[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6658752,"mediaKeyId","3417803-d41049d31247a45fdd8e827606146bd2","parentId",3417803,"title","Milpitas council declines immediate bingo-ordinance review, prioritizes fentanyl response study","audioSeconds",949,"startMs",11782000,"endMs",12731000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3417803-d41049d31247a45fdd8e827606146bd2&start=11782&end=12731","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3417803-d41049d31247a45fdd8e827606146bd2/thumbnail_11782000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6658752/Milpitas/Santa-Clara-County/California/Milpitas-council-declines-immediate-bingo-ordinance-review-prioritizes-fentanyl-response-study","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658752-55dedb7b6c60c3f26739e9b884ff160a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164288&Signature=T1rauL2I6ouO6NB6MUoc54RVhChAPufjLztpuZ9d6aYvkBs8lnf2SjboF96Y50TBF2D1B4qgT2LZbh5QVdh~hiPEtfbHvsbcCoffl9s1VYpWqSnFwWiJxU20lxue~XJgzWeZnAeAWQARgbHkXgyjUigbTvFTjOq4rBi0zHHwYh7TtoB5xMdS8zK3J7NTwPw22KTE1swcyDBWI0TIqI-hBLvdX1M1OoEyoAqkzeJI8nq2cL3V6-uVcGA-3HdZdw3X7BGFPoLr1hi~72K1sZbfI4kyEjuTT5ci5pGz6285-v7jwKTVgB6z1FS0-U6WSeyZYalwDZOvOMolqfSH7yz4sA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Milpitas","date","2025-05-20T00:00:00Z","article","On May 21 the Milpitas City Council declined to add a staff review of the city’s bingo ordinance to the prioritized workplan, but it did vote to add a study of fentanyl- and opioid-related policies and programs to the active priorities list.

The meeting follows the council’s existing prioritization process, adopted Jan. 10, 2023, in which council members raise new requests during the announcements portion of meetings and staff returns those items for quarterly prioritization. Two items from recent council announcements were before the body: (1) a review of the city’s bingo ordinance and enforcement, and (2) consideration of enhanced policies and programs related to fentanyl.

Council members did not reach consensus to place the bingo-ordinance review on the prioritized list at this time. By contrast, the council voted in favor of prioritizing work on fentanyl response measures, with the mayoral team and council members directing staff to examine programmatic communications, coordination with the school district and regional partners, and options for potential ordinance or policy changes.

Vice Mayor Barbadillo said the fentanyl item reflected a desire for regional coordination rather than an immediate ordinance change: \"My thoughts is a shared responsibility and effort with other cities and the state legislature in making sure that the world for fentanyl and opiates are very, very limited in Milpitas,\" the vice mayor said during the discussion.

Staff told the council Milpitas’ opioid-death rate is below some larger Bay Area cities (staff cited a 2024 fire-department report) but noted the council could ask for enhanced outreach, education and interagency coordination. The council asked staff for clarity about whether actions should be programmatic (communications, prevention, school coordination) or regulatory (local ordinance), and staff said they would return with options and cost implications.

Votes: the bingo-ordinance review did not gain a majority to be added to the prioritized workplan (no primary motion carried); the fentanyl study was approved in a roll-call vote with council members voting in favor (recorded as ayes for Vice Mayor Barbadillo, Council Member Chua, Council Member Lam and Council Member Lien).

