The Santa Clara City Council altered the zoning on two parcels to make way for a pair of housing projects that will add 17 for-sale homes to the city.
At its last meeting on July 15 before its break, the council approved slight increases to two properties fairly close to each other, allowing for a slightly higher density.
The first project, set to be located at 2303 Gianera St., will add eight semi-attached single-unit apartments, one of which will be below-market-rate. The council changed the approximately 17,000 sq. ft. parcel from low-density to planned development.
Afshan Hamid, community development director, told the council that 89% of developments within 1,000 feet are already zoned planned development.
Kelly Erardi, director of entitlements at Venture Capital Investments (VCI), the project’s developer, told the council that the project is “providing housing for the missing middle.”
“We are at a point where we are very excited about doing business in Santa Clara,” he said.
The second development, located at 4249 Cheeney St., will similarly add another nine townhomes to the city’s housing stock. The .51-acre vacant lot is near the Gianera Street development.
Hamid said the proposed project is “in harmony with the neighborhood.”
Both projects meet all general plan and zoning requirements. The council approved both unanimously.
Council Gives Thumbs-Up To Charter Review Committee
Also on the agenda was a proposal for the city to consider forming a charter review committee.
City Attorney Glen Googins told the council that Santa Clara has not had a charter update since 2000, which, he said, was just a minor tweak. Most changes since the charter’s inception in the early 1950s have been “mostly piecemeal.”
A charter change would, he said, improve “efficiency and eliminate ambiguity.”
“A lot has changed, both in the laws that apply to cities and in what are considered best practices for city operations,” Googins said. “The idea of this is to focus on the working of government, to add clarity, modernity, consistency with best practices.”
The governance and ethics committee unanimously recommended the council form a charter review committee.
Among the charter’s housing cleaning would be to clarify residence requirements for city officials and the roles of the city clerk and library board, as well as what constitutes a budget amendment.
Googins said the changes would not be designed to “advance political objectives” or majorly overhaul the charter.
The council voted unanimously to have each council member appoint a member from their district and the mayor to appoint an at-large member, as well as have a member from each district selected by lottery, for a total of 13 members.
Civic Group Continues To Push For Downtown Restoration
During public presentations, a few members of the civic organization Reclaiming Our Downtown urged the council to push forward the downtown’s priority.
A couple of members of the group called for the council to issue a request for proposal (RFP) for some sections of the former downtown.
Mary Grizzle, one of the group’s staunchest advocates, said going out to bid would allow the city to assess — and the public to see — the value without necessarily committing to any particular project.
“We can’t ignore the public’s voice again. The people of Santa Clara have spoken, time and time again,” she said. “You can’t stop an idea whose time has come.”
Because the topic was not on the agenda, the council was unable to comment or take any action on the presentations.
Consent Calendar Spending
The council approved the following spending via the consent calendar:
- A $1 million extension to an agreement, through the end of 2031, with Applied Power Technologies, Inc. electrical power monitoring systems support and maintenance.
The next regularly scheduled meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1500 Warburton Ave. in Santa Clara.
Members of the public can participate in the City Council meetings on Zoom at https://santaclaraca.zoom.us/j/99706759306; Meeting ID: 997-0675-9306 or call 1 (669) 900-6833, via the City’s eComment (available during the meeting) or by email to PublicComment@santaclaraca.gov.
Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com
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