Hundreds of affordable homes eyed near Google village

SAN JOSE >> Hundreds of affordable homes could sprout near downtown San Jose’s proposed Google village in a section of the city that’s adding new housing at a brisk clip.

The project, if approved and built, would rise along West Julian Street in the Garden Alameda neighborhood of San Jose just west of the downtown, plans filed at City Hall show.

An estimated 300 residential units would be created in an eight-story building that would include a clubhouse, fitness center and a bicycle room, according to a very preliminary proposal submitted to San Jose planners by Jemcor Development Partners.

Excluding three manager units, 297 of those homes would be affordable, documents filed by Jemcor show.

Jemcor Development said in its filing that it intends to use the provisions of a California law, Senate Bill 330, that was crafted in 2019 to speed up the approval process for certain kinds of residential projects. The law aims to increase development of residential units, protect existing housing inventory and expedite permit processing.

Known as the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, it also prohibits cities and counties from being able to reduce the legal limit on the amount of housing within their jurisdictions or use regulatory red tape to delay new housing development.

San Mateo-based Jemcor Development used provisions of SB 330 in its efforts to win approval for a project of 269 affordable homes proposed along Blossom Hill Road in south San Jose.

Jemcor intends to develop 267 units for low-income residents, 15 for verylow-income residents and 15 for moderate-income residents, planning documents show.

As part of the project, the Jemcor Development will bulldoze two existing buildings. At present, a Boy Scouts San Jose Monterey Bay office occupies 970 W. Julian while an office of Family & Child Services of Silicon Valley is located at 950 W. Julian.

Jemcor would have to purchase two parcels from separate owners to gain control of the properties needed for the new homes. A local unit of the Boy Scouts owns one parcel and Family & Children Services Caminar owns the other.

The homes would front primarily on West Julian Street between North Keeble Avenue and North Morrison Avenue. The project is near the location of Google’s proposed transitoriented neighborhood adjacent to the Diridon train station and SAP Center.