The Santa Clara Planning Commission has recommended the city council amend two for-sale housing developments.
The developer of the first site, SCS Development, located at 1957 Pruneridge Ave., wants to install gas stoves in 22 single-family homes.
“The market has shown that having gas stovetops instead of electric stovetops is popular amongst homebuyers because of the superior cooking performance,” said Matthew Schott, with SCS Development. “With all the blackouts in California, it is nice you can still have a hot meal without power.”
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City code requires all electric appliances, but Nimish Agrawal, senior planner, told the commission that the city is overhauling the code to change all-electric to “energy performance.” That change allows developers flexibility in offsetting carbon emissions.
Agrawal said the difference in carbon emissions between the originally proposed version of the development and the one featuring gas stoves is “minimal” — 129 tons of carbon dioxide a year versus 135 tons a year.
The development in question, which is already under construction and is slated for completion late next year, will make use of a transportation demand management (TDM) to reduce vehicle miles traveled to offset the installation of gas stoves. Kitchens will have hookups for electric stoves.
Steve Schott Jr., vice president of SCS Developments, said when the company pitched the project, a lawsuit in Berkeley was still in limbo, but the court has since ruled that gas stoves are allowed. He said the addition of the stoves would not add costs to the homes.
The second project, located at 4503 Cheeney St, needed a streamlining under state law, making it exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The main concern about the project from eight community members who attended a community meeting was the amount of parking on the 18.651 sq. ft. lot. Each of the six single-family homes will have a two-car, side-by-side garage.
Daniel Sobczak, associate planner, said the project meets the parking requirements.
Jeff Aguilar, with developer Valley Oak Partners, said the agreements stipulate that the garages must be used for parking.
The commission unanimously approved recommending both changes.
Join the planning commission meeting online at https://santaclaraca.zoom.us/j/91729202898 – Webinar ID: 917 2920 2898 or call in at: 1(669) 900-6833. Submit written comments by noon the day of the meeting at planningpubliccomment@santaclaraca.gov.
The planning commission meets again 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1500 Warburton Ave. in Santa Clara.
Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com
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