About

The Milpitas Gateway-Main Street Specific Plan will shape the continued transformation of an auto-oriented area to a vibrant, mixed-use and more pedestrian-oriented community that includes housing, retail, entertainment, commercial and park spaces, and a safe and attractive pedestrian and bicycle network. The City is updating the Plan in order to reflect the current realities and needs of the area, and implement the vision established for the area in the City’s General Plan.

Plan Area

The Milpitas Gateway-Main Street Specific Plan area, encompasses approximately 600 acres, bound by I-880 to the west, the BART rail line to the east, North Abel Street and Weller Lane to the north, and the Great Mall Parkway and Great Mall shopping center to the south.

The currently adopted Milpitas Midtown Specific Plan (Midtown Plan), was adopted in 2002 and updated in 2010. The Midtown Plan set the vision for Midtown as a growing housing and employment center for the Silicon Valley. The Milpitas Gateway-Main Street Specific Plan will include a slightly different area, focusing on four '“focus areas” around Main Street and Calaveras Boulevard, north of the Great Mall Parkway, and squares up the area to align with natural physical boundaries, including I-880 to the east. In comparison, the Midtown Specific Plan area is 589 acres and Metro Specific Plan 444 acres. The Milpitas Gateway-Main Street Specific Plan is located north of, and will have synergies with, the Milpitas Metro Specific Plan (previously known as the Transit Area Specific Plan).

Specific Plan Project Area

Specific Plan Area Context

Focus Areas

The Milpitas Gateway-Main Street Specific Plan will focus on four focus areas, which represent the major opportunity areas to direct new infill and growth. These include:

  1. Main Street

  2. Crossroads

  3. Calaveras Gateway

  4. Abbott District

Central to this area is the Main Street/Serra Way “Crossroads” area, which a focal point for Midtown, and a historic center for the City.

Project Schedule

Work is underway on the Milpitas Gateway-Main Street Specific Plan, and the planning process will address current and future land uses, evaluate infrastructure and open space needs, and identify opportunities to activate and enhance the public realm. The project was initiated in late 2021 and is anticipated to be completed in Fall 2025. The schedule for the Gateway-Main Street Specific Plan is shown below. (Note: Schedule subject to change.)

Phase 1: Condition Assessments

Winter 2021 through Spring2022 (Completed)
✔ Kick-off and site tour.
✔ Existing condition assessment memos for: land use, zoning, & urban form; transportation; economics; retail; and infrastructure.
✔ Holiday Magic Pop-Up (December 2021 - Learn more)

Phase 2: Community Visioning

Spring 2022 through Fall 2022 (Completed)
✔ City Council Study Session (May 17, 2022)
✔ Planning Commission Study Session (May 25, 2022)
✔ Community Workshop #1 (June 29, 2022)
✔ Stakeholder Interviews
✔ Draft vision and guiding principles

Phase 3: Scenario Planning

Fall 2022 through Spring 2023 (Completed)
✔ City Council Study Session (February 13, 2023)
✔ Community Workshop #2 (April 4, 2023)
✔ Plan Scenarios & Strategies

Phase 4: Draft Plan & EIR

Early 2023 through Summer 2025
✔ Admin. Review Draft Plans & EIR
✔ Public Review Draft Plan & EIR
✔ Extended Public Review Period (April 17 - July 24, 2025)

Phase 5: Adopt Plan

Fall 2025
✔ Hearing Draft Plan & Final EIR ✔ Planning Commission Hearing  ✔ City Council Hearing (First Reading)  ✔ City Council Hearing (Second Reading)  ✔ Final Plan & EIR 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • The Milpitas Gateway-Main Street Specific Plan will establish guidance for future development in the Plan Area over the next 20 years. A Specific Plan is a planning tool unique to the State of California, that implements the goals and policies of the General Plan. Specific Plans establish the regulatory approach, development and design standards, and implementation strategies that development and projects within a specified geographic area must adhere to.

  • The Milpitas Gateway-Main Street Specific Planning process began in late 2021 and is scheduled to be completed and adopted by City Council by late 2025.

  • The vision will be developed through a collaborative planning process. This Specific Plan is an opportunity to update the vision and to focus on the gateway areas of Midtown, strengthen Main Street, create a vibrant mixed-use and pedestrian-oriented center, and establish branding, placemaking, and urban design strategies that promote economic investment and redevelopment. The update will aim to create complete neighborhoods, make better and safer connections for pedestrians and cyclists, improve connectivity to transit, prioritize affordable housing development, and provide commercial opportunities that will expand the City’s business and job base.

  • We encourage you to be part of the planning process! Please participate in our events, sign up for our mailing list to get updates on the Plan, and stay tuned for alerts about upcoming meetings! You are welcome to submit comments via our website, or by email to MilpitasMainStreet@ci.milpitas.ca.gov.

  • Your feedback is essential to the planning process! Your feedback will be used by the planning team, led by the City of Milpitas and Ascent, to identify community concerns that will be considered during the update process. While we cannot guarantee that all individual ideas will be included in the final plan, all feedback will be discussed and considered in the planning process.

  • The Milpitas Gateway-Main Street Specific Plan is located north of, and will have synergies with, the Milpitas Metro Specific Plan (previously known as the Transit Area Specific Plan). Visit MilpitasMetro.org for more information.

Se pueden solicitar servicios de traducción para ofrecer comentarios públicos comunicándose al (408) 586-3279 o por correo electrónico a: MilpitasMainStreet@milpitas.gov.

Requests for interpretation services for public input may be made by calling (408) 586-3279 or by emailing: MilpitasMainStreet@milpitas.gov.

Việc yêu cầu dịch vụ phiên dịch nhằm cung cấp ý kiến cộng đồng có thể được được hiện bằng cách liên lạc số (408) 586-3279 hoặc gửi email đến: MilpitasMainStreet@milpitas.gov.

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