A new draft environmental impact report was recently published for 511 Cozy Drive in San Jose. If approved, the project would remove an existing elementary school and replace it with 80 new single-family homes.
The project’s applicant, The True Life Companies, first purchased the site from the San Jose School District in 2022. Since then, project plans have become more detailed, showing a subdivision of 64 standalone homes and 16 attached homes on the 9.5-acre site. The units will range from 1,233 to 2,234 square feet, under multiple floor plans. 11 of the units are to be restricted for low-income housing applicants.
In addition to the new units, plans include space for a new public park area designed by R3 Studios. The park would be open to all visitors, with picnic areas, benches, open turf, shade trees, and a bicycle rack.
511 Cozy Avenue Park Plan, image by R3 Studios
SDG Architects are responsible for the new housing designs. Their plans include four different floor plan layouts, including three detached layouts and one semi-detached layout. Each of the detached layouts will be divided into two exterior patterns, including a craftsmen style façade and a bungalow-style façade. Craftsmen-style facades will include a stucco exterior, a peaked roof, ornamental shutters, and a masonry foundation. Meanwhile, the Bungalow style exterior will include a combination of stucco and wood paneling, with a peaked roof and wooden porch fence.
511 Cozy Drive Sample Stand-Alone Housing Design, image by SDG Architects
511 Cozy Drive Same Semi-Detached Housing Design, image by SDG Architects
The project is located in the Gilder neighborhood of South San Jose, near Santa Teresa High School. The area is primarily residential, with good access to parks and nearby grocery stores. However, new residents will most likely need to rely on automobile transportation for their daily commute or other travel.
The initial property sale received significant pushback from the community, who expressed concerns over the school closure, the school district’s transparency, and the lack of a long-term financial outlook. This review period will allow residents to take a more detailed look at the proposed project and voice either concerns or support to the city.
511 Cozy Drive Site Location, image via ArcGIS Online
511 Cozy Drive Closed School Facility, image via Google Street View
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I don’t feel like single-family homes should be getting built anywhere in our core Bay Area cities these days. It’s just not the best use of land within city limits. At the very least, they should be townhomes or duplexes.