomas Aquino Creek, west of Guadalupe River, and south of State Route 237 (APNs: 104-03-043, 104-03-042, 104-03-041, 104-03-036, 104-01-102, 097-01-039, and 097-01-073), most of which was formerly occupied by a landfill, Santa Clara Golf & Tennis Club, Fire Station 10, and is now occupied by a Bicycle-Motocross (BMX) track, the Ameresco Methane Plant, the Eastside retention Basin and vacant lots (“Project Site”); and WHEREAS, on June 28, 2016, the City Council: certified the Santa Clara City Place Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) [SCH #2014072078] and adopted a set of CEQA Findings, a Statement of Overriding Considerations, and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (“MMRP”) in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); adopted a General Plan Amendment changing the Project Site’s land use designation to Urban Center/Entertainment District and making corresponding text and figure changes throughout the General Plan; approved a rezoning of the Project Site to the Planned Development - Master Community (PD-MC) Zoning designation governed by the accompanying Master Community Plan (“MCP”) for the Related Santa Clara project (the “Approved Project,” previously known as “City Place”); and approved a Development Agreement (“DA”) and a Disposition and Development Agreement (“DDA”) to define the Developer’s obligations to develop the Approved Project and define terms for ground leasing the Project Site to the Developer; and WHEREAS, in 2020 and 2021, the City adopted First, Second, and Third Addenda to the 2016 Santa Clara City Place EIR in connection with its approval of the Development Area Plan (“DAP”) for Phase 1, the DAP for Phase 2, and the City Place Revised Soil Import and Earthwork Plans Project, respectively (together, the First, Second, and Third Addenda to the 2016 EIR constitute the “Santa Clara City Place EIR”); and WHEREAS, the Developer proposes to modify the Approved Project to allow a range of light industrial uses on Parcels 1 and 2 (APN 097-01-073 and 097-01-039) of the Project Site while maintaining the already-approved office, retail, commercial, hotel, and residential uses on Parcels 4 and 5 of the Project Site, and maintaining the park and open space uses already approved on Parcel 3 and throughout the Project Site without modifying the 9.16 million gross square feet of development or overall development intensities already allowed on the Project Site (the “Proposed Project”); and WHEREAS, this Zoning amendment proposes a text amendment to revise the permitted uses under the PD-MC Zoning designation to include a range of light industrial uses as permitted or conditionally permitted uses within that Zoning district and add a new “Scheme C” land use scenario to the MCP, as more particularly described in the attached MCP Scheme C Supplement, which is attached to this Resolution and incorporated by this reference (the “Zoning Amendment”); and WHEREAS, the Developer has simultaneously applied to amend the General Plan land use designation applicable to the Project Site to allow for a range of light industrial uses within the Urban Center/Entertainment District (“General Plan Amendment”); and WHEREAS, the Developer has also requested to amend its existing Development Agreement (“DA”) with the City to incorporate provisions related to the Proposed Project (“DA Amendment”), and City staff have negotiated and recommend the DA Amendment; and WHEREAS, the Developer has also requested to amend its existing DDA with the City, as previously amended, to incorporate provisions related to the Proposed Project (“DDA Amendment”), and City staff have negotiated and recommended the DDA Amendment (the DDA Amendment, together with the General Plan Amendment, Zoning Amendment, and DA Amendment are the “Project Approvals”); and WHEREAS, on May 6, 2025, the City Council held a Study Session focused on the Proposed Project, public comments and the Project Approvals; and WHEREAS, in order to ensure that all potential environmental impacts of the Proposed Project were thoroughly analyzed, the City caused a fourth Addendum to the Santa Clara City Place EIR (“Addendum”) to be prepared in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15164; and WHEREAS, on June 11, 2025, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing, open and closed for public comments, and at the conclusion of which, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the Zoning Amendment as recommended by staff, with the following modifications: in Chapter 3C.2 of MCP, page 21 of the MCP Scheme C, delete the Small Power Plant Exemption (SPPE) data centers from the list under “Light Industrial Parcels- Parcels 1 and 2 Light Industrial Campus Development Permitted Uses”; revise paragraph four on the same page under conditional uses so it applies to all data centers; and specify that all data centers shall be subject to a Conditional Use Permit process to be approved by the Planning Commission rather than a Minor Use Permit process; and WHEREAS, prior to taking action on this Resolution, the City Council has exercised its independent judgement and reviewed and considered the Santa Clara City Place EIR and the Addendum and concluded that, for the reasons set forth in the Addendum, no further environmental review is required for the modifications to the Approved Project contemplated by the Proposed Project; and WHEREAS, on June 18, 2025, a notice of public hearing the July 8, 2025, City Council Hearing for this item was published in the Santa Clara Weekly; and WHEREAS, on June 18, 2025, a notice of public hearing for the July 8, 2025, City Council Hearing for this item was mailed to property owners within a 1,000 foot radius of the Project Site boundaries; and WHEREAS, pursuant to SCCC Section 18.146.020, on June 26, 2025, notice of the City Council Hearing on July 8, 2025, was 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 July 8, 2025, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing to consider the Addendum to the Santa Clara City Place EIR, the MMRP included as Appendix A to the Addendum identifying applicable mitigation measures from the original MMRP, the Project Approvals, 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 Proposed Project.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA AS FOLLOWS:
The City Council hereby finds that the above Recitals are true and correct and by this reference makes them a part hereof.
