Veterans Home Care Funding in Morgan Hill, CA

Two retail developments are working their way through the City of Morgan Hill’s approval process that would add a Sprouts Farmers Market and a Tractor Supply Company store to the city’s list of local retail businesses, as part of the city’s efforts to keep residents buying local.

Tractor Supply Co. submitted plans in June 2025 for a 24,000-square-foot store at the southeast corner of Skipper Lane and Checkerspot Lane within the Evergreen Village Shopping Center. The plans were approved in November 2025, and city officials said they expect construction to begin later this year.

Regency Centers has recently applied to build a 55,984-square-foot shopping center at the southwest corner of Cochrane Road and De Paul Drive, to be called Poppy Ranch. The proposed centerpiece is a 23,299-square-foot Sprouts Farmers Market, a grocery chain known for fresh, natural and organic foods.

Regency Centers and Sprouts are targeting a fall 2027 opening.

Matt Mahood, the city’s economic development director, noted that both projects are still in the proposal stages and are not yet guaranteed to come to fruition, given the current “general economic uncertainty.”

“Development projects are never a sure thing until the ribbon is cut at the grand opening,” he said. “However, the City has made getting both of these projects through the review process a priority.”

Mahood emphasized the importance of seizing these development opportunities, noting that Morgan Hill’s population often falls short of the minimum thresholds many national chains require.

“In many cases, retailers we meet are already interested in Morgan Hill but have yet to identify a viable location or local franchisee. Other times, Morgan Hill’s population, just under 50,000, does not meet a retailer’s minimum threshold,” he said. “Even when including South San Jose, San Martin, Gilroy and Hollister as part of the trade area, we still fall slightly short of that metric.”

Retailers also consider local demand, informed by a “retail leakage report,” which measures how much local residents buy outside of Morgan Hill.

“If the leakage data or market projections do not support sufficient demand, or if a nearby store would create competition within their brand’s trade area, a retailer may postpone entering the Morgan Hill market,” Mahood said. “The City and the Economic Development team remain committed to building strong relationships with retail representatives and brokers to ensure Morgan Hill stays top of mind for future projects.”

The City of Morgan Hill’s Library Culture and Arts Commission is asking the community to submit short, heartfelt and creative love letters to the city. It can be visual art, literature, photography, music, dance or film and will be accepted through the end of February. Here is ours from the Morgan Hill Times.

Dear Morgan Hill,

I’ve held your mornings in my hands.

I’ve felt the thump of your front porches from Holiday Lake Estates to Uvas Valley, and from café tables and donut shops throughout town. I’ve been folded under arms at Little League games and spread wide on kitchen counters dusted with flour and coffee grounds.

I’ve been read quickly, slowly, aloud and sometimes saved for later. I’ve lined bird cages and wrapped fish from Rocca’s Market. I’ve cushioned fragile ornaments in December and dishware when packing for moving. I’ve protected freshly painted shelves in spring.

I’ve started campfires at Coe Park, covered picnic tables at Chitactac-Adams Heritage Park and soaked up spills no one planned for. That’s how I know you.

I know your celebrations before the balloons deflate and your arguments before they cool. I’ve carried your victories in bold type and your heartbreak in careful sentences. I’ve watched downtown wake up, orchards give way to neighborhoods, and neighbors become friends because they recognized a name or a face in my pages.

You tell me who was born, who was married, who was lost—and I treat those stories gently, because they matter. You trust me with council meetings that run late, school plays that run long, and fundraisers fueled by generosity and bad dance moves. I’ve been there for the ribbon cuttings, the celebrations, the good news and the bad news. I’ve documented the rain and the summer heat.

I’m not flashy. I wrinkle. I get ink on your fingers. Sometimes I end my days folded beneath muddy boots or tucked under a toolbox. But before that, I’ve done my best to inform you, to challenge you, to cheer for you. I show up, week after week, trying to be worthy of you.

Thank you for opening me, for arguing with me, for clipping me out and passing me along. Thank you for giving me a second life—however humble it may be. Thank you for making me more than paper and ink.

I exist because you do.

With all my headlines and heart,

Morgan Hill Times

Local residents are invited to submit their own love letter to Morgan Hill. For details, visit .

Local officials and home builders on Feb. 13 celebrated the groundbreaking for the construction of a project that will bring 65 affordable houses for farmworkers to north Morgan Hill.

