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GP09-T-03 Director-initiated General Plan Text Amendment Request for Economic Development Areas
Public Hearings:
Planning Commission, November 4, 2009, 6:30 PM
City Council, December 1, 2009, 7:00 PM
To strengthen goals and policies for intensifying economic development areas including, but not limited to those areas located on transit corridors, Major Collectors, or Arterials the Director of PBCE has proposed the following text changes shown as underlined text for additions as follows:
CHAPTER 4: GOALS AND POLICIES, Page 61
Commercial Land Use Policies:
1. Commercial land in San José should be distributed in a manner that maximizes community accessibility to a variety of retail commercial outlets and services and minimizes the need for automobile travel. New commercial development should be located near existing centers of employment or population or in close proximity to transit facilities and should be designed to encourage pedestrian and bicycle access through techniques such as minimizing building separation from the street, providing safe, accessible, convenient and pleasant pedestrian connections, secure bike storage, etc. Employee intensive uses should be encouraged to locate along multi-modal Transit Corridors. On sites or areas that the City has designated for intensification for economic development purposes, minor exceptions to development standards in the Zoning Ordinance may be appropriate to allow flexibility in achieving a desired urban form for the area. Minor exceptions may include, but are not limited to the ability to modify setbacks or parking requirements. Generally, a minor exception could allow a deviation from the standard requirements by up to fifty percent. Such modifications should be determined through the development permit process in compliance with the Zoning Ordinance or by City Council resolution.
CHAPTER 5: LAND USE/TRANSPORTATION DIAGRAM, Page 233
Commercial
New commercial development is planned to take place primarily on lands already planned and zoned for this use. The amount of existing land planned and zoned for commercial use in San José generally fulfills this purpose. The commercial land use categories described below identify the types of uses allowed under each category. The standards for commercial development are addressed in the Urban Design section (see Chapter IV, Goals and Policies) and in the City's Zoning Code. Unless otherwise defined within a specific commercial land use category, the Citywide average commercial development intensity is expected to have an approximate Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.40. Citywide employment densities, excluding the Downtown Core and Downtown Frame Areas, should average 45 employees per acre. Because variations from these averages are expected on a project-by-project basis, they should not be regarded as maximum limits. These averages are intended to illustrate the development intensities that may be possible but do not indicate what each development project can necessarily achieve. The requirement to comply with the Urban Design, Transportation Level of service and other General Plan policies may dictate less intensive development in many instances.
To further economic development, many sites and areas in the City are appropriate for intensification, including, but not limited to those areas located on Transit Corridors, Major Collectors, or Arterials. On sites or areas that the City has designated for commercial intensification, modifications to standard parking ratios in the Zoning Ordinance may be appropriate. Such modifications should be determined through the use permit process or by City Council resolution in compliance with the Zoning Ordinance.
Applying the revised policy language to specific areas of the City would require a separate notification and hearing process.
Please contact the Project Manager, Jenny Nusbaum, by e-mail at jenny.nusbaum@sanjoseca.gov or by phone at 408-535-7872 if you have questions or comments.
Date: October 30, 2009
Fee Schedule for 2009-2010 (effective on August 17th, 2009)
Application filing fees for the various Planning Division processes, as well as fees for Public Works and Department of Transportation review of those processes.
Date: August 14, 2009
New Phone Hours
Beginning July 27, 2009, the Planning Phone Service Hours will be from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday. During these hours, zoning or other land use information will continue to be available by phone at (408) 535-3555. Outside of these hours, you can access information through this website via the links to the left.
Date: July 23, 2009
Development Permit Extension Ordinance. Ordinance No. 28576. (Effective 7/3/09)
Ordinance No. 28576 was adopted in a continuing effort to respond to the current economic downturn and assist our customers. Development Permit applicants and the City have invested substantial amounts of time and effort into permits which have already been approved. Due to the current economic climate, financing has been more difficult to obtain and tenants and buyers have not materialized as anticipated when development plans were initiated. Projects entitled prior to the economic downturn have either expired or are at risk of doing so in the near future. For the first time, the new ordinance allows the Director of Planning to reactivate permits that have already expired and establishes the ability of the Director to extend the life of certain permits under specific circumstances.
