REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Public Hearing: Recommendation on a General Plan Amendment and a Rezone to Develop a Five-Story 316-Unit Apartment Building, Reconfigure the Existing Nine-Hole Golf Course, and Dedicate Land for a Public Park Land at 400 Saratoga Avenue. CEQA Status: An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was Prepared for the Project in Accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Circulated for Public Review.
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
Applicant: Demmon Partners
Owner: Demmon Family Partnership
General Plan: Parks / Open Space
Zoning: PD - Planned Development
Site Area: 30.97 Acres
Existing Site Conditions: Nine-hole golf course with green, club house, maintenance building, and driving range.
Surrounding Land Uses:
• North: Single family residences, PD
• East: Single family residences, R1-8L
• South: Mixed use community commercial, MUCC
• West: Mixed use neighborhood commercial and single-family residences, MUNC and R1-6L
BACKGROUND
On June 6, 2024, Chris Kelly, on behalf of Demmon Partners (“Applicant”), submitted a formal planning application (File No. PLN24-00269) for a General Plan Amendment, Rezone, Scenic Easement Amendment and Architectural Review to allow for the following:
• A five-story, 316-unit apartment building wrapped around a seven-story parking garage with 407 parking spaces;
• Reconfiguration of an existing nine-hole golf course; and
• The dedication of 1.74-acres of land for a public park.
An accompanying application (File No. PLN24-00361) requests a Tentative Parcel Map to subdivide the existing parcel into three parcels: 25.5 acres for the golf course, 1.74-acres for the public park, and 3.73 acres for the proposed apartment building. Collectively, the proposed development and associated on- and off-site improvements constitute the proposed project (“Project”), as shown on the Development Plans and Tentative Parcel Map.
The project was deemed complete at the Project Clearance Committee (PCC) meeting on May 12, 2026. Review by the Planning Commission and a recommendation to the City Council are required for General Plan Amendments and Rezoning applications in accordance with Santa Clara City Code (“SCCC”) Sections 18.142.010.A and 18.142.010.B.
Requested Actions
The Planning Commission will consider and make recommendations to the City Council on the following actions:
1. Certification of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and adoption of CEQA Findings and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP). This is an administrative action, which is neither a legislative nor quasi-judicial decision. CEQA requires that the Planning Commission find that it has reviewed the EIR, that the EIR has been completed in compliance with CEQA, and that it reflects the Planning Commission’s independent judgment and analysis. There is also a separate CEQA Findings document (Attachment 4) that the Planning Commission is asked to recommend that the Council adopt, as a part of its CEQA resolution.
2. Approval of the General Plan amendment from Public - Quasi Public Designated Parcel to Very High Density Residential for the 3.73-acre residential site and for the 1.74-acre dedicated public park. This is a legislative action not requiring any specific findings.
3. Approval of the rezone from Planned Development (PD) to Very High Density Residential (R-5) for the 3.73-acre residential site and for the 1.74-acre dedicated public park. This is a legislative action not requiring any specific findings.
In addition to the entitlements listed above, the City Council will be separately required to act on the following:
1) Amendment to a Scenic Easement Deed (“Easement”) that was recorded in 1978 as part of the development of the 79 townhomes at Pruneridge Place. The project site is encumbered by this 1978 Easement, which limits the golf course parcel to golf-related and other recreational uses. The applicant subsequently applied to the City to amend the Easement to permit development of the Project on the property (“Easement Amendment”). No recommendation on this action is necessary from the Planning Commission.
2) A Tentative Parcel Map to subdivide the current golf course parcel into three parcels.
The final entitlement is the Architectural Review, which will address the construction of the 316-unit residential structure, the accompanying parking structure, site design, and architecture. In accordance with SCCC Chapter 18.120, Architectural Review is conducted by the Director of Community Development or their designee. The Architectural Review will be conducted after the City Council acts on the requested entitlements.
