east san Jose Medical Building to Be Demolished for⁢ Housing

SAN​ JOSE,Calif. — An aging medical office building in East San Jose is slated for demolition to make‍ way for a new multifamily housing complex, city ⁢officials said.

During a March hearing, the San Jose Planning Director approved plans for a mixed-use development at 26 Alvin Ave.The nearly one-acre site will be transformed into an⁢ eight-story building featuring ⁤138 apartments and ⁣ground-floor commercial​ space.

Alec Atienza, a city project ​manager, acknowledged that the apartment complex deviates ⁤from existing zoning policies and the city’s general plan. ​However, he stated that the city is legally constrained​ from denying the development under state‍ housing law, often ‍referred to as “builder’s remedy.”

Affordable housing Component

According⁣ to ⁢the planning department, 28 of the apartments, or 20%, will be ​designated as affordable housing for‍ San Jose residents earning 60% of the area’s median income. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment‌ in San jose is ​approximately $2,211 per month,according to city data.

The housing development will consist of 24 studio apartments, 83 one-bedroom units, two two-bedroom units, and⁣ five three-bedroom apartments.

Builder’s Remedy Invoked

State legislation allows certain housing projects to bypass local construction standards if a​ city’s housing element ⁢does not substantially comply with state requirements.

“The ‌builder’s remedy is a sanction for jurisdictions ‍that do not ⁢have a housing element that ​substantially complies with the requirements,” Atienza said during​ the hearing. “Sence the city did not have a housing element that substantially complied with the requirements at the time of application in 2023, the⁤ city cannot deny the project due to inconsistency⁤ with ‌the zoning ordinance or the land use designation of the general plan.”

Project location‍ and⁢ Developer Response

Jeff Current, representing developers Cindy Tran and B3​ Commercial, noted that the apartment complex is⁣ located within​ san Jose’s⁤ designated urban village area‌ along Tully Road and South ⁣King Road. These urban villages are intended to be growing,transit-oriented neighborhoods.

“San Jose ⁣created urban villages throughout⁣ the city so that dense homes⁤ of housing did not concentrate on a ⁤single area,” Current said. “We present our preliminary application in June 2023, so this process has been in progress for ⁢more than 20 months. It is indeed not hurried.”

Community Concerns

residents voiced concerns about the density of the proposed eight-story complex during the hearing.

Nancy Keo, president of the⁤ West ‌Evergreen Neighborhood⁣ Association, expressed​ concerns about existing parking and traffic congestion, anticipating that the new complex woudl exacerbate these issues.

“They have not explained how construction and traffic will affect our densely populated neighborhood, with more than 6,000 members,” Keo said. “They are simply imposing‌ the constructor solution without any ‌consideration for our community.”

Tran, who attended the ‌hearing, did not directly address residents’‌ questions.

Parking ‍and Environmental Review

The developers stated that the⁣ project will ​include 143 parking spaces, despite the city’s elimination of parking requirements, ⁣along with 72 bicycle parking spaces and 11 motorcycle parking⁣ spaces.

“we went through an environmental process ‌that included several studies, including a traffic study, which steadfast that it complied with the necessary ‍legislation,” current said. “We believe that this is a visionary project that meets the objectives of the General Plan of the City of San José.”