Date: July 13, 2009
Transit Corridor Commercial -- New General Plan Land Use Category For Mixed Uses Near Transit
On December 16, 2008, the City Council adopted the General Plan text amendment (GP08-T-07) to add a new land use designation to the San José 2020 General Plan that can:
- Encourage vertical mixed-use development near transit while preserving commercial employment lands in San Jose.
- Be considered for application on sites located in the Downtown Core and Frame Areas or BART Station Area Nodes or within a reasonable walking distance of existing or funded passenger rail stations or bus rapid transit stations in other intensely developed areas of the City. A reasonable walking distance is defined as approximately 2,000 feet along a safe pedestrian route.
- Require commercial uses in a viable configuration on the street level floor of any development. Wholly commercial projects are allowed. Retail uses are encouraged on the street level floor and office uses are encouraged on upper floors.
- Allow vertical mixed commercial and residential uses on sites that are of adequate size to accommodate such a mix of uses provided that the street level floor consists of wholly commercial uses.
- Expand the potential for mixed commercial-residential development with convenient access to major job centers and help create new consumer markets in appropriate areas of the City.
The adopted text and associated reports are available for review at the following web links:
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/gp/2020_text/GP08-T-07_Transit_Corridor.pdf
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/clerk/Agenda/20081216/20081216_1002.pdf
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/clerk/Agenda/20081216/20081216m.pdf
Please contact the Project Manager, Jenny Nusbaum, by e-mail at jenny.nusbaum@sanjoseca.gov or by phone at 408-535-7872 if you have questions or comments.
Date: May 13, 2009
 Historical consultants PAST Consultants, LLC have begun development of a mid-century context statement for San Jose, funded by the San Jose Redevelopment Agency Strong Neighborhoods Initiative program. To accomplish the goal of making this the most complete study of San Jose's contributions to California Modernism, the study is focusing on resources built between 1935-1975. Whether you are a local historian, architectural historian, architect, builder, engineer, property owner or a passionate enthusiast for modernism, please contact PAST Consultants, LLC to share any information you have about local resources built between 1935-1975. Specifically, the historical consultants are looking for historical information on the builders, designers and patrons of modernism in San Jose, as well as images and broad information about how San Jose developed during this time period. We would appreciate anything you have. You can send information to PAST Consultants at P.O. Box 283, Petaluma CA 94953, or by contacting Seth Bergstein, Principal (415/515-6224, seth@pastconsultants.com ) or Paige Swartley, Principal (415/515-6227, paige@pastconsultants.com).
Date: February 18, 2009
Clean Air Separator Tank Installation Process
Clean Air Separator (CAS) vapor recovery systems are a special form of equipment installation
that can benefit from a one stop expedited review and permitting process. The City of San Jose’s
Industrial Tool Installation (ITI) Program is designed for the expedited review and permitting of
industrial tools and equipment. We have expanded this program’s service to include these types
of submittals. The review team is composed of members from Planning, Building and Hazmat. More...
Date: February 05, 2009
Changes to Building Permit Application Signatures
Effective January 1, 2009, new Building Permit application requirements provide an enhanced level of consumer awareness and protection for property owners. These changes reflect recent legislation and require the owner to acknowledge accepting the risks associated with Owner-Builder construction permits.
Date: February 04, 2009
Notice to Interested Parties Regarding Potential Expansion of The City of San Jose's Greenline/Urban Growth Boundary (UGB)
In June 2007 the City Council initiated a comprehensive update of the City’s General Plan, Envision San José 2040, with specific direction to not include expansions of the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) within the work program to be completed by City Staff and the Council-appointed Envision San José 2040 Task Force. Accordingly, the City will not be initiating any such expansions on its own as a part of the General Plan update process, but will consider formal applications for significant modifications to the UGB in accordance with the City of San José Municipal Code Chapter 18.30 (A proposed modification is considered significant if it does not meet the criteria in section 18.30.220 for minor modifications). More...
Should you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact Michael Brilliot, Senior Planner at 535-7831.
Date: January 16, 2009
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