City staff and consultants presented preliminary streetscape designs and activation ideas Oct. 28 as part of the Gateway Main Street implementation work, and the council provided direction intended to shape the final streetscape plan.

The study session: The presentation, led by Toole Design Group with assistance from BAE and city staff, focused on a detailed “sense of place” plan for Main Street from Weller Lane to Great Mall Parkway with primary emphasis on the Calaveras–Curtis stretch. The work is intended to translate the recently adopted Gateway Main Street specific plan into detailed public‑realm designs, cost estimates and a streetscape palette.

Design alternatives and palettes: Consultants presented two cross‑section concepts. Option 1 (an “Expanded Edge”) prioritizes wide sidewalks and amenities along building edges to support storefront activation and parallel parking; Option 2 (a “Central Flex”) shifts some activities to a mid‑street flex zone designed to host parklets, events and temporary uses. The design team also proposed two furnishing/landscape palettes: a “relaxed, nature‑focused” palette that emphasizes muted, organic materials and planting inspired by nearby ridgelines, and a “playful, family‑friendly” palette that leans on bold colors and South and East Asian motifs to reflect the city’s cultural diversity.

Council direction: Council members expressed a preference for the Expanded Edge approach overall and a leaning toward more vibrant, colorful palettes to help make Main Street a destination. Several council members stressed the need to preserve historic character while adding lighting, trees, murals, planters and consistent storefront treatments. Staff said the design concepts will be refined using council feedback and returned for further public outreach.

Business activation and grants: Economic development staff reported recent implementation efforts that complement the planning work. The Milpitas Historic Downtown Business Association was formed last year and has been recognized at the state level as a 501(c)(6); the county awarded a $15,000 grant (supported by Supervisor Otto Lee) that will be used for branding efforts for the downtown area. Staff reviewed a storefront improvement grant program (funded by American Rescue Plan Act money) and listed completed or in‑progress projects benefiting local businesses at addresses on North and South Main Street.

Food‑truck park pilot: Staff updated the council on efforts to establish a food‑truck park or pilot event. City staff said they have had multiple meetings with an operator called Street Eats 209 and are discussing a possible three‑day pilot in 2026 on a city lot south of the library or on other private lots. The operator has requested a subsidy to cover permits, street closures and other costs; staff estimated a subsidy could be in the range of $20,000–$30,000 for a three‑day pilot. Staff also noted prior work with another operator, Movable Feast, which proposed a similar event with a higher estimated cost (~$30,000).

Next steps: Consultants will refine streetscape sections, furnishing palettes and a Crossroads Square design for the Main Street–Sarah Way intersection, return materials to public outreach (including a survey and in‑person boards at a planned tree‑lighting event), and produce cost estimates and an impact‑fee package for the plan area (BAE will lead the nexus/fee work). Staff said a finalized sense‑of‑place plan, cost opinions and the related impact‑fee materials are expected in spring 2026, with adoption targeted for summer 2026.

No formal council action was required at the study session; staff will incorporate the council’s feedback into the next draft and continue public outreach and financial analysis.