Santa Clara County planning commissioners uphold finding that Vista De Almaden housing application was incomplete

The Santa Clara County Planning Commission on Oct. 7, 2025 upheld the Department of Planning and Development's determination that the Vista De Almaden land-use application was incomplete, voting 4'0 to deem the county's August 8, 2025 incomplete letter binding. The application covers a proposed five-lot major subdivision on a 7.6-acre unincorporated parcel at 18730 Vista De Almaden (Supervisorial District 5) for four new single-family homes and one existing home.

The commission's action preserves staff's finding that the July 11 resubmittal lacked required materials including geotechnical certification, percolation testing and on-site wastewater design details. Senior planner Charu Aluwalia told commissioners staff found the July 11 submittal still missing nine required items and that one earlier county incomplete letter had identified 26 missing items. "The county correctly determined on 08/08/2025 that the application was incomplete," Aluwalia said during her presentation.

Why it matters: The project was submitted under provisions tied to the state's housing laws (applicants cited SB 330 protections), and the question before the commission combined technical completeness with legal disputes over appeal rights. Applicant counsel argued the county's determination carried consequences that should be administratively reviewable. Melanie Griswold, legal counsel for the applicant, said the county's action effectively disapproved a protected housing project and cited…