Community & Economic Development Committee (ced)
April 27, 2026

Citywide Planning
Activities Semi-Annual
Status Report
Community and Economic Development Committee
April 27, 2026
Item (d)1
Chris Burton, Director, Department of Planning, Building & Code Enforcement Manira Sandhir, Deputy Director, Department of Planning, Building & Code Enforcement Martina Davis, Division Manager, Department of Planning, Building & Code Enforcement Jerad Ferguson, Principal Planner, Department of Planning, Building & Code Enforcement Citywide Planning Overview
• General Plan/Analytics
• Housing/Housing Element
• Ordinance & Policy
• Urban Villages
• Special Projects/Transit Oriented
Communities Compliance
• 3 managers, 5 supervisors, 10
planners
• 19 positions, 1 vacancy
2 www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
General Plan
www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
Completed:
• Five Year Development Forecast, 2026
(Feb. 2026)
In Progress:
• General Plan 4-Year Review (Dec. 2027)
• Privately Initiated GPAs (Dec. 2026)
• General Plan Annual Report 2025 (June
2026)
• Policy 5-1 Update (Dec. 2027)
3 Upcoming:
• Tri-Element Update (Dec. 2027)
• Minimum Densities: MUN and
Downtown (Spring 2027)
• Five Year Development Forecast,
2027 (Feb. 2027)
• General Plan Annual Report 2025
(Dec. 2026)
General Plan Four-Year Review
• Focus on housing
• Increasing residential capacity
• Missing Middle Housing
• Urban Village implementation strategy
• Three remaining Task Force meetings
• Open Houses (4) scheduled throughout the City
• Work through next fiscal year (26-27) includes environmental review, GP text amendments, draft ordinances, outreach, etc. 4 www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
Housing Policy
www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
Completed:
• SB 79 Evaluation and Report to City Council
(Jan. 2026)
• Group Homes Zoning Update (Jan. 2026)
• Housing Element Annual Report & Housing
Catalyst Team Work Plan Update (Mar. 2026)
In Progress:
• General Plan 4-Year Review: Small Multi-Family
Housing, Evaluate Urban Village Planning
Process (Dec. 2027)
• Development Fee Framework (Dec. 2026)
• Reasonable Accommodation Zoning Update
(June 2026)
5 In Progress (cont.):
• Pleasant Hills Golf Course Fiscal Analysis (Dec. 2026) • Downtown Ministerial Approval Ordinance (Dec.
2026)
• Residential Data Tracking and Reporting (ongoing)
• State Law Tracking and Analysis (ongoing)
Upcoming:
• Council Policy 6-30 (Outreach) Update (Dec. 2026)
• Density Bonus Ordinance Expansion (Spring 2027)
• Annual Housing Element Progress Report & Housing
Catalyst Team Work Plan Update (April 2027)
Ordinance and Policy Updates
2 www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
Completed:
• SB 9 Expansion (Jan. 2026)
• 2025 State Law Compliance/Maintenance
Update (Jan. 2026)
• SB 79 Industrial Hub Exclusion (Mar. 2026)
In Progress:
• Update Standard Permit Findings (Jun. 2026)
• 2026 State Law Compliance/Maintenance
Update (Jun. 2026)
• Downtown Digital Wayfinding (Dec. 2026/Jan.
2026)
• SB 79 Walking Path Analysis (Spring 2027)
• State Law Tracking and Analysis (ongoing)
6 Upcoming:
• Update demolition standard for historic
properties (Fall 2026)
• Vape Shop Zoning Update (Fall 2026)
• 2026/2027 State Law Zoning Update (Spring
2027)
• Missing Middle Housing (December 2027)
• Minimum Densities Downtown (Spring 2027)
• Minimum Densities for Mixed Use
Neighborhood (Spring 2027)
Urban Villages
www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
In Progress:
• Alum Rock East Urban Village (Fall 2026)
• Complete Draft Plan + Additional Outreach Spring/Summer • Five Wounds Urban Village Plan Update (Fall 2026)
• Complete and release draft Plan and Draft EIR Late Spring • Saratoga Urban Village Plan (Fall 2027)
• Continue to draft plan and host community touch points throughout 2026 Upcoming:
• Saratoga Ave Transportation Impact Fee Study w/ DOT (Fall 2026) • Neighborhood Urban Villages (Fall 2027)
7 Transit Oriented Communities
www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
In Progress:
• MTC Transit Oriented Communities Policy Compliance
(Spring 2028)
• Focus on 26 station areas
• Some overlap with SB 79 and Urban Village Work
• Approximately $1.4 million in grant funding for this work • Establish Downtown Minimum Densities (Spring 2027)
