1/13/2026 Item #8
City Council
January 13, 2026
Item #8 RTC 26-1542
Study Session on the
Santa Clara Station
1852
Area Specific Plan
THE MISSION CIT
Afshan Hamid
Director of Community Development
1 Introductions
CITY STAFF CONSULTANT TEAM
Afshan Hamid
aRT, Principatin Charge
Director, Community Development
Lesley Xavier Deeksha Rawat
Planning Manager, Community Development WRT, Project Manager Rebecca Bustos Dena Belzer
Principal Planner, Community Development Strategic Economics, Market + Economics
VTA STAFF
Melissa Cerezo
Transit-Oriented Communities Program Manager
Robert Swierk
Principal Transportation Planner
2 2
1 1/13/2026 Item #8
Focus Area Overview
• Purpose: Encourage improvements and new development tailored to the General character and quality of these areas.
• Near Term Focus Areas:
Plan Focus
• El Camino Real: mix of land uses
Area
• Stevens Creek Boulevard corridor: mix of land uses
• Santa Clara Downtown: shopping, eating & entertainment • Santa Clara Station Area: greater mobility and expand accessibility to Santa Clara Station jobs
Area • 2022: City entered into a Cooperative Agreement with VTA to define the Focus Area working relationship.
• December 2022 & April 2023: 11 member Station Area Task Force appointed by Council
City of • 2023: RFP Process and WRT selected for expertise around station areas.
Santa Clara
The Center of What's Possible
3 MEOAOTARPORT
General
Plan Focus
Calaman ive
Area
Brokew St
Lafayette St SANTA CLARA BAN JOSE
Santa Clara
Banton St /
Station Area SANTA CLARA e Camho Road ---
Boundary Map LNIERSITY
Homestead St
City of
Santa Clara Market St Bellomy St
The Cenief of What Possible
2 1/13/2026 Item #8
Objectives of the Station
Area Specific Plan
• Addressing the evolving needs of the
community
• Aligning with VTA/MTC TOC goals and VTA
policies
• Building a community vision for a vibrant
transit hub Lafayotte st BANTA CLARA BAN JOSE
• Guiding future investment in the area
• Advancing Santa Clara General Plan 2035 Benton St ------ SANTA CLARA EComino Real
goals UNIVERSITY
• Promote multi-modal transportation and Homestead st
connectivity
• Compliance with the Climate Action Plan
Market St Baliomy st Os
5 Agenda
1. Vision & Guiding Framework
2. Community Outreach
3. Preferred Development Concept
4. District Development + Economic Vitality
5. Placemaking + Public Realm
6. Planning Commission Feedback
7. Next Steps + Questions
3 1/13/2026 Item #8
City of Santa Clara & VTA Partnership
• Project Lead: City of Santa Clara
• Project lead
CITY
• Day-to-day project management of consultant
1852
• City Council study sessions and reviews THE MISBION CIN • City Council decision and Plan adoption
• Project Partner: VTA
• Funding partner
• Procurement and contract management of
Transportation
consultant Authority
• Strategy partner on development of Plan
• VTA Board of Directors review of draft and final
Plan
, YA
7 VTA's Roles and Policies in Land Use &
Transportation
• Congestion Management Agency / Transportation Agency for Santa Clara County
• Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) & Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) Program
VTA Land Use & VTA Transit-Oriented VTA Community Design & Santa Clara BART Station Development Review Communities Policy, Transportation Manual of Area Playbook, 2019 Policy, updated February updated January 2024 Best Practices, updated 2023 2025
ty Orlan and Transparades (COT)
Station Area Flybosi
VA
8 4
1/13/2026 Item #8
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9 Timeline
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ANALYSIS VISION ALTERNATIVES PLAN DEVELOPMENT
Pop-up
Art & Wine Festival
Stakeholder
Interviews
Vision Open
Charrette Community Community Open
Workshop Workshop House House
Meetings with
Community Task
Force (SATF)
18:
Technical Advisorv TAC TAC Planning City Council Planning City Committee (TAC) Meeting Meeting Commission Commission Council Meeting
10 5
1/13/2026 Item #8
Draft Vision Statement
"The Station Area will be a vibrant, transit-oriented district that leverages regional transit to build a thriving, walkable, accessible community unique to Santa Clara. Grounded in equity, the Station Area will prioritize diverse housing, inclusive mobility, and economic opportunity, fostering a strong sense of place through thoughtful design that builds upon Santa Clara's distinctive cultural and ecological heritage. Sustainable, climate-conscious infrastructure will enhance resilience, positioning the district as a future-ready, flourishing neighborhood."
