Upon completion of all steps described above, the Apparent Winning Bidder will be deemed the Purchaser of the Bonds (the “Purchaser”) and will be bound by the terms of the contract to purchase the Bonds, which shall consist of: (a) this Official Notice of Sale; (b) the information that is transmitted electronically by the bidder through PARITY®; and (c) any adjustments to the final principal amortization schedule and purchase price made as described under the heading “DESCRIPTION OF THE BONDS –ADJUSTMENT OF PRINCIPAL AMOUNTS” above.
GOOD FAITH DEPOSIT. A good faith deposit in the amount of $________________ for the Bonds (the “Good Faith Deposit”) must be provided by the Apparent Winning Bidder. The Good Faith Deposit must be submitted by wire transfer (as described below). The Bonds will not be officially awarded to a bidder who has not submitted a Good Faith Deposit.
Upon the determination by the City of the Apparent Winning Bidder (as described above under the heading “–PROCESS OF AWARD”), the Municipal Advisor will request the Apparent Winning Bidder to (i) immediately wire the Good Faith Deposit to the Paying Agent, as described below, and (ii) provide, within 90 minutes of such request, the Federal wire reference number of such Good Faith Deposit to the Municipal Advisor by email at the address shown above. The wire transfer is to be made to U.S. Bank National Ass ociation using wire instructions to be provided to the Apparent Winning Bidder.
9 If the Apparent Winning Bidder does not wire the Good Faith Deposit as required, or does not provide the Federal wire reference number confirming the wire-transfer of such deposit to the Municipal Advisor within the time specified above, the City may reject the bid of the Apparent Winning Bidder and may award the Bonds to a responsible bidder that submitted a confirming bid that represents the next lowest true interest cost to the City.
No interest will be paid upon a Good Faith Deposit made by an Apparent Winning Bidder.
Upon receipt of the Good Faith Deposit by the City, the Good Faith Deposit will immediately become the property of the City . The Good Faith Deposit will be held and invested for the exclusive benefit of the City. The Good Faith Deposit, without interest thereon, will be credited against the purchase price of the Bonds purchased by the Purchaser at the time of delivery thereof.
If the purchase price is not paid in full upon tender of the Bonds, the City shall retain the Good Faith Deposit and the Purchaser will have no right in or to the Bonds or to the recovery of its Good Faith Deposit, or to any allowance or credit by reason of such deposit, except pursuant to a right of cancellation. See “DESCRIPTION OF THE BONDS–RIGHT OF CANCELLATION BY THE PURCHASER.” In the event of nonpayment of the purchase price for the Bonds by the Purchaser, the City reserves any and all rights granted by law to recover the full purchase price of the Bonds and, in addition, any damages suffered by the City.
CALIFORNIA DEBT AND INVESTMENT ADVISORY COMMISSION FEE. Attention of bidders is directed to California Governm ent Code Section 8856, which provides that the lead underwriter or the purchaser of the Bonds will be charged the California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission fee.
QUALIFICATION FOR SALE; BLUE SKY. Compliance with blue sky laws shall be the sole responsibility of the Purchaser. The City will furnish such information and take such action not inconsistent with law as the Purchaser may request and the City shall deem necessary or appropriate to qualify the Bonds for offer and sale under the blue sky or other securities laws and regulations of such states and other jurisdictions of the United States of America as may be designated by the Purchaser; provided, however, that the City shall not execute a g eneral or special consent to service of process or qualify to do business in connection with such qualification or determination in any jurisdiction. The Purchaser shall not offer to sell or solicit any offer to buy the Bonds in any jurisdiction where it is unlawful for the Purchaser to make such offer, solicitation or sale, and the Purchaser shall comply with the blue sky and other securities laws and regulations of the states and jurisdictions in which the Purchaser sells the Bonds.
CUSIP NUMBERS. It is anticipated that CUSIP numbers will be printed on the Bonds, but neither the failure to print such numbers on any Bonds nor any error with respect thereto shall constitute cause for failure or refusal by the Purchaser to accept delivery of and pay for the Bonds in accordance with the terms hereof. All expenses in relation to the printing of CUSIP numbers on the Bonds shall be paid for by the City; provided, however, that the ordering of and the CUSIP Service Bureau charge for the assignment of said numbers shall be the responsibility of and shall be paid for by the Purchaser.
ESTABLISHMENT OF ISSUE PRICE.
