Neighbors described limited access routes and said traffic bottlenecks could slow emergency response. Ting Chen, who lives across from the site, said the area\u2019s infrastructure may not be equipped for additional housing.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring the school time, it\u2019s always very, very busy,\u201d Chen told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cThe traffic, the fire hazard and all the utilities \u2026 (are) kind of outdated. I don\u2019t think they can support this type of plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
The proposed\u00a0SummerHill Homes development is in\u00a0a neighborhood primarily made up of single-family homes and near three schools \u2014 Lincoln Elementary, Kennedy Middle\u00a0and Monta Vista High schools.<\/p>\n
Up to 11 of the 51 townhomes are designated as affordable housing. If approved, the homes will have four bedrooms, two-car garages and fire-resistant construction features such as noncombustible materials and enhanced sprinkler systems.<\/p>\n
Planning Commissioner Santosh Rao voted against the project during the Feb. 24 meeting. He questioned developers about fire risk and voiced concern over the project falling under Senate Bill 330. Applications that fall under SB 330<\/a> do away with housing development caps, leaving city officials in a bind regarding potential changes to their neighborhoods.<\/p>\n The city has to add 4,588 homes \u2014 of which 1,953 are market-rate, 755 are moderate-income and 1,880 are low-income \u2014 by 2031 to meet state requirements.<\/p>\n Representatives for the developer argued at the meeting that the city has limited ability to deny the project if it meets objective standards under state housing laws, including SB 330 and last year\u2019s Assembly Bill 130. AB 130 allows developers to streamline infill projects and bypass environmental review under California Environmental Quality Act exemptions<\/a>. They also said the project was reviewed by the fire department and meets applicable safety requirements.<\/p>\n The city has already sparred with the state over the issue of permits expiring after 90 day<\/a>s to stop developments like the one proposed for Linda Vista Drive. But the California Department of Housing and Community Development took issue with the interpretation. Housing department officials said developers have an unlimited number of 90-day periods to resubmit applications because the timeline continuously resets after each incompleteness determination, according to a violation notice<\/a> the city received last July.<\/p>\n City Manager Tina Kapoor, Mayor Kitty Moore and Councilmember J.R Fruen did not respond to requests for comment. Representatives for Cal Fire did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n Residents say the area already experiences heavy congestion.<\/p>\n \u201cWe already are gridlocked here during school hours and commute hours,\u201d \u00a0longtime resident Mary Jo Gunderson told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cYou add 51 (homes), that\u2019s 100-odd cars and it\u2019s just adding to the safety issue of the neighborhood if you have to evacuate.\u201d<\/p>\n Homeowners said they aren\u2019t opposed to new housing in the neighborhood, but take issue with the scale of the proposal and whether the site can safely accommodate it. They also pointed to the area\u2019s recent designation as a very high fire hazard severity zone<\/a>, raising concerns about whether a safe evacuation would be possible if a wildfire erupted.<\/p>\n Rao said he attended the 2026 Planning Commissioners Academy where officials across California discuss housing and land use policies, and asked for guidance on AB 130 exemptions in high fire risk areas. The law states projects located on \u201csensitive lands,\u201d including very high fire hazard severity zones, are generally not eligible for exemptions. However, he said the law includes an exception if developers can demonstrate fire safety measures, such as building materials and defensible space, to adequately reduce risk. In this case, questions have emerged over whether the project meets that threshold.<\/p>\n \u201cThe unanimous response I got when I asked the question at the Planning Commissioner Academy was that AB 130 should be denied in a very high fire hazard severity zone,\u201d Rao told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight.<\/p>\n
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