Planning Commission

Members of boards, commissions, committees and any task force must attend meetings in-person. The public may attend virtually or in-person. Public comments are accepted only in-person. See meeting agendas for viewing options and details.

roleS, DUTIES & BYLAWS

The Planning Commission is required and established in accordance with the City Charter, Section 1000.

Roles: The Planning Commission roles include:

Advisory body to the City Council on land use and development issues;
Empowered by the San José Municipal Code to grant certain permits, such as Conditional Use Permits;
Acts as an appellate body on certain Planning Director decisions; and
Certifies Environmental Impact Reports.

The commission makes recommendations to the City Council on:

Adoption or amendment of the General Plan and specific and redevelopment plans for the future physical development of the City;
Adoption or amendment of land use and redevelopment regulations, including zoning and subdivision;
Adoption of the Capital Improvement Program; and
Other duties as provided by the City Council.

The City Council is the final decision-making body for General Plan Amendments, rezonings, Tentative Maps, and appeals of Environmental Impact Reports. The City Council also serves at the appellate body for decisions made by the Planning Commission.

The Director of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement ("Planning Director") or designee serves as the Secretary to the Planning Commission and ensures that commissioners receive the necessary information and analysis for carrying out their responsibilities. The Director also has decision authority over certain permits and conducts a weekly Planning Director Hearing for such permits.

View the Planning Commission Bylaws.

Members

The members are residents of the City of San José, appointed by the City Council. See also the Official Roster.

Name	Position	Term Ends	EMAIL
Carlos Rosario, Chair	District 02	6/30/28	BC_Carlos.Rosario@sanjoseca.gov
Melissa Bickford, Vice Chair	District 04	6/30/28	BC_Melissa.Bickford@sanjoseca.gov
Louis Barocio	District 05	6/30/26	BC_Louis.Barocio@sanjoseca.gov
Dilpreet Bhandal	District 08	6/30/28	BC_Dilpreet.Bhandal@sanjoseca.gov
Charles Cantrell	City Wide	6/30/26	BC_Charles.Cantrell@sanjoseca.gov
Daniel Cao	District 01	6/30/26	BC_Daniel.Cao@sanjoseca.gov
Lawrence Casey	District 10	6/30/28	BC_Lawrence.Casey@sanjoseca.gov
Aimee Escobar	District 03	6/30/28	BC_Aimee.Escobar@sanjoseca.gov
Khoi Nguyen	District 07	6/30/28	BC_Khoi.Nguyen@sanjoseca.gov
Pierluigi Oliverio	District 06	6/30/26	BC_Pierluigi.Oliverio@sanjoseca.gov
Michael Young	District 09	6/30/26	BC_Michael.Young@sanjoseca.gov

If you are interested in becoming a Commissioner and would like information about the application process, please contact the City Clerk.

CONTACT

For inquiries to the Planning Commission, please contact planningsupportstaff@sanjoseca.gov

Meeting Materials

Agendas are published prior to the commission's public hearings. View Agendas and Minutes. Video recordings and archival documents dating back to 2006 of Planning Commission hearings are available online.

You may contact the Planning Division at (408) 535-3555 the week of a public hearing to verify that an item will be heard and is not scheduled for deferral to a later date.

Accommodation. To request an accommodation or an alternative format for printed materials, please call Support Staff at 408-535-8517 or 1-800-735-2992 (TTY) as soon as possible, but at least three business days before any hearing.