Early Help from City Pays Off for Machine Shop Owner –

James Machathil didn’t take a leap of faith in relocating his company, A-1 Jay’s Machining Inc., from Milpitas to San José.  He did his homework and it’s paying off. In mid-February he met with a team from the City’s Development Services Center to assess the financial risk of purchasing industrial property on Old Oakland Road. In a single meeting, he was able to discuss his concerns about any site restrictions for his business and get clear direction on the most time and cost efficient way to proceed through the City’s development process. Machathil’s business size, type and future location enabled him to use all three of the City’s specialized permit programs for businesses – the Small Business Ambassador, Special Tenant Improvement (STI), and Industrial Tool Installation (ITI) Programs. These programs, specifically tailored to assist businesses that share common development needs, allowed him to phase his move with minimal “down” time and save a considerable amount of money. The Small Business Ambassadors assisted him with his site research. The STI program streamlined the plan review process and helped him strategize the phasing of his construction work. In addition, because his project qualified for STI his construction excise taxes were waived. And finally, the ITI program is expediting the permitting and inspections of his tool installations. “I would definitely recommend these programs to small businesses interested in moving to San José,” says Machathil. “The City’s permit center team has been wonderful and very helpful.” To find out more about these and other Development Services programs, call the Center at (408) 535-3555.

 ‘Vision North San José’ Awarded for Excellence – The local chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) selected the City’s Vision North San José planning effort as the winner for the 2007 Comprehensive Planning: Large Jurisdiction award. This award recognizes comprehensive plans of unusually high merit that employ innovative concepts, have elements applicable to other areas, and demonstrate excellence in thought, analysis and presentation. The City’s submittal included letters of support from Cadence, BEA, the Sierra Club, the Greenbelt Alliance, and Orchard Partners and is now eligible for consideration for a State level APA award.

California Catches Up With Nine Years of Code Changes – Are you ready? On January 1, 2008, the new 2007 California Building Standards Codes will go into effect. This new code is based on the 2006 International Building Code and marks the first time since 1997 that California will have a complete set of building codes based on the latest national versions. Because of the extent of the code changes, the State is rewriting the code manuals in their entirety. After the State publishes the new code in July 2007, the City will go through its own adoption process in order for the codes to be effective in January 2008. The City has been working with other regional jurisdictions through International Code Council committees to ensure that the adopted codes are consistent between local cities. To find out how you can prepare for the new code adoption, read Inside the Code in this newsletter or visit www.sanjoseca.gov/building for a consolidated list of training resources by sub-trade and more information about City-sponsored training events.

“Burn Down” Letters Among Others Now Available in One Hour
Several agencies require Zoning Verification Letters before they will approve loans or issue permits or licenses. Beginning now, you can schedule a one-hour appointment with a planner who will research the zoning and issue the letter verifying that your property is properly zoned for the particular type of business or use. Examples include:

• Alcoholic Beverage Control License for the sale of alcoholic beverages by restaurants, liquor stores, and importers;
• Department of Motor Vehicles permit to sell or register vehicles or teach driving school;
• Police Department permit to perform full-body massages at day spas, doctor’s offices, fitness clubs, and massage schools; and
• Banks and other lending institutions requiring “burn down letters,” or proof that a structure could be rebuilt if it were destroyed or burned down. 

Until now, we processed these requests on a first-come, first-served basis which could take from two to four weeks. By scheduling appointments and automating some of the letter content, we have reduced the time for most requests down to one hour. To schedule an appointment, call (408) 535-3555.

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Sony HQ, Flea Market Sites Being Considered for Mixed Use – The Planning Commission and City Council are now scheduled to consider the rezoning requests for the former Sony Headquarters and the current San José Flea Market. Developers of the 38-acre Sony site are proposing up to 1,900 housing units, 30,000 square feet of commercial retail space, and a 5-acre park. The much larger 120-acre Flea Market site, adjacent to a planned BART station, is proposing up to 2,818 housing units and 215,000 square feet of commercial/industrial space. The Planning Commission will review the Sony site on June 27th and the Flea Market site on July 18th. The City Council will consider the Commission’s recommendations for Sony and the Flea Market in August. For more information, contact Rich Buikema at (408) 535-7835 (flea market) and Rodrigo Orduña at (408) 535-7890.

