The Morgan Hill Planning Commission Oct. 24 approved a new 49-unit condominium project just north of the city’s downtown.
The project, known as The Gates, is proposed by City Ventures. It is located on a 3.82-acre property on Monterey Road, on the southwest side of the intersection of Cochrane Road (just south of Starbucks).
Details include 49 townhome-style condominium units, as well as five commercial units. The homes are proposed as three-bedroom units ranging from 1,403 to 2,310 square feet, according to a city staff report. Other amenities include solar, centralized common open space, a children’s play area, bocce ball courts, a seating plaza and barbecue areas.
Some of the residential units would have the option to upgrade to four rooms, says the staff report.
The commercial units will range in size from 600 to 1,440 square feet.
The property’s zoning and General Plan designations are for mixed use flex, according to the city.
The main access to the site will be on Monterey Road, through a new driveway to be constructed just south of the adjacent Starbucks shopping center, says the staff report. Another access point will be through the Starbucks commercial center, closer to the railroad tracks on the west side of the property.
The developer will also widen and improve the property’s Monterey Road frontage.
At the Oct. 24 meeting, the planning commission voted 5-0 to approve the project’s vesting tentative map.
Planning for The Gates project dates back to January 2022, when the commission approved a preliminary plan review. In February 2023, the city council adopted a mitigated negative declaration (a type of environmental study), as well as zoning and General Plan amendments to the property’s current designation.
A traffic study commissioned by the city found that the project would not create a major impact on congestion and circulation.
“The project would result in a less-than-significant impact related to Vehicle Miles Travel (VMT) as it is anticipated to generate a VMT per capita of 19.4, not exceeding the threshold of 20.94 VMT per capita of 15% below the citywide average of VMT for residential land uses,” says the city staff report. “The proposed project is consistent with the existing General Plan and zoning designations, therefore vehicle trip generation and VMT would not result in a significant impact on the transportation system.”