(a) The Purchaser shall assist the City in establishing the issue price of the Bonds and shall execute and deliver to the City at closing an “issue price” or similar certificate setting forth the reasonably expected initial offering price to the public of the Bonds, together with the
10 supporting pricing wires or equivalent communications, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 1, with such modifications as may be appropriate or necessary, in the reasonable judgment of the Purchaser, the City and Bond Counsel. All actions to be taken by the City under this Official Notice of Sale to establish the issue price of the Bonds may be taken on behalf of the City by the Municipal Advisor and any notice or report to be provided to the City may be provided to the Municipal Advisor.
(b) The City intends that the provisions of Treasury Regulation Section 1.148-1(f)(3)(i) (defining “competitive sale” for purposes of establishing the issue price of the Bonds) will apply to the initial sale of the Bonds (the “competitive sale requirements”) because:
(1) the City shall disseminate this Official Notice of Sale to potential underwriters in a manner that is reasonably designed to reach potential underwriters;
(2) all bidders shall have an equal opportunity to bid;
(3) the City may receive bids from at least three underwriters of municipal bonds who have established industry reputations for underwriting new issuances of municipal bonds; and
(4) the City anticipates awarding the sale of the Bonds to the bidder who submits a firm offer to purchase the Bonds at the highest price (or lowest interest cost), as set forth in this Official Notice of Sale.
Any bid submitted pursuant to this Official Notice of Sale shall be considered a firm offer for the purchase of the Bonds, as specified in the bid. By submitting a bid for the Bonds, each bidder certifies that it has an establishe d industry reputation for underwriting new issuances of municipal bonds. The City will not accept bids from firms without an established industry reputation for underwriting new issuances of municipal bonds.
(c) If the City receives less than three bids that conform to the parameters contained herein such that the competitive sale requirements are not satisfied, the City intends to treat the initial offering price of each maturity of the bonds set forth in the bid submitted by the winning bidder (the “initial offering price”) as the issue price of that maturity (the "hold -the-offering-price rule"). Consequently, each bidder should assume for purposes of making its bid that for each maturity of the Bonds, the City will treat the initial offering prices as of the date that the Bonds are awarded by the City to the successful bidder ("sale date") as the issue price of the Bonds. The City will advise the Apparent Winning Bidder within one hour of receipt of bids if the hold -the- offering-price rule will apply. In the event that the competitive sale requirements are not satisfied and issue price is established pursuant to the hold -the-offering-price rule, the issue price certificate shall be substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 2.
(d) By submitting a bid, the successful bidder shall, on behalf of the underwriters participating in the purchase of the Bonds, (i) confirm that the underwriters have offered or will offer each maturity of the Bonds to the public on or before the sale date at the initial offering price set forth in the bid submitted by the winning bidder, and (ii) agree that the underwriters will neither offer nor sell any maturity of the Bonds to any person at a price that is higher than the initial offering price for such maturity during the period starting on the sale date and ending on the earlier of the following:
(1) the close of the 5th business day after the sale date; or
11 (2) the date on which the underwriters have sold at least 10% of that maturity of the Bonds to the public at a price that is no higher than the initial offering price for such maturity.
The winning bidder shall promptly advise the City when the underwriters have sold 10% of that maturity of the Bonds to the public at a price that is no higher than the initial offering price if that occurs prior to the close of the 5th business day after the sale date.
(e) The City acknowledges that, in making the representation set forth above, the successful bidder will rely on (i) the agreement of each underwriter to comply with the hold-the- offering-price rule, as set forth in an agreement among underwriters and the related pricing wires, (ii) in the event a selling group has been created in connection with the initial sale of the Bonds to the public, the agreement of each dealer who is a member of the selling group to comply with the hold-the-offering-price rule, as set forth in a selling group agreement and the related pricing wires, and (iii) in the event that an underwriter is a party to a retail distribution agre ement that was employed in connection with the initial sale of the Bonds to the public, the agreement of each broker-dealer that is a party to such agreement to comply with the hold-the-offering-price rule, as set forth in the retail distribution agreement and the related pricing wires. The City further acknowledges that each underwriter shall be solely liable for its failure to comply with its agreement regarding the hold-the-offering-price rule and that no underwriter shall be liable for the failure of any other underwriter, or of any dealer who is a member of a selling group, or of any broker-dealer that is a party to a retail distribution agreement to comply with its corresponding agreement regarding the hold-the-offering-price rule as applicable to the Bonds.
