Background

The Envision San Jose 2040 General Plan removed specific height limitations and exceptions from the General Plan and re-established these regulations in the City's Zoning Ordinance (Title 20 of the San Jose Municipal Code).

Regulations for height limitations have evolved as follows:

• February 2012 - An ordinance became effective that added a new Zoning Code chapter to incorporate height regulations for specific geographic areas and specific types of development in San Jose.

• November 2012 and August 2013 - After coordination with the County of Santa Clara's Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC), two other ordinances were approved that addressed geographic areas within the San José Mineta International Airport Influence Area (AIA). See the Specific Height Limitation Areas Map (near Mineta AIA).

• March 2019 – Following studies in 2007 and 2018, the City of San José City Council approved a new policy on airspace surface protection heights in the Downtown Core and Diridon Station areas. See the Airport’s Downtown Airspace Development Capacity Study webpage at www.flysanjose.com/downtownheightlimits.

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