FINAL_SantaTeresa_Bernal_UrbanVillagePlan

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Santa Teresa/Urban Village Plan

2013

SANTA

TERESA/

BERNAL URBAN VILLAGE PLAN /Bernal

ST

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This report was prepared for the San Jose State University

Land Use and Urban Planning Course URBP 225 (Fall 2013)

Fall 2013 Professor: John Davidson Submitted: December 9, 2013

Nicholas Holsey Chief Community & Business

Author & Report Content Support

Rogelio Foronda Jr.

Chief Urban Design Author, Chief Lynch Diagram

Author, Editing Support, Report Content Support, Logistics Support,

& GIS Mapping Support

Jeffrey Stine Transportation

Design Author & Chief Editor

Kenneth Rosales Chief Land Use Author,

Chief Logistics Manager, Chief Report Designer, Chief GIS

Mapping Manager, Administrative Support, & Editing

Support

Swapna Deshpande Chief Environmental Policy

Author, Head Administrator, Logistics Support, GIS Mapping

Support,

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction: Getting Familiar With the Plan ............................................. 4

Chapter 1 Putting Things Together ............................................................. 4

Chapter 2 Opportunities & Constraints ..................................................... 7

Chapter 3 Vision & Focus ...........................................................................11

Chapter 4 Land Use Guidelines & Policy Recommendations .............12

Chapter 5 Transportation Guidelines & Policy Recommendations ....20

Chapter 6 Urban Design Guidelines & Policy Recommendations .....25

Chapter 7 Business & Community Guidelines & Policy Recommendations .....................................................................................37

Implementation & Final Thoughts .............................................................42

Reference List ...............................................................................................44

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GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE PLAN An Introduction to the Santa Teresa/Bernal Urban Village Plan

By the year 2040, San Jose will be a radically different city. City officials have laid out in their Envision 2040 General Plan an ambitious strategy to transform San Jose into a 21st century metropolis built around urban transit villages. One of the distant areas to be transformed under Envision 2040 is the area around Bernal Road and Santa Teresa Boulevard. While currently little more than a collection of shopping centers, the location has potential to be an important hub for South San Jose. Ideally, the Santa Teresa/Bernal area will soon embark on a series of changes that will transform it into an economically successful and sustainable transit village. This new village will be defined by (x,y,z). This plan lays out the detailed path for the district’s growth and development. Chapter One details a series of activities the authors underwent to create the plan, including the

creation of a Lynch Diagram and the design of a Lego Charrette. Chapter two explains the opportunities and constraints that the village area currently has and may have in the future. Chapter three are Guiding Principles that set the stage and provides focus to the plan. Chapter four outlines the land use guidelines and policies recommended for the village. Chapter five offers a unique set of ways for increasing alternative transportation options at the proposed village site. Chapter six provides the design standards and guidelines that will help Bernal Village develop in line with the vision for its future. Chapter seven touches on ways to make the new community both culturally and economically successful. At the end of this report are implementation strategies and final thoughts of the plan.

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1 PUTTING THINGS TOGETHER

Workload Division & Planning Activities

This work has been culminated through weekly meetings, Google docs sharing, emailing, telephone communication, multiple site visits, drawing a Lynch diagram, conducting a Lego design Charrette, and meeting with the instructor to report overall progress. Entire work has been carried out as a result of discussion; with consents and involvement of all group members. Site was visited on November 2nd, 2013, with group members Jeffrey, Kenneth, Nicholas, Rogelio, and Swapna. Individual members also revisited the site on separate occasions.

Workload Division Design standards and guidelines were drawn and outlined by Rogelio; land use and map making was undertaken by Kenneth; transportation guidelines were put forth by Jeffrey; community development and welfare as well as the introduction and conclusion were covered by Nicholas, environmental aspects, GIS maps, activity narration, and group

management was all handled by Swapna.

Kevin Lynch Diagram This was carried out after the field visit for a better understanding of existing conditions (Appendix A). We used this as a consideration to help fabricate a sustainable, viable urban village plan. Attention was put on elements like edges, pathways, districts, nodes, and landmarks. They were selected to help create the first draft of Lynch diagram of the site using designated colors for each element. We drew existing condition in terms of Lynch elements by assigning Blue circles to nodes, black lines to paths, light blue polygons to districts, orange to landmark and red to edges. This led us to a different, simplistic view of current scenario of the site. The limitations of the current site could be clearly seen and opportunities were more easily understood. It specifically made sure that the urban village plan fit contextually with the surrounding existing suburban tract homes.

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Loopholes in current transportation could also be seen.

Lego Charette On the 18th of November, class opened with a new vista to help put a third dimension in the plan through design using Lego block pieces. Different colored Legos were specified to symbolize real world features. Green Lego blocks represented parks, blue represented industry, yellow and brown symbolized residences, white was attributed to parking lots, black

presented institutions, and red exemplified commercial features. Each dot on a Lego block was assigned a specific value. For example, a dot on a white Lego block represented a total of 14 parking lots. Using the Lego charette, we refined the baseline conditions by applying our imagination to create an innovative and diverse mixed-use community in the given area. Group discussions during all these exercises were very informative and provided a platform for exchange of ideas.

Figure 1 Lego Charrette activity on 18th of November

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2 OPPORTUNITIES & CONSTRAINTS

Odds & Ends of Santa Teresa/Bernal Santa Teresa/Bernal currently has an expansive list of opportunities ranging from its proximity to the Santa Teresa Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Light Rail Station to its proximity to open space. However, with any opportunity come constraints that need to be identified for mitigations and adaptations to any future hardship. The following pages bring to light these issues in the following order: Land Use, Transportation, Design, Environment, and Overlaps.

Land Use Opportunities in Santa/Teresa Bernal include: 1. Proximity to the Santa Teresa Light

Rail and Caltrain stations for mobility and potential expansion into the Village area

2. Abundance of surface parking lots ripe for infill developments

3. Expansion of the Village area to the northeasterly quadrant in the currently planned Combined Industrial/Commercial and Industrial Park zoning areas

4. The Village area is allowed to go up to 15 stories high

5. Increase affordable housing

tenants in the Village area 6. Increase mixed use building stock

The constraints to the opportunities include:

1. Costs associated with expanding Light Rail services into the Village area

2. Resistance from property owners who will not turn-over and may not not want to convert parking lots into infill developments

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3. Not all property owners may be willing to redevelop their property in conformance with the plan

4. The surrounding single-family neighborhood may not politically allow for such tall buildings

5. Resistance from surrounding neighborhood may have a negative perception of affordable housing. Further, the City of San Jose or developers may not have enough funding for affordable housing projects

6. Mixed use buildings may only be

limited to four stories, thus reducing the opportunity to reach 14 AC/700 DU.

Other constraints include:

• Zoning laws may not change in favor of the plan

Transportation

Opportunities: 1. Urban Village site sits in a very

strategic location with easy access to both potential public rail additions.

2. Via del Oro runs directly into the existing Santa Teresa VTA line, therefore extension should be easy.

3. Caltrain tracks sit only 0.4 miles

away at the end of the cul-de-sac of Bernal Way. This will allow for easy access to a potential station.

