While mostly procedural, the Santa Clara Planning Commission addressed an important piece of business during its May 20 meeting. It outlined its game plan for the 2026-27 year.
The body identified three categories it would like to address in the 2026-27 fiscal year: relevant trainings, conferences & study sessions and priorities it would like the City Council to consider during priority-setting.
Study sessions included everything from the yearly housing legislation update with Assistant City Attorney Xander Abbe to real estate market conditions to CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) updates.
Commissioner Priya Cherukuru again asked for a data center study session, with several commissioners echoing her request.
Commissioner Eric Crutchlow said he wanted to pay specific attention to how much pollution a natural disaster could cause if all the city’s data centers had to turn on their diesel generators at once.
Commissioner Lance Saleme asked if there was a way for data centers to pay into an emergency fund that would mitigate the city’s costs if a data center had a battery fire.
Commissioners also addressed other city issues. Crutchlow had concerns about AB2097, which prevents cities from dictating how much parking developers must provide. Saleme is worried about lane sharing with ebikes and autonomous vehicles.
“Mostly around on how we are going to permit developments and will they be required to provide knockouts for drop off, pick up,” said Saleme when talking about autonomous vehicles. “Will they have special lanes for robot deliveries? How are we as a city going to absorb that next activity that’s already happening in other cities?”
The Planning Commission also talked about what it would bring up at its joint meeting with the city council. Top of the list was pushing for general plan rules regarding data centers.
Commissioners also had the following issues they wanted to see addressed:
- An entertainment district;
- Supportive housing solutions such as tiny or moveable homes;
- Sustainability and climate related policies;
- A vacant and blighted building ordinance;
- A skilled labor policy;
- Suggest a citizens’ commission overseeing Silicon Valley Power;
- Adding a cell tower policy to the master plan.
Santa Clara Planning Commission Consent Calendar and Other Business
Planning Commissioners unanimously approved the following two items on the consent calendar:
- Planning Commission meeting minutes from April 8, 2026.
- Review the proposed fiscal year 2026/27 and fiscal year 2027/28 Biennial Capital Improvement Program Budget for conformity with the City of Santa Clara 2010-2035 General Plan.
The Planning Commission continued two agenda items to the June 10 meeting – the third zoning code cleanup ordinance and rezoning of properties currently designated TN (Transit Neighborhood) to R6 (Transit Neighborhood Residential) and an issue dealing with the rezoning of 1341 Homestead Rd. to remove it from the Historic Combining District.
Previous Planning Commission Meeting Posts:
Will New El Camino Plan Make it Past the Goal Posts?
Planning Commission Discusses Charter Changes
Planning Commission: Smoke Shop Zoning Do-Se-Do