(f) By submitting a bid, each bidder confirms that:
(1) any agreement among underwriters, any selling group agreement and each retail distribution agreement (to which the bidder is a party) relating to the sale of the Bonds to the public, together with the related pricing wires, contains or will contain language obligating each underwriter, each dealer who is a member of the selling group, and each broker-dealer that is a party to such retail distribution agreement, as applicable, to
(A) report the prices at which it sells to the public the Bonds of each maturity allotted to it until it is notified by the successful bidder that either the 10% test has been satisfied as to the Bonds of that maturity or all Bonds of that maturity have been sold to the public and
(B) comply with the hold -the-offering-price rule, if and for so long as directed by the successful bidder and in the related pricing wires, and
(2) any agreement among underwriters relating to the sale of the Bonds to the public, together with the related pricing wires, contains or will contain language obligating each underwriter that is a party to a retail distribution agreement to be employed in connection with the initial sale of the Bonds to the public to require each broker-dealer that is a party to such retail distribution agreement to
(A) report the prices at which it sells to the public the unsold Bonds of each maturity allotted to it until it is notified by the successful bidder or such underwriter that either the 10% test has been satisfied as to the Bonds of that maturity or all Bonds of that maturity have been sold to the public and
12 (B) comply with the hold -the-offering-price rule, if and for so long as directed by the successful bidder or such underwriter and as set forth in the related pricing wires.
Sales of any Bonds to any person that is a related party to an underwriter shall not constitute sales to the public for purposes of this Official Notice of Sale.
(g) For purposes of this Official Notice of Sale:
(1) "public" means any person (including an individual, trust, estate, partnership, association, company, or corporation) other than an underwriter or a related party,
(2) "underwriter" means (A) any person that agrees pursuant to a written contract with the City (or with the lead underwriter to form an underwriting syndicate) to participate in the initial sale of the Bonds to the public and (B) any person that agrees pursuant to a written contract directly or indirectly with a person described in clause (A) to participate in the initial sale of the Bonds to the public (including a member of a selling group or a party to a retail distribution agreement participating in the initial sale of the Bonds to the public), and
(3) a purchaser of any of the Bonds is a "related party" to an underwriter if the underwriter and the purchaser are subject, directly or indirectly, to ( A) at least 50% common ownership of the voting power or the total value of their stock, if both entities are corporations (including direct ownership by o ne corporation of another), ( B) more than 50% common ownership of their capital interests or profits interests, if both entities are partnerships (including direct ownership by one partnership of another), or (C) more than 50% common ownership of the value of the outstanding stock of the corporation or the capital interests or profit interests of the partnership, as applicable, if one entity is a corporation and the other entity is a partnership (including direct ownership of the applicable stock or interests by one entity of the other).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE. Requests for additional information about the City or the Bonds may be directed to the City’s Bond Counsel, Jones Hall, attention: Scott Ferguson, telephone (415) 391-5780 x204; or, the Municipal Advisor (see the cover of this Official Notice of Sale for contact information).
Dated: ____________, 2026
Director of Finance
City of Santa Clara
1 EXHIBIT 1
FORM OF REOFFERING PRICE CERTIFICATE
TO BE DELIVERED IF COMPETITIVE SALE REQUIREMENTS ARE MET (I.E., 3 BIDS
FROM COMPETITIVE PROVIDERS ARE RECEIVED)
$____________
City of Santa Clara
(County of Santa Clara, California)
Election of 2024 General Obligation Bonds,
2026 Series B (Qualified 501(c)(3) Bonds)
ISSUE PRICE CERTIFICATE
The undersigned, on behalf of [ NAME OF UNDERWRITER ] ( “[SHORT NAME OF UNDERWRITER]”), hereby certifies as set forth below with respect to the sale of the above - captioned obligations (the “Bonds”).
1. Reasonably Expected Initial Offering Price.
(a) As of the Sale Date, the reasonably expected initial offering prices of the Bonds to the Public by [ SHORT NAME OF UNDERWRITER ] are the prices listed in Schedule 1 (the “Expected Offering Prices”). The Expected Offering Prices are the prices for the Maturities of the Bonds used by [SHORT NAME OF UNDERWRITER] in formulating its bid to purchase the Bonds.
Attached as Schedule 1 is a true and correct copy of the bid provided by [ SHORT NAME OF UNDERWRITER] to purchase the Bonds.
(b) [SHORT NAME OF UNDERWRITER ] was not given the opportunity to review other bids prior to submitting its bid.
