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Council approves 122‑unit for‑sale project at Voyager/Panera site amid concerns about retail loss
Summary
The Certino City Council approved Harvest Properties’ 122‑unit for‑sale housing project at the Stevens Creek office center site, using state vesting and density‑bonus provisions. Residents urged the city to help relocate longtime tenants Voyager Craft Coffee and Panera Bread and to study how to preserve retail frontage.
The Certino City Council approved a developer’s proposal to replace an aging office and retail complex with 122 for‑sale homes, including 24 below‑market units, in a vote that carried with Council Member Wong absent.
Senior Planner Shelby Maples summarized the project as a four‑parcel redevelopment along Stevens Creek Boulevard that would deliver 66 single‑family homes and 56 townhomes, 24 below‑market‑rate (BMR) units and remove 249 trees (151 to be replanted on site). Maples told the council the applicant is using state laws including the Housing Accountability Act, SB 330 and AB 130 to vest standards and seek waivers and a concession. “The project requests 12 waivers and one concession to support their project,” Maples said.
Kevin Choy, a representative of Harvest Properties, said the proposal would add homeownership opportunities and yield fiscal benefits. “By utilizing state density bonus provisions, we are providing 24 below market rate homes,” Choy said, and the project team provided a traffic analysis showing fewer vehicle trips than the existing office use.
The project drew brisk public comment. Housing advocates and some residents backed the development as a rare for‑sale addition to local housing stock and praised the inclusion of family‑sized BMR units. Wit Turner of Housing Action Coalition said the project helps keep Certino “an inclusive city where people can raise their children near where they work.”
Opponents and long‑time residents warned the council about the cumulative loss of retail in the city’s heart. Voyager Craft Coffee owner Lauren Burns urged the council and developer to help her business remain in Certino: “We are doing everything we can to stay in Certino and we need your help,” Burns said. Multiple speakers described Voyager and Panera Bread as community gathering places and asked the city to prioritize relocation assistance.
Harvest Properties told the council it has reached an agreement in principle to assist Voyager with finding a new location and offered flexibility for Panera to remain on site through next spring while relocation options are explored. Choy said the developer is “committed to working with Panera and Voyager Coffee to assist them in finding a new home in Certino.”
Council members pressed staff and the applicant on setbacks adjacent to a single‑family neighbor, tree replacement, parking design and whether truck routing would use local residential streets. Council discussion also focused on the limits the city faces when applicants use state vesting laws to request waivers, and several members asked staff to pursue policies that could preserve retail frontage on major corridors in future planning exercises.
The council voted to approve the project as recommended by staff and the planning commission; the motion carried with Council Member Wong absent. The approval includes the project entitlements described by staff (use permit, architectural/site approvals, tentative map and tree removal permit) and the negotiated commitments the developer made on tenant outreach and assistance.
Next steps include final permit processing with conditions of approval and coordination between the applicant, staff and affected tenants on relocation timing and mitigation. The project’s environmental clearance relied on AB 130 eligibility as presented in the staff report.
