[External Email]
FW: Catalyze SV Members Weigh in on Miramar Capital's Stevens Creek Promenade Project City Clerk <
Wed 8/24/2022 11:40 AM
To:Agendadesk <
From: Alex Shoor <
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2022 10:42 AM
To: Perry Hariri < Kathy Thibodeaux < The Office of Mayor Sam Liccardo <TheOffi Jones, Chappie < Jimenez, Sergio
< Peralez, Raul < Cohen, David < Davis,
Dev < Carrasco, Magdalena < Esparza, Maya
< Arenas, Sylvia < Foley, Pam < Mahan, Ma
<Ma Sahid, Robyn < Ho, Nathan < Lomio,
Michael < Gomez, David < Kohl, Cassidy <
Burton, Chris < Brilliot, Michael < Manford, Robert
< Meiners, Laura < Ferguson, Jerad <
Cc: < < plan.review < City Clerk <
Subject: Catalyze SV Members Weigh in on Miramar Capital's Stevens Creek Promenade Project
Mayor Liccardo & San José City Councilmembers,
Catalyze SV is grateful to Miramar Capital for presen ng its updated Stevens Creek Promenade project to our Project Advocacy Commi ee (PAC) members on August 8, 2022.
Our members were very happy to review this project again (we scored it in 2018) as it comes up to a vote before the San Jose City Council next week on Tuesday, August 30. We support you vo ng to approve this project.
The best-received features were the substan al increase of on-site affordable homes and a huge reduc on in parking spaces. On-site affordable homes and places for people, not vehicles, are a big priority for our members. Our members are also happy to see further details on the promenade which includes ameni es for residents, as well as the surrounding community.
Some recommenda ons from our members are to:
increase the number of bicycle parking slots,
create a designated rideshare area,
provide VTA transit passes for residents, and
priori ze a more robust sustainability plan which includes a third-party cer fica on such as GreenPoint Rated (GPR) Gold or higher.
Overall, our members liked the changes to the project and again, want to see it approved.
1. Le er: This is our members’ construc ve feedback on posi ve elements and recommenda ons.
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
2. Feedback Form: We’ve prepared this form for Miramar to make it easier for you to respond to our member’s feedback point-by- point. We know it’s short no ce; could Miramar respond to our members’ comments prior to the City Council Mee ng on August 30, 2022?
Thanks for considering our members’ input.
Yours in community,
Catalyze SV
P .S. In the coming days, prior to City Council, our updated le er above will be up on our website.
Alex Shoor
Execu ve Director, Catalyze SV
| www.CatalyzeSV.org
Get Catalyze SV apparel | Schedule me w/Alex
www.CatalyzeSV .org
August 24, 2022
Perry Hariri, Managing Partner
Miramar Capital
Kathy Thibodeaux, Principal
KM Thibodeaux Consulting
RE: Miramar Capital’s revised proposal for Stevens Creek Promenade in San Jose Dear Perry,
Thank you for presenting Miramar Capital’s proposal for the revised Stevens Creek Promenade project located at 4300 Stevens Creek Boulevard in San Jose to Catalyze SV members at our Project Advocacy Committee meeting on August 8, 2022. As we understand it, the proposal includes 580 residential units allocated among three buildings, including 173 units of a ffordable
housing. The project incorporates a paseo and a roughly 0.8 acre promenade extending from Stevens Creek Boulevard to Albany Drive. The promenade will incorporate community amenities such as a children’s play area, an outdoor
fitness area with machines, and a fenced dog area. The
project also includes a 250-hotel room with approximately 8,500 square feet of commercial space as well as 2,800 square feet of restaurant space. In total, the site will include 704 parking spaces, including 67 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, as well as 146 bicycle parking spaces.
Our members were happy with the new project, especially the drastic reduction of parking spaces and the increased number of on-site a
ffordable homes. With the upcoming City Council
meeting tentatively scheduled for August 30, 2022, our members would like to provide the following feedback on the project:
Positive Elements:
A
ffordability: Our members were very happy to see the proposal increase the number of affordable homes from 87 to 173. The 30% on-site proposal is exactly what our members want to see, especially in this area of West San Jose. Unlike other developments which pay the in-lieu fee to meet their Inclusionary Housing Ordinance (IHO) obligation, this proposal exceeds that through a stand-alone building composed of 173 affordable units. As we understand it, the proposal is aiming to provide a mix of affordability ranges - from 50% AMI, 60% AMI, 80% AMI and 120% AMI. This variety of affordability levels was well-received among our members. Though it may be out of your hands because offinancing constraints, our members are disappointed that financing structures result in a separate building for people seeking affordable homes, so they hope to see you incorporate a comparable level of amenities between the market-rate building and the affordable one.
Community: Miramar continues to build upon Fortbay’s early community engagement e
fforts, which include multiple previous meetings with Stevens Creek Advisory Group (SCAG). Such meetings resulted in the inclusion of affordable housing, provisions of the promenade, and current project setbacks. Around that same time, back in April of 2018, the 1 www.CatalyzeSV .org
project was presented to Catalyze SV members. Our members are happy to see the project has been modified, including an increased number of affordable homes. This matches what our members asked for in 2018. They are very happy to provide community feedback on this project one more time leading up to the 8/30 City Council decision. This speaks positively to the extensive, ongoing community engagement e
fforts for this project.
