A proposed residential development at the former Kings Trail Elementary School site has some San Jose residents concerned about its potential impact on the neighborhood.
In March of this year, the Duval County Public School Board approved the sale of the 12.6-acre property of the former Kings Trail Elementary School to Dream Finders Homes for $3.75 million. In June, legislation for a Planned Unit Development (PUD) rezoning application was introduced to the city council to allow for up to 110 residential units, to be developed as townhomes and/or cottages.
Currently, Dream Finders is still under contract to purchase the property.
Legislation for the Kings Trail PUD (2026-0478) is moving through city council committees with a recommendation of approval from the Planning Commission from its July 23 meeting, during which it declined to include any of the five conditions the San Jose Neighborhood Association (SJNA) requested be added to the PUD’s language.
“We realize that if we don’t progress, we will be eclipsed, and we don’t want to be eclipsed,” said Chrissy Kinne, government relations officer and founder of the SJNA. “This neighborhood is very important.”
These conditions include stipulations regarding ingress and egress to the proposed development via Powers Avenue instead of Old Kings Road, preservation of nearly one and a half acres of wetlands within the development site, establishing a 35-foot-wide privacy buffer along Old Kings Road, height limitations for the one- and two-story houses and inserting language into the PUD stating the development is intended for a 55 and up community.
Kinne presented these requested conditions to city council at its July 28 meeting, in binders she said also contain exhibits supporting SJNA’s position against the PUD as it is currently written. Kinne and several other San Jose residents addressed each of the requested conditions during public hearings on the PUD and its companion bill.
“We’ve not come here to oppose, we’ve come here to improve,” said Kinne to the council.
Attorney Paul Harden addresses the City Council on behalf of the applicant.
Attorney Paul Harden, representing the applicant, disputed the information in the binders.
“Everything that they propose in their booklet that they handed out to you is incorrect,” he said, addressing the full council. “It is countered in the Planning Department’s report and has information in those reports on those issues.”
City Council Vice President Joe Carlucci, who represents District 5, invited all parties to the green room for further discussion following the public hearings. Upon exiting City Hall, Kinne told Resident News negotiations between the SJNA and the developer are ongoing.
Harden shared the following statement with Resident News:
“We had a good meeting. Some of their comments, I’m going to take back to my clients and see if we can agree to them, and we’re going to work on that in the next few days.”
Resident News reached out to Dream Finders Homes for comment, but did not hear back by press time.
Public hearings on the matter are scheduled for the Aug. 4 Land, Use and Zoning Committee meeting and the Aug. 11 city council meeting.