City of Morgan Hill Sewer System Master Plan 2017

2017 City of Morgan Hill 2.0 CHAPTER 2 - PLANNING AREA CHARACTERISTICS

This chapter presents a discussion of the planning area characteristics for this master plan and includes a study area description, service area land use, and population for the City of Morgan Hill. 2.1 STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION The City of Morgan Hill is located in Santa Clara County, approximately 22 miles southeast of the City of San Jose and 24 miles northwest of the city of Hollister. The City’s closest neighbor, the City of Gilroy, is located 8 miles to the southeast. U.S. Route 101 bisects the eastern boundary of the City in the north-south direction. The City limits currently encompass 12.9 square miles, with an approximate population of 42,000 residents. The City is generally bound to the north by Tilton Avenue, to the east by Anderson Lake, to the southeast by Foothill Avenue, to the west by Sunnyside Drive, and to the south by Middle Avenue. There are several creeks flowing through and along the boundaries of the City, including: Fisher Creek, West Little Llagas Creek, and Llagas Creek. The topography is generally flat in the valley portion of the city, with increasing slopes in east and west side of the city due to the Santa Cruz Mountain to the west and the Diablo Range to the east. The unincorporated community of San Martin is located to the south of the City. Figure 2.1 displays the planning area showing City Limits, the Urban Growth Boundary of the City , and the City’s Sphere of Influence Boundary . The City operates and maintains a sewer collection system that covers the majority of the area within the City Limits. Currently, the wastewater flows are conveyed to the South County Regional Wastewater Authority (SCRWA) Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). 2.2 SEWER SERVICE AREAS AND LAND USE The City of Morgan Hill’s wastewater collection system services residential and non-residential lands within the City limits, as summarized on Table 2.1 . This service area includes:

x 5,260 net acres of developed lands inside the City limits. x 1,732 net acres of undeveloped lands inside the City limits.

The existing land use statistics were based on information received from Placeworks staff, the planning firm responsible for preparing the 2035 General Plan, and are shown on Figure 2.2.

August 2017

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City of Morgan Hill Sewer System Master Plan