Commission approves Southridge Baptist Church project in unincorporated San Jose after CEQA MND and conditions change

The Santa Clara County Planning Commission on March 27 adopted a mitigated negative declaration under CEQA and approved a use permit with architecture and site approval and grading approval for a proposed Southridge Baptist Church campus on Piercy Road in unincorporated San Jose.

Staff presentation and CEQA: Laura Tran, a planner with the Department of Planning and Development, told commissioners the 5.84‑acre site lies east of Piercy Road and is zoned HSD‑1 (Hillside) with a general plan “Hillside” designation. The applicant proposed an 8,894‑square‑foot church building, a 12,058‑square‑foot multi‑purpose building, a 174‑space parking lot (including seven accessible spaces), a new septic system, a detention basin/bio‑retention area and landscaping. Staff concluded the project would not result in significant environmental impacts after mitigation in five areas (air quality, biology, greenhouse gas emissions, noise and wildfire) and recommended adoption of a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND), the mitigation monitoring and reporting program, the local‑serving finding and approval of the concurrent land‑use permits subject to conditions.

Key technical issues and corrections during hearing: Commissioners and staff discussed hillside zoning, design‑review applicability, drainage, and traffic. Rob Salisbury, the county zoning administrator and principal planner, said the zoning ordinance allows religious institutions in the Hillside district; staff had exempted the project from a separate design‑review application because architecture‑and‑site‑approval findings overlap with design‑review findings and the site visibility is limited.

On hydrology staff and the project team identified a typographical error in the initial study: a number shown as 10,579 square feet of impervious surface should read 104,579 square feet. County engineers and the project engineer explained the site will route stormwater to bio‑retention/detention basins that treat and infiltrate runoff and meter excess flows into San Jose’s storm system; staff said the project meets county drainage requirements.

Traffic, parking and operations: Staff said most project traffic occurs on weekends and is not coincident with weekday AM/PM commuter peaks; the applicant proposed multiple services and staggered times to limit peak arrivals. The plan includes 174 parking spaces; staff clarified that parking shown on civil/architectural plans establishes the supply and that the count exceeds minimum zoning requirements. Commissioners raised questions about off‑site queuing during large events; the applicant said they would pursue off‑site parking agreements and shuttle options when needed.

Conditions and changes adopted: During deliberations commissioners edited conditions. Staff offered revised wording to a vegetation/mowing condition (condition 64.d) to clarify annual mowing or herbicide treatment to a four‑inch height and to require additional mowing or treatment if rains cause regrowth after mowing. Commissioners also accepted staff clarifications that electric vehicle charging requirements are included in the conditions (identified as condition 23 in staff’s numbering) and left parking requirements tied to the approved plan set. Commissioner Belska requested and staff confirmed two edits to the CEQA documents: replacing the typographical imprefection of “10,579” with “104,579” square feet in the initial study and deleting a phrase on page 60 that referenced weekend operations; staff committed to updating the record.

Operating hours: Vice Chair Rausser proposed modified operational hours as part of his motion: Monday–Thursday 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; Friday–Saturday 9 a.m.–11 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m.–9 p.m.; special events must fall within those hours. The applicant indicated those hours would accommodate weddings and other occasional events while preserving noise protections for neighbors. Commissioners discussed cleanup and event‑conclusion language; staff agreed to clarify that events and services must end by the stated hour and that cleanup activity is limited.

Public comment and applicant testimony: Two applicant representatives spoke in favor: Makai Ermler described the congregation’s history and community work; lead applicant Amanda Musi Verdel described project design, stormwater bio‑retention, and parking/traffic handling. One member of the public, Angel Casillas, spoke in support, describing the church’s community outreach.

Vote and appeal: Vice Chair Rausser moved to adopt the MND, adopt the mitigation monitoring and reporting program, make CEQA findings, and grant the concurrent land‑use approvals subject to the revised conditions (including the amended operating hours and the clarified mowing language). Commissioner O'Donoghue seconded. The roll call vote was: Commissioner Heatherly — no; Commissioner Cohen — yes; Commissioner Belska — yes; Commissioner O'Donoghue — yes; Commissioner Levy — yes; Vice Chair Rausser — yes; Chair Escobar — yes. The motion carried 6‑1. Staff read the 15‑calendar‑day appeal period instructions to the record.

The commission’s approval includes conditions of approval as amended on the record (stormwater treatment and detention basins, 174 parking spaces shown on the plans, EV charging requirement in conditions, clarified vegetation/mowing requirement, and operating hours as modified). The approved CEQA document will be corrected to reflect the staff‑noted typographical errors.