(c) The bid submitted by [SHORT NAME OF UNDERWRITER] constituted a firm offer to purchase the Bonds.
2. Defined Terms.
(a) Issuer means City of Santa Clara, California.
(b) Maturity means Bonds with the same credit and payment terms. Bonds with different maturity dates, or Bonds with the same maturity date but different stated interest rates, are treated as separate Maturities.
(c) Public means any person (including an individual, trust, estate, partnership, association, company, or corporation) other than an Underwriter or a related party to an Underwriter. The term “related party” for purposes of this certificate generally means any two or more persons who have greater than 50 percent common ownership, directly or indirectly. (d) Sale Date means the first day on which there is a binding contract in writing for the sale of a Maturity of the Bonds. The Sale Date of the Bonds is [DATE]. (e) Underwriter means (i) any person that agrees pursuant to a written contract with the Issuer (or with the lead underwriter to form an underwriting syndicate) to participate in the initial sale of the Bonds to the Public, and (ii) any person that agrees pursuant to a written contract
2 directly or indirectly with a person described in clause (i) of this paragraph to participate in the initial sale of the Bonds to the Public (including a member of a selling group or a party to a retail distribution agreement participating in the initial sale of the Bonds to the Public).
The representations set forth in this certificate are limited to factual matters only. Nothing in this certificate represents [ SHORT NAME OF UNDERWRITER ]’s interpretation of any laws, including specifically Sections 103 and 148 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Treasury Regulations thereunder. The undersigned understands that the foregoing information will be relied upon by the Issuer with respect to certain of the representations set forth in the Certificate as to Arbitrage and with respect to compliance with the federal income tax rules affecting the Bonds, and by Jones Hall LLP in connection with rendering its opinion that the interest on the Bonds is excluded from gros s income for federal income tax purposes, the preparation of the Internal Revenue Service Form 8038 -G, and other federal income tax advice that it may give to the Issuer from time to time relating to the Bonds.
Dated: [ISSUE DATE] [UNDERWRITER]
By:
Name and Title
3 SCHEDULE 1
BIDDING DOCUMENTATION AND INITIAL OFFERING PRICES
1 EXHIBIT 2
FORM OF REOFFERING PRICE CERTIFICATE
TO BE DELIVERED IF COMPETITIVE SALE REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT MET (3
COMPETITIVE BIDS ARE NOT RECEIVED) AND HOLD-THE-OFFERING-PRICE USED FOR
ISSUE PRICE
$____________
City of Santa Clara
(County of Santa Clara, California)
Election of 2024 General Obligation Bonds,
2026 Series B (Qualified 501(c)(3) Bonds)
ISSUE PRICE CERTIFICATE
The undersigned, on behalf of [ NAME OF UNDERWRITER/REPRESENTATIVE ] ([“[SHORT NAME OF UNDERWRITER ]”)][the “Representative”) ][, on behalf of itself and [NAMES OF OTHER UNDERWRITERS] (together, the “Underwriting Group”), ] hereby certifies as set forth below with respect to the sale and issuance of the above -captioned obligations (the “Bonds”).
1. Initial Offering Price of the Bonds.
(a) [SHORT NAME OF UNDERWRITER ][The Underwriting Group ] offered each Maturity of the Bonds to the Public for purchase at the respect ive initial offering prices listed in Schedule 1 (the “Initial Offering Prices”) on or before the Sale Date. A copy of the pricing wire or equivalent communication for the Bonds is attached to this certificate as Schedule 1. (b) As set forth in the [Bond Purchase Agreement][Notice of Sale and bid award], [SHORT NAME OF UNDERWRITER ][the members of the Underwriting Group ] [has][have] agreed in writing that, (i) for each Maturity of the Bonds, [it][they] would neither offer nor sell any of the Bonds of such Maturity to any person at a price that is higher than the Initial Offering Price for such Maturity during the Holding Period for such Maturity (the “hold -the-offering-price rule”), and (ii) any selling group agreement shall contain the agreement of each dealer who is a member of the selling group, and any retail distribution agreement shall contain the agreement of each broker-dealer who is a party to the retail distribution agreement, to comply with the hold -the- offering-price rule. Pursuant to such agree ment, no Underwriter (as defined below) has offered or sold any Maturity of the Bonds at a price that is higher than the respective Initial Offering Price for that Maturity of the Bonds during the Holding Period.