8 Citywide Planning Workplan
• Work required/committed through completion and adoption of the 7th Cycle Housing Element – Fiscal Year (FY) 2030-2031 • Major Items identified through 2031:
• General Plan Four Year Review (Spring 2025 – December 2027) • Tri-Element Update (Fall 2026 – December 2027)
• 7th Cycle Housing Element (June 2028 – June 2030)
• Comprehensive Update of the General Plan (2031+)
• Workplan exceeds staff capacity in upcoming fiscal years 9 www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
Workload for
Fiscal Year
26/27
126% Capacity
10 www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
Mandatory Work:
90% Capacity
11 Sm a ll Mu lti- Fa m ily Ho u s in g
Re s id e n tia l Da ta Tra c kin g &
Re p o rtin g
Alu m Ro c k Ea s t Urb a n Villa g e
Eva lu a te Urb a n Villa g e Pla n n in g
Proc e ss
5 Wo u n d s Urb a n Villa g e Up d a te
Ge n e ra l Pla n An n u a l Re p o rt 2026
De ve lo p m e n t Fe e Fra m e wo rk
NSJ Ove rla y 2.0
12 www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
City Priority Work:
36% Capacity
Minimum Densities: Downtown
Update Demolition Definition for
Historic Properties
Downtown Ministerial Approval
Ordinance
Five Year Forecast 2027
Minimum Densities: MUN
State Law lobbying & tracking
Digital Wayfinding
West San José TIF analysis
FY 26-27 FY 27-28 FY 28-29 FY 29-30 FY 30-31
Urban Village Planning
Other State Mandates
City-Initiated Ordinance and
Policies
Other Policy & Admin Work
126% Committed 101% Committed 61% Committed 49% Committed ?% Committed General Plan Major Review
& Housing Capacity EIR
2/2025 - 12/2027
Safety, Open Space,
Environmental Justice Elements
Update (Tri-Elements)
10/2026 - 12/2027
6th Cycle Housing Element Action Items 7th Cycle Housing Element Action Items
7th Cycle Housing Element
12/2027 - 6/2030
7th Cycle Housing Element
12/2027 - 6/2030
7th Cycle Housing Element
12/2027 - 6/2030 New General Plan?
Yearly Productive Hours: 22,200
FY 26-27 FY 27-28 FY 28-29 FY 29-30 FY 30-31
Urban Village Planning
Other State Mandates
Other Policy & Admin Work
126% +
Committed 101%+ Committed 61%+ Committed 49%+ Committed ?% Committed General Plan Major Review
& Housing Capacity EIR
2/2025 - 12/2027
Safety, Open Space,
Environmental Justice Elements
Update (Tri-Elements)
10/2026 - 12/2027
6th Cycle Housing Element Action Items
New Projects added
in FY 26-27 budget?
New State Mandates?
7th Cycle Housing
Element Action Items
New City-Initiated Ordinances and Policies?
7th Cycle Housing Element
12/2027 - 6/2030
7th Cycle Housing Element
12/2027 - 6/2030
7th Cycle Housing Element
12/2027 - 6/2030 New General Plan?
Yearly Productive Hours: 22,200
City-Initiated Ordinance and
Policies
Delayed Projects from
FY 26-27
FY 26-27 FY 27-28 FY 28-29 FY 29-30 FY 30-31
Urban Village Planning
Other Policy & Admin Work
126% +
Committed 101%+ Committed 61%+ Committed 49%+ Committed ?% Committed General Plan Major Review
& Housing Capacity EIR
2/2025 - 12/2027
Safety, Open Space,
Environmental Justice Elements
Update (Tri-Elements)
10/2026 - 12/2027
6th Cycle Housing Element Action Items
New Projects added
in FY 26-27 budget?
New State Mandates?
7th Cycle Housing
Element Action Items
INCREASED Yearly Productive Hours w/ Updated Citywide Planning Fee New City-Initiated Ordinances and Policies?
7th Cycle Housing Element
12/2027 - 6/2030
7th Cycle Housing Element
12/2027 - 6/2030
7th Cycle Housing Element
12/2027 - 6/2030 New General Plan?
City-Initiated Ordinance and
Policies
Delayed Projects from
FY 26-27
Other State Mandates
Next Steps / Budget Process
• Assess workload for FY 2026-2027 and FY 2027-2028 in
context of upcoming budget process
• Direction from Council through budget process on
prioritization and trade-offs for upcoming fiscal years • Citywide planning fee nexus
16 www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
Citywide Planning
Activities Semi-Annual
Status Report
Community and Economic Development Committee
April 27, 2026
Item (d)1
Chris Burton, Director, Department of Planning, Building & Code Enforcement Manira Sandhir, Deputy Director, Department of Planning, Building & Code Enforcement Martina Davis, Division Manager, Department of Planning, Building & Code Enforcement Jerad Ferguson, Principal Planner, Department of Planning, Building & Code Enforcement