San Jose Planning Commission Meeting - April 23, 2025
San Jose Planning Commission Meeting - April 23, 2025
The San Jose Planning Commission met on April 23, 2025, at 6:54 PM under Chair Anthony Tordillos. Roll call confirmed six members present, three absent (Vice Chair Cantrell, Commissioners Barosio and Young), achieving a quorum. The meeting covered consent calendar items, general plan amendments, and one public hearing item for a conditional use permit.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes approval: Minutes from the April 9, 2025 meeting were approved unanimously (6-0-3).
- PDC 23-008 etc.: Approval of planned development zoning, vesting tentative map, and permit for 25 single-family homes at 3315 Sierra Road. The motion passed 6-0-3.
General Plan Consent Calendar
- GPT 25-001: A city-initiated text amendment to policy IP-5.15 was adopted without discussion, passing 6-0-3.
Discussion Items
- CP23-024 and ER23-256: Conditional use permit for demolition of an existing 4,763 sq ft McDonald's restaurant and construction of a new approximately 3,786 sq ft restaurant with a double drive-through lane at 1869 Camden Avenue (northeast corner of Camden and Lee). The project includes all-electric building, 28 new 24-inch box trees, 20 employees, operating hours 6 a.m. to midnight, and drive-thru noise levels of 50.8 dBA (below the 55 dBA standard). Access will be from Lee Avenue (right, left, turn in and right out) and Camden Avenue (right in, right out). Staff (Rina Shah) and applicant (Haila Ibrahim, architect; Adam Branerberg, McDonald's construction manager) presented. Commissioner Ben Dahl expressed support, noting the outdated existing restaurant and the beneficial economic update. Commissioner Larnois questioned the project's consistency with growth area and urban village plans; staff clarified the CG zoning permits drive-throughs with a CUP, unlike pedestrian zones. Another commissioner commented that such developments are less permanent than housing. A motion to approve the staff recommendation passed 6-0-3.
Other Business
- Referrals: None.
- Good and Welfare: Commissioner requested the upcoming study session on the capital budget be held in the same room (staff to check availability). Commissioner Bickford inquired about progress on Zoom remote dial-in; liaison Councilmember Casey has been contacted but no follow-up yet.
Adjournment
- The meeting adjourned at 6:54 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Thank you for the patience, everyone. Good evening. My name is Anthony Tordillos, and I am the chair of the Planning Commission. Welcome to this Planning Commission meeting. Please remember to turn off your cell phones. The parking validation machine for the garage under City Hall is located at the rear of the chambers. Following roll call during the summary of hearing procedures, we will review how the public may provide comment during today's session. At this time, if you're able, please join me in rising for the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. We will now move on to roll call. Vice Chair Cantrell. Commissioner Barosio. Commissioner Bickford. He forgot Commissioner Bendal. Oh, sorry. Commissioner Bendal. Here. Commissioner Bickford. I'm here. Uh Commissioner Larnois. Here. Commissioner Oliverio. Here. Commissioner Rosario. Here. Commissioner Young. Myself here. That's six in attendance, three absences. So we have quorum. All right, we will move on to summary of hearing procedures. If you want to address the commission, please fill out a speaker card located on the table near the audiovisual technician and deposit the completed card in the basket. There are also speaker cards in the back of the chambers and at the side entrance. The procedure for this hearing is as follows. After staff's presentation, applicants and or appellants may make up to a five minute presentation. During the public comment period, the chair will call on the names on the submitted speaker cards in the order received for those members of the public who attend in person. As your name is called, line up in front of the microphone at the front of the chamber. Generally, each speaker will be given up to two minutes for public testimony, and speakers using a translator will have up to four minutes. At the discretion of the chair, the time allotted to each speaker may be changed depending on the number of items on the agenda, number of speakers, and other factors. Speakers using a translator will have double the time allotted. After the public testimony, the applicant and or appellant may make closing remarks for up to an additional five minutes. Planning commissioners may ask questions of the speakers. Response to Commissioner questions will not reduce the speaker's time allowance. The public hearing will then be closed, and the planning commission will take action on the item. The planning commission may request staff to respond to the public testimony, ask staff questions, and discuss the item. If you challenge these land use decisions in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at this public hearing or in written correspondence delivered to the city at or prior to the public hearing. The planning commission's action on rezonings, pre-zonings, general plan amendments, and code amendments is only advisory to the city council. The City Council will hold public hearings on these items. Section 20.120.400 of the municipal code provides the procedures for legal protests to the City Council on rezonings and prezonings. The Planning Commission's action on conditional use permits is appealable to the City Council in accordance with section 20.100.220 of the municipal code. Agendas and all staff reports for this meeting may be accessed on the city's website.
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