A hearing has been scheduled on May 14th to review a privately brought 2040 Envision Plan amendment that would allow the construction of a 17-story residential high-rise at 826 North Winchester Boulevard, San Jose. The project, previously reported on by SF YIMBY in February and December of last year, would require the reassignment of the property from community commercial to transit residential.
The complete project, designed and planned by VCI, would be a major heightening and densification from the current site. The proposal would demolish an 11,742-square-foot, two-story, vacant office/commercial building and construct a new 240,500-square-foot, mixed-use development building with two towers. The taller building would include 17 stories, with the lower being 16 stories. Below and between the two would be a one-story podium building with retail and commercial uses.
826 North Winchester Boulevard aerial view, rendering by VCI Architecture
826 North Winchester Boulevard ground-floor, site plan by VCI Architecture
The current staff recommendation is to deny the request, as it does not conform with several of the goals of the 2040 Envision Plan. Some of the most significant areas of contention include the idea of focused growth and community response to the project. Focused growth involves bringing development to regions with zoning and infrastructure to support both the project and future development in the same area. Meanwhile, community feedback on this project so far has been mixed but leaned against its construction. However, the Planning Commission can overrule the staff recommendation if it is moved to do so during the hearing.
826 North Winchester Avenue Site Location with Current Zoning Designations Denoted by Yellow as Residential and Pink as Community Commercial, image via San Jose Planning
Whether adopted or not, the process bringing the 2040 Envision Plan amendment has slowed the project timeline. If this proposal is adopted then the Planning Commission and City Council will likely not make a final determination on the specific plans and approvals for the project until fall of 2026, with construction not likely to begin until 2027 or later.
826 North Winchester Boulevard, image by Google Satellite
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Projects like these are the key to long term affordability. I think the academic literature on home prices and affordability is pretty clear; more homes means cheaper homes. If cities want to promote financially sustainable housing, they must make developments like this commonplace without intense barriers