Outlook
FW: Agenda Item 10.2
From City Clerk <[email protected]>
Date Mon 9/ 14/ 2026 12:42 PM
To Agendadesk <[email protected] >
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scan (9).pdf;
From: Art Garcia
Sent: Monday, Septemb er 14, 2026 12:41 PM
To: City Clerk <city.clerk@sanjoseca .gov>
Subject: Agenda Item 10.2
[External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn morel You don't often get email from Learn why this is important Good afternoon, I would like to submit a written letter for public comment. I have attached a letter to be added to the city council agenda Item 10.2 for the Glider project.
Thank you,
Art Garcia
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American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
CITY COUNCIL STATEMENT OF SUPPORT
Proj ect: Glider Residential Project
Date: September 15, 2026
To: Mayor Matt Mahan and Members of the San Jose City Council From: Art Garcia AFSCME OGSD Vice Pres ident
Good evening , Mayor Mahan and members of the City Council. My name is Art Garcia , and I am speaking on behalf of AFSCME members in the Oak Grove School District. AFSCME represents more than 200 employees who serve the District and its families. We are asking you tonight to approve the Glider Residential Project.
The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the Glider Project on Augus t 26. We ask the Council to give that recommendation substantial considera tion and complete the process by moving this project foiwa rd.
From a labor and working -family perspective , The Glider Project brings together several things San Jose needs. It strengthens a public school district facing the financial effects of declining enrollment. The approx imately $26.6 million generated by the property can help preserve jobs, services, reduce class _sizes, and maintain educational programs for more than 8,000 Oak Grove students .
The project also creates economic activity and quality construction work, supported by a prevai ling-wage commitment. After over eight years of vacancy, this presents an opportunity to transform an idle property into a productive neighborhood asset. By doing so, we can put people to work now while creating homes, new neighbors , and establishing lasting investments in the Glider community.
For working families, The Glider Project is especially important because it offers homeow nership opportunities. The project includes 80 ownership homes , with 11 of them being deed-restricted affordable ownership homes. Mayor Mahan has emphas ized expanding homeownersh ip at more attainable price points and ensuring the next generation has a chance to own a home in San Jose . Teachers , school employees , public servants , tradespeople, and other working families should have a realistic opportunity to live in the community they serve.
The publicly accessible park and neighborhood improvements extend the benefits beyond the new homeowners. Glider can replace a long-vacant property with a thriving part of the commun ity - a place where families put down roots, childre n grow up, and homeowners build equity and a future in San Jose .
On behalf of AFSCME , we respectfully urge the City Council to follow the Planning Comm ission's unanimous recommendation and approve the Glider Residential Project.
Art Garcia
AFSCME Local 101 OGSD Vice President
Glider Residential Project I City Council Support Remarks I September 2026 Outlook
FW: Agenda Item 10.2 Glider Development Project (attachment) from eight SJ ESA School District Superintendents
From City Clerk <[email protected]>
Date Mon 9/14/2026 1:23 PM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
@ 1 attachment (419 KB)
Agenda Item 10.2 Glider Surplus Property Support Letter Sept 15, 2026 - signed by All Superintendents of the East Side Alliance.pdf;
From: Ivan Chaidez
Sent: Monday, September 14, 2026 1:19 PM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Agenda Item 10.2 Glider Development Project (attachment) from eight SJ ESA School District Superintendents
[External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn more] You don't often get email from Learn why this is important Dear Mayor Mahan and Members of the San Jose City Council, On behalf of approximately 60,000 students and their families, we, the superintendents of the eight East Side Alliance (ESA) school districts, respectfully submit the attached and signed joint letter in support of the Oak Grove School District's Glider Housing Development project.
Our districts have been significantly affected by sustained enrollment declines, resulting in difficult budget reductions, school consolidations, many campus closures, and the need to steward surplus properties responsibly.
Oak Grove's experience with the former Glider Elementary School site illustrates how a carefully managed district asset can become an important educational resource. The projected $26.6 million in proceeds could help protect smaller class sizes and preserve essential student services and programs.
We fully respect the City Council's responsibility to conduct an independent, thorough, fact-based review of the project, including planning, environmental, infrastructure, and neighborhood considerat ions. We respectfully ask that this review also recognize the District's educational mission, fiduciary responsibilities, extensive public process, and the significant consequences that unnecessary delay or denial could have for students, employees, and the broader community.
Accordingly, the East Side Alliance respectfully requests that the San Jose City Council approve the Glider Project.
Our school districts and the City serve the same families and share a commitment to strong neighborhoods , educational opportun ity, housing, public services , and a thriving East San Jose. We believe that continued collaborat ion can address legitimate community concerns while protecting the educational resources our students need.
Thank you for your considera tion and for your service to the East San Jose community.