4. Being that this site sits so far to the southern border of San Jose, this area benefits from not having a major impact of traffic. This gives developers more flexibility with implementing creative and alternative transportation guidelines.

5. The streets immediately surrounding the proposal site are all naturally very wide. This gives developers extra space to implement complete streets into the region, something that typically requires a great deal of space.

Constraints:

1. Existing-land uses are almost exclusively single family at the moment. Much of the neighborhood currently relies on their automobile as their primary source of transportation. Consequently, much of the current infrastructure lacks density; therefore it is hard to predict how citizens will adapt to new and compact smart growth development.

2. Due to the fact that the site location is so far south within the growth boundary, extra effort will have to be made for the existing residents to want to use the provided public transportation. Many commute times may take too long for commuters. An

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abundance of express trains must be implemented from our newly proposed rail locations.

3. Special coordination will have to

occur with both the Valley Transit Authority and Caltrain in order to get future rail stations in place. This could potentially be a lengthy process.

Urban Design Opportunities

1. Land uses in the entirety of Santa Teresa/Bernal Village have low building heights and low flow to area ratios. By increasing allowable building heights and floor-to-area ratios, the Village can accommodate additional housing and support job growth.

2. There are several vacant office spaces in the Phases 1 and 4. The Santa Teresa/Bernal Village will make this area desirable to employers again by creating a walkable, urban, tech-hub environment.

3. The existing properties in the Santa Teresa/Bernal Village are not consistent with regards to design or operations. The existing shopping centers and business parks are designed, operate, and function independently of one another. The DS&G will unify this neighborhood physically and socially, creating a sense of place and pride.

Constraints:

1. Existing-land uses around the neighborhood are generally single-family dwelling units. Buildings heights, land-use types, and design elements will be constrained to fit contextually with them.

2. In order to implement the vision for Santa Teresa/Bernal Village and for it to be successful per this plan, existing parcel areas will need to be subdivided. This may be done voluntarily by individual landowners, as landowners vacate their properties, or in the worse-case-scenarios regulatory takings.

3. Development of the Santa Teresa/Bernal Village relies on individual property owners

Environment Opportunities:

1. Vicinity to Coyote Valley and Santa Teresa Park: lot of green surroundings. Pure clean air.

2. Privately owned undeveloped land adjacent to Planned urban village (once and for all sustainable development, aving cost of redevelopment)

3. The hills surrounding study area

can be utilized for the

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development of Wind mill power stations.

4. Green Job development is

possible Constraints:

1. It falls on the boundary of urban growth, currently which can be considered as urban sprawl currently. Densification

of urban growth is a necessity here.

2. Possible connections to natural habitat in Santa Teresa county park and Coyote valley. Urban growth boundary Should be carefully watched and obeyed to preserve natural habitat.

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3 VISION & FOCUS

Establishing Guiding Principles to Santa Teresa/ Bernal

Every project requires a vision and a focus to provide a neighborhood character. The following is the Santa Teresa/Bernal Urban Village’s vision and guiding principles.

Vision Served by the Valley Transportation Authority’s Light Rail services, the Santa Teresa/ Bernal Urban Village aims to create a large and balanced amount of retail, office, and light industrial jobs, open space, and housing by maximizing the opportunity in creating low to mid-rise new mixed-use communities while promoting walkable & bike-friendly lifestyles, public transit accessible, and aesthetically pleasing designs concepts.

Guiding Principles 1. Ensure jobs are consistent with the

amount of housing in the village

2. Prioritize modes of transportation to the following hierarchy: pedestrian, bicyclists (and other pedalers), public transit users, then automobiles

3. Maximize the opportunities to

make the village environmentally sustainable

4. Brand the neighborhood, bring

culture, enhance aesthetics, and democratize the village

5. Provide a plan that fits within the

legal boundaries of the General Plan

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4 LAND USE: TODAY, TOMORROW,

& THE FUTURE Existing Conditions, Guidelines, & Policy Recommendations

Existing Conditions The Santa Teresa/Bernal area is bounded by Bernal Rd, Sunwood Meadows Pl, Morrow Ct, Santa Teresa Blvd, and Martinvale Ln. The current zoning designations of the area are Agriculture [Planned Developlment] (A[PD]) and Industrial Park [Planned Developlment] (IP[PD]). The A (PD) is planned for agricultural land uses while the IP (PD) zoning is planned for the allowed construction of buildings such as research and development, manufacturing, assembly, testing, and offices [City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013c&d] (Figure __). The current uses of the Village area paints different pictures, however. It includes 1-2 story buildings of: big-box retail, fast food chain restaurants, cafes, deli/bagel shops, small business (start-up tech firms/plumbing services, etc), spas,

gyms, hotels/inns, and clinics/medical offices (Figures__X).

Figure 2 Photos of the current area. The top photo is a big-box grocery store known as Nob Hill, the bottom left is a bagels and donuts shop, and the bottom right is Gold’s Gym.

The entire urban village area has an Envision 2040 planned zoning designation of Neighborhood/Community Commercial, which are neighborhood and commercial centers (includes commercial corners and multi-tenant developments) near main streets

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Figure 3 A map showing the zoning designations of Santa Teresa/Bernal’s Envision 2040 General Plan

and arterials that are not required to emphasize pedestrian-friendly landscapes {except if a single development decides to do s} [City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013 a&b] (Figure__). Stores developed in the

Neighborhood/Community Commercial (CN) have no restrictions on the size of its stores [City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013 a-d].

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Figure 4 A map showing the zoning designations of Santa Teresa/Bernal’s Envision 2040 General Plan

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Santa Teresa/Bernal’s surrounding zoning designation for the planned General Plan include: (Figure 3): 1. Combined Industrial

/Commercial- Located northwest from the Village, these areas allow for many types of commercial uses both small and big (local markets and big-box stores) and a few small-scale industrial uses including industrial parks (City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013 a&b, Chapter 5, 9 ).

2. Industrial Park-Located northwest from the Combined Industrial/Commercial area, this zoning type includes uses such as research and development, manufacturing, assembly, testing, and offices (City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013 a&b, Chapter 5, 10).

3. Open Space, Parklands, and Habitat- Located southeast and northeast from the Village, this zoning designation intends to keep public peace, health, safety, and welfare by conserving open space to ensure the continued availability of land for the preservation of natural resources, for the managed production of resources, for outdoor recreation, and for the enjoyment of scenic resources, and by protecting the people and property in the City of San José against physical environmental hazards (City of

San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013 a&b, Chapter 5, 17 ).

4. Public/Quasi-Public-including

schools, colleges, corporation yards, homeless shelters, libraries, fire stations, water treatment facilities, convention centers and auditoriums, museums, governmental offices and airports (City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013 a&b, Chapter 5, 11).

5. Mixed-Use Neighborhood-

Located southeast of the Village, these areas are allowed for development that contains uses from two or more of the three major land use categories: residential, commercial, and industrial (City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013 a&b, Chapter 5, 13.

6. Residential Neighborhood-

Located around the village, are residential homes, mainly single-family, known as R-1 in the City of San Jose zoning code (City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013 a&b, Chapter 5, 14 ).

