morgan hill economic development
An Economic SnapShot
Written By Larry J. Mickartz
M
uch of Morgan Hill’s economic
efforts are tied to the now
defunct RDA (Redevelopment
Authority, started in 1981). After building
the Community Cultural Center, the
Centennial Recreation Center, the Outdoor
Sports Park the Aquatics Center and other
projects the City was well on its way to
further redevelopment. However, the
California budget crisis and the State’s
takeover of RDA funding in 2011 put a
halt to future Morgan Hill RDA funding
and plans. In 2012 the City Council as
the Successor Agency took over for the
shut down RDA and is responsible for the
remaining funds.
Edith Ramirez, Principal Planner for
Economic Development, City of Morgan
Hill, delights in the potential for Morgan
Hill Downtown…It’s Happening, to make
a major difference in the Downtown,
specifically, and Morgan Hill, in general.
This project under the supervision of
the Successor Agency has four major
components:
• Downtown Parking Structure
• Street Improvement
• Monterey Road
• Parks & Trails
The goal of the project is simple, “Make
Downtown the most…walkable, bike-
friendly, urban, family-oriented, and transit
oriented neighborhood in Morgan Hill.”
The Downtown Parking Structure is
a three-story 275 space parking structure
between Third and Fourth Streets down-
town. The structure will include some retail
space and improvements to the roadways
around the structure. The price tag for
this is $17.3 million. Currently the City
Council, acting as the Successor Agency,
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is considering art options for the design.
Construction is scheduled for April-
November 2015.
The Street Improvement component
has a $3.15 million budget and will
include utility under grounding, street
lights for First and Second Streets between
Del Monte and Depot. Third Street west
of Monterey will also have utility under
grounding and various road and sidewalk
improvements.
Monterey Road will have improved
lighting, pedestrian safety, median repair,
and landscaping. There is $1.67 million for
this component.
Parks & Trails will include new parks on
Third Street, west of Ladera Grill and on
Depot Street, and a new trail on “Hilltop”
around the water tower with a connection
to the existing trail at West Dunne Avenue.
The Third Street trail will wander east
towards Butterfield. Protected crosswalks
are also proposed on DelMonte at Dunne
and Main. Funding is $1.15 million.
These four projects are under the
umbrella of a Placemaking Strategy:
“Creatimg a unique, fun, and social
environment is accomplished by creating
spaces that offer people many things to do
like offering places to eat, shop, sit, play,
experience history, art, interesting design
and offering entertainment and places for
families, children and pets.”
Parallel to these efforts, the City
Council, as the Successor Authority, is
currently seeking proposals (RFP’s) on
four downtown development sites and
one retail site. The four development sites
were assets of the former RDA and are
now held in trust by the Successor Agency.
The retail site is a 4,000 square foot space
in the Downtown Parking Structure. The
G M H T O D A Y M A G A Z I N E
MARCH / APRIL 2015
proposals were due in December 2014.
The schedule calls for Compensation
Agreements by August 2015.
Another piece of this Placemaking
Strategy will begin in February with the
Monterey Road Complete Street Project.
This consists of a six-month project to
test the future permanent configuration
of Monterey Road from Main Avenue to
Dunne Avenue. The new configuration
essentially consists of eliminating one lane
of vehicle traffic in each direction, adding
a Class II bike lane with a 3-3.5 foot buffer
on the vehicle side. The goal for this pilot
is to reduce vehicle speed, discourage truck
traffic, provide more safety for bicyclists,
and maintain emergency vehicle flexibility.
The downside will be longer vehicle travel
time along this corridor. The project had
multiple evaluation timelines and criteria.
The pilot is scheduled from February to
July 2015.
Even with all this going on, the City
of Morgan Hill forges ahead with a new
general plan, Morgan Hill 2035, to help
guide development and conservation in the
city over the next 20 years.
Housing development is limited to 255
units per year except for certain infill and
downtown projects.
In Morgan Hill there is a tremendous
economic energy focused on the down-
town…already a great place to be and one
that has a great future for a walkable, bike
friendly, livable downtown…the heart of a
very desirable city.
Sources:
mhdowntown.com
Downtown Morgan Hill, Planning
Incentive Strategy (morgan-hill.ca.gov/
DocumentCenter/View/12597)
gmhtoday.com