Milpitas planning commission recommends Gateway Main Street specific plan to city council

The Milpitas Planning Commission on Sept. 24 voted to recommend that the City Council adopt the Gateway Main Street Specific Plan, related zoning and general-plan map amendments and the citys supplemental environmental impact report. The commission approved Resolution No. 25-014 by voice vote; all five members present voted aye.

The specific plan is a long-range land-use and implementation framework intended to revitalize Milpitas historic Main Street and surrounding districts by encouraging mixed-use, walkable development, updated zoning and streetscape and public-realm improvements. Planning Director Jay Lee said, "I am excited to be here to present on the Milpitas Gateway Main Street specific plan," and described the document as a vehicle to "establish the future vision of this key area in the city." The commissions action was a recommendation to the City Council, not final adoption.

The plan area and purpose

City staff and consultants described the Gateway Main Street Specific Plan as a re-focused update to the citys earlier Midtown specific plan. The plan adjusts boundaries to include several commercial and residential parcels previously outside the Midtown area and renames the project to emphasize Main Street as a gateway and local destination. Christine Bubla, principal for urban design and planning at Ascent Environmental, told commissioners that the specific plan document is organized into chapters required by state law and said the plan focuses on four primary districts: Main Street, the Crossroads, the Gateway District and the Abbott District.

Key provisions and development standards

Staff and consultants said the plan would: create new mixed-use…