Guidelines The Santa Teresa/Bernal Urban Village area has 56 AC of land and is planned to have a job capacity of 1,500 jobs and a housing yield of 700

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dwelling units (DU). Exactly 14 AC of this area is designated to be residential in mixed-use buildings (City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013c, Appendix 5, 3).

Therefore, in order to manage this growth and abide by the vision statement, this area should be treated as the Envision 2040 General Plan’s growth area designation of Transit/Commercial Corridors Diagram (City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013c, Chapter 6, 7).

Urban Villages: Transit / Commercial Corridors – A large and balanced amount of job and housing growth capacity is planned for the Transit / Commercial Corridor Urban Villages with the goal to maximize the opportunity for creating new mixed-use Urban Villages in these areas. While the BART area job capacity is planned primarily for mid-rise and high-rise offices, the Light Rail Urban Villages provide more opportunity for retail and service jobs that benefit from close proximity to residential use. Although the BART system serves as a regional transit line that brings workers from throughout the region to employ-ment centers within San José, the light rail system is more appropriate for shorter commute trips and is also less likely to generate land use compatibility concerns. Accordingly, it is appropriate to include more residential and retail growth capacity along the light rail system. The Oakridge Mall Light Rail station area is particularly of interest because of its size and high level of unrealized potential to support a walkable, mixed-use community owing to the amount and diversity of established commercial uses and

other services already located within the area.

Santa Teresa/Bernal Urban Village is and will be surrounded by single-family residential areas in the future. Originally planned for an FAR of 10 (2-15 stories high), future height restrictions need to consider the surrounding residential environment by limiting the FAR to two (2), which may run up to four (4) stories high. Height restrictions, setbacks, and parking requirements in the village will vary by zoning designations. Heights should be high while setbacks should be low in core areas near transit. On the other hand, heights should be typically low and setbacks should be high in areas that are close to existing residential areas, especially single-family homes. If not needed, parking should be reduced wherever possible to maintain an urban form that respects the vision.

Using the Transit/Commercial Corridors as a land use model/diagram, the following zoning designations along must to go into the plan:

1. Transit Employment Center (FAR of 2, four stories max)

This area will be dedicated in providing the area job growth to reach the goal of 1,500 jobs by 2040 (or 2020?) due to its proximity to transit and other facilities and services. Uses such as offices,

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research and development, hotels, and commercial are allowed in these areas (City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013c, Chapter 5, 8).

2. Mixed Use Commercial (FAR of 1 to 1.75, 2-3 stories max)

This zoning designation will hold a mix of commercial and residential uses. Emphasizing the commercial activity as the primary use and residential as secondary, these buildings can also hold clinics, private community gathering facilities, and low impact industrial uses that do not impose a hazard to neighboring uses (City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013c, Chapter 5, 9).

3. Mixed Use Neighborhood (FAR of 1 to 1.75, 2-3 stories max)

This zoning designation will hold a mix of residential and commercial uses. Emphasizing the residential activity as the optimal use and residential as secondary, these buildings can also hold clinics (City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013c, Chapter 5, 13).

4. Neighborhood/Community Commercial (FAR of 1 to 1.75, 2-3 stories max)

These areas support a wide variety of uses by combining neighborhoods with commercial services in a pedestrian-friendly design close to

transit, including: retail stores, cafes, restaurants, offices, hospitals, and private community gathering places (City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013c, Chapter 5, 9).

5. Urban Residential (FAR of 0.25 to 2, 1-4 stories max)

Apartments, condos, townhomes, and other multi-family buildings are allowed in this zoning designation. Ma include community centers, commercial/retail, and clinics to service residents (City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013c, Chapter 6, 12).

6. Transit Residential (FAR of 0.25 to 2, 1-4 stories max)

Only apartments, condos, townhomes, and other multi-family buildings are allowed in this zoning designation. May include commercial/retail uses to cater to residents and offices, hotels, and hospitals for employees (City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013c, Chapter 6, 12).

7. Light Industrial (FAR of 1.5, 1-3

stories max)

This use includes light manufacturing facilities, warehouses, offices, and wholesale. Light industrial may also include commercial serving the

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employees (City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013c, Chapter 6, 10).

8. Open Space, Parklands, and Habitat

Lands dedicated for recreational, trails, natural preserves, habitat buffers, parks, and other permanent open spaces (City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013c, Chapter 6, 17).

9. Public/Quasi Public

Includes schools, colleges, corpora-tion yards, homeless shelters, libraries, fire stations, water treatment facilities, convention centers and auditoriums, museums, governmental offices and airports (City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement 2013c, Chapter 6, 11).

Environmental Guideline

1. Optimum, sustainable use of space for the health, safety, and welfare of the community

Policy Recommendations In order to meet the Land Use Goal, policies need to be recommended and considered by future decision makers. Below is a list Land Use

Policies broken down by the following categories: general, building heights, setbacks, and parking.

General

1. General Land Use Policy 1To provide homes to the diversity of workers in the area, increase affordable housing units as much as possible in mixed-use buildings.

Building Heights

Building Heights Policy 1: To preserve and respect the surrounding single-family homes, reduce building heights to 1-2 stories, and/or an FAR of 0.25-1 whenever abutting single-family homes.

Building Heights Policy 2: Increase building heights and FARs towards the max (FAR of 2, four stories) closer to Urban Village core currently located on Via del Oro between Martinvale Ln and Bernal Rd.

Building Heights Policy 3: Reduce heights of buildings away from Village core.

Setbacks

Setbacks Policy 1: To preserve and respect the surrounding single-family homes, increase setbacks of buildings closest to corridors nears single-family homes.

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Setbacks Policy 2:Reduce setbacks as much as possible when near the Village core.

Parking

Parking Policy 1:To increase active lifestyles of walking, biking, and public transit use, reduce parking /parking minimum as much as possible where it isn’t needed.

Parking Policy 2:Increase the number of bicycle parking and benches to maximize pedestrian and bicyclist use.

Parking Policy 3:Where parking is necessary, strive for the following hierarchy: satellite, structured,

shared, and subterranean>satellite, structured, and shared> structured and shared>structured>surface parking lots.

Parking Policy 4:The closer to single family homes, FAR should be 0.25- 1 story. The closer to the core of the Village, the higher the FAR -2, 4 stories.

Environment Environmental Policy 1:Define the growth boundary and limit expansion so as to control intervention with Santa Teresa and Coyote Valley conservation and accessibility.

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GETTING AROUND IN SANTA TERESA/BERNAL

Transportation Guidelines & Policy Recommendations

Guidelines The transportation guidelines for the proposed Bernal Urban Village seek to follow the long-range transportation goals drawn up in the City of San Jose’s 2040 General Plan. Currently, the city sits at over 985,000 residents, and is spread out over 176 square miles (San Jose General Plan). While the local economy is doing well, the city’s roads and freeway corridors have been greatly affected by the constant commute of people to and from their jobs. According to the 2008 American Community Survey, 87% of city residents are commuting to work in an automobile, with 77.8% doing so with no other passengers on board. This substantial reliance on the automobile not only creates heavy traffic in the Bay Area, but it also contributes to harmful greenhouse

gas emissions. The issue of San Jose’s automobile transportation was of utmost importance for commissioners in the General Plan, and future development will reflect the city’s new vision. Developers seek to create transit oriented urban villages that are centrally located along rail or bus lines, this way providing easy access for a multimodal transportation system. As per the 2040 General Plan’s transportation objective statement, “San Jose desires to provide a safe, efficient, fiscally, economically, and environmentally-sensitive transportation system that will balance the needs of bicyclists, pedestrians, and public transit riders with those of automobiles and trucks.”