Staff will add the fentanyl item to the prioritization list and prepare options for council consideration; the bingo-ordinance review may be raised again at a later quarterly prioritization cycle if a council member reintroduces it during announcements.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Milpitas City Council Regular Meeting - 05/20/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council voted not to add a review of the city's bingo ordinance to its active workplan but did vote to prioritize study and coordination on fentanyl and opioid response measures.","taxTitle","Milpitas , Santa Clara County, California","taxId",2860,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6658755,"Milpitas council keeps Hall Park pickleball under pilot, orders noise and parking mitigations and further study",4700,7036000,11736000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3417803-d41049d31247a45fdd8e827606146bd2&start=7036&end=11736","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3417803-d41049d31247a45fdd8e827606146bd2/thumbnail_7036000.jpg","/articles/6658755/Milpitas/Santa-Clara-County/California/Milpitas-council-keeps-Hall-Park-pickleball-under-pilot-orders-noise-and-parking-mitigations-and-further-study","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658755-1083fd8b9f438bb6fdd559a87994359a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164288&Signature=VnKK4E55ouWq7QZBxoeYK4Y4wZ4MPnjZ4kuvsC2WORlR9GYd98d1T2Xm0A7Qa1zvgWvJG0s52vC6qb9rryownNPDdN3fbvVi6kUNar-dqdmNxIrEvCqx29KrND6MruaH-KvDy-wQLZz2IOMo8aV5WRUlb8CytnhTs3e7flgQdGu6Bl3xKFdvbubjcpjVb3Akxl5AXATTaUGnYnMMKsS2wZW4obA6o0wrnEzjTUL2utuS3Szlb-smFzkTL2~LiJcKtFFdgiojQZAQRwi90PDTHncWE7L2E2N5gcJGL4anX7xbfDxLANqNaAo6UVZKG~K5ZUti4LOK6F6gyNp0y4mMuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Milpitas City Council on May 21 directed staff to implement a set of mitigation measures at Hall Park and to study permanent or alternative locations for expanded pickleball courts rather than immediately converting two tennis courts into six permanent pickleball courts.

Council members voted unanimously to instruct staff to install additional sound-dampening panels and fence reinforcements, improve signage and queuing, paint tandem parking lines on La Honda Drive, add red curbing for emergency access in the Hall Park parking lot, and propose funding in the capital-improvement program for further study of permanent and alternative locations — including indoor options. Staff estimated the Hall Park work and program improvements would raise the total CIP budget for the project to about $200,000 (the original CIP 5116 budget was $100,000 and $68,000 remained unspent at the time of the meeting).

Renee Lawrenson, director of Recreation and Community Services, reviewed the pilot history and outreach. The city completed a series of public meetings, focus groups and surveys since 2023; staff installed a safety fence and sound panels in 2024 after council direction. Lawrenson told the council the department measured decibel levels at 16 locations around Hall Park before and after the panels were installed and reported reductions of roughly 12–24%, with the largest decreases closest to the park.

Supporters and organized players said the pilot dramatically increased use and community benefits. Van Leong, president of the Milpitas Pickleball Club, told the council Hall Park now \"welcomed over a thousand players every week,\" saying the program supports fitness and social connection and that the pilot transformed an underused space.

Neighbors and some residents described ongoing problems with noise, parking, illegal parking and post-play socializing outside the park. Melissa Pereira, who identified herself as a Hall Park neighbor of more than 40 years, told the council: \"This pilot has failed. Don't make it permanent. Find a better location and give us back peace, safety, and a true sense of community.\" Lawrenson said a focus group of immediate neighbors raised concerns about evening use outside posted hours and the volume of socializing and parking in front of neighbor homes.

Staff described site-specific mitigation options: adding more sound panels where gaps remain, adjusting the safety-fence alignment so it does not encroach on tennis play areas, implementing a queuing system for court play, painting tandem parking stalls on the south side of La Honda to create roughly 18 efficient on-street spaces, and a limited-term Neighbor Assistance Program to subsidize window treatments for qualifying nearby homes. Police data shared with staff showed a modest number of calls for service in the area related to abandoned or illegally parked vehicles and occasional suspicious-vehicle reports.

Budget and next steps: the current CIP 5116 had $68,000 remaining; staff estimated an additional $100,000 would be needed to complete the recommended site and program improvements and to fund the proposed study of alternate and indoor sites. Council members asked staff to continue outreach with the school district and local property owners about indoor or off-site locations and directed staff to add study funding to the next CIP budget cycle for consideration. The motion specified retaining the current portable nets (no permanent net installation now) and moving forward with the mitigation measures and the study.

Motion and vote: Council Member Lam moved to adopt staff’s mitigation measures and direct staff to bring forward CIP adjustments and a study of alternative sites; Council Member Chua seconded. The motion passed unanimously with four ayes and one absent.

