County backs limit on projects
In a move aimed at preserving a wide chunk of unincorporated Coyote Valley for agricultural use, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors has approved restrictions on new development, blocking the possibility of any future large- scale housing.
The vote Dec. 14 marks the first time in the county’s history that limits have been placed on land zoned for agriculture.
It comes nearly a month after the San Jose City Council agreed to rezone portions of the valley within its city limits to prevent any development that included proposals for warehouses and distribution centers.
The county’s restrictions affect farming land in the middle and southern portions of the valley that run parallel to Highway 101 and Santa Teresa Boulevard between Bailey Avenue and Cochrane Road.
The area, totaling 4,750 acres, is roughly three times larger than San Francisco’s Presidio park and boasts crops from wheat, hay, alfalfa, oats and mushrooms. Coyote Valley as a whole runs about 7,400 acres and spans an area south of San Jose all the way down to the northern tip of Morgan Hill.
The restrictions to new development include three big changes. Any singlefamily home on a parcel of over 5 acres must also be used for farming. Secondly, any structures that are built for nonagricultural use are capped at a building footprint of 7,500 square feet per parcel. Finally, any nonagricultural building’s total “development area,” which includes the structure’s driveway and lawn, for example, is capped at 1 acre.
Advocates of the board’s move Dec. 14 called it a win for the area’s farmers and for the preservation of the county’s agricultural roots. Environmentalists had voiced concerns about the impact new housing could bring to the area’s wildlife, such as foxes, coyotes, badgers and the occasional mountain lion.
Luis Gaytan, who leases a 120-acre plot of land within the restricted zone, said the board’s vote made him “happy” and offers him a sense of security.
“I cannot see myself going to Gilroy or Los Banos (in Merced County) to start a new farm,” said Gaytan, who has been farming in the area for 25 years and mainly grows alfalfa, wheat and oats along with livestock. “For me, it’s very very important. This is what I do for a living.”
Coyote Valley’s future has, for many years, remained uncertain. Since the early 1980s, the northern part of the valley was seen as a prime location to bring in thousands of jobs considering its vicinity to San Jose, while technology companies also eyed the area for campuses.
But environmentalists, along with city and county leadership, over time have prioritized the area for farming and wildlife. In 2019, a $93 million deal was reached to preserve 937 acres of the region. And in March, 331 acres were purchased by a Palo Alto-based environmental group.
Andrea Mackenzie, who oversees the San Jose-based Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority that has bought hundreds of acres of Coyote Valley for preservation purposes, said the area provides “critical” crossing for wildlife and supplies drinking water for Silicon Valley. In addition, she said, the area has one of the last remaining flood plains in the area, which acts as a “sponge” to help prevent surrounding areas from being flooded.
Others who own area in the region, however, were disappointed.
Kirk Spreiter, a Napa real estate agent whose family has owned 300 acres of land in the valley for about 100 years and currently leases it out to farmers, said the region’s housing shortage makes more development in the area critical.
“I don’t really see the area being a natural preserve to begin with,” he said. “It’s right off of the highway. We’re in a housing crisis. Without more housing, the demand keeps going up.”
Along with the vote, the board said it will be reconvening in the spring to consider tax incentives and grants for the area’s farmers.