Willow Glen Resident
News
Miracle Auto condo project set to go in front of city planners
ByMary Gottschalk
A controversial proposal to build a three-story building with nine condominiums and 3,200 square feet of commercial space at 850 The Alameda goes before the San Jose Planning Commission on Oct. 8.
The 0.3-acre property at the corner of Sunol Street has been vacant since the Miracle Auto Painting shop there closed on Dec. 31, 2004.
At community meetings in September 2007 and January of this year, residents adjacent to the property and living nearby complained about the size of the proposed development. They voiced concern over the scale of the project in terms of height and number of units, placement of balconies overlooking adjacent back yards, inadequate parking and the design of the building.
Although there was some redesign between the first and second community meeting, including replacing rippled tin with a brick façade, it did not satisfy those attending the meeting.
One resident described it as "looking like a Frankenstein building with three buildings cobbled together."
Another said, "I'd rather have Miracle Auto boarded up than an ugly development."
Randol Mackley, principal with Retail Real Estate Group, is representing the property owners and handling retail leasing for the site.
He says residents should not be concerned about parking because "the parking for this project complies in every way with the city of San Jose's requirements without having to include the curb parking, which is over and above the required parking."
Mackley says the development will incorporate stackable parking, identical to that recently approved by the city council for the development at 746 The Alameda. The properties at 850 and 746 The Alameda have the same owners.
Mackley says stackable parking "is where San Jose needs to be going with mixed-use projects like this."
The proposed development calls for 10 freestanding spaces for retail use, two freestanding spaces for residents and eight two-car lifts to accommodate 16 cars. They are claiming a total of 30 spaces.
Although the building will be 33 feet high, Mackley says there are setbacks incorporated into the design to make it compatible with the adjacent neighborhood.
Additionally, he says plans are for "lush landscaping" at the rear of the development where it is next to single-family homes.
Nathan Norberg, who lives next- door to the site, says he still considers the proposed building's scale out of place.
"They are building a three-story apartment building next to my single-story, single-family home," Norberg says.
The hearing will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the city council chamber at city hall, 200 E. Santa Clara St. If the planning commission recommends rezoning the property from light industrial to planned development, the project will go before the city council on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.