City Council
September 30, 2025
Item 10.2
Presenters:
Chris Burton, Director
Ruth Cueto, Principal Planner
Early Consideration for Privately-Initiated
General Plan Amendment
File No. GP25-002
Early Consideration Process
General Plan Policy IP-3.11
Applicants, at their discretion, can apply for early consideration by the City Council of their proposed General Plan amendment.
Early Consideration applications do not need to include a Development Permit application. At the early consideration hearing, Council can either deny the proposed General Plan Amendment or direct staff to complete CEQA review and
process such an application.
2 www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
Existing Conditions
3 www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
Elevation from Emory St.
Elevation from W. Hedding St.
Acreage: 0.99 gross-acre
(E) Z
oning District: A(PD) Planned Development
General Plan
Amendment Request
4 www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
Neighborhood/Community Commercial Mixed Use Neighborhood Acreage: 0.99
Growth Area: None
(E) Z
oning District: A(PD) – Planned
D
evelopment
FAR: up to 3.5
No residential permitted
FAR: 0.25 to 2.0
Density: up to 30 DU/AC
Up to 30 units on site
General Plan Consistency
5 www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
Inconsistent
• Focused Growth
• Major Strategy #3-F ocused Growth and Land Use Policies LU-2.3 & LU-9.17 • Employment Lands
• Major Strategy # 4-I nnovation/Regional Employment Center, Fiscally Sustainable L
and Use Policy FS-4.1, and Land Use Policy LU-1.1
Consistent
• Housing
• Housing Social Equity and Diversity Goal H-1
Development Proposal
www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
• Intention to build approximately 18 townhouses at 18 du/ac • Development Permit and Rezoning application to be submitted • Historic Landmark District
6 Alternatives
www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
• State Laws
• AB2011
• SB6
• City Provision
• General Plan Housing Policy H-2 .9
• Staff Suggestion
• Mixed Use Commercial land use designation
• Residential density up to 50 du/ac
• Mixed-u se commercial requirement minimum of 0.5 FAR
7 General Plan 4-Year Review
www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
• First Taskforce meeting Oct. 15, 2025
• Opportunity to evaluate policies and
g
oals related to housing
• Identifying additional areas outside of
G
rowth Areas to accommodate more
residential
• A comprehensive evaluation
a
pproach
8 Planning Commission Recommendation
www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
Recommend that the City Council deny staff’s
recommendation and allow for the continued
processing of the General Plan Amendment
request.
9 Staff Recommendation
www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
Deny the request to amend the Envision San José 2040
General Plan Land Use/Transportation Diagram designation from Neighborhood/Community Commercial to Mixed Use
Neighborhood on an approximately 0.99 gross acre site;
and
direct Planning staff to evaluate the subject site and
surrounding sites, as an area that would allow for residential or mixed-use development in the future, as part of the
General Plan 4-Year Review.
10 Potential City Council Actions
www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
(1) Approve staff recommendation, deny the General Plan A
mendment, and analyze site as part of General Plan Four Year Review; or
(2) Deny staff recommendation and direct staff to continue pr
ocessing the General Plan Amendment and any other
associated applications as proposed;
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