Planning Commission approves Southridge Baptist Church project with conditions and amended hours

The Santa Clara County Planning Commission on March 27 approved a concurrent land‑use application for Southridge Baptist Church in unincorporated San Jose, adopting a mitigation monitoring program and conditions of approval after technical clarifications and a narrow, 6–1 vote.

Laura Tran, project planner with the Department of Planning and Development, told commissioners the project is a use permit with architecture and site approval and grading approval for an 8,894‑square‑foot church building and a 12,058‑square‑foot multipurpose building on a 5.84‑acre parcel at Piercy Road and Silicon Valley Road. The project proposes 174 parking spaces (including seven accessible spaces), new septic and drainage facilities, a detention/bio‑retention feature to manage stormwater, and landscaping. Staff's initial operational summary estimated about 50 regular weekday attendees and about 375 people for Sunday services and special events; the applicant also described plans for multiple service times to limit peak arrivals.

Planners determined the project required a mitigated negative declaration under CEQA with mitigation measures for air quality, biology, greenhouse gas emissions, noise and wildfire. Staff recommended the commission adopt the MND, make the required CEQA and local‑serving findings and approve the permits subject to specified conditions. The parcel is in the Hillside (HSD‑1) zoning and has a General Plan designation of Hillside.

Commissioner discussion focused on hydrology, traffic and operations. Commissioner Belska (phonetic spelling in the record) raised a typographical error in the initial study that listed the new impervious area as 10,579 square feet; staff and the project team confirmed that was a typo and the correct figure is 104,579 square feet. Staff said the numeric correction would be made in the IS/MND; county land‑development engineering staff reviewed drainage plans and the applicant noted bio‑retention basins will treat and infiltrate stormwater and that any outflow would be metered to pre‑development rates when necessary. Commissioners also probed peak traffic, parking and queuing at the single driveway; the applicant said the team would use parking management, off‑site parking agreements and shuttles for large events and that multiple service times would stagger arrivals.

Public testimony included two applicant representatives and one supporter. Makai Ermla and Amanda Musi Verdel spoke for Southridge Baptist Church, describing the congregation’s outreach activities and the rationale for the proposed spaces. Angel Casillas, speaking in support, described community programs and urged approval.

Several commissioners disclosed site visits or ex parte contacts. Vice Chairperson Rausser said he had visited the property and met with the applicant; Commissioner Levy also visited the parcel; Commissioner O’Donoghue said she had spoken with the applicant.

A motion by Vice Chairperson Rausser to adopt the CEQA mitigated negative declaration, adopt the mitigation monitoring and reporting program, and grant the use permit with architecture and site and grading approval passed on a 6–1 roll call. The motion incorporated several clarifications and edits recommended during the hearing: correcting the impervious‑area typo in the IS/MND; removing redundant parking language because the civil and architectural plans already show 174 parking spaces; and revising a landscape/vegetation condition (condition 64.d) for clarity about mowing and weed treatment. The commission also amended the operating hours in the conditions: Monday–Thursday 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; Friday–Saturday 9 a.m.–11 p.m. (to allow the occasional wedding or special event with cleanup); and Sunday 8 a.m.–9 p.m. Staff confirmed electric vehicle charging and related conditions are included elsewhere in the conditions of approval.

Commissioner Headley cast the lone vote against approval, saying she could not make the required finding that the proposed use fully conforms with all General Plan policies and zoning guidelines and expressing caution about substantially changing hours from what had been presented to the community. Chairperson Escobar announced the motion carried 6–1 and read appellate rights: the decision may be appealed to the Board of Supervisors within 15 calendar days.

The planning department and applicant stated they will finalize the corrections to the IS/MND and the clarified condition language and insert them into the official record. The department also noted the project will require separate off‑site approvals and coordination with the City of San Jose for any off‑site road or drainage work, and continued interagency review for grading and septic approvals.