At least 30 Fleming area neighbors came to City Hall, held signs and spoke to the planning commission with passionate but thoughtful arguments against the proposal to build 18 homes on a 2 1/2 acre lot now occupied by The Lord's Baptist Church.
Neighbors brought up traffic and pedestrian safety issues, the number of recent car crashes, the cumulative effect of several recent home developments in the area, as well as appealing to the commissioner's sense of doing what's right, not just what may be legally allowed by city codes.
Noting photos showing a 1/4 mile long morning traffic jam, Commission Member Xavier Campos disputed a San Jose Planning Department staff report saying that Fleming has a relatively minor "C" traffic condition. "The reality is, there is an "F" condition on Fleming," he said.
But the one issue that seemed to doom the plan, at least for the short term, is the fact that the San Jose Fire Department recommended against the proposal, due to inadequate space for fire trucks to operate in the proposed cul-de-sac. The fire department's memo against the project was buried in the pages of a 6 month old staff report, but br
ought to light by Julie Ramirez who studied the document diligently in the weeks prior to the meeting."I can't imagine this committee approving this project with the comments made by the fire department" said Commission Member Jay James. "Without the Fire Department's approval, it is not a complete project," he added.
According to developer Jim Sullivan, there are at least two possible next steps for Braddock and Logan: negotiating with the property owner to lower the selling price enabling a lower density project to move forward, or walking away from the deal. Sullivan noted that the 90 day delay crushes the land owner's desire to close escrow by February 1st.
There will most likely be another meeting with neighbors, the developer, the property owner and City Councilmember Nora Campos to decide how to proceed from here.
But one thing is certain, the commission's action to delay this proposal was a stunning setback for the developer, and an incremental victory for the neighborhood.
2 comments:
What a victory, Compa! I was curious to know how your meeting went last night, and it looks like things are moving toward your favor. Orale!
Congratulations - and thank you for your incredible efforts, Julie and Len! You set an example for community service. I have talked to a number of neighbors recently that would like to become involved - Our street is at risk as well for increased "cut through" traffic - are there fliers available to hand out? Thank you again!
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