The previous plan for 14001 Chester Avenue in Saratoga has been downsized from its original plan reported on by SF YIMBY in June of last year. The purchasers, Thomas J. Wilson, Dustin T. Mannina, Sachneel Patel, and Jeffrey Bader, originally planned to use a builders’ remedy application to create a large-scale development on the former vineyard site. However, the project has since struck a deal with the city of Saratoga to modify the project so it fits within the existing zoning regulations.
The 11.6-acre property will now be developed into 64 new units of housing, less than one-third of the original proposal. The new units will come as 52 single-family homes and 12 ADUs. Among these, the site will contain twelve income-restricted units and 26 state density bonus units.
14001 Chester Avenue Site Plan, image by KTGY
KTGY is responsible for the new building designs. Current illustrations show a variety of single-family home facades, broken down into fouprimary building groups. Materials across all groups will vary significantly, with façade materials like wood paneling, stucco, and various masonry styles making up the buildings’ exteriors.
14001 Chester Avenue Sample Elevations 4, image by KTGY
14001 Chester Avenue Sample Elevations 3, image by KTGY
14001 Chester Avenue Sample Elevations 2, image by KTGY
14001 Chester Avenue Sample Elevations 1, image by KTGY
The site is located near the corner of Chester Avenue and Allendale Drive in Saratoga. The area is well-positioned for residents commuting to Silicon Valley offices. The development plans show each parcel containing a parking garage and driveway. Given the location, it is likely that residents will primarily use automobile transportation.
14001 Chester Avenue Site Location, image via ArcGIS Online
14001 Chester Avenue Current Site, image via Google StreetView
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Boo. Sprawl mcmansion development on ag land stinks.
It’s a vineyard… in the middle of a neighborhood. Steps away from a college campus…
Your bit is getting tired. These homes are equivalent to guest houses in other, closer billionaire estates. Sprawl? Basically. Wrong location? They’re just matching that neighborhood character you go on and on about.
The NIMBYs who whine about ‘neighborhood character’ are usually the least likely people to actually know their neighbors.
If we need to build single-family homes on greenfield sites (which we don’t…) this isn’t bad. Looks like the homes are packed in pretty tight on narrow lots. TBH if I were in the market for a single family home this is not how I’d want to live but at least this will keep the cost down.
The article doesn’t provide an explanation for why the more dense proposal was abandoned. To say the developer “struck a deal with the city…” just raises giant red flags for me – what did the city give up and what did the developer get to give up on building more units on the same acreage?
Read that the city agreed they would approve this by April and builder would withdraw the earlier application
Density should be higher, but this being Saratoga, I’ll take it as a net improvement. This is near Hwy 85.