Tag: depot street

Construction work is set to begin next week on the realignment of Depot Street at Dunne Avenue, which is part of a larger mixed-use...

The developer of a downtown Morgan Hill residential project that will realign the oddly shaped intersection of Depot Street, Church Street and Dunne Avenue...

Motorists traveling through downtown Morgan Hill might want to be extra alert as they get used to two new stop sign intersections on Depot Street.

The Morgan Hill City Council unanimously approved the design review permit for the residential and commercial project that will reroute Depot Street through what...

The owner of a mostly undeveloped property identified years ago as key to the long-term success of downtown Morgan Hill and, especially, the Third Street Promenade has finally submitted conceptual plans for the site. Rocke Garcia, the owner of the Third Street parcel known as the Sunsweet property, requested a two-week delay on a discussion of his plans that was agendized for Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting. The 2.5-acre property comprising most of a downtown block is bordered by Third Street on the north, Depot Street on the east, Fourth Street on the south and Monterey Road on the west. Garcia was not ready to discuss the details this week, but his concept proposed to the commission is a multi-story development with 84 condominiums and apartments, 3,000 square feet of retail space (on the ground floor, at the corner of Depot and Third streets) and 3,000 square feet of office space on the second floor. The commercial aspect of the project includes a bocce ball court on part of the property, at 55 E. Fourth Street, according to a City staff report prepared in review of Garcia’s proposal. The plan consists of three- and four-story buildings, on-site parking, and a combination of public and “semi-private” open space or park uses, according to the staff report. Exact sizes of the 84 residential units are not listed in the staff report, but most of the units (70 percent) will be larger than 1,350 square feet in size, and the rest will be smaller than that, according to the plans presented to the Planning Commission. According to the City staff review of Garcia’s preliminary plans, the proposal does not currently meet all the existing zoning requirements for the property and the City’s overarching Downtown Specific Plan. The plans are more attuned to current market conditions - which are still difficult for large-scale mixed-use projects - rather than the City’s DSP requirements, the staff report says. “The (DSP) repeatedly identifies the important role that Third Street serves as a connector between the (Depot Street) transit station and the heart of downtown,” the staff report says. “Commercial development along Third Street will attract pedestrian generating uses that will support the community’s long-term goals for a vibrant downtown. Downtown is the city’s most walkable, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly and family oriented neighborhood.”Garcia and City staff will present the conceptual plans again to the Planning Commission at the body’s Aug. 13 meeting, Garcia said. Garcia and his wife Glenda are the owners of The GlenRock Group, a residential development company. The Sunsweet property is currently used for a limited mix of private office and warehouse uses. 

Public bus route 68 is a mainstay to South County that connects non-driving residents of Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill to people, places and businesses in the heart of Silicon Valley. But in downtown Morgan Hill, it’s a hulking nuisance and a filthy polluter that kills the small-town quiet and the peaceful ambiance that pedestrians and outdoor diners enjoy, and some city officials want to see it moved off Monterey Road where out-of-town visitors and residents end up to enjoy their evenings.

“Dear Red Phone, I am writing on behalf of the residents of North Depot Street. I have lived downtown since 2008 and have seen increasing problems with traffic and parking since then. On March 31 I returned home about 10:30 p.m. and there were no parking spots on the street. Knowing I was leaving early in the morning I parked in my driveway, as I always do when there are no spots left across the street from my residence. (Which is a very normal occurrence since Odeum and the Granary opened). I received a ticket from the MHPD at 1:30 a.m. for parking across a sidewalk. My issue is not with the ticket; I get it MHPD was doing their job, however I do feel it was petty at 1:30 a.m. but we need revenue right! My problem is that we the residents would like to pay the city to have the parking in front of our homes in front of the Granary and Odeum be residents only. Not all day, just after 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday. We as residents of downtown have to endure parades and special functions, and we feel that since we support the city the city should support us and help us with our problem. It is not a matter of convenience either, it is a matter of safety for me. We have had shootings, stabbings and just this past Friday night a woman on Third Street was almost abducted. So when the patron’s of Odeum and employees park in front of my house I have to park sometimes two blocks away and it is not safe for me to have to do so. Any help we could get to make the community aware would be greatly appreciated. The more downtown gets redeveloped the more these concerns will grow and I feel the city needs to be sympathetic to the downtown residents since we are huge supporters of downtown businesses.”

In adding parking garage, city is living up to previous promise