Developer Eden Housing is building the project, known as The Magnolias, which is partially funded by voter-approved funds from Santa Clara County’s 2016 Measure A Affordable Housing bond.

The homes will be set aside for farmworker households earning between 30-50% of the area median income, and for people facing housing insecurity or homelessness, according to county staff. The area median income for a four-person family in Santa Clara County is about $195,000.

Eden Housing representatives, as well as officials from the county and City of Morgan Hill, gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony at the construction site on Friday. County officials noted The Magnolias project reflects the county’s broader work to support the agriculture industry and its workers by facilitating the construction of more affordable housing.

“Farmworkers are the backbone of our community. They deserve more than our gratitude—they deserve a place to call home,” Board of Supervisors Vice President Sylvia Arenas said. “I am proud to have fought for the funding needed to close the gap for The Magnolias project, delivering 28 dedicated units for farmworkers.

“This is just the beginning of creating housing stability for them—together, we are building a future where every farmworker can live with the dignity and stability they deserve.”

The county contributed $25 million to The Magnolias, of which $22.3 million is funded by the $950 million Measure A bond. Another $1.3 million for The Magnolias came from the State of California’s No Place Like Home program.

Nearly half the units at The Magnolias, which will occupy a 1.5-acre site, will be dedicated to farmworkers and their families. Other units will be set aside for veterans and households that are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The project will coordinate with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program to support veteran residents.

Since 2016, the county has dedicated $44 million in affordable housing bond funds to four developments in South County totaling more than 253 homes, with nearly 60 set aside for agricultural workers, county staff said.

“This groundbreaking is personal to me,” Deputy County Executive Consuelo Hernandez said. “My grandfather and uncles came to this country as braceros, and members of my family still farm in Mexico today. In Santa Clara County, agricultural workers sustain and enrich our community, and they deserve safe, stable and dignified housing.

“Today, we are honoring their vital contributions by investing in homes for the workers who help feed us every day.”

The project will include a rooftop terrace, community garden, playground and other amenities. The new housing units will be a mix of studios and one- to three-bedroom homes.

“The Magnolias represents what’s possible when local governments and community partners come together with a shared commitment to housing stability,” said Linda Mandolini, president and CEO of Eden Housing. “We are deeply grateful to the City of Morgan Hill, the County of Santa Clara and our financial partners for their leadership and partnership in bringing this much-needed project to fruition.”

A Virginia-based energy company is seeking state approval to build a large-scale battery energy storage facility on Monterey Road directly across from the Charter School of Morgan Hill, a proposal that has drawn fierce opposition from parents, school officials and community members who say the site poses unacceptable safety risks to students.

AES Corporation recently announced plans for its “Jewelflower” project, a 350-megawatt lithium-ion battery energy storage system that would house 250 battery containers, together storing enough electricity to power about 262,500 homes for up to four hours.

AES said it plans to submit a permit application to the California Energy Commission in the first quarter of this year through the agency’s Opt-In Certification Program, with construction targeted for 2028 and the facility coming online in 2029.

“AES has developed a preliminary site plan for a battery energy storage system in San Jose that will provide the flexibility critical to deliver reliable and affordable power to the region,” the company said in a statement.

AES cited a California Independent System Operator study identifying a projected 1,409-megawatt generation deficiency in the San Jose area by 2030.

“Battery energy storage projects like Jewelflower can help fill the gap in energy production needed to meet future demand as natural gas-fired power plants retire and new data centers come online,” the company wrote.

But the proposal has ignited strong resistance from the surrounding community. A Change.org petition opposing the project has gathered more than 2,200 signatures at the time of writing, and Charter School of Morgan Hill principal Susan Pfefferlen said she was alarmed by the facility’s proximity to her campus.

“The proposed AES battery energy storage facility would be placed directly across from our school in a high fire and flood risk area, and this raises serious safety and environmental concerns,” Pfefferlen said. “We don’t believe a project like this should be located so close to a school with limited evacuation routes.”

A central concern among opponents is that CSMH has a single point of access on Monterey Road, severely limiting evacuation options in the worst-case scenario of a major battery fire. The project would also likely require one lane of Monterey Road to be closed during the construction period, worsening what parents describe as an already strained commute.

Opponents have also pointed to past battery incidents, especially the battery fire at the Moss Landing Vistra power plant in January 2025, as well as fire incidents at AES facilities in Arizona and Southern California.

