OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Planning Director's Hearing - May 8, 2025: Approval of Saturday Construction Hours for Affordable Housing Project

Planning CommissionThursday, May 8, 2025
BodySan Jose, California
SessionPlanning Commission
DateThursday, May 8, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 28:45

Transcript — Verbatim
0:04

Good morning.

0:05

Call into order the planning director's hearing of May 7th, 2025.

0:09

My name is John 2, and I'm the hearing officer for today's agenda on behalf and delegated by the director of planning, building and code enforcement, Christopher Burton.

0:17

The meeting is being held via Zoom conference call.

0:19

Members of the public may participate by following the instructions listed on page two of the agenda.

0:24

If we like to provide public comment, you have two methods to identify yourself to provide public comment.

0:28

For participants who join electronically and auto input available on your computer or smartphone, you can use a raise hand feature in Zoom or click star nine on your phone if you dialed in to request or speak when your time is when your item is being heard on the agenda.

0:41

Keep your raise hand feature or until staff has identified your turn to speak.

0:45

During the meeting, you can also call 408-535-3505 or email planning support staff at San Rose ACA.gov.

0:54

Identify the name that's listed on Zoom or phone number that you called in with, and what item you would like to comment on.

1:00

All members of public will remain on mute until staff identifies your turn to speak.

1:04

And when you're in you may speak when you're unmuted.

1:07

At that time, you'll be unmuted and can provide comments during the allotted time.

1:10

If you exceeded the law time, you may be meeting, so we can move on to the next speaker.

1:15

Please note the following.

1:17

The hearing procedures and order of input will as followed.

1:19

I'll identify each project as described on the agenda for those items on the consent calendar.

1:24

I'll ask if anyone wishes to speak on the item.

1:26

If a separate discussion is warranted, I'll move the item to public hearing portion of the agenda.

1:30

If a separate discussion is not needed, the item will remain consent calendar for approval.

1:35

For those items listed under public hearing, I'll ask staff to provide a brief report.

1:39

The applicant or the representative who wishes to speak on the item will have up to five minutes to speak and should identify themselves by stating their name for the record.

1:46

After the applicant or the representative have spoken, any member of the public who wishes to speak on the item may provide testimony of two minutes per speaker, either for or against the project.

1:55

All members of the public should identify their name for the record.

1:59

Following comments from the public, the applicant will make additional remarks for up to five minutes.

2:03

I would then close the public comments and may ask staff to answer questions, respond to comments made by the applicant or the public or further discussion of the item.

2:11

I will then take action on the item.

2:13

If you challenge these line use decisions in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at this public hearing or main correspondence delivered to the city at or prior to the public hearing.

2:24

The plan director's actions on agenda items will be final when the permit signed and mail, unless the permit or an environmental determination is appealed.

2:31

The plan director's action on the departments are appealable in accordance with the requirements of title 20 of the Spality Code.

2:37

The plan director's action of the environmental review of the permits under the California Environmental Equality Act are separately appealable in accordance with the requirements of Title 21 and the Speciality Code.

2:46

Before we begin, I want to remind members of the public to follow our code of conduct at the meeting.

2:50

This includes commenting on the specific agenda items only.

2:52

Public speakers will not engage in conversation with the hearing officer or staff.

2:56

The hearing officer staff and the public are expected to refrain from abusive language.

3:00

Repeated failures to comply with the code of conduct, which will disturb, disrupt, or impede the orderly conduct building will result in removal from the meeting.

3:06

The meeting director's hearing will now come to order.

3:10

All right.

3:14

Any item for hearing this morning for deferral to future meeting is being requested will be moved to this portion of the agenda.

3:20

Consider the matter of deferral.

3:21

I'll identify any item to be deferred and ask for comments from the audience.

3:24

If you want to change any of the deferral date or speak to the question of deferral or any odds, please use the raise hand feature in Zoom or star nine to raise a hand.

3:32

I'll now open public hearing.

3:34

Currently, there are no items for the matter of deferral.

3:36

Is there anybody who wants to speak on the matter of deferral?

3:39

Please raise hand or star nine on your phone.

3:47

Seeing none.

3:48

Hands are any raised.

3:49

Uh the matter of deferral is now closed.

3:51

Consent calendar.

3:52

There will be no separate discussion individual consent calendar as they consider to be routine and be considered in one action unless an item is to be moved to the public calendar for separate discussion by the hearing officer.

4:02

The public may comment on the entire consent calendar or any item from the consent calendar.

4:06

Uh the hearing officer.

4:07

You wish to speak on these items, please use the raise hand feature or click star nine to raise a hand to speak.

4:14

So before I uh discuss the consent calendars and anybody, members of the public who would like to discuss the matter of consent calendar or poll.

4:22

Staff.

4:24

Uh staff, you unmute yourself, please.

4:27

Yeah, good morning, hearing officer.

4:29

Uh this is Jason Lee, a project manager for S well both files, but this is on SPA 19-064-02.

4:37

Uh staff would like to pull this item to the public hearing portion of the agenda.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing███████████████████████23%
Public Comment██████████████████████22%
Construction Timeline████████████████████20%
Procedural██████████████████18%
Noise█████████████████17%
Summary of Proceedings

Planning Director's Hearing - May 8, 2025

Note: The transcript of the meeting begins with "May 7th, 2025", but the provided meeting date is May 8, 2025. This discrepancy is noted.

