Canoas Garden Neighborhood Association President Dick Dentino said the neighborhood is on a flood plain and that neighbors want a drainpipe installed on the north side of the proposed development to protect their homes if the Canoas Creek or Guadalupe River floods.

"It's a safety and flooding issue," Dentino said.

He added that last year the city installed a $5 million, 54-inch storm drain into the Guadalupe River on the south side of the proposed development near Redbird Drive. The storm drain is designed to prevent a repeat of the heavy flooding that destroyed two cars in 1989 when water reached as high as the dashboards.

But with only an open ditch for the overflow from Canoas Creek on the north side at the end of Rinconada Drive, the existing homes and the new proposed condominium project—4.6 acres being sold by the Scottish Rite Temple—could be vulnerable, Dentino said.

"Our position is that we want to see the drainage [on the north side] re-analyzed," Dentino said, adding that he wants city engineers to do a study to see if the existing drainage system at the end of Rinconada Drive will adequately address any flooding problems and is sufficient for any new housing development.

The 4.6-acre proposed condominium project would be built on a section of property that is an empty field. It belongs to the Scottish Rite Temple, which is affiliated with the Masonic Temple order. The temple bought the property in 1984. The property owners erected a club building but did not develop the rest of the land and are now negotiating the sale of the unused portion with Vitoil Inc., according to one member of the temple.

Vitoil Inc. consultant and spokesman Erik Schoennauer said that the developer plans to install an underground channel to solve the drainage problem.

"We'll create a more defined path," Schoennauer said.

Dentino has discussed the association's concerns with Schoennauer, and to date he is satisfied with the developer's response.

Schoennauer said his client, Vitoil Inc., wants to work with the neighborhood association and the city councilman's office to make the project amenable to the community.

Dentino said neighbors are also concerned that the development not cause increased traffic on their streets. Both Rinconada and Pebble Beach drives end in cul-de-sacs, and the residents do not want those roads reconfigured into through streets.

"We got a commitment that that won't happen," Dentino said, referring to his discussion with Schoennauer.

After listening to resident input, the developers designed the entrance and exit into the property through Masonic Drive, which leaves the cul-del-sac streets intact.

"We think it's a perfect site for development," Schoennauer said, adding that there will be a minimum impact on the neighbors because of the site's surroundings.

The Cathedral of Faith parking lot borders the north side of the project, Almaden Expressway will border the development on the east, and the Scottish Rite Temple lies to the west, leaving only the south side of the project sharing a border with single-family residential homes.

A 50-foot setback from the property line is also part of the design. And the developer plans to construct the four-story building on the south side by the residential area and the six-story building on the north side.

The development will also set aside 1.3 acres for a city park and provide landscaping, Schoennauer said.

The development, Venetian Terrace, was designed with a "European flavor" with balconies and large courtyards, he said.

Resident parking will be located under the first floor of both buildings, and emergency-vehicle access and pedestrian access will be available on the south side near one of the cul-de-sacs, Schoennauer said.

All of the townhouses will be priced competitively at market rate because the site is not in a city-designated redevelopment area that requires affordable housing, he said.

"It's completely consistent with city goals," Schoennauer said, adding that the development meets the goals of the city's General Plan with its proximity to the light-rail station at Curtner and Canoas Garden avenues and to the commercial center on Almaden Expressway.

"We think it's a good project that meets city objectives and neighborhood concerns," Schoennauer said.

Schoennauer said he anticipates beginning a wider neighborhood outreach in April, but anyone with questions is welcome to call his office.

To discuss the project, call Erik Schoennauer at 408.947.7774.