Parkmoor (Hub)
Approved
1510-1540 Parkmoor Ave, San Jose, CA 95126
Project Overview
• Project Type: Affordable Housing + Youth Center
• Owner/Developer: Santa Clara County Office of Supportive Housing + Allied Housing
• Presented to our members: October 2022
Catalyze SV evaluates project sustainability, equity, and vibrancy. Learn about our project review process.
Parkmoor (Hub) Project Scorecard
Parkmoor (Hub) by Santa Clara County’s Office of Supportive Housing (OSH) and Allied Housing’s proposal is for a mixed-use, an affordable housing development consisting of a 68-foot building featuring 16,948 square feet for the new Hub Youth Center, as well housing reserved for members of these youth programs. This project features 81 affordable units - half of which will be reserved for members of the Hub Youth Program - and 16,948 square feet of commercial space on 1.6 acres in Midtown San Jose.
Parkmoor (Hub) re-scored an overall 4.3 out of 5 from our Project Advocacy Committee members in 2022. The project previously scored a 4.
Community Score: 5/5
Catalyze SV recognizes how extensively Allied Housing and Santa Clara County’s Office of Supportive Housing have engaged community groups regarding this project. We also note the project team’s use of innovative tools to obtain, document & share back the community’s input. Our members did appreciate the efforts to conduct multiple public meetings, as well as one-on-one stakeholder meetings to include the feedback of underserved voices of at-risk youth who may benefit most from this project. An improvement our members would like to see is for the developer to have more information regarding the community outreach strategy and specific information regarding the stakeholders that have been engaged as a part of the process. As of October 2022, our members recognized that the team has engaged in a series of five design workshops aimed to Transition Aged Youth (TAY) which will help best define the best uses for the population served.
2021 Score = 3
Vibrancy Score: 4/5
Our members appreciate the efforts undertaken by the architect and developer to create smooth integration between the Hub center and the residential space. We appreciate that the developer has allocated 7,9000 square feet of common outdoor space for the residents of the project, in addition to the roughly 9,300 square feet for the Hub Youth Center. This will ensure both residents and members of The Hub will have ample access to outdoor space. We were also pleased to see some of the streetscape improvements that would improve the walkability and safety of pedestrians and cyclists. Our members also appreciated the proposal to incorporate public art that is driven by some of the Hub members. One recommendation we have to improve this project is to possibly incorporate more foliage to improve the cohesion between the residential open space and The Hub open space.
2021 Score = 4
Transportation Score: 4/5
Our members believe this site’s proximity to public transit will encourage residents and employees of The Hub to use alternative forms of transportation. By adding more bike parking spaces than what the City requires, this project is headed in the right direction. We were also happy to see a low parking ratio of 0.44 spaces per unit ratio proposed for this project, as this will minimize the traffic impact to the surrounding area and promote the use of transit. Our members strongly encourage this project to offer VTA Smart Passes for both the employees and the residents. Another improvement our members would like is a bike kitchen or maintenance space for residents and members of The Hub youth program to safely store their bikes and make repairs. Bicycle maintenance could be a valuable skill for the youth.
2021 Score = 4
Intensity/Zoning Score: 4/5
An aspect our members value most about this proposal is its creative use of San Jose’s zoning code and General Plan for a site that doesn’t typically allow for housing unless it is 100% affordable. By doing this, the proposal seeks to transform a site currently idle and won’t require a subsequent general plan amendment or zoning change. We understand that some existing limitations of the site including the project’s proximity to the I-280 freeway and an existing cell tower on the site limit the ability to develop the site to a maximum build allowed. However, we still encourage the developer to explore adding additional units by increasing the building height.
2021 Score = 4
Sustainability Score: 4/5
The Parkmoor (Hub) proposal has several sustainability measures, including planned solar/PV panels and energy-efficient, low water-use appliances, as well as the potential to convert residential parking to electric vehicle parking. Our members also appreciate that the solar energy generated will be used to offset the increased energy demands of the common areas. Though the project will achieve the city’s required LEED Silver standard, our members always encourage developers to reach a higher LEED level or equivalent certification.
2021 Score = 4
Affordability Score: 5/5
Our members are pleased to see the project’s residential component is 100% affordable housing - renting 50% of its 81 units to those with extremely low incomes (making between 30-80% of the Area Median Income). We also appreciate that half of these units will be reserved for youths of The Hub program and that these residents will be able to remain even if they age out of the program. This project also offers units ranging from studios to 3-bedroom units, the latter of which means affordable rates for families.
2021 Score = 5
Legacy Score: N/A
Members of Catalyze SV didn’t think this category was applicable to this site.
2021 Score = N/A