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Council approves Renfrew Villa rezoning and 54-lot tentative map with mitigated negative declaration
Summary
Gilroy City Council adopted a mitigated negative declaration and approved rezoning of 37.54 acres to Residential Hillside and a tentative map to subdivide the site into 54 single-family lots; the project preserves roughly 47% of the site as permanent open space around a riparian corridor and requires private-street HOAs.
The Gilroy City Council approved a package of land-use actions for the Renfrew Villa residential project, a 37.54-acre site north of Miller Avenue that will be rezoned from A-1 (Agricultural) to Residential Hillside (RH) and tentatively mapped into 54 single-family lots.
Staff recommended, and the council adopted, a mitigated negative declaration (MND) prepared for the project after city consultants identified potential impacts and mitigation measures related to biological resources, cultural resources, greenhouse gas emissions/vehicle miles traveled (VMT), hazards, and transportation. The project includes a preservation area of about 17.7 acres — roughly 47% of the site — that contains a riparian corridor and pond associated with Babbs Creek; that area will remain permanent open space owned and maintained by the homeowners association.
The council first voted to adopt the MND (roll-call vote 7-0). The council then introduced an ordinance to amend the zoning map to Residential Hillside (the introduction motion carried on roll call 6-1; Councilmember Fugazi voted no). Finally, the council approved the tentative map (roll call 7-0).
Project details and conditions: Phase 1 is a 40-lot tract with lot sizes from about 6,600 to 12,000 square feet; Phase 2 includes 14 lots (three lots in the southwest portion and 11 in the northwest), with larger lot sizes ranging up to about 61,000 square feet. Private streets within the subdivisions will be owned and maintained by the homeowners association. A private clubhouse intended for project residents was discussed and will be considered under future architectural/site-review or conditional-use permit processes.
Transportation and public access: To address vehicle-miles-traveled concerns identified during environmental review, the applicant agreed to construct a sidewalk along Miller Avenue connecting the property to an existing sidewalk near San Justo; portions of the route on steeper slopes will be a separated, meandering six-foot path within the project (open to the public) rather than standard curb-and-gutter sidewalk. Project representatives told council the pedestrian path will allow safer pedestrian and bicycle travel to nearby corridors and the roundabout.
Public outreach and hearing history: Staff published notices and held a planning commission hearing in January 2025; applicant representatives said they conducted neighborhood outreach, responded to emails, and held a virtual meeting with residents. Several councilmembers praised the project’s open-space preservation, pedestrian connection and transportation-demand-management measures.
Vote and next steps: The council adopted the MND (7-0), introduced the zoning map amendment ordinance (6-1), and approved the tentative map (7-0). Future approvals will include architectural and site-review permits for homes and a conditional-use review if the private clubhouse requires specific entitlements. The applicant and city will finalize conditions of approval and record the map in the timeframes required by municipal code.