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VTA Light Rail Extension The Bernal Urban Village is distinct of the sixty-two other proposed villages due to the fact that it sits so close to the edge of the southern portion of the city’s urban growth boundary. While the location is not as centralized as other plans, it still holds great potential for the allowance of public transit to reach future residents of the area. Currently, the Valley Transit Authority (VTA) has its southernmost stop on its Alum Rock-Santa Teresa line only one mile northwest of the center of our proposed urban village. We propose to extend the light rail one station south so that we can provide quick, reliable light rail service to our residents that will reach throughout downtown San Jose and the other commercial districts and job centers of Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, and Mountain View. With the VTA’s newly instituted express trains, we hope that our working residents will utilize this for transit to and from work. While there are currently only three northbound express trains, we hope to coordinate the implementation with VTA for two to three more. It is important to note as well, that currently a regular stop train at the Santa Teresa station operates with 15-minute headways.

Figure 5 This is an image of Portland’s trimet system running right through Portland State University. We envision our light rail extension to look something like this as it runs right through our urban village. The actual design for the Bernal Village light rail station will be to have the tracks extended right along the middle of Via Del Oro backing all the way up to Bernal Road itself. This centralized location allows for all residents within the urban village to have to walk no more than 2,000 feet to reach the train’s platforms. It will also provide access to the existing car dependent neighborhoods around the urban village. Also important to note would be a passenger’s ability to ride one stop north to today’s current Santa Teresa Light Rail Station and transfer to either the 42, 68, 202, 122, 182, or 304 buses. This can provide bus transit to the majority of San Jose along with the southern communities of Morgan Hill and Gilroy. We propose for a new bus transit hub with predominantly the same lines as aforementioned, to be adjacent to our proposed light rail station at the corner of Bernal Road and Via del Oro.

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We fully expect Valley Transit Authority to be on board with our plans, as they will benefit from the large influx of residents to this southern area of San Jose.

Caltrain Infill Station Suggestion Another major form of public transportation to take advantage of is the site’s proximity to the existing Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) right-of-way (ROW). Historically, the Bay Area’s regional commuter train service provide Caltrain has been the main user, with stations which extend from Gilroy to the South of Market district of San Francisco. In between lies thirty stops separated into six subzones of Caltrain. Our proposal is for a new station directly adjacent the address 1 Bernal Way. The Caltrain stop would be two miles south of the current Blossom Hill Station, and twelve miles north of the Morgan Hill station. The stop would be a walking distance of only 0.45 miles from the center of our village, the corner of Bernal Road and Via Del Oro. We also propose for a two-sided platform that will not only allow access for future village residents, but also for easy approach for users along Monterey Road (Highway 82).

Complete Streets With a total of three highly accessible forms of public transportation in place, it is essential to provide safe walking or bicycling access to and from these stations, along with the surrounding streets. The most highly modified street will certainly be Via Del Oro, but the upside is that it also has the greatest upside simply because it is currently a very wide street. It now sits as a two way street, but it has room for street side parking on both sides with still a great deal of extra space. We envision incorporating the idea of a “Complete Street,” a policy that scales a street one to five based on how many forms of transportation it allows for safely. Class three streets are the normal and realistic goal for most planners, with automobile, bicycle, and pedestrian use accounted for. Our street seeks to be a catalyst in this area though by accounting for auto use, VTA rail use, proper storm drainage, and pedestrian and bicycle use that is clearly distinct from the rest of the road. Bike lanes will be painted with a bright green strip. If completed, this would be the first class five street in the city of San Jose. Class five streets are a new concept, but examples of these throughways are starting to appear in many of the United States’ major cities. According to the report Complete Streets Policy Analysis

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2010, twenty-three states now have cities that have implemented complete streets guidelines into their green street design guidelines. Locally, San Mateo County has recently amended their design guidebook to allow for the design of complete streets wherever possible. Because of its heavier traffic and highly needed space for three lanes in each direction, Bernal Road on the other hand will not be a certified class five complete street. It will still have bicycle lanes along with sidewalks for pedestrian travel to and from the apartments, grocery stores, the nearby Bernal Community Church, and both the light rail and Caltrain stations in the area. There will be an ample amount of crosswalks along with a walking bridge going over Bernal Road in the western portion so that families can easily access the nearby Los Paseos Park.

Parking The final change to account for is the aspect of parking for the public transit lines. The Bernal Village will sit within a mile of the proposed light rail station, Caltrain station, Monterey Highway, along with the junction of Highways 85 and 101. The plan is for the present Marriott Residence Inn to be demolished and replaced with a parking structure that will serve three functions: parking for the Caltrain, parking for the VTA light rail, and as a park and ride for people wanting to carpool north or south along highway 101 or 85. It will have one underground level, in addition to two levels above ground. This way, the structure will not be taller than the urban villages themselves, thus not taking away the sight line of those structures.

Environment Guidelines 1. Serviced for affordable public

transportation.

2. Efforts to maintain good quality of air through periodic monitoring.

Policy Recommendations Environmental Policy 1: Emphasis on designing a walkable and bikeable community that is conveniently located to multiple nodes of public transit. Implementation of livable

Figure 6 This is a proposed complete street in Alexandria, Virginia that is currently being developed.

The light rail travels through the middle of the street along with lanes being present for automobiles going

in both directions. There is also a clearly marked bicycle lane along with a sidewalk that is protected by vegetation. This vegetation can double as an added

drainage system for storm water if it designed as infiltration planters

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sidewalks, a variety of bike routes, and the use of complete streets and mass transit to reduce carbon emission through less use of auto-centered transportation. Environmental Policy 2: “The Use Less Waste, Less Resources Strategy.” To minimize excess water consumption, require dual flush toilets, waterless urinals (if applicable), and low-flow water fixtures in all buildings. Environmental Policy 3: Higher use of renewable energy alternatives (solar, wind, biofuel) and hybrid utilities such as domestic lights, water heaters, and street lamps (solar + electric).

Environmental Policy 4: Aim towards a net zero waste community. Proper segregation of waste into compost, recyclables, and landfill. Recycling and extracting energy from incineration could also be a possibility.

Environmental Policy 5: Identify any natural habitat corridors within proximity of study area for proper protection of migration routes.

Environmental Policy 6: Avoid noise pollution with identification of significant impacts from traffic, construction, or the lifespan of the urban village. Proper mitigation

measures will be made by the installation of noise pollution checkpoints at one or two intersections. Environmental Policy 7: Maintain air quality by taking precautions at construction sites to minimize objectionable odors.