11 Development Framework
Mobility + Connectivity Placemaking + District Development + Opportunities Public Realm Opportunities Economic Vitality Opportunities 12 12
6 1/13/2026 Item #8
02 COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT Al, at bored
13 Community Engagement
aube
1. Stakeholder interviews
7 interviews, including mobility partners, Santa Clara
University, and affordable housing developers.
2. Station Area Task Force (SATF)
13 meetings held - Bate To 6.d
3. Property owners meeting
Virtual meeting, November 12, 2024.
4. Community workshop 1
Station Area Visioning, November 13, 2024
5. Pop-up event
Art and Wine Festival, Sept 2024
6. Visioning charrette
Collaboration between City department representatives,
SATF and VTA.
7. Community workshop 2 (virtual)
Preferred Concept selection, May 15, 2025
Up to 70 participants.
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1/13/2026 Item #8
Key Community Priorities
Mobility and Connectivity District Development and Economic Vitality • Safer pedestrian crossings along El Camino Real and near • Mix of mid- and high-rise housing near transit Caltrain • Retail that complements, rather than competes with, • Separated bike lanes, potentially buffered by trees and safe Downtown. student routes • Housing opportunities along Coleman Ave and Reed St / De • Better last-mile connections (shuttles, bus, micromobility) La Cruz Blvd • Bike/ped bridges or underpasses across tracks • Some industrial property owners want flexibility to continue • Maintain some parking near the historic depot for visitors current uses without redevelopment pressure • Retain Costco, potentially integrated with a future mixed- Placemaking and Public Realm use development
• Wide, shaded, green, and well-lit sidewalks
• Active plazas and gathering spaces with art and amenities • Restrooms, seating, and senior-friendly design
• Connections to nearby parks and family-oriented spaces • Civic or community uses that add identity and activity 15 15
Upcoming Community Engagement
1. Public Scoping Meeting (Winter 2025)
Kick off the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) process as required under CEQA and gather early input on the scope of analysis.
2. Open House #1 (Summer 2026)
Coincides with the public release of the Draft Plan and Draft EIR (DEIR).
3. Open House #2 (Fall 2026)
Held prior to Planning Commission and City Council adoption hearings.
4. Social Media Campaigns (ongoing)
Ongoing social media campaigns wilt be used to inform the community about the release of the public draft and to publicize open house events. 16 16
8 1/13/2026 Item #8
03 PREFERRED
DEVELOPMENT
CONCEPT
17 Preferred Concept
1 2 3
Strategic
Residentiat Rootie
Growth Mix
18 1/13/2026 Item #8
Preferred Development Concept
Legend
5,950+ residential unit Residential Buildings
Commercial Buildings
2.2 million sq ft of
industrial Burldings
commercial space Retail Buildings
Academic Buildings
Station Caltrain
isons
Trasht Debos
Santa Clara
19 04
DISTRICT
DEVELOPMENT +
ECONOMIC STATION
VITALITY
20 20
10 1/13/2026 Item #8
Real Estate Market Update & Opportunities
Three Geographies Studied to Capture • Despite job layoffs and stories about people leaving California, the Bay Area remains the global center for tech innovation.
Demand/Supply Dynamics • The region has hac more venture investment in Al than any other place in the worle. • The Al investment is driving demand for more innovation in the semiconductor industry Office is starting to stabilize, This reflects some pruning of older supply. Demand for naw Class A space is very robust, Rents have increased over the past year, but so have vacancy Matket Area rates
Multifamily Residential (coes not incluce townhouses) hac a strong year in 2025.
