Willow Glen Resident
News
Pedestrian-friendly design is part of 875-unit Sobrato project
By Alicia Upano
The Sobrato Development, a high-density housing project along the light rail line just north of Willow Glen, continues to pick up steam.
The developer wants to build 875 rental units on Lincoln Avenue between Saddle Rack Drive and Parkmoor Avenue on a parcel that now houses eight vacant industrial buildings. The light rail line cuts diagonally through the 21.5-acre lot.
The developer will be seeking permission from the city to amend the area's general plan and zoning from industrial to planned development early next year. The city would also have to approve a planned development permit before the old buildings can be demolished next summer.
Sobrato, partner Morley Bros. and MVE designer Erin Miller presented changes to the project's design, based on previous community input, on Nov. 20.
The project's new plans included the relocation of a proposed 5,000-square-foot retail area from Race Street to Lincoln Avenue, to create a stronger connection between the Willow Glen and San Carlos business districts. The realignment will accommodate three to four small stores and business parking. However, Miller envisions patronage from the neighborhood.
"We're hoping that people will also be walking up from Willow Glen to the retail, because that was some of the feedback we got," Miller said.
At the previous meeting in the spring, residents told the developer they wanted a more pedestrian-friendly project with richer aesthetics.
In response, designers added a number of pedestrian walkways throughout the project and are seeking a "cannery" look to the project, utilizing brick and other materials such as wood, to design each three- to four-story building with different facades. The result should feel "urban and organic," as if the buildings were built "piecemeal" over time, said Eric Morley of the Morley Bros.
Parking and bike lanes will also be provided on Race Street. Some trees on Race Street may need to be removed, but they will be replaced.
While several community members agreed the changes were an improvement, resident Brian Ward said parking was still inadequate with 1.85 spaces per unit. Although the spaces provided are in excess of the city's parking requirement, Ward said the developer should provide at least two parking spaces per unit to accommodate actual needs. Others questioned how the project's new residents--along with those who will live in the neighboring KB Home 380-unit project--will find basic services.
Kathy Sutherland, a Delmas Park neighborhood leader, said the area will need a full-service grocery store. Grocery stores downtown have closed, she said, and the Midtown Safeway is already "stretched." While Whole Foods and Trader Joe's have plans to set up shop in District 6 during the next few years, Sutherland said they are boutique stores.
"In this area we need to start looking at what the residents need--a real, honest-to-god grocery store," Sutherland said.
Other neighbors questioned how the development would affect the schools. City planner Erin Morris said the city cannot deal with the attendance boost but can work with the developer to improve the path to school. KB Home, for example, will be required as part of its planning to design a safer the route to Gardner Academy.
The development's draft environmental impact report, a document that studies how the 875-unit project will affect the surrounding area, was distributed on Nov. 22. The public has until Jan. 5 to provide comments on the document.
To view the draft environmental impact report, visit www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/eir. For more information, call city planner Rodrigo Orduna, 408.535.7890 or email rodrigo.orduna@sanjoseca.gov.