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6 DESIGNING THE FUTURE

Urban Design Guidelines & Policy Recommendations

Standards & Guidelines Utilizing San Jose’s Envision 2040 Urban Villages Plan as well as designing and planning in a way that fits contextually with existing conditions, the Santa Teresa/Bernal Village Design Standards & Guidelines aims to create an environmental and economically sustainable, higher-density, walkable, transit-rich village that will tackle the growing concern over the next phase of suburban developments and support an appropriate job and housing growth capacity. The Santa Teresa/Bernal Village Plan is a four-phase master plan intended to be implemented over the span of 20-30 years. The four-phase implementation plan is more economically feasible and will allow us to reevaluate land-use and economic needs prior to the implementation of each phase. Further, each phase can be implemented in sub-phases to minimize the amount of impact on existing or occupied uses.

Environment 1. Implement innovative techniques

for green buildings in the design.

2. Develop green streets, shaded bike paths, and walkable communities.

3. Construction of LEED certified Buildings.

Urban Village Controls Phase 1 Bound by Santa Teresa Boulevard, Bernal Road, Via Del Oro, and Martinvale Lane, this area was selected as the first phase because it is ripe for redevelopment. It would have the least amount of impact on the existing neighborhood serving retail centers. The existing land use condition of Phase 1 is characterized primarily by light industrial land uses. One- to two-story office buildings dot the landscape and are surrounded by large amounts of parking. Further, several of the offices in the buildings can be assumed to be vacant due to the

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Figure 7 Existing land use conditions in Bernal Village include the commercial strip mall

Santa Teresa Marketplace.

for-lease signs that line its surrounding streets. Future land-uses aims to maintain this area as a job center. The Santa Teresa/Bernal Village plan discourages single-story buildings and requires low- to mid-rise buildings and a greater floor-to-area ratio. Although there will be an initial displacement of some businesses, the area will be able to accommodate an even greater amount at the end of the phase. Phase 1 also includes the introduction of low- to mid-rise mixed-use residential/commercial land uses. The increase in population will assist in supplementing the increase in job growth.

Phase 2 Bound by Bernal Road, Santa Teresa Boulevard, Chantilley Lane, and Chantilley Place, the area consists of Santa Teresa Crossroads, an aging suburban strip mall typical of auto-

centric developments of the 80’s and 90’s. The retail stores, including a Nob Hill Foods and ACE Hardware, are generally set back to its northwest lot line. A vast parking lot fronts the retail center. Eight individual buildings dot the parking lot in addition to the main strip center, including Carl’s Jr. and a gas station that sits at the corner of Bernal Road and Santa Teresa Boulevard. Future land-uses aim to accommodate low- to mid-rise residential buildings as well as mixed-use low- to mid-rise residential/commercial. The commercial uses are intended to accommodate neighborhood-serving retail business including a grocery store, pharmacy, cafes, small medical offices, and the like. Further, smaller retail gross-floor areas will be required to discourage big-box formula retail uses. The parcels zoned for low- to mid-rise residential will be located along Santa Teresa Boulevard in an effort to better integrate with the adjacent single-family subdivision.

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Figure 8 Artist’s rendering of activated streets and mixed-

use developments in Playa Vista in Los Angeles, CA.

Phase 3 Bound by Bernal Road, Via Del Oro, and San Ignacio Avenue, the area currently consists of Bernal Village, another suburban strip mall developed within the last 10 to 15 years. Existing retailers include a Lucky grocery store, Golds Gym, Starbucks, and Jamba Juice. Similar to Santa Teresa Plaza, the main strip mall is set back to its back lot line and is fronted by a large parking lot. Six individual buildings dot the parking lot and include a McDonalds and another gas station. The intent of Phase 3 is for it to become the social heart of Santa Teresa/Bernal Village in conjunction with Phase 1. Land uses will have similarities with Phase 2 and include low- to mid- rise residential and mixed-use residential/commercial. Land uses along Via del Oro will have a taller allowable height as part of our proposal to extend the VTA light rail from its existing terminus to Bernal Village.

Phase 4 Primarily an area zoned for light-industrial land use, Phase 4 is not originally scoped as part of Bernal Village and Envision 2040. However, due to its vacancy rate and proximity to the area identified as Bernal Village, we are proposing to expand the original boundaries. Phase 4 is generally bound by San Ignacio Avenue, Great Oaks Boulevard, and Santa Teresa Boulevard.

Figure 9 Existing conditions along Bernal Road.

As part of the Santa Teresa/Bernal Village, Phase 4’s existing light-industrial land uses are prime opportunity for redevelopment. Similar to Phase 1, Phase 4 will be able to accommodate additional low- to mid-rise office buildings to support job growth as well as mixed-use residential/commercial and residential buildings. Public Realm Streets Streets within the Santa Teresa/Bernal Village will follow the Transportation Network Designations/Street Typologies

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identified in Envision 2040. Further, the proposed street network will introduce the establishment of a traditional street grid that integrates into the existing street network. The additional points of egress are a congestion management strategy to provide traffic relief along Bernal Road and Santa Teresa Boulevard. Bernal Road and Santa Teresa Boulevard Existing conditions along these corridors are geared primarily to auto traffic. Both corridors have 2-3 lanes in each direction of traffic and meet at the largest intersection in the Santa Teresa/Bernal Village. The future design of these streets will maintain them as major corridors, identified as Grand Boulevards in Envision 2040 and will require a complete streets approach during the design phase. Grand Boulevards are designed to accommodate wider sidewalks for pedestrians, dedicated bike lanes, on-street, metered parking as well as lanes for general auto traffic.

Figure 10 K Street Mall in Sacramento is an

example of a Woonerf shared street with light rail envisioned for Via del Oro in Bernal Village.

Via del Oro Existing conditions along Via del Oro are geared primarily toward auto traffic with 1 lane in each direction and underutilized sidewalks. The vision for Via del Oro is for it to be redesigned as a Woonerf shared street that can accommodate a future VTA light rail extension from its existing terminus at nearby Santa Teresa Station. The Woonerf shared street design will also accommodate 1 lane of traffic in each direction with bollards rather than curbs separating the pedestrian/bicycle and auto/transit right-of-ways. The segment of Via del Oro between Bernal Road and Martinvale Lane will also be able to host or accommodate street or vendor fairs, farmer’s markets, and other neighborhood events. San Ignacio Road and Great Oaks Boulevard Generally local connector streets, San Ignacio Road and Great Oaks Boulevard consist of one- to two- lanes of traffic in each direction with well maintained planted medians. The Santa Teresa/Bernal Village plan will maintain them as local connector streets, however their redesign will include on-street parallel parking, dedicated bike lanes, and wider sidewalks. Realm Drive, Martinvale Lane, and New Streets Another local connector street, Realm Drive currently has one lane of traffic in each direction and bisects Phase 1 with major

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Figure 11 Map representation of the Urban Design Guidelines

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intersections at Bernal Road and Santa Teresa Boulevard. As part of the Santa Teresa/Bernal Village Plan, the proposal is to extend Realm Drive from Santa Teresa Boulevard northwest toward San Ignacio Avenue. Its redesign will act as a main street connecting Phases 1 and 3 as well as establishing a traditional street grid within the Village. Similarly, Martinvale Lane is proposed to extend from its current terminus at Via del Oro, northwest to San Ignacio Avenue. The designs proposed for the New Streets throughout the Village will range from Main Streets, Residential Streets, and Local Connector Streets as identified in Envision 2040.