Valley Fair Mall Expansion Continues to Proceed Smoothly – In April, the Planning Commission certified the Environmental Impact Report for the Valley Fair Mall site. On June 5th, the City Council approved the General Plan amendment which allowed additional height for new buildings and parking garages along the Stevens Creek Boulevard frontage. City staff are now reviewing the site plans and developing an agreement with the City of Santa Clara to coordinate plan review and construction inspection between the two cities. The public hearing and final action for the Site Development permit is anticipated to occur in mid-July. For more information, contact Susan Walton at (408) 535-7847.

Recommendations Forthcoming for Medical Center Site’s Future – The Stakeholders Advisory Committee (SAC) established by the City Council to review the San José Medical Center site has been meeting monthly since June 2006 to assess the need for health care services in Downtown San José and evaluate alternative land use scenarios for the 13-acre site. The SAC is now drafting its recommendations for land use and health care for the Planning Commission and City Council to consider before the end of this year. For more information, contact Allen Tai at (408) 535-7866.

Regional Conservation Plan to Protect Species, Habitat – Over 30 animal and plant species native or unique to our valley, like the Bay Checkerspot Butterfly, are being protected through the regional planning and conservation efforts known as the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Community Conservation Plan (HCP/NCCP). Planning staff represent the City in the partnership between six local partners and three wildlife agencies that is preparing the HCP/NCCP. The website www.scv-habitatplan.org includes draft chapters of the plan for public review and comment, a calendar of future meetings, a photo gallery, and habitat maps of the species the plan is covering. For more information, contact Darryl Boyd at (408) 535-7898 or Jared Hart at (408) 535-7904. 

Two Historic Districts Approved, One Conservation Area Proposed – Many of the buildings and homes in San José's downtown and neighborhoods owe their unique character to prominent architects working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. From Victorian and Craftsman to Period Revival, these buildings have retained their appeal and many have been lovingly restored by their past and current owners. Because of their special historical and architectural interest, San José recently added two new City Landmark Historic Districts – Reed and Lakehouse. They each originally were recommended for preservation by the community through the Strong Neighborhood Initiative (SNI) planning process, and now join the City’s three existing districts – Hensley, River Street, and St. James Square – as the first approved since River Street in 1997. In addition, a Victorian-era neighborhood located in the Spartan Keyes SNI Area is being proposed as the Martha Gardens Conservation Area. Within these neighborhoods are buildings designed by local architects including J. O. McKee, Jacob Lenzen, Charles F. Carto, and Wolfe and McKenzie, some of San José’s most prominent residential designers of that era. For more information, contact Sally Zarnowitz at (408) 535-7834.

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City to Host National Building Code Expert for Training – Save the dates! Only six months remain until the new 2007 California Building Standards Codes go into effect on January 1, 2008. To prepare, San José will host Ken Larsen, a nationally recognized code consultant, for two, all-day training seminars on September 29th and November 3rd. The sessions will be held at City Hall and are open to the public. Details and registration information will be announced via this newsletter and on the City’s website at www.sanjoseca.gov/building.

New Resource for Code Change Explanations –Since California last adopted the 1997 Uniform Building Code, the nationally-recognized International Building Codes have gone through three revision cycles. Consequently there will be many changes when the newly adopted 2006 codes go into effect on January 1, 2008. Examples include changes to occupancy group requirements, allowable height and building areas, methods of area calculations, and definitions for Area Separation and Occupancy Separation Walls. Subsequent editions of this newsletter will feature more detailed explanations of specific code changes. For more information, contact Homer Maiel at (408) 535-7765.

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We’d like to thank our many customers for taking the time to let us know when our service has impressed you. The following are excerpts from letters we’ve received:

My contractor urged me not to go to the City for a permit because he said people there are very difficult to deal with. I decided to give the City a try myself, and I am glad I did. The people I met at City Hall are so nice, patient and helpful. They reviewed my case, showed me what to do and guided me through the process step-by-step. I would like to show my appreciation for Evelyn Rodriguez, Robert Queirolo, and Bill Bailey.    [excerpt from letter from San José resident]

We recently had a yard and house clean up performed by a crew on behalf of the City due to complaints by neighbors. This was arranged for and managed with professionalism by Code Enforcement Inspectors Roger Falkowitz and Rafles Warners. We appreciate all the hard work that went into this endeavor, and the sensitive, dignified manner in which we were treated. We were told exactly what to expect. All in all we were made to feel comfortable and treated respectfully.  [excerpt from letter from San José residents]

