It's a project that is closer to fruition since the San Jose City Council voted on March 1 to unanimously approved a rezoning change on the 1.17-acre parcel. The development, which will be constructed at 790 and 800 Malone Road, was rezoned from residential to planned development.

The vote came only one week after the San Jose Planning Commission on Feb.23 recommended its approval with a 5-1 vote, with commissioner Jim Zito casting the only nay vote and commissioner Christopher Platten absent.

Zito opposed the project because of its high density and short distance from the river, according to a commission memorandum forwarded to the city council on Feb. 24.

Zito's concerns echoed several residents' worries that surfaced at a community meeting on Jan. 5.

Since that first meeting, the heritage trees and the developments' proximity to the river have been a point of contention between the developer and certain Willow Glen residents. All parties wanted to preserve the natural elements that are part of the area, but the developer had to balance environmental concerns with financial feasibility.

Core Development plans to remove three existing homes on the lot and replace them with nine detached, single-family, two-story units, ranging in size from 2,731 to 3,860 square feet. Each home will be designed with three to four bedrooms and a two-car garage or tandem parking.

After attending the project's Jan. 5 community meeting, Willow Glen Neighborhood Association board member Hugh Graham hoped the distance between the homes and the riverbanks would be extended from the proposed 30 feet to the city of San Jose's standard 100 feet to protect the river. Core Development acknowledged the residents' concerns and extended the distance an additional 10 feet, placing the homes 40 feet from the riverbank.

Neighborhood association first vice president Ed Rast suggested decreasing the density of the project from nine to eight units to conform with housing density in the area. But Chris Neale of Core Development said removing a house would make the project financially detrimental. But Chris Neale of Core Development said the number of homes is necessary to make the project financially solvent.