Sincerely,
Superintendents, East Side Alliance School Districts
Dr. Ivan Chaidez, Superintendent, Oak Grove School District Dr. Marnie Hazelton , Superintendent, Alum Rock Union Elementary School District Dr. Roxane Fuentes, Superintendent, Berryessa Union School District Dr. Antoine Hawkins , Superintendent , Evergreen School District Mr. Juan Cruz , Superintendent , Franklin-McKinley School District Dr. Elida MacArthur, Superintendent , Mount Pleasant Elementary School District Dr. Jeff Bowman, Superintendent, Orchard School District Mr. Glenn Vander Zee, Superintendent East Side Union High School District Dr. Ivan Chaidez
Superintendent
Oak Grove School District
Pronouns : He/El/Him/His
1 Imagine, Create, Achieve : Together We Thrive!
www.ogsd.net
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EAST SIDE ALLIANCE
JOINT LETTER OF SUPPORT
School District Stewardship and City-School Collaboration on Surplus Property August 4, 2026
TO: Mayor Mahan and Members of the San Jose City Council Chair and Members of the San Jose Planning Commission
City Manager, Planning Director, and City Staff
RE: Supporting Local School Districts in the Responsible Use and Disposition of Surplus Property
Dear City Leaders:
We, the superintendents of the eight school districts that comprise the East Side Alliance, write on behalf of approximately 60,000 students and their families. Our districts have been among those most significantly affected by sustained enrollment decline, resulting in difficult budget reductions, school consolidations, campus dosures, and the need to determine responsible uses for properties that are no longer required for current educational programs.
Closing a school is never a district's first consideration, and selling public property should never be approached casually. Before reaching such decisions, locally elected school boards evaluate educational needs, enrollment projections, operating costs, opportunities for reuse, leases, joint-use partnerships, workforce housing, land exchanges, and other alternatives. When a board ultimately determines that a sale or redevelopment is necessary, it does so through a public process and under the requirements of California law. The determination of whether district property remains necessary for educational purposes, and how district assets should be stewarded for students, is a core responsibility of the locally elected schOol board. The City, in turn, has an essential and independent responsibility for land-use review, planning, infrastructure, and neighborhood compatibility. These responsibilities should be exercised collaboratively and with mutual respect.
The consequences of these decisions extend directly into classrooms. Because school funding is closely tied to enrollment and attendance, declining enrollment can reduce recurring revenue faster than districts can reduce fixed costs. At the same time, vacant or underused campuses continue to require security, maintenance, utilities, insurance, and oversight. Responsible use or disposition of surplus property can therefore make the difference between stability and further disruption, including the significant elimination of jobs and the reduction or loss of counseling, arts, music, libraries, athletics, electives, instructional coaching, special education supports, services for multilingual learners, and other programs that students depend upon.
The Oak Grove School District's experience with the former Glider Elementary SchOol site illustrates this connection. The projected proceeds from that transaction represent approximately $26.6 million that can help protect lower class sizes and preserve student services and programs. Although every district and every property is different, the central principle is the same: a district-owned asset can become a critical educational resource when responsibly managed for the long-term benefrt of students.
For that reason, decisions by the Planning Commission, City Council, and City staff can materially affect whether a schOol district's carefully developed fiscal stability strategy succeeds. We fully recognize and respect the Planning Commission's and City Council's obligations to conduct an independent and thOrough review of the project, including legitimate planning, environmental, infrastructure, and neighborhood considerations. At the same time, we ask that the review be fair, timely, predictable, and fact-based, and that it fully recognizes the District's educational mission, fiduciary obligations, extensive public process, and the consequences that delay or denial may have for students and employees. With thOse responsibilities in mind, the East Side Alliance respectfully and formally requests that the San Jose Planning Commission recommend approval of the Oak Grove School District's Glider Project and that the San Jose City Council approve the project when it comes before the Council. Such support Joint Statement on School District Surptus Property Stewardship
EAST SIDE ALLIANCE
would recogniZe years of public deliberation and responsible stewardship by the OaK Grove Board of Trustees and would help transform a property that is no longer needed for school use into resources that can preserve lower class siZes, protect essential programs and services, and create greater fiscal stalllllty. The pos1t1ve impact or that suppon w111 extend well Deyond a s1ng1e tJuaget cycle, helping safeguard educational opportunities and a stable learning experience for generations of children in Oak Grove.
We also encourage an ongoing dialogue between City of San Jose leaders and the local school districts serving the city. Regular conversations among district superintendents, business and facilities leaders, the Mayor and City Council, Planning Commission, City Manager's Office, and Planning staff can build a shared understanding of how school districts are governed and funded; how enrollment decline affects budgets, staffing, and facilities; and the legal and public processes that guide surplus-property decisions. Earlier communication can help identify opportunities for joint planning, workforce housing, community-service uses, and responsit:Ae redevelopment while allowing :he City and its school districts to walk in partnership through this difficult area of need. This dialogue should be collaborative, practical, and focused on solutions that strengthen neighbortloods While protecting educational opportunities for students.
