Morgan Hill is starting work on a major update to its downtown planning rules, a two-year effort that will reshape the area’s housing, parking and streets in the years ahead.
The Planning Commission got its first look at the project, called the Greater Downtown Specific Plan, during a July 14 workshop. The plan would update and expand the city’s 2009 Downtown Specific Plan, stretching the downtown boundary north to Granada Street and south to San Pedro Avenue, as well as west along Main Avenue to encompass the Britton Middle School campus and Galvan Park.
City Planner Adam Paszkowski said the effort is funded by a $1.15 million grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, a state agency responsible for financing improvements to the Bay Area’s transportation systems.
“The idea is to expand our boundaries for downtown, or at least what is included within the Specific Plan,” Paszkowski said. “How do we want to grow within Morgan Hill, within our downtown? What changes do we want to make for these four different aspects?”
The grant is split into four categories tied to Morgan Hill’s efforts to improve its transportation infrastructure: $650,000 for updating the city’s zoning density standards; $200,000 for developing affordable housing policies; $125,000 for overhauling parking management rules near the Caltrain station; and $175,000 for planning improvements to station accessibility, such as pedestrian and bicycle connections.
Paszkowski noted that the housing-related aspects of the MTC’s requirements would be addressed later by a potential new set of ordinances, separately from the Greater Downtown Specific Plan.
“The reason why we’re doing this, and why we applied for the grant, is not only to help us update the Downtown Specific Plan, but also looking to the future as part of the OBAG—that’s ‘One Bay Area Grant’ program—where we get several million dollars for pedestrian and crosswalk improvements, bike lanes,” Paszkowski said.
To ensure that the city’s plans to expand downtown fall in line with the community’s expectations, they have begun a public outreach program to collect feedback from residents who live, work and visit downtown.
“We’re just in the beginning stages of kickstarting this, getting some general ideas, public input, these overarching ideas from the public,” Paszkowski said. “What do they see that they love about Morgan Hill’s downtown, what do they want to see more of, and what improvements can we make?”
To reach members of the public, city staff have appeared at local street fairs and farmers markets as well as sent mailers to the properties within the study area, all directing residents to complete an online survey.
The survey asks respondents about their relationship to Morgan Hill and how often they visit downtown, then what they value most about the area today. It also asks them to rank priorities for the plan update, including new housing near the train station, affordable housing, local jobs, parking management, bike infrastructure and public space improvements, along with which physical upgrades—like safer crosswalks, shade trees or protected bike lanes—would most improve downtown.
Despite these initial outreach efforts, commissioners stressed the importance of reaching everyone in the community, not just groups that are likely to go out of their way to respond to a voluntary survey. Staff indicated they are still developing a comprehensive outreach plan, of which the survey is only the beginning.
“The whole community wants to be involved,” one commissioner emphasized. “We need to make sure they are included, because when you touch downtown, you touch everybody in the city.”
The survey is open on the city’s website through July 31 at tinyurl.com/yc4bewyv, with respondents entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card. The Planning Commission will continue reviewing the plan as it develops, with more workshops expected in the coming months.
