ORDINANCE NO. _____
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, REGULATING CERTAIN ACTIVITIES WITHIN A PROTECTED AREA IN CONNECTION WITH MAJOR EVENTS AND RELATED ACTIVITIES IN THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA WHEREAS, the City of Santa Clara (“City”) is home to Levi's® Stadium (“Stadium”) which opened in 2014 and regularly hosts football events, concerts, soccer matches, and other events (“Events”); and WHEREAS, some of the Events hosted at the Stadium attract statewide, national and/or international interest, with increased potential for safety and security risks due to their large crowds, enhanced level of media attention, large number of high-profile attendees, and increased commercial and community activity at and around the Stadium (“Special Events”); and WHEREAS, in 2026, the Stadium will host two Special Events, Super Bowl LX (and related events) in February 2026, and FIFA World Cup 2026 (and related events), from late May through early July 2026; and WHEREAS, in addition to the Stadium, the City also has within its jurisdiction various other public and private facilities, parking areas, access roads, thoroughfares and other areas which may be used for the purposes of staging and conducting activities related to the Special Events at the Stadium, including support of Special Event security, logistics, traffic management and other community or commercial activities associated with the Special Events; and WHEREAS, the Special Events will require extensive event load-in and load-out operations, including temporary structures, hospitality installations, security screening areas, broadcast compounds, fencing, and wayfinding systems, all of which necessitate maintaining clear and predictable access routes for emergency services, credentialed personnel, and freight deliveries; and WHEREAS, the primary ingress and egress corridors serving the Stadium are essential for the safe movement of attendees, emergency vehicles, transit providers, rideshare operations, and Event support staff; and WHEREAS, the Stadium is supported by extensive surface parking areas, pedestrian walkways, shuttle zones, and transit connections that experience significant pedestrian volumes before and after Special Events, and temporary restrictions on unpermitted vending and commercial activity within these areas are necessary to safeguard pedestrian travel and protect adjacent residential neighborhoods from spillover impacts; and WHEREAS, event and hospitality facilities adjacent to the Stadium, including the Santa Clara Convention Center, California’s Great America theme park, and nearby hotels are expected to host Special Event related activities such as credentialing operations, media production, hospitality functions, fan activations, and community programming, creating additional demand for coordinated public safety, mobility management, and regulation of outdoor commercial activity; and WHEREAS, the Santa Clara City Code already prescribes regulations and restrictions to ensure smooth operations of Events at the Stadium, including local permit requirements and regulations for soliciting and peddling, signs, temporary short-term activities, and parades, races and block events; and WHEREAS, given increased security risks, increased number of people visiting the City to attend or participate in, and the large scale nature of Special Events, and related activities, the City has determined that it is within the public interest to adopt certain additional and temporary regulations (“Special Event Regulations”) to mitigate and manage these risks consistent with City’s interest in preserving the public’s health, safety and welfare; and WHEREAS, the City’s specific purposes for adopting the Special Event Regulations include: (1) promoting and protecting public health, safety, and welfare in and around the Stadium and other areas within the City impacted by Special Events; (2) exercising responsible public stewardship by managing Special Events to maximize economic benefits to the community, while protecting the public interest; (3) promoting and protecting good order and aesthetic qualities in and around the Stadium during Special Events and minimizing commercial blight; and (4) managing congestion and pedestrian and vehicular traffic flow within a specifically defined area around the Stadium (“Special Event Zone”) that would otherwise impede the free and safe flow of traffic, presenting safety and security risks, by hindering security operations and interfering with emergency vehicle access; and WHEREAS, the Special Event Zone boundaries will be specific to each Special Event, and will generally align with the autonomous vehicle geofenced rideshare map, underscoring the need to preserve adequate traffic flow, avoid congestion, and maintain safe and orderly transportation operations during Special Events; and WHEREAS, establishing the Special Event Zone in advance of Special Events will allow the City to implement predictable and transparent regulations, coordinate enforcement, and maintain safe and efficient event operations from early event preparation through post-event crowd dispersal; and WHEREAS, certain Special Event Regulations regulate sidewalk vendors and those regulations are directly related to the health, safety, and welfare concerns identified in Santa Clara City Code section 5.05.440 which exist upon the sidewalks and other pedestrian