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Council removes three focus areas from General Plan after debate over land‑use suitability
Summary
Council approved an amendment to the General Plan Land Use Diagram to remove the Lawrence Station Phase 2 (west of Lawrence), Central Expressway and De La Cruz focus areas; vote was 4–3 following a lengthy exchange about land‑use change, housing opportunities, transit‑oriented sites and industrial preservation.
The City Council on May 20 adopted a General Plan amendment removing three previously designated focus areas — Lawrence Station Phase 2 (west of Lawrence), Central Expressway, and De La Cruz — from the city’s list of future focus areas. Staff said the focus areas were originally identified to signal where industrial and office land could transition to housing, but existing development patterns, a certified sixth‑cycle housing element and market conditions have reduced the likelihood that these three zones will be redeveloped for residential use. Staff also noted Central Expressway already contains a concentration of data centers and that De La Cruz lies in the San Jose Mineta Airport flight corridor.
The Planning Commission had reviewed the amendment and forwarded the matter to council with a split recommendation (4–3) in favor of not removing the areas; commissioners cited the value of retaining options for future housing and concerns about concentrating housing near industrial uses. At council, some members argued the city should keep options open for housing near transit and allow future applicants to pursue plan‑level changes; others said the city already has multiple focus areas and station‑area and downtown planning underway and should preserve industrial parcels that contribute to revenue and to jobs.
After public comment and deliberation, council voted 4–3 to remove the three focus areas from the General Plan land‑use diagram and to make associated text edits; staff will update the land‑use diagram and return final documents for filing. Councilmembers who voted in favor said the amendment aligns the General Plan with market reality and the certified housing element; those opposed said removing the focus areas reduces long‑term flexibility for transit‑oriented housing and other redevelopment opportunities.
The amendment does not prohibit property owners from applying for a general plan amendment or rezoning in the future; it removes the ‘‘focus area’’ designation that had previously flagged those specific areas as potential longer‑term housing conversion sites.
