The City of Sunnyvale adopted the Lawrence Station Area Plan in 2016 to guide development of the area surrounding the Lawrence Caltrain Station. In September 2021, the Council approved significant amendments to maximize housing density at this transit-oriented site.
Despite Lawrence Station being a Caltrain stop, transit ridership has not been high, largely because of poor connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists and lack of dense housing near the station. The Lawrence Station Area Plan was therefore envisioned to promote greater use of the Station by creating a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood with more jobs, retail, housing, and open space. After the Plan was adopted in 2016, City Council have since asked staff to study additional housing opportunities and the expansion of the plan area boundary.
The Council-adopted amendments (which were approved unanimously) include increasing the number of homes by 3,612 for a total of 5,935 units; expanding the Western boundary of the Plan Area to include additional non-residential properties; and developing a Sense of Place Plan that provides supplemental recommendations and guidelines to improve the streetscape for pedestrians and bicyclists.
There is another Lawrence Station Area Plan located in the City of Santa Clara, directly across from Sunnyvale’s Plan area on the east side of Lawrence Expressway. The Santa Clara Plan envisions the conversion of an industrial park area into a mixed-use neighborhood with 3,500 dwelling units, 100,000 square feet of neighborhood-serving commercial, and 6.3 acres of open space.
Learn more here.