The meeting was called to order by Hearing Officer John 2, acting on behalf of the Director of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement. The primary agenda item was a special use permit amendment to allow Saturday construction hours for a 100% affordable housing development at 969 Meridian Avenue. A consent calendar item was also considered and approved without discussion.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 3A (PD 24-023, ER24307): Plan development permit for three accessory structures at 2233 Terrain Valley Drive. Staff recommended approval, and the permit was approved as a consent item with no public comment or objection.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Several residents from neighboring apartment complexes (Redwood Senior Apartments and Tanglewood Apartments) spoke in opposition to the Saturday construction request. Key concerns included:
    • Noise disruption on weekends, which is the only time residents have for rest and family.
    • Traffic congestion and parking issues caused by construction workers.
    • A petition with 41 signatures from Redwood Senior Apartments objecting to Saturday construction because many seniors cannot attend the meeting electronically.
    • One resident noted that the existing weekday permit allows work until 7 p.m., but that time is not fully used; thus, Saturday work is unnecessary.
    • Another resident argued that delays caused by PG&E are not the community's burden and that the developer should exhaust other options before imposing Saturday work.
  • The applicant, Jim Campbell (Rome Development), acknowledged the disruption and stated that the Saturday work would involve quieter activities (stucco, material loading, landscaping) and would be limited to 15–20 intermittent Saturdays, not every Saturday.

Discussion Items

  • Staff Presentation (Jason Lee): The request (SPA 19-064-02) is for a special use permit amendment to allow exterior construction on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (interior construction on Saturdays was already permitted). The project is a 233-unit, 100% affordable housing development approved by City Council in 2020. Delays were caused by PG&E pole removal. A noise addendum found that Saturday work noise levels would be consistent with the previously certified EIR. Staff recommended approval.
  • Applicant Presentation (Jim Campbell): Rome Development has 40 years of experience. The Saturday work would save 6–8 weeks of overall construction time, allowing earlier occupancy (targeting late 2026). The current phase is the noisiest; Saturday work would be quieter.
  • Hearing Officer Deliberation: The hearing officer acknowledged the disruption but noted the project’s affordable housing status and the need to meet funding deadlines. To mitigate impacts, he proposed modifying the conditions: staging may begin at 8 a.m., but heavy machinery operation may not start until 9 a.m. (hours remain 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The applicant agreed to this condition. Staff confirmed the condition could be added.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved Item 3B (SPA 19-064-02): The special use permit amendment for Saturday construction hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) was approved with the following additional condition: staging and preparation allowed from 8 a.m., but heavy machinery operation shall not commence until 9 a.m. This condition aims to reduce early-morning noise for nearby residents.
  • Consent Calendar Item 3A: Approved as submitted.
  • The meeting adjourned at 9:28 a.m.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning. Call into order the planning director's hearing of May 7th, 2025. My name is John 2, and I'm the hearing officer for today's agenda on behalf and delegated by the director of planning, building and code enforcement, Christopher Burton. The meeting is being held via Zoom conference call. Members of the public may participate by following the instructions listed on page two of the agenda. If we like to provide public comment, you have two methods to identify yourself to provide public comment. For participants who join electronically and auto input available on your computer or smartphone, you can use a raise hand feature in Zoom or click star nine on your phone if you dialed in to request or speak when your time is when your item is being heard on the agenda. Keep your raise hand feature or until staff has identified your turn to speak. During the meeting, you can also call 408-535-3505 or email planning support staff at San Rose ACA.gov. Identify the name that's listed on Zoom or phone number that you called in with, and what item you would like to comment on. All members of public will remain on mute until staff identifies your turn to speak. And when you're in you may speak when you're unmuted. At that time, you'll be unmuted and can provide comments during the allotted time. If you exceeded the law time, you may be meeting, so we can move on to the next speaker. Please note the following. The hearing procedures and order of input will as followed. I'll identify each project as described on the agenda for those items on the consent calendar. I'll ask if anyone wishes to speak on the item. If a separate discussion is warranted, I'll move the item to public hearing portion of the agenda. If a separate discussion is not needed, the item will remain consent calendar for approval. For those items listed under public hearing, I'll ask staff to provide a brief report. The applicant or the representative who wishes to speak on the item will have up to five minutes to speak and should identify themselves by stating their name for the record. After the applicant or the representative have spoken, any member of the public who wishes to speak on the item may provide testimony of two minutes per speaker, either for or against the project. All members of the public should identify their name for the record. Following comments from the public, the applicant will make additional remarks for up to five minutes. I would then close the public comments and may ask staff to answer questions, respond to comments made by the applicant or the public or further discussion of the item. I will then take action on the item. If you challenge these line use decisions in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at this public hearing or main correspondence delivered to the city at or prior to the public hearing. The plan director's actions on agenda items will be final when the permit signed and mail, unless the permit or an environmental determination is appealed. The plan director's action on the departments are appealable in accordance with the requirements of title 20 of the Spality Code. The plan director's action of the environmental review of the permits under the California Environmental Equality Act are separately appealable in accordance with the requirements of Title 21 and the Speciality Code. Before we begin, I want to remind members of the public to follow our code of conduct at the meeting. This includes commenting on the specific agenda items only. Public speakers will not engage in conversation with the hearing officer or staff. The hearing officer staff and the public are expected to refrain from abusive language. Repeated failures to comply with the code of conduct, which will disturb, disrupt, or impede the orderly conduct building will result in removal from the meeting. The meeting director's hearing will now come to order. All right. Any item for hearing this morning for deferral to future meeting is being requested will be moved to this portion of the agenda. Consider the matter of deferral. I'll identify any item to be deferred and ask for comments from the audience. If you want to change any of the deferral date or speak to the question of deferral or any odds, please use the raise hand feature in Zoom or star nine to raise a hand. I'll now open public hearing. Currently, there are no items for the matter of deferral. Is there anybody who wants to speak on the matter of deferral? Please raise hand or star nine on your phone. Seeing none. Hands are any raised. Uh the matter of deferral is now closed. Consent calendar.

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