Figure 12 An example of a pedestrian paseo.

Primarily designed for pedestrian uses, they can accommodate emergency vehicles as needed.

Pedestrian Paseos and Alleyways The existing segment of Realm Drive that intersects with Bernal Road will be redesigned as a pedestrian paseo that connects the Phase areas on either side of Bernal Road,

continuing through Phases 2 until it meets Los Paseos Park. Additional Pedestrian Paseos and Alleyways will be integrated throughout Santa Teresa/Bernal Village to reduce block sizes and increase pedestrian permeability. Intersections: Major & Minor Major intersections in the Santa Teresa/Bernal Village are identified as any intersection that meets Bernal Road or Santa Teresa Boulevard. All others are identified as minor intersections. Generally all intersections, major and minor, will be viewed not only as auto intersections, but also social gathering spaces (this will be further identified in the next section, Open Space), further supporting multi-modal designs for all streets. Intersections will be required to have ADA accessible, pedestrian bulb-outs and crosswalks clearly identified with continental striping or specialty pavers. Due to the larger distances for pedestrian crossings at Major Intersections, pedestrian refuges will be required in planted medians.

Policy Recommendations Lighting Existing 30’ street lighting is aimed to accommodate automobile traffic. Like much of the City of San Jose, the street lighting utilizes sodium vapor lights that emit a yellow light.

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Whereas future lighting should continue to accommodate automobile traffic on Santa Teresa Boulevard and Bernal Road, 16’ pedestrian scaled street lamps are required on these thoroughfares as well. Within the boundaries of Santa Teresa/Bernal Village, the use of a specified 16’ pedestrian scaled streetlamps and lighting will be required on public right-of-ways. Pedestrian scaled lighting will encourage activity, increase safety, and create a dramatic design element for Santa Teresa/Bernal Village. Lighting Policy 1: A unified pedestrian scaled street lamp shall be identified by the City of San Jose and implemented throughout Santa Teresa/Bernal Village. The design of the street lamp should be aesthetically appropriate and fit contextually with the character of the surrounding neighborhoods. Lighting Policy 2: Pathway lighting is required along identified pedestrian paseos and primary entrances to buildings. Lighting Policy 3: Hybrid pedestrian/auto street lamps are required along Santa Teresa Boulevard and Bernal Road. Lighting Policy 4: Landscaped areas are required to have accent lights and uplit trees. Lighting Policy 5: Building facades along major auto or pedestrian thoroughfares may be uplit to

emphasize building elements or activate facades. Lighting should be maintained at an ambient level so as to not disrupt surrounding neighborhoods. Open Space Los Paseos Park is identified as the neighborhood’s existing open space. Additionally, Santa Teresa County Park is located nearby at the southwest terminus of Bernal Road. Per planning code open-space requirements, the increase in population via residential dwelling units will trigger the need for additional open space within Santa Teresa/Bernal Village.

Figure 13 An example of an interior residential

courtyard surrounded by mid-density residential buildings.

Open Space Policy 1: Implement pedestrian paseos throughout the village, “town squares” in each planning phase area, and mini or pocket parks at all intersections Open Space Policy 2: Establish a new park in the area currently occupied by Residence Inn and Extended Stay America (a triangular

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parcel bound by Bernal Road, San Ignacio Avenue, and the adjacent property line). This planned open space is proposed as a publicly maintained riparian park and will feature native or acclimated plants and flowers as landscaping, walking paths, gathering spaces for BBQs and picnics, and lawns and asphalt to support events such as San Francisco’s Off-The-Grid, a weekend farmer’s market, or neighborhood swap meet. The park will feature a flex-space similar to Portland, Oregon’s Pioneer Courthouse Square, which can support a small café and neighborhood gatherings. Open Space Policy 3: Housing developers will be required to fulfill their own open-space requirements per San Jose planning and building Codes. This requirement can be achieved through private balconies, courtyards or other private-public parks, or green roofs/terraces when financially feasible. Signage Signage should be implemented that helps unifies Santa Teresa/Bernal Village into a single, unique, and coherent district within the City of San Jose. High quality and aesthetically pleasing signage should be used to create a positive sense of place. Signage Policy 1: All signage is intended to be viewed at pedestrian level and is not permissible beyond the first floor of any building, generally 20’ above the sidewalk.

Signage Policy 2: Billboards, roof signs, and flashing or moving video signs are not permitted. One fin sign per commercial or retail tenant is permitted. Signage Policy 3: Landmarks in the form of pillars or pylons identifying Santa Teresa/Bernal Village, retail centers, and/or residential communities will be permitted at a maximum height of 15’ along Bernal Road and Santa Teresa Boulevard. Signage Policy 4: Town criers are permitted on street light posts to advertise special community events or holidays pending City approval. Signage Policy 5: A designated Santa Teresa/Bernal Village monument sign that will arc over Via del Oro to further create a unique sense of place.

Figure 14 Bakersfield, CA’s monument arc

signage is an example of a major landmark that can be used to identify Bernal Village.

Architecture & Building Design All new buildings in Santa Teresa/Bernal Village are intended to be constructed using sustainable materials and technologies, and

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best practice construction methods. Although the ultimate goal of Santa Teresa/Bernal Village is an overall increase in population, job, and building densities, this will be done in a way which mitigates and in many instances reduces any detrimental effects on the environment or public infrastructure including water, sewage, and trash. Sustainability goals and requirements will be further identified in the Sustainability Section of the Santa Teresa/Bernal Village Plan. Building Policy 1: Lot coverage controls are designed to control building floor-to-area ratios (FAR) and accommodate common courtyard spaces for social gatherings. Lot coverage is calculated by dividing building footprint square footage by the gross lot size. Building Policy 2: Generally, maximum building heights within Santa Teresa/Bernal Village will be 40’, variances may be granted to exceed 40’ for building parapets, pitched roofs or MEP penthouses. FAR for residential buildings will be

1.5. Commercial and mixed-use buildings will be permitted to build at an FAR of 2.0, these are generally located along the future light rail corridor of Via del Oro. Building Policy 3: Building facades are required to integrate relief elements and maintain a unified cornice line to emphasize pedestrian scale. This can be achieved via storefront awnings or pedestrian arcades. Building floor plans and rooflines should be varied to provide further relief. Building Policy 4: Building design and materials used should be aesthetically appropriate and fit contextually with the surrounding neighborhoods and agricultural roots of the greater Coyote Valley area. Building Policy 5: All retail and commercial frontages are required to have a 0’ set back from the public right-of-way. Buildings with frontage along Santa Teresa Boulevard or Bernal Road are required to have a minimum setback f 10’ from the public right-of-way,

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Figure 15 Map of Transportation & Design Guidelines

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all other sides of these buildings have a minimum 8’ setback, unless 0’ set back is required per retail frontage requirement. All other buildings are required to have a minimum 8’ setback from the public right-of-way. Building Policy 6: To create an open and welcoming atmosphere, retail and commercial street frontages are required to have a reasonable amount of glazing so long as it is compliant with Title 24 requirements. They are further required to have active facades and accommodate uses such as outdoor café seating. Building Policy 7: Buildings will be required to be constructed with low-flow plumbing fixtures and Energy-Star or similarly rated appliances. Building Policy 8: Building designs are required to go through design review with the San Jose Planning Department and Commission and comply with existing planning and building codes.

