Gateway Village Santa Clara Project-Level EIR

The Gateway Village project developed a plan for a mixed-use residential and commercial development. The project was considered in the City’s General Plan, and assisted in accommodating future housing needs for planned growth. Planned growth supports new services, job generation, and decreased reliance on automobile trips. The project offers retail options near residential areas that reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and minimize trips. The project also provided substantial landscaping, courtyards, a rooftop garden in the residential community, and a rooftop garden in the central plaza area. The central plaza area also serves as a gathering space and provides entertainment and recreational services. The project provided an opportunity to revitalize an outdated shopping center and provide increased shopping and employment opportunities along a key commercial corridor that is convenient and accessible to the community. The project infuses significant investment in the property through the site, building, and infrastructure improvements that will likely elevate property values of the nearby area.

Overall, the project converted an existing commercial strip-mall type development into a mixed-use development that enhances streetscape design and maximizes in-fill redevelopment to improve the overall appeal of a major City thoroughfare. Accordingly, these efforts are in-line with the City’s vision for intensifying existing land development along El Camino Real.

Circlepoint prepared a project-level EIR for the project. Key CEQA issues included aesthetics, school capacity, noise, and traffic. During community outreach, concern was expressed regarding the amount of traffic through adjacent neighborhoods, as well as congestion at local schools. Although these topics were adequately addressed in the EIR, Circlepoint worked collaboratively with the City and design team to research and develop measures that address these issues outside the parameters of CEQA. Measures were incorporated into the Conditions of Approval as well as discussed at the public hearings and in the staff report to ensure all concerns were properly addressed.

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