Council members said they want a continuing effort to balance the sport’s growth with neighborhood quality-of-life protections, and staff said it will return with budget figures and a work plan for implementation and site study.","Following three years of a pilot program, council directed staff to implement sound, parking and signage measures, offer limited neighbor assistance and add funding for further study of permanent or alternate pickleball sites instead of immediately converting two tennis courts to six permanent pickleball courts.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6658761,"Milpitas council denies variance for covered deck at 860 Evans Road",4436,2586000,7022000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3417803-d41049d31247a45fdd8e827606146bd2&start=2586&end=7022","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3417803-d41049d31247a45fdd8e827606146bd2/thumbnail_2586000.jpg","/articles/6658761/Milpitas/Santa-Clara-County/California/Milpitas-council-denies-variance-for-covered-deck-at-860-Evans-Road","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658761-b01c33835df0f5cf06b5cf22c627e37e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164288&Signature=AjofIMcwNOM6Tl8yE1PKYYr8bCWGDCtpRxeAi2fOclM44ggyVo409o6rPyq~dr1hXRJlWGeRTUc0BoxabQg2-8XBYE7EaWj6j9LZM4j3TgisuwJZ9jBR1pgXYqLBoE2X63Dcg8-mcS6X26KxwKARq2~WkbzwGCG1JrIy5hPsX6aVZMJuZm4b3LptufDtvWPo8AZSTxJjVLzcCatqmvp4OuroViXjmrfTRQsM24HRp8yI9SrBFRuN-yqhcT7Cp35StyTMEn80--dM4ZSAJlxrkeNcacMKcZ9wIL6yUR8CjmV7NSsQZmU~pKRDhIPjUqhm9-l0LnDW~KGT-mF-gsH-1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Milpitas City Council voted 3-1 on May 21 to deny a minor site development permit and zoning variance that would have allowed a covered, attached deck to encroach into the Hillside Combining District side-yard setback at 860 Evans Road.

Staff told the council the proposal would expand a legally nonconforming structure and did not meet the required variance findings. Planning staff and the city attorney said alternatives — including an uncovered deck, a detached patio cover, or relocating a covered deck to the property’s opposite side — would comply with current code without granting the property a special privilege.

Randy Baez, associate planner for the city, told the council the applicant sought approval for an approximately 1,082-square-foot attached accessory building on a 0.8-acre lot and a deviation from the hillside minimum 40-foot side setback. Baez said the existing home already encroaches into the setback with portions as close as 11 feet, that adjoining lots were developed before the Hillside Combining District was adopted in 1992, and that the project would reduce the required 40-foot setback to as little as five feet.

\"Staff does not recommend approval because there is no evidence of special circumstances, and this would be an enlargement of a nonconforming structure,\" Baez said. He told the council the proposal could be relocated or be reconfigured as a detached structure that would be subject to different (less restrictive) setback rules.

The applicant and a family member described living at the site for about 25 years and said the deck needs a roof because of intense sun and high winds on the hill. The applicant also said use of an uncovered or detached structure would be impractical for daily use and would not capture the site’s view. \"We need a roof over the deck,\" the applicant said.

The Planning Commission had recommended approval by a 4-1-1 vote after a public hearing; staff asked the council to overturn that recommendation. One nearby property owner submitted written support and spoke in favor at the council meeting. Council members who voted to deny the variance said they were sympathetic to the applicant but that the variance findings and the city’s nonconforming-structure rules were not met. Council members pressed staff on whether alternatives had been fully tested and whether approving the variance would create an unfair precedent.

Motion and vote: Council Member Chua moved to adopt staff’s recommendation to deny MSD24-0257 and variance VA25-0001; Council Member Lam seconded. The motion passed with three votes in favor and one dissent (Council Member Lien). The record shows Vice Mayor Barbadillo, Council Member Chua and Council Member Lam voting aye and Council Member Lien voting no.

The staff report cited the Milpitas Municipal Code, the Hillside Combining District development standards and CEQA guidelines (staff referenced CEQA exemptions described in the staff report) and noted that alternatives were feasible on the site. The council did not adopt any amendments; the denial is the final action recorded for this item at the meeting.

The council’s action leaves the applicant the administrative option to redesign the project to meet existing setbacks or pursue a detached structure that complies with the code; staff also suggested the applicant work with planning staff on feasible alternatives before returning with revised plans.","City council voted 3-1 to overturn the Planning Commission and deny a variance that would have allowed a covered deck to encroach into the Hillside Combining District side-yard setback; staff said alternatives exist and approving the request would expand a nonconforming structure.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Milpitas council declines immediate bingo-ordinance review, prioritizes fentanyl response study

Milpitas council keeps Hall Park pickleball under pilot, orders noise and parking mitigations and further study

Milpitas council denies variance for covered deck at 860 Evans Road