Willow Glen Resident

News

Raffanti wants to build 15 homes on Radio Avenue

By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

A 15-unit project proposed for 2102 Radio Ave. has nearby residents concerned about potential problems.

Residents at the April 10 community meeting argued a project of this size would affect traffic, parking and the density on their residential street.

They are concerned about an increase in overall traffic, and how it will affect the safety of seniors using Willows Senior Center and children crossing the street at Lincoln Glen Park.

Robert Raffanti, the developer of the project and a Willow Glen resident, said the project would be "beneficial" to the neighborhood, and the traffic and density would not have a negative affect.

"Our goal is to seamlessly integrate the project with the neighborhood," Raffanti said.

Raffanti is proposing 15 units, 14 "duet-style" homes--built side by side--and one single-family detached home at the front of the project facing Radio Avenue. The project will be built on a three-quarter-acre site and named Willow Village Square.

There are two single-family homes on the property. The dwellings have been used as a residence, business and storage facility. These will be torn down.

Raffanti said a traffic study independently completed by the developer, InStratum, concluded there would be 7.5 trips per unit per day, and most would occur during peak hours, identified as morning and afternoon to early evening rush hours.

The city did not perform a traffic study, said Carol Hamilton, San Jose senior planner, because the project's size is not large enough to warrant one.

Residents also raised questions about the already inadequate parking on Radio Avenue, and how the addition of 15 more units would only worsen the problem. But Raffanti was confident the project would include sufficient parking for the project and not exacerbate the current situation.

According to the developer's site plans, the parking required for this project is 2.8 spaces per unit. The project is designed with a total of 45 spaces, which satisfies the required allotment.

Density was the third concern at the meeting. The site is currently zoned to allow 12 to 25 medium- to high-density homes. The developer is proposing to have the site rezoned to allow a maximum of 15 single-family units.

Willow Glen resident Lou Groth said she would like to see the density lowered and the cost of the units raised. Her back yard is adjacent to the proposed project.

"That way there would be less people living there," she said.

Her major concern is the noise.

"I have a quiet back yard right now," she said. "With 45 parking spaces and people coming in and out, I just don't see how the 30-plus people that will live there can be quiet."

Raffanti said because this particular project was an "entry-level housing unit" per Willow Glen standards and surrounded by apartment complexes and commercial space, changing it to high-end units would not be financially feasible.