View source for Coyote Valley, California

{{Short description|Area in Northern California, U.S.}}
{{About|the portion of the Santa Clara Valley|the reservation in Mendocino County|Coyote Valley Reservation|valley in Colorado sometimes known as Coyote Valley|Kawuneeche Valley}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox valley
| name = Coyote Valley
| photo = CoyoteValleyFromSTCP.JPG
| photo_caption = A view across the Coyote Valley towards [[Morgan Hill, California|Morgan Hill]] from [[Santa Teresa County Park]], April 1, 2006
| location = [[California]]
| elevation = {{convert|260|ft|m}} at [[Coyote, California]]<ref name=CoyoteCA/>
| direction = Northwest to Southeast
| length = 7 miles
| width = 2 miles
| boundaries = [[Mount Hamilton (California)|Mount Hamilton]], [[Diablo Range]] (east)<br/>Foothills of [[Santa Cruz Mountains]] (west)<br/> [[San Jose, California|San Jose]] (north)<br/> [[Morgan Hill, California]] (south) 
| topo = 
| towns = [[San Jose, California]]<br/>[[Coyote, California]]<br/>[[Morgan Hill, California]]
| traversed = [[U.S. Route 101 in California|U.S. Highway 101]], [[California State Route 82|Monterey Highway]]
}}

'''Coyote Valley''' is an area located in a narrowing of the southern [[Santa Clara Valley]], in [[Northern California]].<ref name=OSA>{{cite report |title=Coyote Valley Landscape Linkage: A Vision for a Resilient, Multi-benefit Landscape |author=Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority and Conservation Biology Institute |date=June 2017 |publisher=Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority |location=San José, CA |pages=61 |url=http://www.openspaceauthority.org/preservation/PDFs/CoyoteValleyLandscapeLinkage.14June2017.DRAFT.pdf |accessdate=June 25, 2017}}{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> Coyote Valley is approximately {{convert|7400|acre|ha|0}} in size and largely composed of farmland, orchards, open space preserves, and homes. Coyote Valley is generally divided into three sections: North Coyote Valley (which is part of [[San Jose, California|San Jose]]), the unincorporated village of [[Coyote, California]] (which is located in North Coyote Valley), and South Coyote Valley (which is part of [[Morgan Hill, California|Morgan Hill]]).

Coyote Valley is one of the largest greenbelts in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]]. Much of Coyote Valley is preserved as open space, nature reserve, or protected farmland. The area was threatened by large-scale development in the early 2000s, which drew criticism from the public, resulting in the abandonment of the redevelopment plans and the establishment of the conservation policy which governs the valley. The Coyote Gap at the extreme north end of Coyote Valley is a critical [[wildlife corridor]] for safe passage of animals from the [[Diablo Range]] in the east to the [[Santa Cruz Mountains]] in the west, as Coyote Valley is the narrowest point between the two mountain ranges. In 2021, the San Jose City Council and Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to protect Coyote Valley for open space and agricultural uses.<ref name=OSA/><ref name=Phillips>{{cite report |title=Safe Passage for Coyote Valley: A Wildlife Linkage for the 101 Corridor |author1=Julie Phillips |author2=Ryan Phillips |author3=Neela Srinivasan |author4=Deborah Aso |author5=Wendy Lao |author6=Pat Cornely |date=2012 |publisher=[[De Anza College]] |location=Cupertino, CA |url=http://www.deanza.edu/es/documents/safe%20passages_2012.pdf |accessdate=2013-09-22}}</ref><ref name=Coyote>{{cite web |author=Jack Van Zandt|date=May 4, 2006|title=Coyote Valley Boondoggle|website=San Jose Inside |url=https://www.sanjoseinside.com/news/coyote_valley_boondoggle/}}</ref><ref name=BayNature>{{cite news |title=Coyote Valley Crossings |author=Laura Hautala |magazine=Bay Nature |date=2009-01-01 |url=http://baynature.org/articles/coyote-valley-crossings/ |accessdate=2012-01-20}}</ref><ref name=CSBweb>{{cite news |title=Santa Clara Supervisors Approve Development Limits In Coyote Valley To Preserve Farmland |author=CBS Broadcasting Inc. |website=CBS San Francisco |date=2021-12-15 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/coyote-valley-farmland-preservation-plan-santa-clara-supervisors/ |accessdate=2021-12-15}}</ref>

