The approval on Oct. 18 included eight amendments recommended by the planning commission, including the relocation of two parking spaces at the back of the property to the front. The developer will be required to plant a significant number of trees on the 0.39-acre site, to screen the back of the property for privacy and for landscaping. A specific number of trees was not cited in the conditions of approval.

The design aspects for the development include lowering the rear roof by 48 inches; removing all upper level windows at the back of the property; obscuring the glass and high sills on the upper level's bath windows; and an addition of 24-inch lattices to the tops of the fences on the property.

The lot at 1163 Curtiss Ave. already has a home on the site that will be renovated. The three homes that will be built behind the existing one will be two stories.

"The site of the development is a fairly open one," San Jose planner Ed Schreiner said.

He said that major concerns voiced by the community at an earlier meeting were about the parking situation, the two-story properties and "visual invasion."

Curtiss Avenue is a narrow, two-way street that allows parking on only one side of the street. To alleviate congestion, there will be a private driveway built with the project, Schreiner said.

Each of the homes will have a two-car garage or carport and there will be four additional parking spots at the front for guests.

Three Curtiss Avenue residents at the Oct. 18 meeting thanked District 6 Councilman Ken Yeager and his team for working with them to address their concerns on parking and privacy.

"It's rare to get the kind of help we got from Councilman Ken Yeager and his staff," said Willow Glen resident David Fox to the council members. "The communication on this project proved to be good for both the developer and the neighbors."

His wife, Gail Seeds, also expressed her gratitude to Yeager.

"I want to commend the designer and developer for working together with the community to address our concerns," Seeds said. "And thanks to Councilman Yeager, we were able to come up with a solution that everyone could be happy with."