Before more developers can swoop in to build in the West San Carlos Street and Bascom Avenue urban village areas, minor land-use changes may have to be made to some properties within.
But those changes shouldn’t alter the urban villages’ overall boundaries, according to San Jose city planners.
The city recently proposed “modifications to the boundary and changes to General Plan land use designations on properties within the boundaries” of both urban village plans.
Planning division manager Michael Brilliot said in an interview several developers have expressed interest in building in the West San Carlos Urban Village but the city first must iron out the land-use details.
“Developers want to build something based on this plan but it’s been put on hold because it’s not approved by the council,” Brilliot said.
The city began organizing community workshops and doing public outreach on the urban village plans several years ago. But those plans stalled in the last couple of years for various reasons, Brilliot said, and staff now needs to reflect the more recent changes, such as planned growth on South Bascom.
“Going back, looking at the plans, people had proposed developments and we’ve seen different types that have been built,” he added. “It made us rethink some urban designated land use. Is this the right way we want to go? Do we need to tweak this? We’ve gone back with a new set of eyes.”
The changes are “minutiae,” Brilliot said, adding that they won’t drastically change what neighbors are expecting.
