San Jose Planning Commission Meeting - July 9, 2025: Approval of Buddhist Church Education Building
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San Jose Planning Commission Meeting - July 9, 2025
The San Jose Planning Commission met on July 9, 2025, to consider a consent calendar, hear public comments on a non-agenda item, and deliberate on a major project for the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin. The commission unanimously recommended approval of the project to the City Council.
Consent Calendar
- Approved by a motion with 8 votes in favor and 2 absent commissioners. No items were removed or discussed separately.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Non-agenda item: Diego Jimenez spoke about a personal incident involving a violent attack and alleged police inaction. The City Attorney noted that the planning commission only handles land use matters and advised contacting the District Attorney's office or a council member.
- Buddhist Church project: One public comment was read by a speaker on behalf of the Japantown Community Congress of San Jose, expressing strong support for the project. The letter highlighted the need for a new community resource and the positive impact on Japantown.
Discussion Items
- PDC 23-104, T23-016, PD 23-016, ER23-176: Project to demolish existing buildings (including a contributing structure to the eligible Japantown historic district) and construct a new two-story education building for the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin at 645 North 5th Street. Proposed uses include a religious school, preschool, Japanese language school, and a community center. The project includes a plan development zoning, vesting tentative map, and planned development permit. Exceptions were requested to citywide design standards and zoning requirements to accommodate parking, tree canopy, and pedestrian walkways. Staff presented a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) with environmental mitigation measures. The applicant described the project's 30-year history, sustainable design features (all-electric, mass timber, solar panels), and community benefits. Commissioners expressed strong support, citing the project's design, inclusivity, and positive impact on Japantown. No opposition was voiced.
Key Outcomes
- Vote: The commission voted 9 in favor, 1 absent (Commissioner Young) to recommend to the City Council adoption of the MND and approval of the plan development zoning, vesting tentative map, and planned development permit.
- Study sessions: A study session is scheduled for August 13, 2025, on proposed changes to resolutions and staff report formatting. A commissioner requested a 5-10 minute update on the new state law eliminating CEQA for infill development under 85 feet; staff will provide a verbal update. A joint study session with the City Council is set for September 18, 2025, on the General Plan and land use history.
Meeting Transcript
I'm the chair of the planning commission. Welcome to the planning commission meeting. Remember to turn off your cell phones. Parking validation machines for the garage under City Hall are located at the rear of the chambers. Following roll call during the summary of the hearing procedures, we will review how the public may provide comment during today's session. And at this time, if you're able, please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. One nation under God. Thank you. We will now move on to roll call. Myself here. Here. Commissioner Barosio. Here. Commissioner Bundal. Here. Commissioner Cantrell. Here. Commissioner Casey. Here. Commissioner Nguyen. Here. Commissioner Oliverio. Commissioner Tordillos. Here. Commissioner Young. We've got on to the summary of hearing procedures. If you want to address the commission, please fill out a speaker card located in the table near the table near the audio visual 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 meeting is as follows. After staff's presentation, applicants andor appellants may make up to a five-minute presentation. During the public comment period, the chair will call out names on the submitted speaker cards and the order received for the 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 minutes. The commission cannot take any formal action without the item being properly noticed and placed on an agenda. In response to public comment, the planning commission is limited to the following options. Responding to statements made or questions posed by members of the public. Requesting staff to report back on a matter at a subsequent meeting. So staff, uh, it looks like we have one speaker here for a public comment on an item not on tonight's agenda. Is that correct? Yes. Um it looks like a Diego Jimenez, if you would like to come down and speak right here. Um back on June 24. I called the police of San Jose after a violent attack from uh David Schulhof. This man uh is the CEO White Older Bannel. I came home, he came out of my own blankets naked, attacking me with a big taser, and I had a run outside to call 911. This man used to be my then girlfriend's ex-boyfriend and has assaulted me in the past, verbally uh been been um complaining to me for the past month and a half that I've been living with her for seven weeks, and the third time that we met, he attacked me with a taser, and the police just did not do any report on this. And I've been working for so long, and they keep ignoring me. The district attorney, city district attorney, I've been emailing the saying, hold state police department, everyone's been ignoring me on this case. I'm not sure if there's a right location to bring this up, but it's been so long.
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