Summerhill Homes would like to take this opportunity to highlight the hard work and thorough project review of one of your employees – Lori Moniz. Lori’s straightforward approach and willingness to sit down with the applicant to conduct the plot plan reviews for the projects resulted in a significant process improvement in our opinion. Given the high volume of projects that are currently being reviewed by Planning and Building, we are very appreciative of Lori’s strong work ethic and commitment to providing the customer with the best possible service.  [excerpt from letter from Summerhill Homes Development Manager]

I would like to express my appreciation of your staff’s cooperation and performance on our Cisco Systems Fleet Power Upgrade project. The project consists of a campus wide upgrade of the existing UPS systems and network infrastructure power distribution. [Several City divisions were involved], and each, with guidance from Anthony Thornberry, was cooperative in expediting and streamlining the plan check and permitting process.  [excerpt from letter from CH Reynolds Electric]

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San José’s Robust On-line Permit System Just a Click Away –
Those who already use it know that sjpermits.org is a wealth of information available around the clock for all of our customers. You can use the site’s robust features to issue simple permits, conduct permit searches, track permit status, and research zoning information. So go ahead, add us to your favorite bookmarks and get your development projects underway on-line!

Don’t Wait in Line! Go On-Line for Wait Times First – Issuing 33,000 building permits annually makes our Development Services Permit Center one of the City’s busiest service providers. While we strive to help every walk-in customer quickly, some times are busier than others. Before you make the trip to City Hall, check our wait time clock on-line. Wait times do vary depending on the service category and the availability of the staff required to perform the specific service requested. If you are not sure which type of service you need, please contact the Center at (408) 535-3555.

New Case Search Feature Puts Enforcement Info at Public’s Fingertips – If you are itching to know the status of that blighted property down the street, you can now access the latest information through Code Enforcement’s newest on-line feature – Case Search. The new service allows you to search for information by address or case number. All active or closed Code Enforcement cases from the past two years are available. Case Search also helps staff respond more quickly to records requests. For example, brokerage companies frequently submit requests to check if there are any pending enforcement cases for large condo or apartment properties before they approve a loan. Prior to the online search function, this research would have taken three staff people and about an hour to complete. With the search feature, one person can complete the response in 10 minutes. For more information, call (408) 277-4528 or visit CodeEnforcement’s website.

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Building permit activity for April – Residential activity reached its highest level in over a year (717 units) as a result of permits issued for the superstructures of both the Central Place and Axis Condos high-rise projects in Downtown. Commercial and industrial activity was moderate with a total permit valuation (new construction and alterations) of $20.0 and $17.6 million, respectively.

Click here to enlarge image

Population, Housing Data Reveals Controlled Growth for San José – The City’s population growth rate has been notably higher in the last two years and is on pace to exceed one million people by 2009 according to the latest California Department of Finance (DOF) estimates. Our analysis of new housing unit data demonstrates that growth is occurring in areas where the City planned for it to occur and reflects a higher-density, transit-oriented infill development pattern. The adjacent map of the City’s 15 planning areas compares faster, moderate, and slower growth areas. For example, growth in the Central planning area is largely attributed to proactive planning actions over the last few decades, including the Housing Initiative Study, several planned communities (i.e., Midtown, Jackson-Taylor, Tamien Station, and Martha Gardens), and the Downtown Strategy Plan. These findings, together with the DOF’s annual population growth estimates, show that growth is following recent patterns and trends and reinforces the need to continue proactive planning efforts. More details are available in the Population and Housing Growth Analysis.

Customer Satisfaction Survey Results Are In – The Development Services Partners – Planning Division, Building Division, Public Works, and Fire Prevention – have completed, for the first time, a scientific customer satisfaction survey of development services customers. Overall, the finding are very positive given the regulatory nature of the Partners’ role, the complexity of development issues, and the need to balance competing interests within the community. The survey was designed to establish reliable customer service data as well as identify specific areas for improvement and quantifiably measure progress in those areas going forward. The Partners plan to conduct the survey annually and this year’s data provides an important baseline that will be used for performance measures, budgetary decisions, and business process improvements.