Pursuant to SCCC Sections 18.256.040(a) and 18.256.060 (formerly Sections 18.56.040(a) and 18.56.060, respectively), the City Council hereby finds that the proposed amendments to the PD-MC zoning designation and the MCP are consistent with the General Plan, for the reasons set forth in the General Plan Amendment Resolution; The City Council hereby approves an amendment to Section 18.256.040 (formerly Section 18.56.040) of Chapter 18.256 (Planned Development – Master Community Zoning Districts) of Title 18 (Zoning), subject to the Project Conditions of Approval as attached hereto and incorporated by this reference, as follows:
“18.256.040 Permitted Uses.
Certain uses may be specifically permitted or permitted by use permit or may be disallowed from any PD-MC plan in accordance with provisions herein below. The PD-MC approval by the City may also require that specific types of uses be incorporated into the overall plan. (a) Any residential, commercial, office, light industrial, SPPE data center (as defined in an applicable PD-MC plan), research and development or public uses may be authorized if they are in harmony with other authorized uses and serve to fulfill the function of the planned development while complying with the City’s general plan. (b) Massage establishments, as defined in SCCC 5.40.020(m), subject to SCCC 18.60.230.B. (c) The following uses may be permitted in this zoning district if they are approved specifically through the zoning entitlement process or approved through a use permit process as specified in Chapter 18.114 SCCC, Conditional and Minor Use Permits:
(1) Auto service or repair;
(2) Drive-through restaurants and services;
(3) Beer and wine or alcoholic beverage service;
(4) Live entertainment and dancing;
(5) Ancillary Data Center (as defined in, and subject to the conditions of, an applicable PD-MC plan); (6) Non-SPPE Data Center (as defined in, and subject to the conditions of, an applicable PD-MC plan). (d) The following uses are prohibited, except where specifically authorized in an applicable PD-MC plan adopted by the City Council:
(1) Auto sales;
(2) Appliances and bulk item sales;
(3) Industrial uses and uses involving quantities of hazardous materials that may have potentially significant health consequences; (4) Wholesaling, warehousing and storage (indoor and outdoor) operations; (5) Contractor’s yards and other similar uses;
(6) Other uses that, in the opinion of the City Council, are incompatible with the character and nature of the uses provided and approved in the master community plan.” That the City Council hereby approves the amendment to the approved Master Community Plan to add a new Scheme C Supplement for the Related Santa Clara Project, as attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference, as part of the zoning map of the City.
Effective date. This resolution shall become effective at such time as Ordinance No. _____ approving the DA Amendment becomes effective, and if such Ordinance has not become effective by December 31, 2025, this resolution shall be deemed to be void and of no further force or effect.
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 8TH DAY OF JULY 2025, BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: COUNCILORS:
NOES: COUNCILORS:
ABSENT: COUNCILORS:
ABSTAINED: COUNCILORS:
ATTEST: ______________________________
NORA PIMENTEL, MMC
ASSISTANT CITY CLERK
CITY OF SANTA CLARA
Attachments incorporated by reference:
MCP Scheme C Supplement
Conditions of Approval
Resolution/ Related Santa Clara Project – Zoning Amendment Page PAGE 1 of 6 Rev: 7/27/2023
Ordinance/*Insert brief description Page PAGE 1 of *
Rev: 03-09-10; Typed: *Insert date