paths within the Special Event Zone; and WHEREAS, in order to tailor the application of the Special Event Regulations to the time periods and the specific geographic areas where the public health, safety and welfare concerns are expected to arise, the Special Event Regulations will only apply, during the time periods designated for each Special Event and only within the Special Event Zone designated for each Special Event; and WHEREAS, these designated time periods are intended to encompass not only the days on which the Special Events occur, but also the necessary lead-up and operational phases including load-in, construction of temporary facilities, credentialing, security screening, and crowd-management preparations during which health, safety and welfare impacts similarly exist; and WHEREAS, maintaining these regulations continuously throughout the full preparation, event, and dispersal periods, rather than intermittently turning them on and off, is essential to ensuring consistent application, effective enforcement, operational clarity for the public and stakeholders, and the uninterrupted protection of public safety and orderly event operations; and WHEREAS, based on the foregoing, the City has a substantial interest in adopting the Special Event Regulations set forth in this Ordinance, which shall be effective only during the specified dates and times applicable to Special Events and within the Special Event Zone designated.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1: That the findings contained in the preamble of this Ordinance are determined to be true and correct and are hereby adopted by the City Council as a part of this Ordinance.
SECTION 2: Definitions. For purposes of this Ordinance the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed thereto:
“Special Event” shall mean (1) Super Bowl LX, (2) FIFA World Cup 2026, or (3) any similar event held at the Stadium, expected to attract statewide, national and/or international interest, with increased potential for safety and security risks due to their large crowds, enhanced level of media attention, large number of high-profile attendees, and increased commercial and community activity at and around the Stadium that is designated as a “Special Event” by resolution adopted by the City Council. “Special Event Time Period” shall mean the time period leading up to and after a Special Event during which Special Event Regulations shall be in effect. For Super Bowl LX the Special Event Time Period shall commence on February 1, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. and shall expire on February 10, 2026 at 10:00 p.m. Other Special Event Time Periods, including FIFA World Cup 2026, shall be designated by the City Council by Resolution. “Special Event Zone” shall mean with respect to Super Bowl LX that certain area surrounding the Stadium expected to be impacted by the conduct of such events and any related activities thereby necessitating the imposition of the Special Event Zone Regulations as more particularly shown on the map and description attached hereto as Exhibit "A" including all publicly owned property, public rights of way and private property located therein. Other Special Event Zones, including for FIFA World Cup 2026 shall be designated by the City Council by Resolution.
SECTION 3: Special Event Zone Regulations. With respect to each Special Event designated in accordance with the terms of this Ordinance, the following regulations shall apply for the duration of the Special Event Time Period and within the Special Event Zone designated for such Special Event.
Pause on Existing Permits within Special Event Zone. All permits issued pursuant to Chapter 5.05 of the Santa Clara City Code for approved locations within the Special Event Zone shall be paused. If any such permit holder peddles at alternative approved locations designated in the permit, the permit shall only be paused in part, as applied to the approved location within the Special Event Zone, and shall remain in full force and effect as applied to the alternative approved location.
Prohibition on Outdoor Sales of Food and Beverage. The outdoor sale of any food or beverages to the public visible from any public street, sidewalk or public rights of way shall be prohibited, including alcoholic beverages, except food or beverages sold or distributed in the ordinary course of business at a location for which the City has issued a Certificate of Occupancy, Conditional Use Permit or other permit authorized by the Santa Clara City Code. .
Prohibition on Outdoor Sales of Merchandise. The outdoor sale or distribution of merchandise (used in its broadest sense and including commercial property or transaction(s) of every kind) to the public visible from any public street, sidewalk or public right of way shall be prohibited, except merchandise sold or distributed in the ordinary course of business at a location for which the City has issued a Certificate of Occupancy, Conditional Use Permit or other permit authorized by the Santa Clara City Code.
Prohibition on Mobile Unit Commercial Vending. Commercial vending from any "mobile unit," which includes any vehicle, truck, trailer, pushcart, wagon, bicycle, dray, conveyance or structure on wheels, not firmly fixed to a permanent foundation, whether or not required to have a license to operate issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, is prohibited.
