The project--Venetian Terrace--will be developed on 4.6 acres of property owned by the Scottish Rite Temple, which is affiliated with the Masonic Temple order. The temple bought the property in 1984.

San Jose project planner Erin Morris said no one showed up at the San Jose planning director's hearing on Feb. 23 to voice any concerns about the project. And she received no phone calls or emails beforehand about the proposed development.

Although the San Jose City Council approved the project in August 2004, the San Jose Planning Department had some issues with the architecture. Morris said the department thought the stucco structure was "repetitive and had little building articulation."

Since the council meeting, however, Anderson Architects has revised the design considerably, Morris said.

"The style has changed substantially," she said. "And the architect further honed it over the last few months."

The new design is more contemporary and has better articulation between buildings, Morris added. The site will also include a 1.3-acre public park. Adjacent residences will be separated from the development by a 45-foot setback. Morris speculated that the lack of community concern at and prior to the hearing was because the development is removed from residential areas.

"It's visible but not in as many people's backyards," she said.

At previous community meetings residents discussed how the development would affect preexisting flood conditions in the area. When the city installed a 54-inch storm drain near Redbird Avenue in 2003, the flow requirements were recalculated because the new drain increased the flow. Some residents did not want the proposed development to go forward without recalculating the drainage on Rinconada Drive to ensure it was adequate for the existing neighborhood and the new housing complex.

At a community meeting in April 2004, Erik Schoennauer, the consultant for developer Vitoil Inc., said the project's proposed underground drainage channel would alleviate flood conditions by replacing the existing drainage ditch on Rinconada Avenue. He also said that the project's primary slope was toward Masonic Drive, which would not contribute to an increase in storm water runoff for the homes on Pebble Beach and Rinconada drives.