2. Defined Terms.
(a) Holding Period means, for each Maturity of the Bonds, the period starting on the Sale Date and ending on the earlier of (i) the close of the fifth business day after the Sale Date ([DATE]), or (ii) the date on which [SHORT NAME OF THE UNDERWRITER][the Underwriters] [has][have] sold at least 10% of such Maturity of the Bonds to the Public at prices that are no higher than the Initial Offering Price for such Maturity. (b) Issuer means City of Santa Clara, California.
(c) Maturity means Bonds with the same credit and payment terms . Bonds with different maturity dates, or Bonds with the same maturity date but different stated interest rates, are treated as separate Maturities.
2 (d) Public means any person (including an individual, trust, estate, partnership, association, company, or corporation) other than an Underwriter or a related party to an Underwriter. The term “related party” for purposes of this certificate generally means any two or more persons who have greater than 50 percent common ownership, directly or indirectly. (e) Sale Date means the first day on which there is a binding contract in writing for the sale of a Maturity of the Bonds. The Sale Date of the Bonds is [DATE]. (f) Underwriter means (i) any person that agrees pursuant to a written contract with the Issuer (o r with the lead underwriter to form an underwriting syndicate) to participate in the initial sale of the Bonds to the Public, and (ii) any person that agrees pursuant to a written contract directly or indirectly with a person described in clause (i) of thi s paragraph to participate in the initial sale of the Bonds to the Public (including a member of a selling group or a party to a retail distribution agreement participating in the initial sale of the Bonds to the Public).
The representations set forth in this certificate are limited to factual matters only. Nothing in this certificate represents [ NAME OF UNDERWRITING FIRM ][the Representative’s ] interpretation of any laws, including specifically Sections 103 and 148 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Treasury Regulations thereunder. The undersigned understands that the foregoing information will be relied upon by the Issuer with respect to certain of the representations set forth in the Certificate as to Arbitrage and with respect to compliance with the federal income tax rules affecting the Bonds, and by Jones Hall, A Professional Law Corporation, in connection with rendering its opinion that the interest on the Bonds is excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes, the preparation of the Internal Revenue Service Form 8038-G, and other federal income tax advice that it may give to the Issuer from time to time relating to the Bonds.
Dated: [ISSUE DATE] [UNDERWRITER]
By:
Name and Title
3 SCHEDULE 1
LISTING OF HOLD-THE-PRICE MATURITIES, INITIAL OFFERING PRICES AND
PRICING WIRE
City of Santa Clara
Agenda Report
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
santaclaraca.gov
@SantaClaraCity
26-1542 Agenda Date: 1/13/2026
REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Study Session on the Santa Clara Station Area Specific Plan
BACKGROUND
The City’s General Plan identifies the Santa Clara Station Area as a near-term Focus Area. The General Plan identifies Focus Areas to support 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. 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. Without an adopted Specific Plan, current development projects may still proceed in the Focus Areas; however, once adopted, future new development will be required to conform with the Specific 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. The Station Area is envisioned to 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 2050 - 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 sets to advance the goal of making it easier for people in the Bay Area to live a car-free or a car- light lifestyle and have jobs near housing.
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DISCUSSION
The City received two grants totaling $900,000; of which $400,000 is from MTC/ABAG and $500,000 from VTA which is through the Federal Transportation Authority (FTA). The City Council agreed to have VTA manage both grants. In 2022, the City entered into a Cooperative Agreement with VTA for the purpose of defining the working relationship for the tasks related to development of the specific plan. This included the selection of a consultant through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process in 2023, and resulted in the selection of Williams Robert Todd Planning and Design (WRT) and their sub-consultants. WRT was selected for their expertise in urban planning around station areas. In December of 2022 and April 2023, the City Council appointed an 11 member Station Area Task Force (SATF). The role of the SATF is to provide input throughout the planning process and to make a recommendation to the City Council on the Final Plan. The City Council will make the decision on the adoption of the final Plan. Since 2023, staff has been working closely with WRT, VTA staff and the SATF to develop the preferred land use plan.
Since 2023, the SATF has held 12 taskforce meetings to help define the vision, objectives, and land uses for the Plan Area. As part of the outreach plan, staff has held a property owner meeting, two community workshops and one pop up event at the 2024 Art & Wine Festival for broader input. The Art & Wine Festival pop up included an interactive dot exercise around visioning of the Station Area, which was then incorporated into the draft Vision Plan.