==Geography==
Coyote Valley is a floodplain approximately {{convert|11.2|km|mi}} and {{convert|3.2|km|mi}} wide, situated in a narrow constriction in Santa Clara Valley between the [[Diablo Range]] to the east and the [[Santa Cruz Mountains]] to the west. It includes the Coyote Gap at its north end, the narrowest gap between the two mountain ranges at only {{convert|0.37|mi|km}} across. North Coyote Valleycontains the largest freshwater wetland in Santa Clara County, [[Laguna Seca (Santa Clara County)|Laguna Seca]], a mostly seasonal lake important to groundwater recharge.<ref>{{cite gnis|1670811|La Laguna Seca}}</ref> Coyote Valley was named a “2001 Last Chance Landscape of America the Beautiful", one of the ten most endangered American landscapes by Scenic America.<ref name=SFGate2001>{{cite news |title=Coyote Valley called endangered landscape - Group says San Jose area threatened by sprawl |author=Michael McCabe |date=2001-11-15 |newspaper=San Francisco Examiner |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Coyote-Valley-called-endangered-landscape-Group-2855796.php#ixzz2IYwroHbr |accessdate=2013-01-20}}</ref> The only landscape selected from California, Scenic America described Coyote Valley as: “Coyote Valley is a rare scenic break in an otherwise urbanized area... The rolling hills, blossoming orchards, and grand oaks provide respite to visitors, residents, and myriad species of wildlife."<ref name=SafePassage>{{cite report |title=Safe Passage: A Wildlife Linkage for the Highway 101 Corridor |author1=Julie Phillips |author2=Ryan Phillips |author3=Neela Srinivasan |author4=Deborah Aso |author5=Wendy Lao |author6=Pat Cornely |publisher=De Anza College |pages=68 |url=http://www.deanza.edu/es/documents/safe%20passages_2012.pdf |accessdate=2013-01-20}}</ref>

Coyote Valley is largely split between San Jose and Morgan Hill, but also includes the tiny unincorporated community of [[Coyote, California]].<ref name=CoyoteCA>{{cite gnis|252656|Coyote, California}}</ref> It can be divided at Bailey Avenue into North Coyote Valley, which has San Jose addresses and includes the village of Coyote, and South Coyote Valley, which has Morgan Hill addresses.

==Ecology==
The current width of the wildlife corridor through the Coyote Valley is {{convert|2|km|mi}}.<ref>{{cite report |title=Coyote Valley Wildlife Corridor Monitoring Program 2008 Annual Report |author1=R. Phillips |author2=T. Diamond |author3=J. Phillips |author4=P. Cornely |author5=V. Jennings |author6=L. Morton |year=2008 |publisher=De Anza College |location=Cupertino, CA |url=http://scv-habitatplan.org/www/Portals/_default/images/default/Comment%20Letters%20-%20Markup/41%20b%20De%20Anza%20Attachment%201.pdf |accessdate=2012-01-20 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054529/http://scv-habitatplan.org/www/Portals/_default/images/default/Comment%20Letters%20-%20Markup/41%20b%20De%20Anza%20Attachment%201.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref> This is considered the minimum width for a viable wildlife corridor for multiple species.<ref>{{cite report |title=South Coast Missing Linkages Project: A Linkage Design for the Sierra Madre-Castaic Connection |author1=K. Penrod |author2=C. Cabañero |author3=P. Beier |author4=C. Luke |author5=W. Spencer |author6=E. Rubin |year=2006 |publisher=South Coast Wildlands |location=Idyllwild, CA |url=http://www.scwildlands.org/reports/SCML_SierraMadre_Castaic.pdf |accessdate=2013-01-20}}</ref>

