Milpitas General Plan Update

Date: November 2, 2020

To: State Clearinghouse
State Responsible Agencies
State Trustee Agencies
Other Public Agencies
Organizations and Interested Persons

Lead Agency: City of Milpitas
455 E. Calaveras Blvd.
Milpitas, CA 95035
Jessica Garner, Planning Manager Phone: (408) 586-3284
Email: jgarner@ci.milpitas.ca.gov

Project Title

Project Location: City of Milpitas, encompassing all lands within Milpitas

Project Description: The City of Milpitas is preparing a comprehensive update to its existing General Plan. The updated Milpitas General Plan is expected to be adopted in early 2021 and will guide the City’s development and conservation through land use objectives and policy guidance. The Plan is intended to be an expression of the community’s vision for the City and Planning Area and constitutes the policy and regulatory framework by which future development projects will be reviewed and public improvements will be implemented. The City will implement the Plan by requiring development, infrastructure improvements, and other projects to be consistent with its policies and by implementing the actions included in the Plan, including subsequent project-level environmental review, as required under CEQA.

State law requires the City to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of its planning area. The Plan must include land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise, and safety elements, as specified in Government Code Section 65302, to the extent that the issues identified by State law exist in the City’s planning area.

The Milpitas General Plan includes a comprehensive set of goals, policies, and actions (implementation measures), as well as a revised Land Use Map (Figure 1).

The following objectives have been identified for the General Plan Update:

• Protect and enhance Milpitas’s community character, and sense of community;
• Provide a range of high-quality housing options;
• Attract and retain businesses and industries that provide high-quality and high-paying jobs;
• Expand and improve neighborhood serving shopping areas to provide better local services near neighborhoods, and increased sales tax revenues;
• Continue to maintain and improve multimodal transportation opportunities;
• Maintain strong fiscal sustainability and continue to provide efficient and adequate public services;
• Address new requirements of State law; and
• Address emerging transportation, housing, and employment trends

The EIR evaluates the anticipated development that could occur within the Planning under the proposed General Plan. While no specific development projects are proposed as part of the General Plan Update, the General Plan will accommodate future growth in, including new businesses, expansion of existing businesses, and new residential uses. The buildout analysis utilizes a 20-year horizon, and 2040 is assumed to be the buildout year of the General Plan.

While no specific development projects are proposed as part of the Milpitas Plan Update, the General Plan will accommodate future growth in Milpitas, including new businesses, expansion of existing businesses, and new residential uses. The buildout analysis assumes a 20-year horizon, and 2040 is assumed to be the buildout year of the General Plan.

Anticipated growth accommodated by the Plan within the Planning Area includes new and expanded businesses, new and expanded governmental and educational uses, and new residential development. The table below summarizes the range of net growth, including residential units (single family and multifamily) and non-residential square footage that could occur. Growth is projected for the area within the Planning Area identified for the General Plan Update.

Consistent with the Proposed General Plan Land Use Map, future growth would largely be focused in 14 areas identified by the community, GPAC (General Plan Advisory Committee), and by the City Council. As shown in Table 1, buildout of the General Plan could yield a total of up to 33,401 housing units, a population of 113,530 people, 47,737,536 square feet of non-residential building square footage, and 84,333 jobs within the Planning Area. As shown in Table 1, this represents development growth over existing conditions of up to 11,186 new housing units, 37,473 new people, 19,729,648 square feet of new non-residential building square footage and 36,795 new jobs.

New development and growth is largely dictated by existing development conditions, market conditions, and land turnover rates. Very few communities in California actually develop to the full potential allowed in their respective General Plans during the planning horizon.

Public Review: 45 days, extending from November 2, 2020 to December 17, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.

Document Availability: The Draft EIR and the Milpitas General Plan are available for review online at milpitas.generalplan.org. For questions regarding this notice, or to coordinate receipt of project materials please contact Jessica Garner, Planning Manager at (408) 586-3284, or by email: jgarner@ci.milpitas.ca.gov.

Provision of Comments: Members of the public and other interested agencies and individuals are invited to provide comments on the Draft EIR. Written comments on the Milpitas General Plan Update Draft EIR can be provided to the during the 45-day public review period. All Comments in response to this notice must be submitted in writing to: Jessica Garner, Planning Manager | City of Milpitas 455 East Calaveras Boulevard, Milpitas CA 95035, or by Email: jgarner@ci.milpitas.ca.gov.

Significant Environmental Impacts: The Draft EIR identifies significant environmental impacts related to the following environmental topics: Noise, Cumulative Noise, Transportation, Cumulative Transportation, and Irreversible Effects.

Milpitas General Plan Update 3 EIR Notice of Availability

November 2020