Eighty new homes are one step closer to becoming a reality at a South San Jose school property vacant now for about eight years \u2014 a deal that could provide a much-needed $26.6 million cash infusion for the struggling Oak Grove School District.<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s planning commission unanimously endorsed the project on Aug. 26, advancing it to the city council. The endorsement comes as the district faces significant enrollment declines and projected deficits of around $11 million annually over the next three years.<\/p>\n
If approved by the council, the development would replace the former Glider Elementary School at 511 Cozy Drive, one of three schools closed by the district in 2018<\/a>. Plans call for 64 detached and 16 attached single-family homes, with 13% of the units classified as\u00a0affordable housing.<\/p>\n The proposal has yet to be placed on the council\u2019s agenda.<\/p>\n Spearheaded by San Ramon-based True Life Companies, the homes would range from 1,233 square-feet for the attached units \u2014 all two stories, with one-car garages and private backyards \u2014 to between 1,896 and 2,234 square-feet for the detached homes. All have either three or four bedrooms, and 2.5 or three bathrooms. The developer requested a waiver from standard 5,000-square-foot lot minimums, allowing lot footprints to range from 1,980 to 7,603 square feet. Home prices have not been announced.<\/p>\n Educators at the meeting noted the proceeds could fund counseling programs, libraries, music and arts electives, and classroom technology updates. District officials added that bringing 80 new homes to the area could bolster declining student enrollment \u2014 a critical factor in securing state funding. Nearby schools, they noted, are able to accommodate potential new students from families moving into the proposed neighborhood.<\/p>\n \u201cThe resource can help us modernize our schools, retain our excellent educators and staff, strengthen student support services, and preserve opportunities for children across our entire district,\u201d Oak Grove Superintendent Ivan Chaidez told the commission. \u201cIt is a thoughtful land-use decision to benefit all of our community.\u201d<\/p>\n Chaidez noted the site once accommodated heavy traffic during peak pick-ups and drop-offs when 450 to 600 students attended the school. Under the residential plan, traffic would be\u00a0distributed throughout the day, and the developer plans to plant 159 new trees on the property.<\/p>\n Edgar Due\u00f1as, the maintenance director for the school district, highlighted the risk of growing blight and security issues the longer the campus sits empty.<\/p>\n \u201cI have had to meet with SJPD because there\u2019s a break-in,\u201d Due\u00f1as said. \u201cIt is such a huge financial impact to the district that we\u2019re spending $13,000 a month in security fees for this site.\u201d<\/p>\n While many community members voiced support, other residents raised a range of objections, with some asking commissioners to cap the project at 62 units or convert the site into a public community center. Others pointed to potential strain on electric and sewage infrastructure, as well as increased neighborhood traffic.<\/p>\n \u201cReplacing a community school with 80 homes boxed in by single-family streets is the housing version of a middle seat on a full flight,\u201d resident Andrew Bryan said. \u201cTechnically, it fits, but everyone\u2019s miserable.\u201d<\/p>\n Bryan warned that daily neighborhood traffic would triple, arguing city staff relied on \u201cflawed data collected while the school was closed.\u201d He added that the local power grid and sewer lines are already overburdened, citing frequent PG&E outages in the area.<\/p>\n Endorsement of the housing project comes amid a broader debate over neighborhood density in San Jose<\/a>.<\/p>\n San Jose faces strict state mandates to produce more than 62,000 new homes by 2031. While the developer filed the proposal as a \u201cbuilder\u2019s remedy\u201d project \u2014 meaning it can bypass certain bureaucratic requirements and cannot be turned down over zoning conflicts \u2014 it must still navigate the city\u2019s public hearing process.<\/p>\n