Willow Glen Resident

News

Pinn Brother donates land to Assyrian church for parking

By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

The Assyrian Church of the East will be adding 8,000 square feet to its property.

Two additional parcels of land are being donated to the Willow Glen church as part of the conditions of approval for Pinn Brothers' 19-home project on Hervey Lane, said Pinn Brothers project manager John Moniz. Pinn Brothers cannot develop the parcels as part of its project because the land is located near the defunct railroad track.

The Pinn Brothers project was approved unanimously by the San Jose City Council in October 2005. It will be constructed on 3.34 acres of a vacant railroad embankment behind Hervey Lane.

The church, at 680 Minnesota Ave., was using this land for parking prior to the project's approval, Moniz said.

Church spokesman Charlie Yonan said church officials have filed an application with the San Jose Planning Department for a special use permit in order to incorporate the donated land into their existing property.

The permit will allow the grading and paving of the two parcels so parishioners can use it for parking, but the permit is still under review, said San Jose planner Rebekah Ross.

However, Yonan said although the church congregation appreciates the donation, it would not use the land for additional parking because it wouldn't provide ample parking.

The parcel's shape, split into two sites of about 4,000 square feet each, represents a challenge to incorporate into the existing church parking lot, he said.

"We are working on this with the city," Yonan said. "It is still in the preliminary stages, and we haven't received further information from the planners."