Construction will likely slow in 2026 cue to market uncertainty but will resume if interest rates continue cropping and employment stabilizes or starts to expand.
Sunnyvale: Industrial deman remains strong for industrial space with rents increasing and vacancy rates decreasing. This is contrary to regional trencs where incustrial cemand has slowed Santa CT
cue to a slowdown in demand for logistics space.
San Jose
Retail is flat with no new construction. Leasing activity is focused on commercial space in The Station mixed use buildings where tenants tend to be cafes, fast casual dining, fitness and The City Ared wellness, and other personal services, larger projects may have a grocery store.
Hotel has been significantly impactec by a decline in business travel. 2:
21 Real Estate Market Update & Opportunities
Multifamily and "Shopfront" Retail Office
Multifamily rents in the Station Area are The Area's office market has low rents, but 13 percent higher than rents per sq in vacancy rates are lower than for the City or Santa Clara, proving that the Station the market area, showing that there is Area is already a proven location for evolving demand for this location. dense housing projects.
(This only includes multifamily buildings with The best market opportunity for office 20 units or more; development is to begin to merge the Station Area's identity with the Coleman Highline
Business Park, which is demonstrating that
Ground floor shop space is not fully modern high-quality office space is in leased up and retail tenants are demand.
consistent with the larger market area
trends with cafés and personal service The Coleman Highline Business Park is fully type businesses leased, rents are higher than the market area average, and tenants include Roku, Byte
Dance, TikTok, and Yahoo.
22 22
11 1/13/2026 Item #8
Real Estate Market Update & Opportunities
Industrial Hotel
The older industrial buildings in the Hotel occupancy rates in the Station Area Station Area have potential for are creeping back up and now appearto be adaptive reuse or redevelopment. on par or slighly better than occupancyrates Tech companies are expanding their
research and development activity in In addition to the events at Levi Stadium Santa Clara in part because of the City's geared to an international audience, PayPal competitively priced power. stadium is also increasing its regiona isibility, which will also help the hotel marke
Having ready access to power and the in the station area supportive regulatory environment
created by the Station Area Specific However, the lack of business travelers is Plan may be a sufficient incentive for hampering new hotel construction across tech companies or investors to consider the region and new hotel investment in the development of more R&D innovation Station Area may lag behind more office space in the area. development
23 23
Building Height Maximums
Regulating Building
Heights
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 1a Mana
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 -NIN SANTA CLAPA TANVERSAY square feet to promote slender towers and 40' - 3 Floors max reduce bulk. 52'-4 Floors max
64' - 5 Floors max
4. The tower component of a build (height about
71'- 6 Floors max
85 feet) shall not exceed 80 percent of the
85' - 7 Floors max
block front.
148' - 13 Floors max
12 1/13/2026 Item #8
Active Frontages
BANIA CLIF
Activity Node/ Corridor
Opportunity
Retail Ready Frontages
Retail Frontages
• ||01| SANTA CAR:
Future BART Station
BART Line
Rail Corridor
San Jose Airport
Santa Clara Station
25 05
PLACEMAKING
+ PUBLIC REALM
26 13
1/13/2026 Item #8
Public Space Network Linear Parkway
Street Greening and
Landscape Buffer
Park Space Added - 11.8 acres
De La Cruz Park
Community Recreation Center - 17.000 sr it
Brokaw
Neighborhood
Park SANTA CLARE SANTOSE
SANTA CLARA
UNVERSAY
DOWNTOWN
Station Plaza 451 El Camino Real
Proposed Parks Community Greening
Proposed Trails/buffers
Existing Parks/Open Spaces
27 27
Station Plaza Design Objectives
1. Connect People and Modes
Step-down
toward station
2. Create a Strong Sense of Arrival
3. Celebrate Heritage
4. Activate and Humanize the Plaza
5. Leverage Unique Transit-oriented
Development Opportunity on Public Land
6. Foster Community Life Set back building
(
along sightline
7. Advance Sustainability
Clear sightlines
safe crossinas
28 28
14 1/13/2026 Item #8
Station Plaza
Flexible Design Approach
2 0.6- ...