[[De Anza College]] wildlife biologists and students have monitored wildlife in the Coyote Valley since December 2007. They have recorded 160 species of birds, 25 of which either are rare, have special status, or both. Because development and the multilane [[U.S. Route 101 in California|U.S. Highway 101]] pose barriers to migration of mammals such as [[tule elk]] (''Cervus elaphus nannoides''), [[Puma concolor|puma]] (''Puma concolor''), [[coyote]] (''Canis latrans''), [[bobcat]] (''Lynx rufus''), [[gray fox]] (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus''), [[American badger]] (''Taxidea taxus''), etc. the Coyote Valley and its permeable multiple highway underpasses/culverts serve as the last remaining safe passages between the mountains to the west and east. De Anza students have used motion activated cameras to document that these passages are used by deer, bobcats, puma, coyote, and other large mammals.<ref name=BayNature/><ref name=SFGateII>{{cite news |title=Coyote Valley vital as wildlife corridor |author=Jane Kay |date=2009-07-16 |newspaper=San Francisco Examiner |url=http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Coyote-Valley-vital-as-wildlife-corridor-3225361.php |accessdate=2013-01-20}}</ref>

Tule elk were re-introduced to [[Mount Hamilton (California)|Mount Hamilton]] from 1978 to 1981. The elk that live on the [[Mount Hamilton (California)|Mount Hamilton]]/Diablo side of the valley have been documented lining up near Highway 101, unable to cross.<ref name=BayNature/>

Coyote Valley’s vernal pools offer a safe haven to many amphibian species such as the [[California tiger salamander]] (''Ambystoma californiense'') and the [[California red-legged frog]] (''Rana draytonii'').<ref name=SafePassage/>

Coyote Valley is traversed by [[Coyote Creek (Santa Clara County)|Coyote Creek]], an important stream for [[steelhead trout]] (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') spawning runs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Historical distribution and current status of steelhead/rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in streams of the San Francisco Estuary, California |author1=Leidy, R.A. |author2=G.S. Becker |author3=B.N. Harvey |url=http://www.cemar.org/pdf/santaclara.pdf |publisher=Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration, Oakland, CA. |year=2005 |accessdate=2013-01-20}}</ref>

==Potential development==
Coyote Valley is home to large areas of [[orchard]]s and farms, although that scene has been expected to change for decades.<ref name=SFGate2001/> The Dahlin Group, based in [[San Ramon, California]], was chosen by the City of San Jose to create a master plan for the area. Dahlin Group's Conceptual Plan called for at least 50,000&nbsp;jobs and 25,000&nbsp;homes, an international garden, a {{convert|54|acre|adj=on}} central lake, a [[hub and spoke]] Bus Rapid Transit system, and a [[green belt]] between the new town and Morgan Hill.<ref>{{cite web |title=Coyote Valley Specific Plan |author=Dahlin Group |publisher=City of San Jose |date=December 2006 |url=http://coyotevalley.sanjoseca.gov/coyotevalley/publications_Specific_Plan.htm |accessdate=2013-01-20 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20131125180905/http://coyotevalley.sanjoseca.gov/coyotevalley/publications_Specific_Plan.htm |archivedate=2013-11-25 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=LomaPrietan>{{cite news |title=Future Brightens for Wildlife of Coyote Valley |author=Melissa Hippard |magazine=The Loma Prietan |date=May–June 2008 |url=http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/loma-prietan/story/future-brightens-wildlife-coyote-valley/704 |accessdate=2013-01-20 |url-status=dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20130616143140/http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/loma-prietan/story/future-brightens-wildlife-coyote-valley/704 |archivedate=2013-06-16}}</ref>

Citing costs and delays, developers stopped funding the planning process in March 2008.<ref name=LomaPrietan/>