Figure 16 Crescent Village in San Jose, CA is an

example of the kind of low- to mid-rise mixed-use development envisioned for Bernal Village.

Auto and Bicycle Parking With the intensification of land uses within the Santa Teresa/Bernal Village compared to existing conditions and taking advantage of and expanding existing transportation options to encourage viable alternatives to driving, we anticipate the need for auto parking in the area to decrease over time. However, to comply with existing planning and building codes the following parking policies will need to be adhered to. As phases transition into the next, a reevaluation of both auto and bicycle parking needs can be pursued. Parking Policy 1: On-street metered automobile parking for automobiles will be located along all streets, per the street design controls in Envision 2040. Parking Policy 2: Privately developed underground parking garages are permitted when financially feasible. Alternatively, above ground parking garages are permitted, but require wrap-around mixed-use or residential buildings. Parking Policy 3: Class-2 public bicycle parking facilities will be required along all public rights-of-way.

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Parking Policy 3: All commercial and city buildings, and parking garages will be required to have Class-1 or Class-2 bicycle parking. Residential buildings will be required to have Class-1 bicycle parking. Number of required bicycle parking spaces are triggered by number of employees, residential dwelling units, or auto-parking spaces and will comply with existing San Jose planning and building code requirements.

Figure 17 Creative and attractive bike racks can are both functional as well as public art. Unique street furniture can help create a sense of place

for Bernal Village.

Environment Enviromental Policy 1: Add green borders to new circulations proposed under this plan. Any new plantings or vegetation will be drought resistant/tolerant and native/acclimated. Enviromental Policy 2: Uphold the current Los Paseos Park, establish a new park space on San Ignacio, and add green pocket parks on selected

intersections, town squares, and private/public courtyards. Enviromental Policy 3: Healthy watershed: Identify and implement a natural drainage system with storm water drainages. Develop green belts around them or bioswales to support them. Proper vegetated drainage along streets adds to the notion of Complete Streets. Enviromental Policy 4: Recycle water for landscapes or xeriscaping. Special permissions that will be determined at a later date for those who maintain lawn with recycled ‘water. Also, to implement rainwater harvesting systems and green roofs. Enviromental Policy 5: Best green building practices to be used in development to promote least energy inputs, utilize renewable energy, durability, and the use of Energy Star rated appliances, etc. Enviromental Policy 6: Use of permeable pavement to prevent runoff into nearby waterways and recharge any underground aquifers.

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7 CREATING JOBS & CULTURE

Community & Business Operations- Guidelines & Policy Recommendations

Design Principles 1. Innovation: Innovation and an

openness to bold new ideas will be needed to successfully turn Bernal Village into a thriving hub.

2. Diversity: This plan embraces diversity as a necessary ingredient in any urban area. This diversity includes social and cultural diversity as well as a diversity in land use

3. Sustainability: Any development

needs to adhere to ecologically sound growth strategies and do as little environmental harm as possible.

4. Arts and Culture: Culture is not just

something found in galleries and symphonies, but an aspect that should infuse all aspects of city life. Art and cultural programs should be an important part of the village.

Guidelines The Design Process

Communities belong, first and foremost, to current and future residents. Any plan for future growth must be built upon this principle. Envison 2040 calls for community-based planning, and this principle underlies plans for Bernal Village. Before any plans are finalized, the community will be able to give input on the process and suggest their own changes. Public meetings will be held during the implementation of this plan. Notifications will be sent out to all those within one-half mile of the Bernal Rd/ Santa Teresa Blvd intersection. Four meetings will be scheduled for the general district plan and two meetings will be held for site-specific plans. The purposes of these meetings will be to educate the public on both the specific plan and broader concepts relating to transit village development, along

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with holding development workshops, and collecting feedback. Environment 1. Spread environmental awareness

within the community.

2. Creating green, local employment opportunities.

Policy Recommendations Building a Community Anywhere people gather there will be a community. However, designs and programs that bring members of the community together and promote shared experiences can strengthen these bonds and lead to a healthier village. There are a number of buildings that can be built or encouraged to help bring people together: Community Policy 1: Bernal Housing Village: Zone the portion of the village north of Via Del Oro as medium-density residential with some optional space for commerce at street level. Community Policy 2: Open Floor Market: San Pedro Market has shown the viability of open-floor marketplaces with indoor/outdoor seating. Zoning for a similar marketplace will be established in

the middle of the economic center, and outreach will be made to McEnery and other interested developers. This marketplace, other than hopefully being economically viable, will help serve as a community center. Community Policy 3: Build a New Library: There are six different schools within walking distance of the district. A library should be built in the area east of the Bernal/Santa Teresa as a community resource and secondary community center. If there is room, this would also be a good location to put a small park with athletic amenities such as tennis and basketball courts. Community Policy 4: Art In The Community: Leave wall space. Leave wall space open for murals done by members of the community. Alternatively, blackboard paint can be put on unused wall segments for continual artistic opportunity. Neighborhood Institutions A neighborhood is not just a spatial designation, but a social one. Social organizations can be set up to help the Bernal Village develop into true community and not just a city designation. Here is a list of possible programs the city can support: Institution Policy 1: Neighborhood Watch: The City of San Jose facilitates Neighborhood Watch groups, which teach residents recommendations for crime

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prevention, introduce residents to their local police officers, and serve as a way for residents to get to know their neighbors. These meetings can serve as a way to keep crime low and to encourage a sense of community. In addition, the city can work with the Watches and local police/fire stations to hold “Meet Your First Responder” nights. Institution Policy 2: Neighborhood Group: During the 2000s, San Jose experimented with the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative, a multifaceted and successful program which helped local communities develop their own local leaders. While this program has since been ended due to budgetary restrictions, the principle that neighborhood leaders need to be encouraged is a vital one. The city should encourage the residents of Bernal Village to form a purely advisory council to work on local issues and to represent the neighborhood to the city. Institution Policy 3: Bernal Village Business Association: Similar to a neighborhood group, the businesses located in Bernal Village should be encouraged to form a business association. This business association can be tasked with managing marketing for the district as a whole and dealing with minor business/security matters that concern local businesses. Institution Policy 4: Farmer’s Market: Besides forming local associations, another way the city can

encourage the community is by working with groups such as the California Farmers’ Market Association to bring a farmer’s market to Bernal Village at least one day a week Institution Policy 5: Benefits for Locals: Encourage local businesses to send out special promotions for people who live in or near Bernal Village. This will help keep money in the village and will encourage a sense of community.

