The Santa Clara City Council has given the green light to the Valley Transit Authority (VTA) to work around the clock to complete a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) extension into Santa Clara.
At its most recent meeting Oct. 7, the council voted unanimously to amend the work plan for the project. That amendment included increasing the work hours from 22 hours a day to 24.
Tom Maguire, chief megaprojects officer at VTA, said the change was necessary to stay within budget and keep the project on track.
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“We have asked ourselves every question on how we can save money on the project without stepping back from our commitment to build our four-station extension for the riders of Santa Clara County,” Maguire said.
The station is part of a six-mile extension and requires boring into the ground to drill a tunnel. The Santa Clara station, one of four along the stretch, is set to be located near the Caltrain station.
The cost and timeline for the project have been a moving target. In 2019, VTA estimated completion in 2026, a timeline that has since been re-adjusted to 2037. Further, the initial $5.5 billion price tag seems paltry compared to its updated $12.23 billion cost.
Not only that, but the project has a $600 million funding gap. If VTA cannot close that gap, Maguire said, its $5.1 billion in federal grant money could be in jeopardy.
Council Member Karen Hardy said she sees it as an essential project for the city.
“The public benefit and the use of public funds are so important,” she said. “To me, I see this as something that needs to happen as soon as possible.”
Auto Dealership’s Request for Alternate Trash Pickup Denied
The council also upheld a planning commission decision that denied a request to alter trash pickup for an auto dealership. The Subaru dealership, located at 3225 Stevens Creek Blvd., requested the council reconsider allowing Mission Trails Waste to collect its garbage along Cecil Avenue instead of Stevens Creek.
Afshan Hamid, community development director, told the council that the dealership is already having its trash collected along Cecil Avenue via an adjacent Lincoln dealership owned by the same owner.
When the site was developed in the 1960s, the area lacked the traffic it does now, she said.
Neighbors have complained that the trash pickup on the 1.57-acre site disrupts the neighborhood’s character with traffic and noise and creates safety concerns, she said.
Mark Irvine, a neighbor to the property, said he saw little benefit for residents.
“I see additional traffic, additional problems, additional waste,” he said.
Mission Trails Waste has told city employees that trash removal along Stevens Creek is unsafe, but nobody from the company turned up to the meeting.
Additionally, Hamid said enforcing the pickup along Stevens Creek is difficult.
The council voted twice to continue the item to Nov. 4, but in both votes Council Members Raj Chahal and Kevin Park dissented, defeating the motion since the council only had five members in attendance. Consequently, the planning commission’s decision stood.
Mayor Lisa Gillmor and Vice Mayor Kelly Cox were absent.
Consent Calendar Spending
The council approved the following spending in one motion via the consent calendar:
A $6 million, five-year extension to a lease agreement with Gahrahmat Family Limited Partnership for the property at 881 Martin Ave.
The next regularly scheduled meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1500 Warburton Ave. in Santa Clara.
Members of the public can participate in the City Council meetings on Zoom at https://santaclaraca.zoom.us/j/99706759306; Meeting ID: 997-0675-9306 or call 1 (669) 900-6833, via the City’s eComment (available during the meeting) or by email to PublicComment@santaclaraca.gov
Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com
Previous City Council Posts:
Council Approves Super Bowl Agreements
2025 Charter Review Committee Set
City Approves First Round Of Bond Measure Projects
Santa Clara Enacts Eminent Domain on Yet Another Property for SVP Expansion
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