The Santa Clara County Planning Commission convened on September 25, 2025, to address the ongoing Almaden Road housing development project, which has faced significant delays due to incomplete application submissions. The meeting focused on an appeal from the project applicant regarding the county's determination that their application was incomplete.

The timeline of the project began with a preliminary application submitted on October 13, 2023, under the Housing Crisis Act. Despite multiple submissions and revisions, the county issued a fifth incomplete letter on August 7, 2025, citing six outstanding items necessary for the application to proceed. These items included requirements for an energy conservation plan, flood elevation data, and a geotechnical evaluation, among others.

During the meeting, the applicant argued that the county should have used the checklist from the time of their first preliminary application to assess completeness. However, county staff clarified that the applicable checklist is determined by the date of the formal application, which was submitted on April 5, 2024. Staff maintained that all six incomplete items were required under the current checklist, and even if the earlier checklist were considered, the items would still be necessary.

The applicant also contended that the county incorrectly stated that their preliminary applications had expired, which was not within the commission's purview to review. The Planning Commission was advised that their focus should solely be on whether the application was complete as of the August determination.

In light of the discussions, staff recommended that the Planning Commission deny the appeal and uphold the county's determination of incompleteness. The outcome of this meeting is crucial for the Almaden Road housing project, which aims to address the housing crisis in the region. The commission's decision will impact the timeline and future of this development, which is essential for meeting the community's housing needs.

As the meeting concluded, the commission members expressed their understanding of the process and the importance of adhering to the established guidelines for development applications. The next steps will depend on the commission's ruling and the applicant's ability to address the outstanding requirements.