BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Government Code § 84308 Applies: Yes ☐ No ☒
(If “YES” Complete Attachment A - Gov. Code § 84308)
SUBJECT: Title
Conduct a Public Hearing on the Engineer’s Report and CEQA Exemption Determination for the Valley Water Demonstration Garden Project, Under the Headquarters Operations Building Project, Project No. 60204032; Adopt a Resolution Approving the Engineer’s Report and CEQA Exemption Determination for the Valley Water Demonstration Garden Project; and Approve the Valley Water Demonstration Garden Project (San Jose, District 4).
End
RECOMMENDATION: Recommendation
A. Open and conduct a Public Hearing to receive comments on the Engineer’s Report and CEQA Exemption for the Valley Water Demonstration Garden Project (Project);
B. Close the Public Hearing;
C. Adopt the Resolution APPROVING THE ENGINEER’S REPORT AND CEQA EXEMPTION DETERMINATION FOR THE VALLEY WATER DEMONSTRATION GARDEN PROJECT; and
D. Approve the Project.
Body
SUMMARY:
On October 13, 2026, the Board adopted a Resolution setting the time and place for the Public Hearing on the Engineer’s Report and CEQA Exemption Determination on October 27, 2026. Staff is recommending the Board hold this Public Hearing and consider adoption of the Resolution (Attachment 1) to approve the Engineer’s Report and CEQA Exemption Determination and approve the Project.
Project Background
The objective of the Valley Water Demonstration Garden Project (Project) is to construct a functional, public demonstration garden on Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) grounds outside of the Headquarters building at 5700 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA. The Valley Water Demonstration Garden will highlight a watershed approach to landscaping and provide a community gathering and educational space. Specifically, the garden will showcase Valley Water’s Landscape Rebate Program, serving tangible examples of water efficient landscaping, rainwater capture, and high efficiency irrigation for the public to engage with and to learn from.
The Project’s scope of work entails the relandscaping of approximately 26,000 square feet of struggling, existing landscape with water efficient plants and mulch, constructing an educational gathering space including a shade structure, concrete seat walls, and public art, re-grading the area, installing permeable hardscape, installing a rain cistern, renovating the existing stormwater drainage system in the landscape, installing outdoor lighting, and installing interpretative signage. The construction work is tentatively scheduled to begin in Spring of 2027 and conclude in Winter of 2027.
Previous Board Actions
On October 13, 2026, the Board set the time and date to hold a Public Hearing for the Engineer’s Report and CEQA Exemption Determination for the Valley Water Demonstration Garden Project.
Engineer’s Report
Section 12 of the District Act requires the Board to conduct a Public Hearing to consider all written and oral objections to a proposed project when: 1) the project is new construction; and 2) the project is funded by a single or joint zone of benefit. As the proposed Project meets both conditions, staff has prepared an Engineer’s Report for this Project (Attachment 2) for the purpose of public disclosure. The Public Hearing Notice (Attachment 3) for the Engineer’s Report and CEQA Exemption Determination was published in accordance with the District Act and posted outside Valley Water’s Offices at 5700 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, California, 95118, and on Valley Water’s website at https://www.valleywater.org/public-review-documents.
Next Steps
If the Board approves the proposed Project, the future milestones are:
1. Board adoption of plans and specifications, and authorization for construction bidding
2. Board award of construction contract
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT:
There are no environmental justice impacts associated with the Valley Water Demonstration Garden Project. This action is unlikely to or will not result in disproportionate impacts on any specific community(ies) relative to the general population from the implementation of this project/program. The constructed garden is expected to benefit all community members by providing a community gathering and educational space.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The estimated cost to plan, design, and construct the proposed Project is $2.3 million (in 2026 dollars).
For construction (estimated at $2,000,000), forty-four percent (44%; $880,000) of the proposed Project would be funded by Safe Clean Water Fund 26, and fifty-six percent (56%; $1,120,000) would be funded by the Water Conservation Program under Water Utility Enterprise Fund 61. For planning and design (estimated at $300,000), 100% will be funded by the Water Conservation Program Project 91151001 under Water Utility Enterprise Fund 61.
For construction in FY27, Project work was transferred from Water Conservation Program Project 91151001 to the Headquarters Operations Building Project 60204032. The Board approved a budget adjustment for the $2 million funding transfer under the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget Adjustments on August 11, 2026.
The Valley Water Demonstration Garden Project is part of the Headquarters Operations Building Project, Project No. 60204032, and is included in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Fiscal Years (FY) 2027-31 Five-Year Plan and in the FY 2026-27 Adopted Budget.
CEQA:
The proposed Project is exempt from CEQA as a Class 3 Categorical Exemption for New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures (CEQA Guidelines 15303) and Class 4 Categorical Exemption for Minor Alterations to Land (CEQA Guidelines 15304) which exempt the construction of small structures and minor grading consistent with the project. The Project would not result in significant environmental impacts and the applicable exceptions in CEQA Guidelines 15300.2 do not apply. A Notice of Exemption will be filed with the County Clerk/Recorder and State Clearinghouse following Board approval of the Project to meet the requirements of CEQA Guidelines 15062.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Resolution
Attachment 2: Engineer’s Report
Attachment 3: Notice of Public Hearing
Attachment 4: PowerPoint
*Handout 3.5-A: Public Comment, Worland
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER: Manager
Kirsten Struve, 408-630-3138