WRT prepared a Santa Clara Station Area Specific Plan Existing Conditions Report, which included an economic analysis of underutilized parcels completed by Strategic Economics (See the weblinks in Attachment 5). Once the Existing Conditions Report was prepared, the consultant and staff, with SATF and community input, prepared an overarching Vision Plan to guide three draft land use plans.
The preferred land use plans began with a review of the following three initial concepts for which the SATF and the community provided input:
· The VTA Playbook Vision (a document developed by VTA to implement the Transit-Oriented Communities vision for each BART Phase II station area), · Residential Priority Concept, and
· 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 space, 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 space, 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.
The community and SATF recommended the Strategic Growth Mix as the Preferred Land Use Plan that is now being presented to the City Council (Attachment 2). The SATF provided refinement of the Preferred Land Use Plan, and additional themes emerged from the community and the SATF. Some City of Santa Clara Printed on 1/9/2026Page 2 of 5
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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.
Regarding 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 a major milestone in the project has now been reached, and as part of the on-going outreach, staff is now requesting input and feedback from the Planning Commission and the City Council on the Preferred Land Use/Development Plan (Attachment 2), building height diagram (Attachment 3), and Plaza Design Objectives (Attachment 4). The Planning Commission held a Study Session on October 8, 2025, and their comments included:
· Ensure Coleman Avenue could accommodate new higher intensity development especially given existing traffic patterns and congestion;
· Evaluate a connection between the station and airport; · Consideration of design standards for the wind effects of tall buildings on airport activities; · The station plaza (VTA/City owned property) is too wide and should be a smaller cozy space and not a large suburban design;
· Consider drop-off spaces, especially around the train station; · Ensure adequate protection of new housing from airport impacts; and · Provide a bolder and more visionary urban plan along with design principles which could include tree lined avenues, retail away from traffic, historic station framed by smaller scaled open spaces, water elements and food as a draw.
Following the Planning Commission input, staff is now requesting input from the City Council on the Preferred Land Use Plan. Once feedback is provided, the next steps will include initiating the CEQA process (including a traffic analysis) and developing the full Specific Plan, including detailed policies, guidelines, 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 partner agencies through social media, a community workshop and an open house. Staff will conduct additional Study Session prior to final adoption hearings of the Specific Plan.
SB 79
On November 20, 2025, staff held a SATF meeting to update the task force on a new State Law, Senate Bill 79 (SB 79). SB 79, known as the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act, was signed into law on October 10, 2025, and will go into effect on July 1, 2026 while the Specific Plan is still under development. SB 79 makes qualified transit-oriented housing developments (TOD) an allowed use on sites zoned for residential, mixed-use, or commercial development that are located near specified TOD transit stops and sets standards for height, density, and residential floor area ratios (FAR) for such development. The standards vary based on how close a project is to the transit stop and how the stop is classified as follows:
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Within 200 Feet Within ¼ Mile Within ½ Mile
Minimum Height 95 feet 75 feet 65 feet
Minimum Density 160 du/ac 120 du/ac 100 du/ac
Residential FAR 4.5 3.5 3.0
Staff will be assessing whether any Plan modifications are necessary to address SB79. One possible outcome may be to include additional area within the Specific Plan boundary that falls within the ½ mile distance from the Santa Clara Transit Station.
The City’s consultant has overlain the ¼ and ½ mile radii locations on the proposed building height maximums diagram of the Plan (Attachment 6). There are three blocks between Lafayette and Alviso Streets and two and a half blocks between Lafayette and Washington Streets that fall within the ½ mile radius that the City may want to consider including within the Plan boundary.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is required to create a map of TOD stops and zones by tier in accordance with guidance from the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). However, HCD is not required to prepare the guidance until July 1, 2026, when SB 79 goes into effect. The mapping schedule is currently undetermined as MTC awaits HCD guidance.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organization or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in 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 was 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, emailing [email protected], or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
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26-1542 Agenda Date: 1/13/2026
RECOMMENDATION
As this is a Study Session, no formal action is required from City Council, however, staff is requesting feedback on the proposed elements of the Santa Clara Station Area Specific Plan. Specifically, staff would like feedback on:
1. The Preferred Land Use Plan with the Strategic Growth Mix
2. Building Height Diagram
3. Plaza Design Objectives
Reviewed by: Afshan Hamid, Director, Community Development Approved by: Jovan Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Station Area Boundary Map
2. Preferred Land Use/Development Plan
3. Building Height Diagram
4. Plaza Design Objectives
5. Weblinks: Existing Conditions Report, May 2024, by WRT and Economic and Financial Analysis Report, November 2024, by Strategic Economics
6. ¼ and ½ mile Radii on Building Height Diagram
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Santa Clara Station Area Boundary Map
Preferred Development Concept
Legend
Office Buildings
Residential Buildings
Academic Buildings
Retail Buildings
Industrial Buildings
BART
Station Caltrain
Station
Historic
Train Depot
5,500+ residential units
2 million sq ft of
commercial space Costco
Police
Station
Gateway
Crossings
Santa Clara
University
-I
c=J
c=J
c=J
-c=J
Regulating Building
Heights
52’ – 4 Floors max
40’ – 3 Floors max
64’ – 5 Floors max
71’ – 6 Floors max
85’ – 7 Floors max
148’ – 13 Floors max
Building Height Maximums
Residential Building Tower Regulations
1. To provide adequate sunlight and air to streets
and open spaces, a minimum distance of 100
feet must be preserved between all structures
above 85 feet in height at all levels above 85
feet in height.
