Development Canceled on Santa Clara/San Jose Border

On the border of Santa Clara and San Jose earlier this week, a proposed high-rise at 826 N. Winchester Blvd was axed. Delighting some and frustrating others. 

This week, the San Jose City Council voted unanimously to reject plans for a 17-story apartment complex in West San Jose. The project would’ve brought in 135 homes and 15,000 sqft of retail space, but strong pushback from Cory neighborhood residents ultimately swayed the vote. The denied location is on the corner of Hedding and Winchester, and right behind it is a large single-family home neighborhood.  17 stories would be looking into a lot of backyards. But I get the location as well, it's maybe 4 blocks to Valley Fair and Santana Row, beyond that.  The intersection at Hedding and Winchester would seem to be a prime location for development, and each corner at the intersection has some sort of business mall.  A 7/11 here, a Walgreens there, small businesses sprinkled throughout. I'm sure developers have been targeting that area for years. 

Even when the developer, VCI Companies, offered to shrink the project to 11 stories, neighbors weren’t having it. Concerns included the size of the building, its impact on traffic and parking, and its distance from public transit (BART and Caltrain are miles away). The normal push back stuff!

The turnout at the meeting? Huge. Actually, huuuuuuge! Standing-room-only with overflow rooms, signs, matching shirts, and full grassroots energy.

On the flip side, housing advocates and labor unions supported the project, stressing that San Jose needs more homes, and fast. They argued that rejecting housing based on neighborhood opposition could slow the city’s progress in addressing the housing crisis.

But in the end, city officials said the project didn’t align with San Jose’s general plan or vision for the Winchester corridor. They also noted that District 6 (where this would’ve been built) is already doing its part, contributing about 23% of new housing under construction, even though it makes up only 10% of the city.  Which I personally don't really see as much of a point, I'm sure those numbers can be pushed anyway you want to push them. 

So for now, the site, vacant for 5 years, stays quiet. But this vote shows just how active and vocal the community is when it comes to shaping local development. I love these stories, we need housing and we need solid communities, it's cool to see how each of these "needs" continues to work with each other. 

Read Also: Santa Clara Seniors in Unsafe Housing Conditions