Santa Clara Planning Commission pauses approval of Subaru dealer request to shift trash pickup to Cecil Avenue

The Santa Clara Planning Commission on May 21 considered a request from the owner of the Stevens Creek Subaru dealership to modify existing conditions of approval so that solid waste and recycling collection could occur from Cecil Avenue rather than Stevens Creek Boulevard.

Assistant Planner Alex Daeus summarized the request and said the 1.57-acre site is bordered by single-family homes to the north and commercial properties to the east and west. The applicant sought edits to several permit conditions (conditions P-6, P-8, P-13, P-19 and P-20) so that Mission Trail Waste Systems could collect the dealership’s trash from Cecil Avenue, where Mission Trail already serves neighboring commercial properties.

Staff and the applicant proposed revised condition language to preserve a requirement for any noise study and to add specific, narrow language permitting use of an on-site sliding gate for “trash and recycling pickup only.” Staff said the proposed changes were intended to reduce safety risk on Stevens Creek and to consolidate collection at a single street where Mission Trail already runs routes.

Several neighbors and members of the South of Forest Neighborhood Association opposed the change in public comment. Neighbors said they had seen trash left on Cecil, were concerned about late-night employee parking and worried about trucks stopping on a residential street. Mission Trail’s written statement was included in the record; staff and the applicant said Mission Trail prefers pickup on Cecil and that the service route already runs there. The applicant’s architect and representative said Subaru would follow the recommended conditions and would limit the use of the sliding gate to trash pickup only.

Commission debate focused on enforceability and on the practical effect of the proposed changes. Commissioners asked whether Mission Trail would reverse or back the truck on-site, how often pickups would occur (the applicant indicated weekly service is typical but the exact frequency was not specified in staff materials) and whether keeping certain prohibitions in place was necessary because code enforcement has limited tools to identify employee vehicles parked off-site.

CEQA and staff recommendation: Staff recommended the commission find the request categorically exempt from CEQA under CEQA Guidelines §15305 (Class 5: minor alterations in land use limitations) because the proposed wording changes would not change the site’s land use or density. The commission voted to adopt that exemption determination.

Formal action and outcome: After debate, commissioners moved to deny approval of the requested conditional-use-permit modifications and to bring back a formal resolution of denial as a consent-item for the next Planning Commission meeting. The commission’s sequence of votes was:

- Motion (to determine the request exempt from CEQA under CEQA Guidelines §15305): moved by Commissioner Biagini; seconded by Chair Kuro; passed (commission voted to adopt the CEQA exemption).

- Motion (to direct staff to prepare a resolution of intent to deny the requested conditional-use permit modifications and place that resolution on the next Planning Commission consent calendar for formal action): moved by Commissioner Biagini; seconded by Commissioner Buza; passed (commission directed staff to prepare the denial resolution for consent placement). The commission did not adopt the proposed permit amendments at the May 21 hearing; a formal resolution of denial will be returned on consent at the next meeting, at which the 7-day appeal clock will begin.

Why it matters: The change sought by the dealership would have shifted where commercial collection occurs and would have involved a residential street (Cecil Avenue) physically adjacent to single-family lots. Neighbors said the change would affect noise, street cleanliness and on-street parking. Staff said approving pickup on Cecil would consolidate commercial collection on an existing route and reduce a perceived safety risk on Stevens Creek. The commission’s decision to bring back a denial indicates more enforcement documentation or revisions will be required before the commission will allow collection from Cecil.

Clarifying details: The staff report lists the site as 1.57 acres. Mission Trail provided a written statement indicating it prefers Cecil for collection; the applicant and Mission Trail indicated weekly pickup is typical but the precise schedule was “not specified” in the staff packet. Staff recommended keeping a 7 a.m. start time for equipment (condition P-20) and requiring a noise study where the project history calls for it (condition P-6). Staff also proposed marking employee parking stalls on-site to improve enforceability (condition P-8).