San Jose has approved a mid-rise residential project on its western border with Cupertino. Borello Asset Management, based in Morgan Hill, will develop a seven-story building with 118 units at 1000 South De Anza Boulevard. The new development will replace an existing commercial structure of about 2,658 square feet.
Borello submitted the preliminary application for the project in June 2023. At that time, San Jose’s housing element did not comply with state requirements, allowing the developer to use the builder’s remedy process. This process locks in policies and standards effective at the time of application and requires the city to review proposals as if they meet zoning and land-use designations. According to city project manager Alec Atienza, without builder’s remedy or another state law, housing would not be permitted on this site unless it was entirely affordable.
The planned building will include 44 studios, 42 one-bedroom apartments, and 32 two-bedroom units. Of these, 24 units are designated for residents earning up to 80 percent of Santa Clara County’s area median income—which is $136,650 for one person in 2025. Construction may begin early next year and is expected to last about 14 months.
Some local residents have expressed concerns about construction impacts. Becky Bender, president of the Ventana Place Homeowners Association, said: “If the ground sinks or settles due to excessive vibrations or from the activity of lots of heavy equipment and machinery, the integrity of the post-tension slab at Ventana could be compromised, leading to potential catastrophic structural failures. The ramifications would not only endanger the lives of Ventana Place residents, but also result in astronomical, multi-million-dollar repair costs that may not even fully restore the structure.”
Erik Schoennauer, a land-use consultant representing Borello Asset Management, responded by citing environmental report requirements intended to limit noise impacts during construction and stated that vibrations would not affect nearby townhomes. He also addressed concerns about building height along De Anza Boulevard: “The city’s plan is that a street like De Anza will be all seven stories some day,” Schoennauer said. “That’s the plan adopted by the City Council for decades, so our project, just because it’s one of the earliest ones, is not out of place.”
— Chris Malone Méndez
