The General Plan 4-Year Review: Potential Policy Changes (Opportunity Housing)

The City of San José is currently undergoing a policy review for the Envision San José 2040 General Plan that occurs every four years. Your neighborhood group may be impacted by one of the potential policy changes.

A Scope of Work for the General Plan 4-Year Review was approved by City Council in June 2019. A 43-person Task Force was appointed to discuss and provide input on the various topics once a month. One of the scope items directed staff to explore allowing

two to four units of housing, also called “Opportunity Housing,” on properties with a Residential Neighborhood land use designation proximate to transit-oriented Urban Villages or next to existing multifamily housing. Staff analysis is underway; the task force has discussed parameters for the conceptual policy framework, and recommendations will continue to be refined through the task force process, which is open to the public.

There are both short-term and long-term steps for Opportunity Housing. First, the task force will decide on a conceptual policy framework for Opportunity Housing and make a recommendation to City Council. All Task Force recommendations will be presented in a package to Council in spring 2021. Should City Council take action to pursue the policy framework for Opportunity Housing, then staff would undertake several steps including:

• Extensive community engagement

• Displacement risk analysis

• Historic inventory

• Design standards

• General Plan amendments

• Zoning Code amendments

• Environmental analysis

We invite you to review meeting materials—including presentations, maps and memoranda—linked below and provide comments. We also invite you to attend the next virtual meeting scheduled on August 20th at 6:00 p.m. when the Task Force will continue its discussion on Opportunity Housing. For any questions or comments please send them to: GeneralPlanStaff@sanjoseca.gov

• Past Meeting Materials

  • July 30, 2020: See materials under “VIRTUAL MEETING #6 (JULY 30, 2020)” heading

  • February 27, 2020: See materials under “MEETING #4 (FEBRUARY 27, 2020)” heading

• Recordings of Opportunity Housing presentations

  • July 30, 2020: Revised Opportunity Housing Recommendation

  • February 27, 2020: First Opportunity Housing Recommendation (Skip to 2:32:00)

  • January 30, 2020: Why Opportunity Housing? (Skip to Opticos Presentation at 1:26:00)

• General Plan 4-Year Review Scope of Work The following is information for the August 20, 2020 virtual meeting: Virtual meeting access instructions: https://sanjoseca.zoom.us/j/96768691667 or Dial in: +1 408 638 0968 or 877 853 5257 (toll free) Webinar ID: 967 6869 1667

Best regards, Kieulan Pham Supervising Planner - General Plan/Data Analytics City of San Jose Planning, Building and Code Enforcement 200 E. Santa Clara St, Tower 3 San Jose, CA 95113