View of the proposed Health Foundation Clinic. Courtesy of the City of San Juan Bautista.
View of the proposed Health Foundation Clinic. Courtesy of the City of San Juan Bautista.

Lea este artículo en español aquí.

On Sept. 1, the San Juan Bautista Planning Commission will hear an advisory presentation on the proposed San Benito Health Foundation medical clinic at 70 Muckelemi Street, near the western gateway off Hwy 156. 

The plans to be presented at the meeting are for a two-story medical clinic with 30,000 square feet of clinic floor area and 1,638 square feet of attached covered parking with 136 stalls, including EV-capable and EV-charging spaces.

To place the proposed structure in perspective with the surrounding community, the clinic’s 15,000-square-foot base would exceed by 11% that of one of the largest buildings in town, Mission San Juan Bausta, which encompasses 13,536 square feet. 

In addition to the clinic and parking area, the site plans include an entry gate, a pedestrian entry walkway, an entry driveway, an entry plaza, seating areas, an herb garden and landscaped open areas. 

The proposed layout of the clinic across Section 2 (blue) and Section 3 (orange). Courtesy of the City of San Juan Bautista.
The proposed layout of the clinic across Section 2 (blue) and Section 3 (orange). Courtesy of the City of San Juan Bautista.

According to City Planning Commissioner Dan DeVries, the project presents a rare opportunity to create something that will “truly belong” in San Juan and benefit the community for generations.

“Given the size of this project, and the prominence of its location at a gateway to San Juan Bautista, scale, massing and architectural compatibility with our historic community will be critically important,” DeVries said. 

The presentation is advisory only; no action will be taken by the commission pending further discussion and public meetings that are yet to be scheduled. As with the recent Alameda gas station project, which took 10 years to work its way through the approval process, the plan will undergo revisions following these reviews.

Plans for the clinic have been in the works for just under a decade, according to Health Foundation President/CEO Rosa Vivian Fernandez in a 2022 BenitoLink interview. 

At that time, she said the decision to build in San Juan was driven by a desire to serve patients west of the Health Foundation clinic in Hollister.

“When we look at where our patients come from, we have a lot of patients who are farmworkers who live outside the area, like Monterey and Santa Cruz,” she said. “In our strategic plan, it looks like it would make sense to have a clinic in SJB.” 

Aerial view of the proposed clinic (lower center), surrounded by the Veteran's Hall (left), Chevron gas station (center left) and San Juan Cemetery (upper left). Courtesy of the City of San Juan Bautista.
Aerial view of the proposed clinic (lower center), surrounded by the Veteran’s Hall (left), Chevron gas station (center left) and San Juan Cemetery (upper left). Courtesy of the City of San Juan Bautista.

The property is located across the street from the town’s Chevron gas station and diagonally across from Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6359 at the corner of Muckelemi and Monterey streets. 

The land owned by the foundation at that location totals 314,731 square feet and is split across three segments:  

  • Segment 1: 146,876 square feet (46.6% of total), zoned as residential 
  • Segment 2: 104,782 square feet (33.3% of total), zoned as commercial
  • Segment 3: 63,073 square feet (20.1% of total), zoned as mixed use

In the 2022 interview, Fernandez said that Segment 1 had a 60-unit capacity and was tentatively planned as student and employee housing. There are no such housing plans in the current proposal, with the land designated only as a “potential future residential development.”

According to the plan renderings, the clinic would primarily be located on Segment 2 and would use a small portion of Segment 3 for the driveway and parking area, which is acceptable under mixed use.

The layout of Section 1 (green), Section 2 (blue) and Section 3 (orange). Courtesy of the City of San Juan Bautista.
The layout of Section 1 (green), Section 2 (blue) and Section 3 (orange). Courtesy of the City of San Juan Bautista.

Because the proposed site serves as a “primary visual entrance” to San Juan, the project will be evaluated under the San Juan Bautista Municipal Code, which establishes design standards to preserve the city’s historic uniqueness.

As with the multiple iterations of gas station plans, these standards require high-quality design and can be used to dictate changes to ensure the project is architecturally compatible with the city’s overall look and feel.

The design of the clinic building is described in the plans as influenced by Spanish, California Mission, and Mediterranean architecture, with “stucco-like wall surfaces, tile roof forms, arches, arcades, towers/chimney elements, recessed openings, and varied roof massing.”

Views of the proposed Health Foundation Clinic. Courtesy of the City of San Juan Bautista.
Views of the proposed Health Foundation Clinic. Courtesy of the City of San Juan Bautista.

However, the staff has already identified areas of concern, including:  

  • The plans identify an entry gate, but the design and materials are not detailed enough to determine whether they are historically compatible or “modern or corporate” in character.
  • The clinic, again, is substantially larger than any other building in town, and the design elements, the staff said, should be broken into smaller visual components.
  • Noting that the 136-space parking lot is a “visually significant feature,” the staff said it should be screened from view with low walls and substantial landscaping.
  • The gateway corridor, the staff said, should include a “strong tree canopy” to soften views of the complex with selections drawn from species identified in the City Design Guidelines.
The first floor of the proposed clinic. Courtesy of the City of San Juan Bautista.
The first floor of the proposed clinic. Courtesy of the City of San Juan Bautista.

The commissioners are being asked by city staff to consider several questions, including:

  • Does the proposed architectural concept appropriately reflect San Juan Bautista’s historic character and the importance of the Muckelemi Street gateway? 
  • What design elements should be strengthened, removed, or modified?
  • Does the site plan create an attractive and inviting gateway, including appropriate building orientation, entry monumentation, landscaping, streetscape, and pedestrian connections?
  • Is the scale and massing of the proposed clinic appropriate for this gateway location?
  • What additional articulation or architectural detailing should be incorporated?
  • Does the proposed parking layout adequately balance operational needs with the city’s goals for landscaping, pedestrian orientation, and minimizing the visual prominence of parking? 
Elevations of the proposed Health Foundation Clinic. Courtesy of the City of San Juan Bautista.
Elevations of the proposed Health Foundation Clinic. Courtesy of the City of San Juan Bautista.

Following the commission’s feedback, the site plans would be expected to be refined and submitted for comment. The staff also calls for formal public hearings, possible site plan and design reviews, a Historic Resources Board review and clearing of all necessary permits.

The San Juan Bautista Planning Commission meeting is on Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. in the City Hall Chambers, 311 Second Street. Remote viewing of the meeting is available with this Zoom link.

The Informal project review presentation as outlined in the meeting agenda packet.

Related story

San Benito Health Foundation plans for clinic, housing in SJB

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