DISCUSSION
Project Summary
The approximately 31-acre project site is located at 400 Saratoga Avenue, bounded by San Tomas Expressway to the west, Pruneridge Avenue to the south, Saratoga Avenue to the east, and townhome developments to the north. The site currently includes a nine-hole golf course, putting green, maintenance building, driving range, and clubhouse. The applicant proposes to redevelop the property by modernizing and improving the golf course on approximately 25.50 acres of land, dedicating 1.74 acres of land to the City for a new public park, constructing a residential apartment building with structured parking on approximately 3.73 acres of land, and constructing a new maintenance building. The applicant proposes a tentative parcel map to subdivide the property into three parcels: one parcel of 25.50 acres for the golf course, one parcel of 3.73 acres for the residential structure, and one parcel of 1.74 acres for the public park.
Residential Project
The project would consist of a 316-unit apartment building with a mix of one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom apartments and 47 affordable units dispersed throughout the apartment building. The residential structure would be a five-story building wrapped around a seven-level, 407-space parking garage. Seven additional surface parking spaces are proposed for visitors on site.
Public Park
The 1.74-acre parcel would be dedicated to the City for a public park with approximately 12 parking spaces reserved for park users. The City will conduct community outreach for the design of the public park which will be finalized through the Parks and Recreation Department’s process.
General Plan Conformance
The applicant has applied for a General Plan Amendment for the 3.73-acre residential site and the 1.74-acre dedicated public park to change the land use designation from Parks / Open Space to Very High Density Residential, which permits a density range of 51-100 dwelling units per acre as well as a public park. The project proposes a density of approximately 85 units per acre, calculated using the 3.73-acre residential parcel, which is within the allowable density range. This designation is intended to take advantage of proximity to transit and accommodate an urban setting, typically consisting of mid‐ to high‐rise buildings featuring structured or below‐grade parking, as well as shared outdoor space. Additionally, commercial uses are permitted on the ground floor. Although the project does not provide onsite commercial uses, a commercial plaza with a grocery store is located directly across Pruneridge Avenue.
Staff finds that, with approval of the proposed General Plan Amendment, the project would be consistent with the following General Plan Policies:
General Land Use Policies
• 5.3.1-P2: Encourage advance notification and neighborhood meetings to provide an opportunity for early community review of new development proposals.
The applicant conducted two community meetings to involve neighboring property owners in the design of the project. Notices were mailed to property owners within 1,320 feet of the project boundaries and interested parties.
Residential Land Use Goals and Policies
• 5.3.2-P4 Encourage indoor and outdoor private and common spaces as part of all new residential developments, including clustering of units to maximize open space opportunities where appropriate.
• 5.3.2-P6 Provide adequate choices for housing tenure, type and location, including higher density, and affordability for low‐ and moderate‐income and special needs households.
• 5.3.2-P8 Require new residential development to comply with applicable regulations for the provision of affordable housing.
The developer has worked with staff to cluster the units to provide the most useable amount of common recreational area located in three areas of the site for the residents.
The project proposes 316 new residential units. Once permitted, the units would be reported toward the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the 2023-2031 Housing Element cycle in the applicable income categories. This will also include 47 affordable units (15%) as required by the City’s Affordable Housing Ordinance. The affordable units would also be counted towards the RHNA.
Zoning Conformance
The applicant proposes a Rezone of the 3.73-acre residential parcel and the 1.74-acre park parcel from Planned Development (PD) to Very High-Density Residential (R-5). The R5 zone would facilitate and accommodate the density allowed on the site in a manner that is consistent with the General Plan Very High Density Residential designation. This zone is intended for the construction, use, and occupancy of high density and intensity multi-family developments (i.e., low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise apartments and condominiums). It is the intent of this zone to encourage development to use innovative site planning, provide on-site recreational amenities and be located near major community facilities, business centers, transportation corridors, and/or major thoroughfares.
The project exceeds the minimum parking required under the Zoning code by providing 417 parking spaces. The proposal provides seven surface parking spaces for guest and 407 spaces are provided unbundled in a parking garage structure for the 316 residential units. The City’s parking regulation requires one space for studio and one-bedroom unit, and 1.5 space for two-bedroom or more. There are 191 units with studio and one-bedroom and 125 units with two-bedrooms are more. This unit mix would require 379 parking spaces for this project in accordance to the Zoning Code. There is a surplus of 28 spaces in the parking garage for residents and additional seven surface parking for guests.