The San José Fire Department said in a statement that any proposed battery storage installation must meet rigorous testing standards, including demonstrating that a fire within a single battery unit will not spread to adjacent units, and that ventilation is sufficient to prevent explosive gas buildup.

SJFD spokesperson Jake Pisani noted that the most modern large-scale fire testing requirements were implemented in 2022, after the batteries at the Moss Landing facilities were installed.

Some community members have objected to AES’s use of the state-level Opt-In Certification Program, which allows the CEC to serve as the lead permitting agency in lieu of local authorities, bypassing processes that would traditionally allow residents to weigh in with their feedback and concerns.

Once the company has submitted a complete application to the CEC, the commission will hold a public information meeting “as close as practicable to the proposed project site,” according to the agency’s policies. The public will have additional opportunities for comment during the circulation of the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Report. Any public meetings must be announced at least 10 days in advance.

“Our goal is to be a good neighbor and deliver responsible clean energy solutions that create long-term environmental and community benefits,” AES wrote.

The petition opposing the project can be found at change.org/protectmorganhill. For more information on the Jewelflower project or to submit stakeholder feedback, visit aes.com/jewelflower or email ca********************@*es.com.

The County of Santa Clara will soon begin construction of a new Children’s Advocacy Center at Valley Health Center in Morgan Hill.

The CAC is expected to open in early 2027 at the former site of De Paul Health Center. It will bring together investigative and support services—including medical, prosecutorial and forensic services—for abused and neglected children and their families, says a press release from Santa Clara County.

The multidisciplinary center includes partners from Santa Clara Valley Healthcare, the Department of Family and Children’s Services, law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations. The center is led by the Office of the District Attorney.

“By expanding the Children’s Advocacy Center to South County, we are wrapping our arms around our most vulnerable children and empowering their healing journey in the comfort and safety of their community,” said Supervisor Sylvia Arenas. “Bringing this national model for serving young victims of abuse to South County will remove access barriers to timely trauma-informed care and provide a wrap-around service sanctuary that our children deserve.”

The CAC receives referrals from law enforcement, medical professionals and the Department of Family and Children’s Services. Through a collaborative model, professionals from law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, behavioral health, medical services and victim advocacy work together under one roof to provide coordinated, comprehensive care, county officials said.

The free services provided at the CAC include forensic interviews, medical examinations, trauma-focused therapy and advocates to support survivors and their caregivers.

The county opened its first Children’s Advocacy Center in San José in 2021. Since then, the CAC has delivered services to more than 4,200 children and youth affected by abuse and maltreatment.

However, less than 3% of those served were children or families from South County, according to the press release. Authorities and professionals have determined that distance to the San Jose center has been a deterrent for families in South County, which experiences the county’s second highest rate of child sexual abuse reports (behind the City of San Jose).

To address this access disparity, in December 2023, the Board of Supervisors voted to approve funding to develop and staff a second CAC location in South County.

“The Children’s Advocacy Center is a powerful example of what government can do when we work together. It is a model of excellence in integrated care and compassion for children and families who have experienced abuse and trauma,” said County of Santa Clara Chief Operating Officer Greta Hansen. “As a County, we continue to be committed to ensuring critical services are available when and where they’re needed most.”

District Attorney Jeff Rosen added, “By bringing these proven services to South County, we are building a safer, more compassionate future—one where every child can get the help they deserve without leaving their own community. They do not come to us for help. We go to them.”

Before the establishment of the CAC, services for child abuse victims were dispersed at different locations throughout the county.

The current innovative, integrated model has proven successful, county officials said. In 2025 alone, the county’s CAC has logged the following activity:

• Conducted 434 investigations for children and teens in collaboration with 13 law enforcement agencies across the county, plus federal and out-of-county partners.

• Provided 843 specialized medical exams for children and teens affected by alleged sexual abuse, trafficking, assault, physical abuse, abduction and neglect.

• Delivered 31,777 advocacy services to clients, siblings and protective family members, including confidential victim advocacy, case management, counseling referrals, support during interviews and exams and court accompaniment.

• Made 334 therapeutic referrals for children, teens and families to specialized therapists helping youth process trauma and strengthen family communication.

The county’s second Children’s Advocacy Center site will be housed in existing medical office space at VHC Morgan Hill, 18550 De Paul Drive. The co-location of services helps to eliminate barriers and increase access to necessary support like mental health and medical services, including a laboratory and imaging services, county staff said.