Our school districts and the City serve the same families and share the same commitment to strong neighborhoods, educational opportunity, housing, public services, and a thriving East San Jose.
Through sustained dialogue and partnership, we can ensure that decisions about surplus school property respect community concerns v.'hile also protecting the educational experience of the students Who wil shape our region's future.
We welcome the opportunity to begin ttis conversation and to establish a collaborative framework that can serve all East Side communities.
Respectfully,
Mami: H.lZelton. Ed. 0 .
EAST SIDE ALLIANCE SUPERINTENDENTS
Roxane Fuentes
Dr. Marnie Hazelton
Superintendent
Alum Rock Union Elementary School District
Or. Antoine Hawkins
Dr. Antoine Hawkins
Superintendent
Evergreen School District
Or. Elida MacArthur
Dr. Elida MacArthur
Superintendent
Mount Pleasant Elementary School District
Dr. Roxane Fuentes
Superintendent
Berryessa Union School District
Juan CnJz
Juan Cruz
Superintendent
Franklin-McKinley School District
Dr. Ivan Chaidez
Dr. Ivan Chaidez
Superintendent
Oak Grove School District
Joint Stateme11 on School District Surplus Property Stewardship Dr. Jeff Bowman
Dr. Jeff Bowman
Superintendent
Orchard School District
EAST SIDE ALU ANCE
Glenn Vander Zee
Glenn Vander Zee
Superintendent
East Side Union High School Distlict
"East Side Alliance is dedicated to ensuring success and creating a seamless K-16 pathway for over 58,958 students across eight school districts in San Jose's East Side." Signature:
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Joint Statement on School District SUfJ>lus Property Steward ship Outlook
FW: Public comment on Item 10.2 for Sep 15 city council meeting at 1:30 pm From City Clerk <[email protected]>
Date Mon 9/14/2026 3:09 PM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
From: PARESH DESAI
Sent: Monday, September 14, 2026 2:27 PM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Cc: PARESH DESAI
Subject: Public comment on Item 10.2 for Sep 15 city council meeting at 1:30 pm [External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn morel You don't often get email from . earn whY. this is imP.ortant Subject: Item 10.2 - Glider Residential Project (H23-028, T23-022 & ER23-230) Mayor Mahan and Members of the City Council,
My name is Paresh Desai, and my family lives near the former Glider Elementary School site.
I respectfully ask the Council not to approve the project in its current form.
The reason is straightforward. The Final EIR concludes that the project's Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas impacts remain significant and unavoidable even after mitigation. The project exceeds the City's VMT threshold , remains inconsistent with the Bay Area Air District's greenhouse gas criteria, and is being brought forward with a Statement of Overriding Considerations because those impacts cannot be fully mitigated.
At the same time, the city has adopted a Pathway to Carbon Neutrality by 2030 that emphasizes reducing vehicle travel, locating housing near transit and jobs, and supporting mixed-use urban villages.
I recognize San Jose's need for additional housing. However, I do not believe it is appropriate to approve a project that:
• Requires a Statement of Overriding Considerations because transportation and greenhouse gas impacts remain significant.
• Is located in an area where future residents will remain highly dependent on automobiles. • It is not located in an Urban Village or major transit hub consistent with the City's long term carbon neutrality strategy.
If Council decides to approve the project despite these concerns, I respectfully request the following conditions:
1. Protect Existing Residents
Require a larger buffer between existing homes and new homes along shared property lines. A minimum separation of 15 feet would help reduce privacy, lighting, and compatibility concerns for families that have lived in this neighborhood for decades.
2. Prohibit Saturday Construction
The staff recommendation includes a request for construction work on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Please remove this authorization. Construction is expected to last several years. Existing residents should be entitled to one quiet day each week.
3. Strengthen Community Accountability
Require the developer to:
• Designate a single community liaison.
• Provide direct contact information to nearby residents. • Respond promptly to complaints regarding noise, dust, traffic, and property impacts. • Hold periodic neighborhood meetings during construction.
4. Review of Infrastructure Reliability
Several residents have raised concerns regarding sewer maintenance and electrical reliability in the surrounding area. Before construction begins, I request additional review of:
• Historical sewer maintenance activity in the Cozy Drive area. • Electrical reliability and outage history for the surrounding neighborhood. • Whether cumulative growth in this part of South San Jose is creating infrastructure risks that are not visible through project-by-project review.
Finally, I ask the Council to remember that this project will permanently change a neighborhood that has existed for decades. Housing is important, but so are climate commitments, infrastructure resilience, and fairness to existing residents.
Thank you for your consideration.
Paresh Desai
Sent from my iPhone
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