Vibrancy: Among the project features best received by our members was the inclusion of a variety of amenities accessible both to residents of this proposal and to the broader community. Speci
fically, our members are excited to see the promenade serve as a center point in an area desperately lacking green and open space. As we understand it, the promenade will include amenities such as a children’s play area, an outdoor exercise area with equipment, a fenced dog play area, and seating platforms. Our members were also excited to see some mixed-use and the inclusion of a 250-room hotel which incorporates 8,500 square feet of commercial space, as well as 2,800 square feet of restaurant space. Overall, our members responded positively to the changes and believe this will be an active and attractive addition to the neighborhood.
Elements to Improve:
Intensity/Zoning: Our members were very happy to see a project which will provide 580 homes to combat the demand for market and a
ffordable housing in this area of
West San Jose. The project includes three 5-story buildings which will provide a combined 580 homes. At 115 du/acre, our members believe this project is on the right track, yet it could use more density and height to demonstrate a commitment to tackling our severe housing needs. This area’s General Plan is Urban Village with allowable higher density, and so our members believe this project should be denser in general as Stevens Creek seeks to diversify into an area more attractive to residents, businesses, and tourists. Although our members see this as a missed opportunity to provide more housing & height, they don't want to seeany reduction in the current density.
Transportation: The project proposes a total of 704 parking spaces, including 67 electric vehicle charging stations. This is a positive step - a drastic reduction from the original 1,665 parking spots proposed back in 2018. Our members welcomed the reduction of the parking count as that means there’s more spaces for people, not vehicles. The site is within proximity to VTA’s bus routes 23 and 523, yet not within walking proximity to a light-rail station or adequate public transit to support a transit-oriented development. As such, our members see the potential to transform this project into a bicycle-oriented development with access points from Stevens Creek Boulevard and Albany Drive. A few recommendations our members have for this project is to increase the bicycle parking slots from 146 to at least 200, create a designated ride-share area, and provide VTA transit passes for residents. 2 www.CatalyzeSV .org
Sustainability: The buildings will be all-electric and the project will incorporate drought-tolerant landscaping. Our members were excited that this project will be constructed using modular construction - saving materials, time, and providing less vehicle disruption and trips. As we understand, the project meets the City of San Jose’s requirements for all-electric appliances. Our members were happy to see solar panels included in the design to o
ffset energy costs - a recommendation made back in 2018. Our members suggest this project pursue a bolder and more defined sustainability plan such as GreenPoint Rated (GPR) Gold or Platinum.
We are very glad to see Miramar Capital proposing more market-rate and affordable homes in West San Jose, an area which desperately needs homes, open space, and opportunities for people and businesses. The Stevens Creek Promenade project will provide a variety of housing opportunities, a hotel, some retail, and a promenade accessible to the neighborhood and residents of San Jose. Our members were happy with the proposed changes, especially the inclusion of more a
ffordable homes and the reduction of parking spots. Overall, our members are happy with the project. We hope to see it approved by the City Council at its upcoming meeting tentatively scheduled for August 30, 2022, and will be advocating for that outcome.
Sincerely,
Catalyze SV’s sta
ff and Project Advocacy Committee members
CC: Mayor Sam Liccardo ([email protected])
Chappie Jones ([email protected])
Sergio Jimenez ([email protected])
Raul Peralez ([email protected])
David Cohen ([email protected])
Magdalena Carrasco ([email protected])
Dev Davis ([email protected])
Maya Esparza ([email protected])
Sylvia Arenas ([email protected])
Pam Foley ([email protected])
Matt Mahan ([email protected])
Robyn Sahid ([email protected])
Nathan Ho ([email protected])
Michael Lomio ([email protected])
David Gomez ([email protected])
Cassidy Kohl ([email protected])
Chris Burton ([email protected])
Robert Manford ([email protected])
Michael Brilliot ([email protected])
Laura Meiners ([email protected])
Jerad Ferguson ([email protected])
Perry Hariri
Kathy Thibodeaux
City Clerk ([email protected])
VTA Planners ([email protected])
3 www.CatalyzeSV .org
Lalo Mendez ([email protected])
About Catalyze SV
Catalyze SV’s Project Advocacy Committee is comprised of community members who identify, evaluate, & lead advocacy e
fforts around specific development projects.
4 From: Alex Strange
To: Liccardo, Sam; Jones, Chappie; Jimenez, Sergio; Peralez, Raul; Cohen, David; Carrasco, Magdalena; Davis, Dev; Esparza, Maya; Arenas, Sylvia; Foley, Pam; Mahan, Matt; District1; District2; District3; District4; District5; District 6; District7; District8; District9; District 10; Gomez, David; Kohl, Cassidy; Meiners, Laura; Sahid, Robyn; Lomio, Michael; Ho, Nathan; Burton, Chris; Manford, Robert; Brilliot, Michael; ; City Clerk; projects
Subject: My Thoughts on Item 10.3
Date: Thursday, August 25, 2022 4:30:39 PM
[Some people who received this message don't often get email from Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] [External Email]
City Councilmembers,
Today, I write to you in support of the Stevens Creek Promenade project - item 10.3.
I want to applaud the project's changes, which include an increase in the number of affordable homes from 87 to 173. The combination of market-rate and affordable homes are precisely what is needed in San Jose.
In addition to providing a total of 580 homes, this project includes a promenade accessible to the community - bringing vibrancy to an area of San Jose which desperately needs spaces for people. This is the vision outlined for Urban Villages.
Please approve Stevens Creek Promenade and bring more homes and vibrant spaces to West San Jose.
Thanks,
Me
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
San Jose CA 95112