===Environmental impacts of development===
To determine the effects of development in the Coyote Valley, a Draft [[Environmental impact assessment|Environmental Impact Report]], or [https://web.archive.org/web/20071212020241/http://sanjoseca.gov/coyotevalley/publications_DEIR.htm DEIR] was released in March 2007. San&nbsp;Jose is the only city in [[Santa Clara County, California|Santa Clara County]] that allows developers to hand pick the environmental consultants who write the environmental impact reports for proposed projects. They can hire the companies directly, and hand in the reports with their application. When the DEIR was unveiled to the public, an unprecedented amount of criticism was generated with more than 1,000&nbsp;pages<ref>[http://www.sanjoseca.gov/coyotevalley/DEIR_Comments.htm Coyote Valley Specific Plan Task Force Meeting Information Page<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080105160855/http://sanjoseca.gov/coyotevalley/DEIR_Comments.htm |date=2008-01-05}}</ref> of negative comments. These objections came from 55&nbsp;organizations and individuals, and 28 public agencies including the [[U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]]. The city decided to commission the remake of much of the Draft&nbsp;EIR. The revision work and other planning costs was estimated at 2.5&nbsp;million dollars and to take over a year to complete. This controversy led to many residents of San&nbsp;Jose to call for an end to San Jose’s developer-controlled environmental impact reports.

'''City of San Jose Documents'''
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081114091557/http://www.sanjoseca.gov/coyotevalley/EIR/docs/10_15_07_CVSP%20EIR_InfoMemo_dist%2010-18.pdf 10/18/2007 '''''City of San Jose Memorandum: Update on Scope, Schedule and Budget for Revision and Recirculation of the Coyote Valley Specific Plan Draft Environmental Impact Report.''''']
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071212020241/http://sanjoseca.gov/coyotevalley/publications_DEIR.htm 03/30/2007 '''''Coyote Valley Specific Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR)''''']
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080105160855/http://sanjoseca.gov/coyotevalley/DEIR_Comments.htm 06/29/2007 '''''Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) Comments Received''''']

'''Articles'''
* [http://www.metroactive.com/metro/11.21.07/news-0747.html 11/12/2007 '''"''Running Wild''"''']
* [http://media.www.thespartandaily.com/media/storage/paper852/news/2007/10/17/News/Students.Mobilize.Against.Valley.Development-3036636.shtml 10/17/2007 '''"''Students Mobilize Against Valley Development''"''']

===Fiscal analysis===

The Draft Fiscal Analysis for Coyote Valley development<ref>{{cite report |title=Coyote Valley Specific Plan Fiscal Impact Analysis |date=April 2006 |author=Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. |publisher=City of San Jose |url=http://www.sanjoseca.gov/coyotevalley/Fiscal%20Report/Draft_Fiscal_Report.pdf |accessdate=2013-01-19 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120612062757/http://www.sanjoseca.gov/coyotevalley/Fiscal%20Report/Draft_Fiscal_Report.pdf |archivedate=2012-06-12 |url-status=dead}}</ref> concludes that San&nbsp;Jose will make more money in tax revenues from development than it will spend on providing government services. It reaches this conclusion by assuming that residential property values and resulting taxes will increase 3% above inflation every year for 57&nbsp;years.

The Committee for Green Foothills disputes this analysis, arguing that because household income has only increased 1% above inflation annually in San&nbsp;Jose, it is impossible for the cost of housing to continuously increase faster than the means to pay for housing costs.<ref>[http://www.greenfoothills.org/blog/2006/06/master-comment-letter-on-coyote-valley.html CGF journal: Master Comment letter on Coyote Valley Fiscal Analysis<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060928154544/http://www.greenfoothills.org/blog/2006/06/master-comment-letter-on-coyote-valley.html |date=2006-09-28}}</ref> The Committee also argues the Draft Analysis overestimates income by failing to account for tax revenues "cannibalized" by businesses moving from other parts of San&nbsp;Jose to Coyote Valley.

