Planning commission reviews 242‑unit redevelopment proposal at 777 Sunnyvale Saratoga Road

The Sunnyvale Planning Commission on Jan. 27 reviewed a special development permit and tentative map for 777 Sunnyvale Saratoga Road, a 5.24‑acre redevelopment of the former Orchard Supply Hardware site proposing 242 total housing units (80 three‑story townhouse condominium units and 162 units in a seven‑story apartment building) and 2,050 square feet of ground‑floor commercial space, with a tentative subdivision into 19 lots.

City project planner Momo Ishijima summarized the application and the list of concessions and development‑standard waivers the applicant is seeking under the state density bonus law. Applicant representatives — Doug Richards of Vallejo Partners and Scott Connolly of Valley Oak Partners — presented the site and architectural concept, which places the taller apartment building toward South Matilda Avenue and the townhouse units along Sunnyvale Saratoga Road, adds internal paseos to improve pedestrian connections, and widens sidewalks to implement the El Camino Real streetscape plan along the frontage.

The proposal would develop about 46 dwelling units per acre on a site zoned El Camino Real mixed‑use at 54 dwelling units per acre. Staff said the project includes 15 percent below‑market‑rate (BMR) units overall (12 townhome BMR units and 25 BMR apartment units), which triggers eligibility for density bonus concessions; the applicant has also filed a separate alternative compliance application that, if approved by the City Council after a Housing & Human Services review, would make the apartment building 100 percent affordable and eliminate the commercial requirement for the project.

Why it matters: the site sits inside the El Camino Real specific plan area near the Cherry Orchard Shopping Center and Las Palmas Park and could add a substantial number of new units and affordable units to Sunnyvale while raising questions about how closely the proposed design meets the specific plan and city code.

Key technical…