Task force backs preferred station-area concept emphasizing plaza, transit access and housing near Caltrain

The Station Area Task Force on June 19 reviewed a preferred development concept for the Station Area Specific Plan that concentrates higher-density housing and some office development near the Caltrain depot, preserves pipeline projects, adds a civic station plaza and explores options for the Costco site and VTA/city-owned transit parking land.

The plan reflects community workshop feedback that balanced a residential-priority vision with a “strategic growth mix.” WRT consultant Diksha Robert told the task force the workshop showed “a little bit of a mixed bag in terms of preferred concept,” with many participants drawn to parks in the residential option but a plurality choosing the strategic growth mix to retain Costco and broader downtown retail balance.

Task-force members and the consultant framed the preferred concept around several priorities that emerged from the public workshop: safer pedestrian crossings on El Camino Real; separated bike lanes and last‑mile connectivity; a network of public spaces including a 1.7-acre neighborhood park and a narrower linear park; and a station plaza that integrates multiple modes of access while preserving views to the historic depot.

The preferred concept keeps projects already in the…