News from City of San José Department of Planning, Building & Code Enforcement |
|
In this issue:
* Meet Chris Burton, our new PBCE Director
* Want to give effective feedback on a proposed development? See our new guide!
* Check it out: Preapproved ADU options have expanded
* Join us July 15 - Update of City's Historic Context Statement & Inventory
* Join us - Three workshops on the future of parking and driving alternatives in SJ
|
|
Chris Burton as new PBCE Director will focus San José's development on quality and inclusiveness
After a competitive national recruitment in the late spring, City Manager Dave Sykes appointed Chris Burton to lead the the Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement. Chris, who has served in the City's Office of Economic Development for more than a decade, took the helm on June 21, 2021. "Chris understands that the future of San José includes our diverse community, businesses of all sizes, land use, and economics — he is equipped to help us transform and meet our growth challenges," said Dave.
Chris holds a B.A. in Human Geography from the University of Westminster, London. He started his City career in PBCE as a project manager, helping facilitate the permitting of more than 200 development projects. He then joined the Office of Economic Development, where as a business development officer and then deputy director, he led the City's comprehensive economic strategy to catalyze job growth, private investment, and revenue generation. Among his accomplishments was the ideation of the Development Fee Framework to create transparency for developers and investors as they consider San José as an opportunity. "I'm looking forward to working with our amazing community to facilitate quality development while also building and inclusive, prosperous future for our residents," said Chris.
|
|
New "Guide to Public Hearings on Proposed Developments" shows the way to providing effective public input
Want to give feedback on a new development or new use being proposed in the City of San José? Our new multilingual online guide explains how the public hearing process works for proposed developments or uses, and how you can best engage and provide input. The guide answers common questions about the public hearing process, from how the City informs the public about proposed developments to the type of feedback that developers can best use for changing their designs to address community concerns.
Go to at www.sanjoseca.gov/PlanningMeetings to find our calendar of community meetings and commission meetings as well as the link to the guide. You can also subscribe to the City's Development Projects Update List – you’ll receive a weekly email that lists proposed projects by Council District. Sign Up!
|
|
Preapproved ADU options have expanded
One of the fastest, least expensive ways to get a backyard home is to select a plan from among the City's list of Preapproved ADUs.
You now have more choices of preapproved ADU plans. Currently, there are seven vendors altogether offering a choice of 13 preapproved ADU plans. The City has given its stamp of approval on these plans as meeting the California building codes, and you still get to select the finishes and some design options. “With preapproved plans, you can expect to have a building permit within a month after the plans have been submitted," said Andrew Wozencroft, who supervises the City's plan review process for ADUs. Because every site is different, the preapproved plans still go through plan review to check the site plan for conformance with setbacks, among other things. The plan options include prefabricated ADUs, which can result in an ADU being permitted and erected in under four months.
If you're thinking about an ADU for rental income or for housing family members, with interest rates still low, now can be a great time to invest in an ADU. Learn more or get your project started at www.sanjoseca.gov/ADUs.
|
|
Thursday July 15 - 6:00-8:00 pm
Virtual Community Meeting
Update to San José Historic Context Statement
& Historic Resources Inventory
We want your input! San José is rich in history and diversity and we're updating the "Historical Overview and Context for the City of San José" to better inform our Historic Resources Inventory. Largely funded by a grant from the California Office of Historic Preservation, this update will explore unidentified and unrecognized patterns of San José’s social, cultural, political, and economic life related to underrepresented ethnic and diverse communities. We can then develop a more culturally and racially inclusive inventory of historic properties that celebrate our city's diversity and more fully represent San José’s history. We hope to see you at the virtual meeting!
|
|
Got thoughts about the future of parking and alternatives to driving in San José?
You are invited to join the City, SPUR, Greenbelt Alliance, Nelson/Nygaard, and Veggielution in the process to update the City’s Parking and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) standards. Funded as part of the American Cities Climate Challenge, the City and its partners are working together on the goal of ensuring adequate parking facilities while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion, supporting housing affordability, and designing more attractive and walkable neighborhoods — all within the context of Climate Smart San José and the Envision San José́ 2040 General Plan.
TDM focuses on the use of sustainable travel options. We’re evaluating: 1) Establishing TDM requirements in new development; and 2) Where allowed, eliminating minimum parking requirements, enabling developers rather than the City to determine the level of parking that supports the development's success, which in turn, may potentially increase affordability. You're invited to join these upcoming workshops — find more information on this process and dates for additional meetings at www.bit.ly/SJParkingUpdate.>
Virtual Public Workshop - Parking & TDM Update
In-Person Public Workshop at Veggielution Farm
“Demystifying Parking” Public Workshop
|
|
Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can get your own: Sign up!
Follow us on social media @buildingsanjose for community meetings, public hearings, webinars and announcements:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