===Developers end specific plan===

On March 18, 2008, the developer/landowners in Coyote Valley announced they would no longer fund the Specific Plan process, which terminates that planning process. Developers cited the costs and delays in planning, while news reports noted increased political opposition.<ref>[http://www.mercurynews.com//ci_8622695 Developers drop plan for San Jose's Coyote Valley – San Jose Mercury News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Environmental groups claimed they found grossly inadequate environmental and fiscal analyses and claimed those flaws were factors that contributed to end the current proposal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.greenfoothills.org/news/PressReleases/PR_03.18.2008.pdf |title=Committee for Green Foothills Welcomes Withdrawal of Coyote Valley Development Proposal, Calls for New Steps to Protect Against Sprawl |work=Committee for Green Foothills |date=March 18, 2008 |accessdate=14 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207145702/http://www.greenfoothills.org/news/PressReleases/PR_03.18.2008.pdf |archivedate=7 February 2012}}</ref>

Other proposed developments remain possible in Coyote Valley, including the previously approved, but never built, Coyote Valley Research Park, and the proposed expansion of the [[Gavilan College]] campus. In 2017, Phase 1 of the Coyote Valley Center was completed, becoming Gavilan's newest instructional site and the home for South Bay Public Safety Training Consortium police and fire academies.<ref>[http://www.greenfoothills.org/blog/2008/03/status-of-coyote-valley.html CGF journal: Status of Coyote Valley<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725050334/http://www.greenfoothills.org/blog/2008/03/status-of-coyote-valley.html |date=2008-07-25}}</ref>

===Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve established===

In November 2019, the San Jose City Council voted to purchase 937 acres in northern Coyote Valley to be preserved for open space. The City of San Jose retained ownership of 296 acres, and the rest went to the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, a government agency that operates public open space preserves. <ref name=Merc>{{cite news |title=Historic $93 million deal reached to preserve San Jose’s Coyote Valley |author=Paul Rogers |newspaper=San Jose Mercury News |date=2019-11-05 |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/11/05/historic-93-million-deal-reached-to-preserve-san-joses-coyote-valley/ |accessdate=2010-11-05}}</ref>

===Coyote Valley rezoning for open space and agriculture===

In November 2021, the San Jose City Council voted to rezone northern Coyote Valley from industrial use to agricultural and open space use. In December 2021, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to strengthen protections for mid- and southern Coyote Valley by designating a Climate Resilience District, protecting its open space and farmland by limiting development. <ref name=SJSpotlight>{{cite news |title=UPDATE: San Jose council keeps Coyote Valley as open space |author=Lloyd Alaban |newspaper=San Jose Spotlight |date=2021-11-16 |url=https://sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-county-san-joses-coyote-valley-faces-vote-for-preservation-open-space/ |accessdate=2021-11-16}}</ref><ref name=GilroyDispatch>{{cite news |title=Board of supervisors approves Coyote Valley preservation plan |author=Staff Report |newspaper=Gilroy Dispatch |date=2021-12-16 |url=https://gilroydispatch.com/board-of-supervisors-approves-coyote-valley-preservation-plan/ |accessdate=2021-12-16}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Metcalf Energy Center]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.protectcoyotevalley.org The campaign to protect Coyote Valley ]
* [http://www.deanza.edu/es/wildlifecorrproj/index.html Video of De Anza College Study/Wildlife Corridor Project in Coyote Valley ]
* [http://www.deanza.edu/es/wildlifecorrproj/index.html Wildlife Corridor Project]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060813165738/http://www.sanjoseca.gov/coyotevalley/ Coyote Valley Specific Plan Homepage]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061030011405/http://www.dahlingroup.com/ud/ud_main.html Dahlin Group Urban Design Homepage]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070926231920/http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=%22coyote+valley%22&sp-a=sp1002afb3&sp-p=all&sp-f=ISO-8859-1&x=0&y=0 Committee for Green Foothills articles on Coyote Valley]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929061524/http://conserveonline.org/workspaces/sierra.azul.workspace/coyote%20valley%20letter.pdf Coyote Valley Letter]}}
* [http://www.dfg.ca.gov/habcon/connectivity/ California Essential Habitat Connectivity Plan]
* [http://www.openspaceauthority.org/ Santa Clara County Open Space Authority]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120405090851/http://openspacecouncil.org/upload/page.php?pageid=30 Bay Area Critical Linkages]
{{Morgan Hill, California}}
{{Neighborhoods of San Jose}}

{{Coord|37.18|-121.70 |format=dms |dim:10000_region:US-CA |display=title}}

[[Category:Morgan Hill, California]]
[[Category:Neighborhoods in San Jose, California]]