Franklin Corridor Connected Plaza Linear Park
29 29
Station Plaza Sketch
Santa Clara Station
30 15
1/13/2026 Item #8
06 SANTA CLARA STATION
PLANNING
COMMISSION
6. FEEDBACK Station Area is... My Vision for the Santa Ciara тор A vibrant
de Sonta Clara el
oachination
31 Planning Commission Study Session Feedback
October 8, 2025
• Potential development impacts on airport operations-and airport constraints on future development
• Traffic circulation challenges and congestion issues along Coleman Avenue • Optimal size, function, and programming of the station plaza • Consider a bolder design and vision
32 32
16 1/13/2026 Item #8
07 Senate Bill 79
33 Senate Bill 79
Summary
• Effective date: July 1, 2026
• Purpose: SB 79 overrides local density limits to allow high-density housing development within one-half mile of qualifying transit stops (including Caltrain, BART, and VTA) in counties such as Santa Clara County where there is
significant existing transit infrastructure
34 34
1/13/2026 Item #8
SB 79
By-Right High-Density Housing Near Train Stations
Tier 1: Heavy Rail & High-Freq. Commuter Rail [Santa
Clara Station; Lawrence Station]
Tier 2: Light Rail & Lower-Freq. Commuter Rail
[4 VTA Stations along Tasman Drive]
35 35
SB 79
Type of Stop Distance Density* Max Height FAR
Tier 1 0 30 - 160 95' 4.5
≤ ¼ mi 30 - 120 75' 3.5
¼ - ½ ті 30 - 100 65' 3.0
Tier 2 0 30 - 120 85' 4.0
≤ ¼ mi 30 - 100 65' 3.0
¼ - ½ mi 30 - 80 2.5
* prior to density bonuses
36 36
18 1/13/2026 Item #8
SB 79 cont'd
Requirements
Must have at least 5 du
If mixed-use, 2/3 of sf must be residential
Max unit size: 1750 sf
37 37
SB 79 cont'd
Affordability: 7% ELI, 10% VLI, or 13% Low
Labor: prevailing wage, skilled workforce if > 85' h
Applies to residential, mixed-use & commercial sites
Process to exempt certain sites, if alt sites designated & approved by HCD by July 1, 2026
38 38
19 1/13/2026 Item #8
Building Height Maximums
SB 79 Radius
Degree of upzoning depends on the
classification of the transit and the
distance from the station, as measured
from the pedestrian access points.
Distance from TOD Minimum Height Residentlal Density
Stop Requirement (du/ac)
Directly Adjacent Sites 160 du/ac (120 + 40
95 ft (75 + 20 ft bonus)
(≤ 200 ft) hontis
Within 4 Mile ≥ 75ft SAN JOSE
2 120 dwac
4 - ½ Mile ≥ 65 ft ≥ 100 du/ac
SANT CINỀM - 14 Me - - UNIVERSITY
40' - 3 Floors max
52' - 4 Floors max
64' - 5 Floors max
71' - 6 Floors max
85'- 7 Floors max
- 1/2 Mil
148' - 13 Floors max 39
39 NEXT STEPS
• CEQA - Environmental Impact Report
• PC/CC Study Sessions
• Adoption: Winter 2026
• Contract Ends: January 2027
40 20
1/13/2026 Item #8
QUESTIONS?
Requesting feedback on:
• Draft Vision Statement
• Preferred Plan
• Building Heights Approach
• Station Plaza Objectives
41 THANK YOU!
42 42
21 1/13/2026 Item #8
City Council
January 13, 2026
Item #8 RTC 26-1542
Study Session on the
Santa Clara Station
1852
Area Specific Plan
THE MISSION GIN
Afshan Hamid
Director of Community Development
43 22