Santa Clara task force reviews preferred station-area concept; consultants outline Costco redevelopment trade-offs

Santa Clara Station Area Task Force members on June 19 reviewed a preferred development concept presented by WRT that focuses housing and office density near the Caltrain station, enlarges a transit plaza and keeps the existing Costco in place while identifying a long‑term path for mixed‑use redevelopment of the Costco parcel.

The presentation, delivered by Diksha Robert of WRT, summarized public‑workshop feedback and technical design work that informed the preferred concept. Robert said the concept attempts to balance community preferences for parks and open space with the practical goal of keeping the Costco in its current configuration. “The highest that we have here is 13 stories,” Robert said when asked about building heights near the station, and she described a development pattern that steps down in scale away from the station and concentrates office uses adjacent to transit.

Why it matters: the plan would reshape land uses within walking distance of the station, affect parking and transit operations owned by VTA and the city, and touch historic resources including the depot museum. Task force members pressed consultants on parking replacement, pedestrian safety on El Camino Real, bicycle access, the feasibility of underground parking near the bay, and how redevelopment could affect the depot and nearby historic adobe structures.

Major elements of the preferred concept

- Station plaza and multimodal access: The concept shows an expanded station plaza that aims to integrate a bus loop, kiss‑and‑ride/TNC drop‑off, and a substantial public space adjacent to the depot. The plan keeps a pedestrian overpass and an underpass at Benton/Brokaw in the design options, and includes “scramble” pedestrian crossings at key intersections. Robert said the design would accommodate bicycles with protected bike lanes and proposed dedicating part of an underground level to bicycle parking.

- Housing and office mix: The consultants propose taller, higher‑density housing—tower elements close to Brokaw and the station—stepping down to midrise and townhome forms further north and east. Office space is concentrated near the station to support transit‑oriented employment.

- Parks and open space sizing: WRT tested park sizes and programming. A proposed neighborhood park block is described as roughly 500 by 150 feet (about 1.7 acres), and a proposed linear park north of the site is roughly 850 by 100 feet; consultants compared these scales to Mission Bay Commons Park and a local “New World Community Park” precedent to show what recreational elements might fit.

Costco parcel: precedent, constraints, feasibility

Consultants presented a case study of a mixed‑use model placed on the existing Costco footprint, drawing on a Los Angeles precedent with about 800 residential units (including 184 low‑income units), five levels of subterranean parking and five levels of housing above a ground‑floor Costco. Consultants warned that the Santa Clara site faces constraints the LA precedent did not: a high water table and proximity to the bay would make deep subterranean parking more challenging.

Robert summarized the economics consultant’s view: the mixed‑use redevelopment of a Cash‑flowing Costco is “not impossible” but “not very realistic in the near term.” She said the consultant would not rule the scenario out if market conditions and development feasibility change over a longer time horizon.

Parking and VTA property

The preferred concept relies on replacing substantial surface parking with one or two levels of subterranean parking beneath new buildings and the plaza. Task force members noted the parking lot is partially owned by VTA and partially by the city; consultants said VTA had seen the concept and not yet objected to allowing development, but the team will confirm VTA’s position. Consultants said replacement parking and assignment (public vs. private vs. office) would be negotiated if a redevelopment project moves forward.

Heights, airspace and historic resources

Consultants told the task force the primary height shown in the plan is roughly 13 stories near the station, based on available FAA/airport overlays and current ground elevations. Members asked about potential FAA exceptions and about shadowing of the depot and impacts to historic adobe structures; consultants said building form and plaza design aim to preserve views to the depot and minimize impacts, and that deeper design work and infrastructure studies will examine foundation and piling impacts.

Public feedback and policy questions

Community priorities captured by WRT included pedestrian safety on El Camino Real, separated bike lanes, last‑mile connectivity, shade and senior amenities near transit, and a desire to maintain some on‑site parking for museum visitors. Student commenters pressed for safer cycling routes; some workshop participants favored a residential‑priority option for park configuration while others favored a “strategic growth mix” that keeps Costco in place.

In public comment, Eric Morley of Morley Brothers, speaking for Bixby Capital Management (owner of 495 El Camino), asked the task force and staff to “consider a flexible zoning or designation” for that retail corner so the site could respond to market conditions and support an iconic redevelopment when feasible.

Decisions, votes and next steps

Formal meeting actions on the agenda were limited to routine procedural items. The task force unanimously approved a motion to excuse five absent members, unanimously approved the consent calendar (April 17, 2025 minutes), and unanimously approved adjournment. No formal vote was taken to adopt the preferred concept at this meeting; the presentation was informational and the consultants will return with additional technical work.

Robert said the project team will next pursue traffic and circulation analysis and an infrastructure feasibility study, and will develop open‑space and streetscape design standards for review at a future meeting. Staff also noted an upcoming council study session on the El Camino Real specific plan in late June.

What was not decided: The task force did not adopt binding zoning or project approvals at this meeting. Several members requested additional analysis of parking replacement, VTA parcel constraints, Costco market interest, potential effects on historic foundations and the depot, and options for siting a community recreation center and public parking if future redevelopment proceeds.

Ending

The task force left the preferred concept on the table for refinement: consultants will return with traffic, infrastructure and streetscape proposals and will check outstanding items with VTA, the city parks team and property owners before the next scheduled task force meeting on July 17.