El Paseo de Saratoga
Approved
1550 El Paseo de Saratoga, San Jose, CA 95130
Project Overview
• Project Type: Housing + Retail + Office
• Owner/Developer: Sand Hill Property Company
• Presented to our members: June 2024
Catalyze SV evaluates project sustainability, equity, and vibrancy. Learn about our project review process.
El Paseo de Saratoga Project Scorecard
El Paseo de Saratoga by Sand Hill Property Company proposes a 4-building mixed-use urban village with 772 units, a 263-bed senior care facility, and a Whole Foods grocery store all on a 10.76 acre site. Buildings 1 and 2 provide 772 total units and offer 29,00 square feet of retail space. Of the available units, 39 (5% of the total) are designated affordable to households earning 100% of the Aerea Median Income. Building 3 is a single-story entirely commercial space, a large part of which is set aside for a Whole Foods grocery store. Building 4, located on the other side of Saratoga Avenue from the other 3 buildings, is a senior care facility. Site designs also include a new public park and paseo. El Paseo de Saratoga was originally approved by San José’s City Council on June 21, 2022. The current iteration of the project was approved on December 10, 2024.
El Paseo de Saratoga re-scored an overall 3.6 out of 5 from our Project Advocacy Committee members in 2024. The project previously scored a 4 in 2021.
Community Score: 5/5
Sand Hill Property Company has made a genuine, impressive effort reaching out to the neighborhood & meeting with community members. We thank the development team for welcoming collaboration with our Community Engagement Committee to facilitate a community workshop in February 2020. The project has been responsive to adjacent property owners - an important consideration as long as it isn’t detrimental to the broader community’s interests. While our members were not against including a private school, potential impacts from the school was a concern. By going with a housing and commercial-focused development, Sand Hill is more responsive to the community.
October 2020 Score = 4
Vibrancy Score: 4/5
With most parking underground, as well as 165,000 sq ft of first and second-floor commercial, El Paseo de Saratoga will be a bustling, mixed-use neighborhood. Our members are glad to see the park re-located to Quito Road with ample trees for shading and a linear stretch that could serve as a future connection to Campbell Ave and Colusa Way. With the pedestrian and public space improvements on the existing surface parking lot parallel to the development, this additional connectivity will significantly improve walkability. We still would still like to see a bike/pedestrian connection to Colusa Way (or at least the potential to add this connection in the future) to increase access. With activation and if made car-free, Main Street can become a community center for Saratoga, Campbell, and West San Jose. With ample parking throughout El Paseo de Saratoga, we encourage the development of public programming, community activities, and family-friendly public space instead of cars on Main Street.
October 2020 Score = 3
Transportation Score: 4/5
There’s little way around it: as this is a suburban, car-focused location, we acknowledge the challenges Sand Hill Property Company faces in reducing single-occupancy trips. We appreciate Sand Hill’s desire to implement transportation demand management (TDM) efforts. Yet, there is a lot of room for improvement when it comes to transportation. We’d like to see the parking rented independently of residential units to encourage less driving. A focus on bicycling, public transit, and improved connectivity within the site and to neighboring communities could further reduce car trips. To achieve this, we’d suggest the following: One bike parking space for each residential unit; Additional and secure bike parking for visitors and workers located in convenient, easy-to-access locations; With a large site, improved bike infrastructure within the new El Paseo de Saratoga will encourage cycling; Foster a connection to local and regional transit by improving bus stops and making them more accessible to pedestrians; Exploring VTA Smart Passes for residents and employees to prioritize transit.
October 2020 Score = 3
Intensity/Zoning Score: 4/5
The design of El Paseo de Saratoga has changed multiple times since our members first scored the project in October 2020. When we reviewed and revisited it in 2021, our members were excited to see that revised plans included an additional 440 units for a total of 994 new homes. Since then, the developer has once again revised the project and has now reduced the total unit count to 772 by lowering the heights of building four and removing all residential units from building three. Originally approved as an 11-story, 206-unit, mixed-use building, building three’s amended plans reduce its height from 11 stories to one story. To compensate for this loss, buildings one and two each gained an additional floor, increasing their unit counts from 267 to 376 and 273 to 374 respectively. As staunch supporters of high-density infill projects, our members are disappointed to see the loss of 222 homes. If building three must be reduced, we want to see all of its 206 units be reallocated to buildings one and two, as has already partially happened.
October 2020 Score = 4
March 2021 Score = 5
Sustainability Score: 3/5
While this project will build to LEED Silver & provides EV parking spaces, this merely matches what is required under San Jose’s existing building code. We encourage Sand Hill Property Company to explore LEED Platinum certification and increase the number of EV spaces. We are also glad to hear that the development is considering rooftop solar, but we’d like to see more information on the coverage area and expected generation. In general, El Paseo de Saratoga should be bolder in its approach to sustainability.
October 2020 Score = 3
Affordability Score: 2/5
When our members first scored El Paseo de Saratoga in October 2020, the project proposed 147 on-site affordable units, roughly 15% of the total number of units. The new plans call for only 39 affordable units, just 5% of the total unit count. This decision is extremely disappointing. Our members strongly support building on-site, integrated, affordable housing. The current plans move the project in the completely opposite, wrong direction. This developer made a strong, noble commitment for years to build affordable housing in West San Jose on this site. Our members want them to fulfill that commitment.
October 2020 Score = 4
March 2021 Score = 4
Legacy Score: N/A
Members of Catalyze SV didn’t think this category was applicable to this site.