Prohibition on Distribution of Free Products. The distribution or provision of free products, commercial services or coupons (otherwise referred to as sampling) and other promotional giveaways on public streets, sidewalks or rights of way or outside an enclosed building is prohibited. This prohibition does not apply to distribution of coupons outside of an enclosed building, and wholly occurring within private property, where the distributions provides direct support for the business operating within the enclosed building upon which the property is located.
Prohibition on Mobile Advertising Displays. Mobile advertising (including, but not limited to signs on or attached to a “mobile unit” portable device or person) is prohibited. Notwithstanding the foregoing, buses, taxicabs, and other delivery vehicles that display advertising as a secondary use of the vehicle in the ordinary course of business, may travel within the Event Zone to pick up and drop off passengers and goods.
Permits for Temporary Structures. No temporary structure shall be constructed, placed, occupied or used (including, but not limited to, temporary location of tents, canopies, umbrellas and air supported, air-inflated and tensioned membranes) on non-residential property unless it is approved as an associated use with a Temporary Use Permit issued by the City pursuant to Santa Clara City Code Chapter 18.122.
SECTION 4: Compliance with Existing Federal, State and Local Laws. Nothing in this Ordinance modifies requirements to comply with existing federal, state, and local laws. This includes but not limited to requirements to comply with state and federal laws related to sale or distribution of counterfeit merchandise. It also does not change requirements to comply with the City’s local regulations, including but not limited to requirements to obtain permits for activities when required by the Santa Clara City Code.
SECTION 5: Violations and Penalties.
Mobile Unit Commercial Vending Violations. Violations of the “Prohibition on Mobile Unit Commercial Vending” provision within the public right-of-way or in a park owned and operated by the City, are punishable by the administrative remedies authorized in Santa Clara City Code Chapter 5.05.
Administrative Remedies. Except as otherwise prohibited by state law, violations of any other provision of this ordinance by any person, firm, corporation, agent or employee thereof may be prosecuted as an administrative citation as set forth in Santa Clara City Code Chapter 1.10. Each day that a violation is permitted to exist shall constitute a separate offense.
Other Enforcement Options. In addition to any other remedies herein, this ordinance may be enforced by an injunction issued by the Superior Court upon any suit by the City. If any activity that constitutes a violation of this ordinance also constitutes a violation of any state, federal, local, or common law, this ordinance shall not be the exclusive remedy and shall not be deemed to abrogate any other rights and remedies that may exist under law.
SECTION 5: Severability. If any section, subsection, clause or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion or sections of the ordinance. The City Council declares that it would have adopted the ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases be declared unconstitutional.
SECTION 6: No Impact on Existing Prosecutions/Fees. The changes provided for in this Ordinance shall not affect any offense or act committed or done or any penalty or forfeiture incurred or any right established or accruing before the effective date of this Ordinance; nor shall it affect any prosecution, suit or proceeding pending or any judgment rendered prior to the effective date of this Ordinance. All fee schedules shall remain in force until superseded by the fee schedules adopted by the City Council.
SECTION 7: CEQA. Adoption of this Ordinance is not a “project” as defined by CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378 because it does not have any potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment and it involves only organizational and administrative activities of the City; it does not involve or otherwise authorize any construction or physical activity that could impact the environment. Even if adoption of the Ordinance was considered to be a project under CEQA, it would be exempt from CEQA review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that adoption of the Ordinance would have a significant effect on environment given that it does not involve or authorize any construction or physical activity that could impact the environment.
SECTION 8: Ordinance not codified. This Ordinance shall not be codified in the Santa Clara City Code.
SECTION 9: Effective date. This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after its final adoption; however, prior to its final adoption it shall be published in accordance with the requirements of Section 808 and 812 of "The Charter of the City of Santa Clara, California." PASSED FOR THE PURPOSE OF PUBLICATION this XX day of XXXXXX, 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: (type None here or type brief description below) Exhibit A - Special Event Zone for Super Bowl LX
EXHIBIT A
Special Event Zone for Super Bowl LX
(To Be Attached)
Ordinance/Special Event Zone FIFA World Cup Page 2 of 11 Rev: 11/2025