Fourth Annual Survey to Compare Local Costs for Development – How do San José’s costs for development compare to other cities in the region? For the fourth year in a row, San José has partnered with the Home Builder’s Association of Northern California (HBA) to compile data from 8 South Bay cities on 5 typical development projects. The resulting analysis compares the key fees and costs incurred during the development and construction process of a South Bay home, condominium or commercial building. The HBA will issue the fourth Cost of Development survey this summer. Click here to read past surveys: 05-06 04-05 03-04

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June Winners of the Director’s Customer Service Award – Each month, we recognize employees who have distinguished themselves with their dedication and proactive, positive customer service-oriented approach to their jobs. Through her stormwater management work, Dionne Early provides excellent customer service to her City colleagues, and customers in the development community and other agencies. Tod Devlin’s electrical expertise, enthusiasm, positive attitude and work ethic have demonstrated his commitment as a team player with the Electrical Plan Check section. Code Enforcement Inspector Debbie Morales’ quick thinking while she was completing a final property inspection recently helped police detain suspected vandals. Congratulations and thank you for jobs well done!

Dionne Early

Tod Devlin

Debbie Morales

Former Planning Deputy Named Assistant Director – Laurel Prevetti recently was named Assistant Director of the Department of Planning, Building & Code Enforcement.  Throughout her 21-year career with the City, Laurel has changed the character of San José through her leadership in planning for urban infill development and neighborhood revitalization. In her new role, she will focus on the Department’s operations, particularly related to the Development Services Permit Center, to improve service delivery and customer satisfaction.

Familiar Face Returns to Manage the General Plan Update – We are pleased to announce the return of Senior Planner, Michael Brilliot. Mike, a ten-year veteran of the City, left in early 2006 for a position with a planning consulting firm where he worked on the development of General Plans for several communities in the Central Valley. The experience he gained and the timing of his return led to his new assignment as the Senior Planner for San José’s General Plan Update process. Previously, Mike was the Senior Planner helping develop the 19 Strong Neighborhoods Initiative (SNI) Neighborhood Improvement Plans that have received national acclaim as an innovative, new approach to community-based planning. Mike’s “other career” is as a drummer in several bands including The Dirty 30’s Obsolete Jazz Ensemble. For more information about the General Plan Update or his band gigs, contact Mike at (408) 535-7831.

Combo Training Boot Camp Graduates Eight Inspectors – Our congratulations go to eight Building Inspectors who graduated in April from our rigorous Combination Training Academy. The inspectors - Nick Buchanan, Ed Callas, José Carvallo, Diana Cornell, Tod Devlin, Wayne Newton, Drew Rogers and Victor Saldivar – are now among the most versatile on staff because of their familiarity with each of the construction sub-trades. Supervising Inspectors for each sub-trade conduct a total of 13 Electrical, 5 Plumbing, 4 Mechanical, and 18 Building and Zoning Code sessions. This comprehensive course of classroom and field instruction represents 120 hours of practical training for each of the inspectors, helps ensure consistency in the field, and is recognized as one of the best of its kind in California.

LEED Certified Staff Keeps Growing Beyond Green - Joyce Liu, AIA, LEED AP, represented San José in May at the 2007 AIA Convention in San Antonio, Texas. The convention’s theme – Growing Beyond Green – helped participants explore how sustainable building construction shapes every aspect of community life as well as the practice of architecture. Joyce is an active AIA member, is LEED certified and manages our Special Tenant Improvement program.

Recruitment Underway for Planning and Building Officials – Two national recruitments for San José’s next Planning and Building Officials are underway with candidate interviews to begin in July. The Building Official is responsible for overseeing all citywide private building activities. The Planning Official heads both long range and current planning activities. We created this new position after merging our two planning divisions to allow better continuity between long range and current planning activities and create opportunities to reduce administrative costs through pooled resources.

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• June 27th,  Joint Study Session with the Planning and Parks Commissions - Riparian Corridor issues, , City Hall Tower, Rm T-332, 5:00 PM.
• July 13th, Developer’s Roundtable, City Hall Tower, Room T-332, 8:00 - 10:00 AM.
• July 17th, Neighborhood Roundtable, City Hall Tower, Room T332, 7:00 AM.
• July 20th, Construction Roundtable ,City Hall Tower, Room T332, 8:30 - 10:00 AM.

Planning Director’s Hearing – Held every Wednesday (excluding holidays)

Planning Commission – Meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month (excluding holidays)

Historic Landmarks Commission – Meets the 1st Wednesday of every month (excluding holidays) 

For more upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit our Master Calendar.

Neighborhood Clean-up Days – Nearly every Saturday of the year, Code Enforcement employees take large dumpsters to designated locations in San José’s neighborhoods to help residents dispose of their large, unwanted bulky items. Call (408) 277-4528 for a schedule of clean-up events for your Council district.