Planning commission backs EIR and site permit for 380 North First despite unavoidable historic-resource impact

The San Jose Planning Commission voted to recommend the City Council certify the environmental impact report and approve a site development permit that would allow demolition of an eligible city landmark at 380 North First Street and construction of a seven‑story, 118‑unit residential building, planning staff said.

Staff told the commission the project would include 118 rental units (including six units affordable to very‑low‑income households), 74 parking spaces in automated stackers, a fitness center, a community room with a roof deck and bicycle storage, and would remove 20 trees, including 10 ordinance‑sized trees. Cora McNaughton, planning project manager, summarized the application as site development permit H23‑007 with EIR file ER23‑075 and said the project is consistent with the site’s transit‑residential land‑use designation except for one requested concession and three waivers under the state density bonus law.

The commission’s environmental planner, Nuna Nguyen, said the city prepared an environmental impact report with a notice of preparation posted 08/28/2023, a scoping meeting on 09/11/2023, a draft EIR circulated 10/18/2024–12/02/2024, and a final EIR posted 01/31/2025. Nguyen said mitigation measures would reduce impacts on air quality, biological resources, archaeological resources, hazards and noise to less‑than‑significant levels, but the EIR identified “a significant unavoidable impact related to historical resources” because demolition would affect a building listed in the San Jose Historic Resources Inventory and eligible for the California Register of Historical Resources.

The EIR evaluated alternatives, including a preservation alternative that would retain and convert the existing building and require a taller new building to yield the same number of units, and a reduced‑density preservation alternative that staff said was the “environmentally superior alternative” because it would avoid the historic‑resource impact but provide about 30% fewer units. Staff recommended the commission forward two resolutions to the City Council: one certifying the EIR and adopting a statement of overriding considerations and mitigation monitoring plan, and one approving, subject to conditions, the site development permit.

The applicant’s representative, Eric Schoenauer, described the existing 1964 office building as underused and “an eyesore,” said the property has been largely vacant, and noted the site is within a quarter mile of VTA light rail and bus service. Schoenauer said the project density is about 244 dwelling units per acre and highlighted facade materials and pedestrian‑oriented design along First, Second and Bassett streets.

Public commenters addressed labor and neighborhood design. Eli Robles, a field representative for NorCal Carpenters Local 405, urged stronger labor standards and more enforcement of the city’s responsible contractor rules, saying without regular enforcement “workers will be paid the lowest possible wages” and apprentices could be shut out of jobs. Alex Shore of Catalyze SV said the group had scored the project and supported it at a 3.5 out of 5 threshold, noting recent developer changes such as added bike parking and calling for more on‑site affordable housing and ground‑floor activation.

After questions from commissioners, Commissioner Lardinois moved to adopt the staff recommendation and Commissioner Young seconded. The motion passed 7–0 with two absences. The planning commission’s action is a recommendation; the City Council is the final decision maker on certification of the EIR and approval of the demolition and site permit.

The record for the item lists demolition of an approximately 12,000‑square‑foot office building, removal of 20 trees (10 ordinance size), and a project site of approximately 0.49 gross acres. The applicant requested concessions and waivers under the state density bonus law to reduce private open space requirements and obtain setback, landscape buffer and transformer‑screening waivers.