Council approves master-plan amendment for Guadalupe Gardens: mix of community open space and commercial development cleared for RFP

The San Jose City Council voted unanimously May 6 to approve changes to the Guadalupe Gardens Master Plan, certify environmental review and authorize next steps for commercial development on select sites within the 40‑acre Guadalupe Gardens property near Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport.

City and airport staff told the council the property is federally obligated airport land lying within the arrival approach paths for both runways. Following a federal corrective-action letter triggered by large encampments during the pandemic, staff pursued activation strategies so the city would remain in compliance with Federal Aviation Administration grant assurances. The FAA granted a community‑benefit waiver that allows community open-space activation at below‑market or zero cost for certain uses; staff described a “balanced approach” that pairs open-space recreational activation (community gardens, dog park, disc golf and other programmed uses) with a smaller parcel set aside for commercial development to generate airport revenue.

Airport and planning staff said the action before the council changes the general-plan land-use designation for four noncontiguous sites (sites labeled 1–4 in staff materials) from open space/ habitat and light industrial to a combined industrial-commercial designation and rezones the sites to an Open Space Planned Development district customized to reflect airport safety constraints and FAA airspace limits. Staff said the planned‑development zoning will constrain allowable uses and building heights to the requirements of the inner safety zone and prohibit hazardous exterior lighting and aboveground fuel storage; it also includes a 50‑foot reservation for potential future Coleman Avenue widening on sites 3 and 4.

Ruth Gueto, principal planner, and Ryan Shieland of the airport office explained that the proposed zoning and use changes are intended to allow a compatibly mixed set of uses and to support jobs and airport revenue while preserving the large open-space activation footprint that the community and FAA negotiated. Staff also presented a final environmental-impact report; staff reported impacts to air quality, archaeology, noise and transportation that could be mitigated to less-than-significant levels with the recommended mitigation measures and offered responses to public comments.

Public comment urged council to preserve more open space, particularly along the Coleman Avenue frontage. Staff said the airport and development teams have fielded developer interest and plan to issue an RFP in early 2026 for the commercial parcels. With council approval, staff will proceed to the RFP stage and implementation steps consistent with FAA conditions and the certified environmental review.

Council adopted the proposed general-plan amendments, the rezoning to OS Planned Development with the stated limitations, and certified the EIR by unanimous vote.