2. The maximum diagonal building length for
portions of a building above 85 feet shall be
200 feet.
3. Limit the maximum residential tower
floorplate above the seventh floor to 12,000
square feet to promote slender towers and
reduce bulk.
4. The tower component of a build (height about
85 feet) shall not exceed 80 percent of the
block front.
0 -----
Plaza Design Objectives
1. Connect People and Modes: Seamlessly link pedestrians, cyclists, buses, and all rail transit, including future BART access, minimizing conflicts and ensuring universal accessibility and safety.
2. Create a Strong Sense of Arrival: Establish distinctive gateways, clear wayfinding, intuitive circulation, and welcoming design elements that make the station plaza a recognizable destination.
3. Celebrate Heritage: Preserve view corridors from El Camino Real near Franklin Street to the historic train depot and between the depot and signal tower. Use public art, interpretive elements, and signage to share Santa Clara’s story and highlight the historic depot as a community landmark.
4. Activate and Humanize the Plaza: Bring active frontages, retail, dining, and services to the plaza. Design a vibrant, human-scale environment with greenery, seating, and amenities that make it easy to combine daily errands with transit use, encouraging people to linger, and encourages community interaction.
Set back building
along sight line
Step-down
toward station
Clear sightlines
safe crossings
Plaza Design Objectives
5. Leverage Unique Transit-orient ed Development Opportunity on Public Land: Advance shared VTA/City goals of leveraging development potential near transit, generating foot traffic, transit ridership, and revenue for transit operations, multimodal improvements, and potentially defray the cost of some publicly available parking underneath the plaza. Support mixed-use development (300,000–400,000 sq ft) on publicly–owned land in the current transit parking lot that reflects community priorities and delivers long-term value for people who live, work, learn, and play in the area.
6. Foster Community Life: Provide flexible spaces for activities such as farmers’ markets, performances, and other community events while supporting everyday commuter activity.
7. Advance Sustainability: Integrate green infrastructure, drought- tolerant landscaping, and energy-efficient building design to reinforce environmental goals.
Set back building
along sight line
Step-down
toward station
Clear sightlines
safe crossings
Web Links
Existing Conditions Report:
https://www.santaclaraca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/83916/638509567713830000
Economic and Financial Analysis Report:
https://www.santaclaraca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/88265/638961486612118784
Project Website:
Here you will find a background of the project and information regarding past community and Station Area Taks Force (SATF) meetings.
https://www.santaclaraca.gov/our-city/departments-a-f/community-development/planning-division/specific- plans/santa-clara-station-focus-area-plan
These documents are available for viewing in the Community Development Department
¼ and ½ mile radii on
Proposed Building Height
Maximums Diagram
52’ – 4 Floors max
40’ – 3 Floors max
64’ – 5 Floors max
71’ – 6 Floors max
85’ – 7 Floors max
148’ – 13 Floors max
SB 79
1. Seeks to increase the supply of affordable
housing, reduce greenhouse gas emissions
through reduced vehicle miles traveled, and
enhance the efficiency of public transit
systems.
2. Degree of upzoning depends on the
classification of the transit and the distance
from the station, as measured from the
pedestrian access points.
3. Effective July 01, 2026.
Please note – The radii shown are approximate.
Exact pedestrian entrance locations need to be
studied.
Potential area of
boundary expansionD -----
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