A West San Jose apartment project in the Cory Neighborhood ended in a no decision — with residents intent on fighting against its development.
The San Jose Planning Commission split the vote 4-4 Wednesday on whether to update zoning to allow development of a 17-story apartment tower at 826 N. Winchester Blvd., with 135 homes and 15,000 square feet of commercial retail space. While the vote resulted in no recommendation, city planning director Christopher Burton maintains the West San Jose project is incompatible with the current residential neighborhood’s zoning and the city’s goals.
“The Transit Residential land use designation should only be applied to areas adjacent to regional transit stations, identified Urban Villages or in other areas of the city that have existing residential development built at this density. The subject site does not meet any of those qualifications.”
The planning commission’s inability to come to a consensus for or against the project, punts the decision to the City Council to determine the development’s fate when it comes up for review next month.
San Jose-based developer Valuable Capital Investment (VCI) wants to construct a high density apartment complex on a little more than a half acre, with another half acre developed for retail and outdoor space.
Commissioners Anthony Tordillos, Justin Lardinois, Chuck Cantrell and Carlos Rosario voted in favor of the project, while commissioners Pierluigi Oliverio, Michael Young, Dilpreet Bhandal and Louis Barocio sided with city planning officials in voting against the project.
“I voted to approve a 20-story project that was two blocks from my own home, so I understand what it means to be voting on issues that are changing the landscape of our city,” Tordillos said Wednesday. “This plan isn’t compliant with the general plan’s growth areas, it’s a diversion, but I do think there are elements of the general plan’s major strategies that this project does support.”
Cory neighborhood residents, however, say they don’t want a 17-story complex towering over their suburb, casting a large shadow.
“This was a wild card, we knew there were a number of housing hawks on the planning commission,” neighborhood leader Lindy Hayes told San José Spotlight Wednesday. “But they always knew it was going to be up to the city council.”
She said Cory neighborhood lacks the infrastructure to support the project’s goal of being a transit-focused residential area — also known as an Urban Village. With the property bordering Santa Clara, neighbors said they will call on city officials to intervene.
“We’re going to be contacting the city of Santa Clara and say, ‘Hey, you need to speak up’,” Hayes said.
Housing advocacy organizations like Housing Action Coalition and Catalyze SV said this gives San Jose the chance to increase its permanent housing capacity.
Of the 135 homes, 20 are designated affordable housing for very low-income households. Qualifying households will pay between $1,105 to $1,842 in rent for a one-bedroom home, or $1,244 to $2,073 in rent for a two-bedroom.
“I want every commissioner who voted against letting this project go forward to tell me how we’re going to get 62,000 housing units in the next six years,” Catalyze SV Executive Director Alex Shoor told San José Spotlight. “(Our) analysis shows that this project is compliant with the general plan, especially and including the housing element.”
But Hayes disagreed.
“You can care about high-density housing, while at the same time worrying about whether a location for that housing is safe,” Hayes said. “The Cory neighborhood flunks that safety test.”
Just two blocks away from the Westfield Valley Fair Mall, Shoor said the development — which would replace a blighted office building — could energize the site, reduce suburban sprawl and create alternative transportation options.
Commissioner Oliverio, among those who opposed the project, said he sides with the majority of the neighbors who raised safety concerns.
“What’s going to happen in the Cory neighborhood is going to be a lack of trust in anything the city talks about, the trust will be broken,” he said Wednesday. “We have long plans where we have planned density in the city in a proper manner … but when we do this it’s just unfounded and unpredictable.”
Contact Vicente Vera at [email protected] or follow @VicenteJVera on X.