Institution Policy 6: Community Benefit District: The area would be designated a Community Benefit District, where a fee is leveraged on commercial operations that helps pay for cleaning up the public right of ways in the village. Economics

To be successful, San Jose must keep people working and shopping within city limits. On a smaller scale, the new district must be economically viable. If Light Rail is brought to the district it will open up all sorts of economic opportunity. If not, contingency plans are needed. Economic Policy 1: Light Rail: If Light Rail is extended down to Via Del Oro, the immediate economic benefits are obvious. If not, the plan needs to guarantee enough parking and ways to get people to the village. The first way to do this will be to request that VTA sets up a shuttle bus running between Bernal Village and Santa Teresa Light Rail Station. In

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addition, parking garages should be built at the Bernal/Santa Teresa intersection and the Bernal/San Ignacio intersection to accommodate all those driving to the district.

Economic Policy 2: Economic Center: The area bounded by Santa Teresa Boulevard, Bernal Road, Via Del Oro, and Great Oaks Boulevard will be designated as an Economic Center. The zoning here will be for commercial and non-polluting industrial. With Light Rail running through the district, this will allow easy transit access for people coming into the village to work. If Light Rail is not brought to the district, Via Del Oro can still be paved over and used as a central square/shopping hub.

Economic Policy 3: Small Business Funding: In addition to just being a business hub, the village should have a large portion of it be local, non-chain businesses. The city can start a fund for small businesses looking to open in the district that will match privately-raised capital. Businesses that are economically successful will then be required to pay back into the fun. Economic Policy 1: Job Training: Partner with non-profits, trade guilds, and local education establishments to offer classes that will offer skill-training enrichment (such as cooking, jewelry-making, wood-working, etc.)

Economic Policy 1: Advertise Among Light Rail Lines: If Light Rail is extended, it will become a primary way to move people to the village. Advertisements should be posted near Light Rail stops with information about the local businesses.

Economic Policy 4: Tax Break For New Businesses: Offer special tax refunds for businesses that open in Bernal Village within three years of the district’s official opening.

Economic Policy 5: Build Electrical Vehicle Charging Stations: Electric vehicles are likely to play an important role in the city’s future. Outfitting parking garages with charging stations will encourage people to come and shop in the district.

Economic Policy 6: Partner with Schools: Encourage local businesses to offer internships and after-school work to 11th and 12th grade students at local high schools.

Economic Policy 7: Encourage Cultural Events: With its focus on walkability and focus on the arts, Bernal Village is an ideal place for cultural events and festivals. Work with local stakeholder groups and business associations to hold a series of major events at the village. These events can be modeled after current programs like Japantown’s

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Cherry Blossom Festival, Christmas in the Park, and Movable Feast events.

Economic Policy 8: Build A Quirky Local Landmark: Bernal Village needs something that brands the village as a unique space with a unique feel. Local artists and sculptors should audition to give Bernal Village its trademark icon, whatever that icon might be. This can be used in advertising and will help the village stick in the popular memory. Environment Environmental Policy 1: Local farming and farmers market. Introduce vegetable garden/farms to the neighborhood by starting gardening classes in the proposed new park. A fresh produce stall additionally to supply reasonably priced, locally sourced vegetables. Weekly farmers market in the designated area to service local businesses and residents.

Environmental Policy 2: Protect the community from natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods, forest fires, storms, etc.. Human intervened hazards like exposure to toxic, hazardous substances, urban fires etc. additionally.

Environmental Policy 3: Biodiversity conservation: Outreach to the community about any sensitive and local endangered species of plants, animals, and birds. Engage the community to take steps to conserve and multiply the population of that species. Teach the community to respect and conserve native/ indigenous species through media, garden farming centers, and community meetings. The General Plan contains the list of endangered species in the area that includes our study area. Environmental Policy 4: Community access: Make Santa Teresa County Park moderately accessible to the community for hiking, camping, biking, and other recreational activities. Preserve, protect, and manage serpentine grasslands in open spaces on the outskirts of the Bernal Urban Village. Environmental Policy 5: Provide urban services such as sewage treatment, police, water supply, road maintenance, and fire protection. Environmental Policy 6: Develop environmental stewardship amongst the public to procure healthy, green communities with a great deal of public involvement.

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HOW WILL THINGS GET DONE? Implementation and Final Thoughts

Implementation The Santa Teresa/Bernal Urban Village Plan Design Standards & Guidelines were established as an advisory tool for developers. The City does not redevelop properties and implementation of the Santa Teresa/Bernal Urban Village Plan will rely on the redevelopment of individual properties within the Village. The Village Plan is to be implemented in 4-phases over a period of the next 20-30 years. The phased approach will lessen the impact of the intensified land uses and activity planned for the area compared to implementing in a single phase. Further, phasing will allow a phase to become viable and provide the needed population and job growth for the viability of the next phase. After a single phase is completed, a reevaluation of the baseline plan for the next phase can be conducted and amended as needed to support appropriate growth and conditions: • Phase 1: 150+ du/ 500+ jobs • Phase 2: 200+ du/ 250+ jobs • Phase 3: 250+ du/ 250+ jobs • Phase 4: 100+ du/ 500+ jobs • Total: 700+ du/1500+ jobs

The Design Standards & Guidelines also provide regulatory policy recommendations. The existing zoning within the boundaries of the Santa Teresa/Bernal Urban Village is Agriculture (PD) and Industrial Park (PD). In order to achieve the goals of the Santa Teresa/Bernal Urban Village Plan the City must rezone a majority of the parcels from their existing designations to Transit Employment Center, Mixed Use Commercial, Mixed Use Neighborhood, Neighborhood/Community Commercial, Multi-Family Residential, Urban Residential, Transit Residential, Public/Quasi Public, and Open Space, Parklands, and Habitat.

Final Thoughts A major hurdle that may occur with the implementation of the Santa Teresa/Bernal Village Plan is the need for the subdivision of existing parcels.

Despite being the oldest civilian settlement in California, in many ways San Jose is a new city, owing most of its growth to the Silicon Valley boom. Bernal Village is one of

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the newest parts of this city, and as such it is rife with opportunity. This document lays out a viable plan by which Bernal Village can become an inspiration for what an economic center can look like as an engine of growth and culture for the area. These recommendations are not always easy ones to implement, but through concerted efforts by the City of San Jose and the community, this document can become a reality. As the city develops from the urban sprawled city that it is, it will become more efficient. San Jose will be built around urban villages, and plans like this one provide the best path towards a future that is sustainable, livable, and adaptable for the needs of the 21st century.

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REFERENCE LIST City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement.2013a. Envision

San Jose 2040 General Plan: Building a City of Great Places. http://www.sanjoseca.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/474 (accessed Demeber 9, 2013).

City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement.2013b. General Plan

Maps –South Section. http://www.sanjoseca.gov/index.aspx?NID=3297 (accessed Demeber 9, 2013).

City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement.2013c. Zoning. http://sanjose.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/California/sanjose_ca/title20zoning*1?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:sanjose_ca (accessed Demeber 9, 2013).

City of San Jose Planning, Building, & Code Enforcement.2013d. Zoning Maps. http://www.sanjoseca.gov/index.aspx?NID=2520 (accessed Demeber 9, 2013).

Documents

FINAL_SantaTeresa_Bernal_UrbanVillagePlan