VTA presents transit‑oriented development options for portion of Caltrain lot; task force presses to preserve view to historic depot

The Santa Clara Station Area Task Force heard preliminary transit‑oriented development (TOD) concepts from the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) for a portion of the Caltrain parking lot on Aug. 21, 2025, prompting detailed questions from members and residents about the design's effects on the historic depot and on transit circulation.

VTA transit‑oriented communities manager Melissa Sterezzo told the task force that VTA staff and consultants were sharing “initial thoughts and reactions” about how a portion of the Caltrain lot VTA owns could be redeveloped. “VTA is really proud to be a partner in this planning effort,” Sterezzo said, adding the agency’s work is “grounded in VTA’s board‑adopted policies on transit‑oriented communities” and related design guidance for the county.

Task force members and consultants described two schematic approaches presented by SiteLab Urban Studio: a “central crossing” that tightens the plaza and opens a direct approach to the depot from El Camino Real, and a “Franklin Corridor” alternative that concentrates development away from the station approach and steps buildings down toward the depot. Hugo Erasturis of SiteLab said the central concept reduces plaza size to create more building frontage and “provide a special entry moment at the corner of El Camino Real and Benton Street,” while the Franklin Corridor version “sets back a little bit” and aligns the plaza with Franklin Street.

Community members argued the current concepts risk diminishing the depot’s presence. A resident who spoke as Dan, showing photos, urged the task force to treat the depot as a civic focal point: “This is the station area. This should be paid homage to,” he said, noting the depot’s age and the nearby historic tower. Afsha Hamid, the city’s community development director, told the task force the concepts are useful and asked staff to engage more stakeholders, including city commissions, before the plan is finalized.

VTA and city staff clarified ownership, uses and process. VTA staff said the agency owns roughly 30% of the Caltrain lot and the city owns the remainder; city staff later said the city’s portion is about two acres. VTA staff said the lot currently contains 179 parking spaces and that usage counts taken since the pandemic showed relatively low occupancy — “in the 15 to 20% usage” range — though task force members and others noted weekend and seasonal events can raise demand.

Christina Knape, VTA’s TOD program lead, outlined how VTA would move a site toward development: market sounding with developers, early community engagement to shape an RFP, then a developer selection and entitlement process that can take a year to 18 months to identify a developer and an initial concept. “If we don’t get a positive response from the developer community, we’re not going to release an RFP,” Knape said, describing the agency’s staged approach.

Task force members pressed staff on circulation and transit impacts. VTA planners said most existing bus routes serving the station would continue to use the transit loop, but that an undercrossing or crossing at Benton‑Brokaw could allow some routes to run more directly. Rob Swirk, a VTA planner, said the agency sees an opportunity to enhance passenger amenities around the plaza — “transparent” shelters, lighting and other features — and to refine bus routing depending on future track crossings.

On parking, VTA staff said they defer to city land‑use and parking rules; however, they indicated the development options could finance structured parking or provide shared public parking as part of a redevelopment. “If the city says x number of parking spaces per square feet or per unit, any development pursuing entitlements would have to abide by those policies,” Christina Knape said. VTA staff added that where the TOD parcel increases development density it could make underground parking or other amenities economically feasible.

City staff and VTA agreed to take the task force feedback back to consultant teams. City staff asked VTA and consultants to study the road‑alignment ideas the task force raised — including shifting the transit loop slightly farther from the depot or retucking the loop to create a larger, more human‑scaled plaza directly in front of the historic building.

The task force did not take any formal land‑use action during the meeting; staff said the comments would inform the specific plan and the development standards the city will draft.

Ending: City and VTA staff said they would work with WRT and SiteLab to incorporate feedback and return to the task force with refined concepts. The task force will next meet Sept. 18, 2025, and the city plans to pause in October to allow WRT time to draft the plan language.