FILE NO: Cp18-022

Charities Housing is proposing the 147-unit, 100-percent affordable Blossom Hill Mixed Use Project in San José, California. The project is intended to serve individuals earning 30 to 50 percent of the County Area Median Income (AMI).  The Santa Clara County Housing Authority (SCCHA) will be providing Section 8 housing assistance to the project in the form of Project Based Vouchers (PBVs) for 49 apartment units, as authorized under Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937, as amended.  PBV housing assistance will be provided for an initial contract term of 20 years, with a possible automatic renewal of an additional 20 years, subject to annual appropriations from the federal government and SCCHA’s determination that the owner is in compliance with the Housing Assistance Payment contract and other applicable HUD requirements, for a total of forty (40) years.  The estimated total funding for rental subsidy is $27,200,880 ($1,360,044 annually) for the initial 20-year term of the Housing Assistance Payment contract and contingent upon the availability of Section 8 funds as allocated by the federal government.

Charities Housing proposes to develop the Blossom Hill Mixed Use Project on an approximately two-acre site at 397 Blossom Hill Road in San José. The project would include demolition of an existing 32,000 square-foot commercial building and construction of a four-story, U-shaped mixed-use development with 145 affordable restricted apartment units (restricted for seniors and adults with special needs) and two units for on-site staff (unrestricted units), 16,066 square feet of commercial space, and at-grade parking. The project site plan is shown of Figure 4. The residential units would consist of 102 studio units, 15 junior one-bedroom units, 15 one-bedroom units, 13 two-bedroom units, and two three-bedroom units (for on-site staff). The maximum height of the proposed building would be 53 feet above ground surface at the top of the roof and 57 feet at the top of the parapet.

The proposed building would be set back approximately 10 feet from the edge of the sidewalk on Blossom Hill Road to the south, 70 feet from the commercial property line to the west, 85 feet from the multi-family residential property line to the north, and 21 feet from the commercial office property line to the east.

The development proposes approximately 6,813 square feet of residential common open space area, including a 3,674 square-foot central courtyard area and 3,139 square-foot second level terrace with landscaping, outdoor seating, barbeque and dining areas, exercise, and game areas. New landscaping, including trees, would be planted around the perimeter of the building, in the central courtyard area and along the street frontage. The types of trees proposed to be planted include crape myrtle, date palm, native California sycamore, Engelmann oak, Chinese evergreen elm, and native coast live oak trees. 

The project would provide 96 vehicular parking spaces at-grade, with 79 surface parking spaces and 17 spaces within an enclosed parking garage. Vehicular access to the site would be provided via two new 26-foot wide two-way driveways off Blossom Hill Road. One of the driveways would be shared with the adjacent commercial office property to the east. The parking garage entrance would be located on the west side of the building.

Stormwater runoff from the site would be directed to new on-site storm drain inlets and would be transported via 6- to 18-inch storm drainpipes to bioretention areas on-site. Stormwater would be treated, then directed to the City’s existing 60-inch storm drain line on Blossom Hill Road.

The project would construct new 4- to 6-inch sanitary sewer lines that would connect to existing and new manholes on-site. The wastewater would be directed to the 21-inch sanitary sewer line on Blossom Hill Road. The project would construct 2- to 6-inch water lines that would connect to an existing 8-inch water main on Blossom Hill Road. A new fire hydrant is proposed to be installed along the Blossom Hill Road project frontage.

The duration of demolition and construction of the project would be approximately 17 months, from January 2020 to June 2021. The project would require excavation and off-haul of approximately 500 cubic yards of soil. No soil would be imported to the site. The types of equipment that would be used for construction include excavators, graders, paving equipment, forklifts, backhoes, and air compressors. The total estimated cost for the project would be $90 Million.

Funding Sources:  

• Project-Based Vouchers through the Santa Clara County Housing Authority: $1,360,044 annually

Estimated Total Project Cost: Approximately $90 Million

LOCATION

The project site is located at 397 Blossom Hill Road in the City of San José.

ASSESSOR'S PARCEL NUMBER

690-25-021

CIRCULATION

July 17, 2020 through August 5, 2020

Note: Due to the COVID-19 Shelter in Place Order, the FONSI-RROF is being reissued to reflect HUD's amended procedures during this time.  The findings of the EA and the funding amount and sources have not changed.

PROJECT DOCUMENTS

ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT MANAGER

Reema Mahamood
408-535-6872
reema.mahamood@sanjoseca.gov