San Jose Planning Commission Meeting - September 9, 2026
San Jose Planning Commission Meeting - September 9, 2026
The San Jose Planning Commission met on September 9, 2026, at 2:30 PM to consider a consent calendar and a general plan amendment early consideration hearing. The commission unanimously approved the consent calendar and voted to recommend allowing continued processing of a privately initiated general plan amendment for a proposed private high school at 525 Race Street.
Consent Calendar
- The consent calendar was approved by a unanimous vote (9-0, with one commissioner absent). Items were considered routine and no speakers or commissioners requested removal.
Discussion Items
- General Plan Amendment GP 26-002 (525 Race Street): A privately initiated request to change the land use designation from Industrial Park to Combined Industrial Commercial to facilitate the conversion of an existing 72,744 square foot office building into a private high school (Basis Independent School) for up to 800 students and 10 staff, plus a 16,000 square foot gym addition and outdoor play area. Staff recommended allowing continued processing. The applicant (Basis Independent Schools) presented plans for adaptive reuse, traffic queuing on-site, and community outreach. Commissioners expressed support for the educational use but raised concerns about traffic impacts on Race Street, loss of employment land that could generate sales tax, and the lack of public benefits such as scholarships. Commissioner Bickford asked about the use of union labor and the applicant indicated it is expected but not yet finalized. The commission voted unanimously (10-0) to recommend to City Council that the general plan amendment be allowed to continue processing, with a potential final hearing in late 2027 or earlier if a second cycle is added.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously (9-0).
- General Plan Amendment GP 26-002: Motion to recommend continued processing passed unanimously (10-0). The item will proceed to City Council for a decision on whether to allow the amendment to move forward to full environmental review and permitting.
- Staff Reports: The commission was informed of recent City Council actions (weed abatement agreement, denial of a nightclub conditional use permit, and direction to modify child care zoning policies) and that the September 23, 2026 meeting is cancelled.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. My name is Chuck or Charles Cantrell. And I am the chair of the Planning Commission. Welcome. Please silence your phones. Double check myself. Okay, cool. Parking validation for the city hall garage that is beneath us validation machine is in the back of the chamber. Okay. There's supposed one at the entrance, but only the back entrance. Okay, great. Well, let's uh salute the flag. Legislators to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under a God individual with liberty and justice for all. All right, thank you. Let's do a roll call. Um we're gonna call this meeting to order. Vice Chair Young? Here Commissioner Aguela? Present. Commissioner Bandal. Commissioner Bickford? Here. Commissioner Daniel Cow. Here. Commissioner Casey. Commissioner Escobar. Here. Commissioner Yuan. Here. Commissioner Olivario, are you online? Okay, he may be joining us later. Um and Commissioner Rosario. Here. Excellent. So yes, we do have quorum and myself. I am here. All right. The full procedures are printed on the agenda for this meeting or printed on the agenda, which are available at the back of the chamber, I think up at the table and on the side. In summary, to speak in person, fill out a speaker card and place it in the basket or the fiberglass box near the bottom of the stairs. Cards are also at the back of the chamber and at the side entrance. To speak on Zoom, use the raise hand feature and press star nine on your phone. Please raise your hand only when the item or project you wish to address is being discussed. Staff will call your name and unmute you. These instructions apply to every item tonight. The chair may reduce the time to one if a large number of speakers wish to speak on an item. If you challenge these land use decisions in court, you may be limited to issues raised at this hearing or in writing delivered to the city at or before the hearing. Excuse me. Protest procedures are in the municipal code section 20.120.400. All right, I'm gonna call this meeting to order. Okay.
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