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What is the Downtown TOD Specific Plan and why is the City preparing it?
The Downtown Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Specific Plan will identify the community’s vision and establish goals, objectives, and policies for future development in Downtown Tracy. It will also provide design guidelines and explore approaches to implement and fund future development. It is called a Specific Plan because it only applies to a specific area of the City rather than citywide*.
The initial Downtown TOD planning efforts were started in 2019 in anticipation of the potential future Valley Link rail line and station in Downtown Tracy. This commuter line, proposed by the Tri-Valley San Joaquin-Valley Regional Rail Authority, will provide a connection between Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). However, the Valley Link station may ultimately not be built in the Downtown. Valley Link is exploring the potential of an alternative rail alignment that would connect with the I-205 Managed Lanes Project and potentially shift the station location from the Downtown to the I-205 area, as described in the November 16, 2021 City Council staff report (pdf). City Council’s direction at the November 16th meeting was to move forward with preparation of a Downtown TOD Specific Plan that would focus on what’s best for the Downtown and encourage transit-oriented development, regardless of what happens with Valley Link, because TOD can also be planned around bus stations and a city may have multiple TOD areas.
The City wants to be proactive and create a Specific Plan now so that any new development aligns with our community’s vision and values. Having a Specific Plan in place will ensure that proposed development is in harmony with the special character of Downtown Tracy and its existing neighborhoods and provides a seamless connection to potential transit opportunities.
Our goal is to create a Specific Plan that is good for Downtown Tracy, even if the station was never built. We want to improve the economic vitality of Downtown Tracy and attract vibrant uses that complement Tracy’s small-town feel. By incorporating thoughtful design guidelines, the Specific Plan can help Downtown Tracy become a unique destination with one-of-a-kind retail shops, restaurants, hotels, entertainment venues, offices, and housing options that reflect the City’s railroad and agricultural heritage.
The Specific Plan will help maximize the economic potential of Downtown properties, rehabilitate substandard buildings, eliminate blight, improve traffic circulation and parking, beautify streetscapes, enhance the experience of pedestrians and bicyclists, and create joyful public gathering spaces, making Tracy a great place to live and visit.
*The documents that guide citywide development are the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance, which may be viewed HERE.
What is Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)?
Transit-Oriented Development, or TOD, is the name used for a style of development that encourages the creation of walkable and bikeable mixed-use communities generally located within a ¼ or ½ mile radius of a transit station. The goal is to create a vibrant, connected community where people can easily get to and from their homes, jobs, shopping, dining, and entertainment opportunities. Having a mix of uses within walking or biking distance of a transit station makes it convenient for riders to go to the grocery or drug store, buy a carton of milk, or pick up dinner on the way home; or buy a cup of coffee or drop off their dry cleaning on the way to work, all without using a car. TOD is not one-size-fits-all, and the preferences of another community may not be the same preferences in Tracy. Our aim is to create a Downtown TOD Specific Plan that represents our community’s preferences.
A few benefits of TOD
• Provides transportation choices for residents;
• Reduces dependence on the automobile, particularly for the non-driving population;
• Generates foot traffic and customers that help support local businesses;
• Increased pedestrian activity encourages a sense of community;
• Offers more housing options in convenient proximity to amenities;
• Creates opportunities for infill development and redevelopment in underutilized areas;
• Reflects early 20th Century town patterns characteristic of Tracy’s heritage and provides an alternative to conventional "sprawl" development; and
• More compact development patterns reduce the amount of required new infrastructure, such as sewer, water and road facilities.
Examples of TODs in our region
What type of housing is being considered?
Just as we want to provide choices about where to eat, shop, and work, we want to provide choices about where to live and what type of home to live in. We want to create high-quality walkable neighborhoods that meet differing income and generational needs. One size or type of housing does not fit all. Empty nesters looking to downsize, retirees who don’t want to worry about home maintenance or yardwork, young professionals, multi-generational homes, and growing families all have different housing needs. Some folks are looking to buy, and others prefer to rent. Not all buyers want a detached single-family home and not all renters want to
live in a large apartment complex.
There are a range of housing types, such as courtyard apartments, garden clusters, duplexes, and townhomes that are beautifully designed and seamlessly integrated into existing neighborhoods. These types of homes are sometimes referred to as “missing middle” housing. They are called “missing” because they have not typically been built in most U.S. cities since the mid-1940s and “middle” because they sit in the middle of a spectrum between detached single-family homes and mid-rise apartment buildings.
Examples of “missing middle” housing types are shown in the diagram below.
Below is a link to a map showing three locations where new housing could be built in Downtown Tracy, as well as a link to example images of housing types, including missing middle housing. The online survey will ask you to select which housing types you think are appropriate in each of these three areas.
Map of potential new housing locations in Downtown Tracy (pdf)
Example images of housing types (pdf)
When selecting housing preferences in the survey, try to think not only about what you personally prefer, but also about what those who you interact with in your community might prefer, such as your child’s teacher, your aging parents, a recent college graduate with her first job, your favorite barista at the local coffee shop, or the person who delivers your mail and packages, Think about what kind of home that person might be able to both enjoy and afford living in within Downtown Tracy.
Who is preparing the Specific Plan?
Through a competitive bid process, the City selected De Novo Planning Group to prepare the Specific Plan. Though De Novo Planning Group will ultimately be assembling the pieces to produce the final version of the Specific Plan, the process to create it will be a collaboration between elected officials, City staff, residents, community organizations, and property and business owners.
What is the schedule to complete the Specific Plan?
Initial efforts began in Summer 2019 and the final Specific Plan is expected to be completed by late 2023. The process includes the following three major phases:
• Draft Study
In 2019 and 2020, the City conducted initial community outreach and created a draft study that was shared with City Council. The study includes an analysis of existing conditions that may have an impact on future development opportunities as well as a preliminary planning concept and implementation recommendations. You may view the draft study by clicking HERE.
• Draft Specific Plan
The City will continue to work with the community and key stakeholders to develop a draft of the Specific Plan. The draft will be posted on this website for public review.
• Final Specific Plan
The City will incorporate feedback received on the draft Specific Plan and create the final version, which will be presented to the Planning Commission and City Council.
How can I participate?
Visit the Participate page to see opportunities to share your input, or use the Contact page to reach out to us directly.