The project is consistent with the development standards set forth in the R5 zoning district except for the minimum common recreation area. The applicant is requesting one waiver under the State’s Density Bonus Law to reduce the minimum common recreation area from 200 to 174 square feet per unit. The proposed project provides 174 square feet per unit of common recreation space through a combination of interior residential amenity space, exterior perimeter open space, a courtyard with a pool, and the fifth-floor roof terrace.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared for the project in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and circulated for public review period between June 5th and July 20th (45 days). A Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) was also prepared for the Project.
The Draft EIR analyzed the project and identified potential environmental impacts associated with project development and identified biological, cultural resources, geology and soils, and hazardous materials impacts. With implementation of the identified mitigation measures, these impacts would all be reduced to less-than-significant levels. A detailed discussion of the potential impacts and mitigation measures to be applied to the project are specified in the Draft EIR and would be implemented through project conditions of approval and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) as included in Attachment 3.
A Final Environmental Impact Report (Attachment 5) was subsequently prepared and was circulated for a 10-day review period on November 6, 2026 and ending on November 16, 2026, in accordance with CEQA and includes all responses to comments received.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the City for processing the requested application other than administrative time and expense typically covered by processing fees paid by the applicant.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Planning Commission agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
On October 29, 2026, the notice of a public hearing to be held on November 18, 2026 was mailed to 2,457 property owners and tenants within 1,320 feet of the project site. Newspaper notice of the November 18, 2026 hearing was also published in The Weekly, a newspaper of general circulation, on October 28, 2026. At the time of this staff report, the City received numerous public comments in opposition for the project, and a few public comments in support of the project. The public correspondence is included with this report as Attachment 9.
Community Meeting
The applicant hosted two community meetings for the project, one on May 28, 2025 that had around 20 people in attendance. The City received 34 public comments in response to the first community meeting. Key concerns included potential increases in traffic from the project, additional water and electric demands from the project, and the height and scale of the proposed structure in relation to the surrounding neighborhood.
A second community meeting was held virtually via Zoom on July 15th, 2026, with 65 members of the public in attendance. Comments similarly focused on traffic and safety, the size and scale of the proposed residential and parking structures, and the potential effect of additional residents on surrounding infrastructure and services in this particular section of the City.
During the preparation of this report, staff received seven opposition and 18 supporting correspondence. The opposition comments include traffic congestion, parking, safety for school areas, existing public parks in the area, noise, trees, lighting and building scale. The supporting comments include increase in housing supply, new public park, sustainability and preservation of the existing golf course. In addition to the comment letters, there is a petition with over 1,000 signatures submitted on Change.org for this project. Public correspondence is provided in Attachment 9 of this report.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends Planning Commission adopt the attached resolutions recommending that the City Council certify the EIR, approve the general plan amendment, and approve the rezoning:
1) Adopt a resolution recommending that the City Council certify the Final Environmental Impact Report for “The Greens” at Pruneridge, adopt the CEQA Findings, and adopt the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP), in accordance with CEQA.
2) Recommend that the City Council approve the general plan amendment from Public - Quasi Public Designated Parcel to High Density Residential for the 3.73-acre residential site and the 1.74-acre public park site.
3) Recommend the City Council approve the rezone from Planned Development (PD) to Very High Density Residential (R-5) for the 3.73-acre residential site and the 1.74-acre public park site.
Staff
Prepared by: Steve Le, Senior Planner, Community Development Department
Reviewed by: Alexander Abbe, Assistant City Attorney
Approved by: Lesley Xavier, Planning Manager, Community Development Department
ATTACHMENTS
1. Vicinity Map
2. Project Data and Compliance
3. Web links to Project Webpage and Environmental Documents
4. CEQA Findings
5. Final EIR
6. Resolution Recommending Certification of the Environmental Impact Report and Adoption of the CEQA Findings and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
7. Resolution Recommending Council Approve the General Plan Amendment
8. Resolution Recommending Council Approve the Rezone
9. Public Correspondence