Just before 11pm at Tuesday’s San Jose City Council meeting,  a routine rezoning for a project known as The Kelsey Ayer Station was pulled from the consent calendar  for discussion. The Kelsey plans to build a mixed-income, mixed ability development on a site located at the corner of North 1st Street and Fox Avenue, by the Ayer VTA light rail Station. This development will include significant affordable housing and housing for people with developmental disabilities.

Several neighbors voiced concerns about the design of the development, parking, traffic, setbacks, and potential removal of trees on the property. The council and city staff explained that the rezoning is only a preliminary step, and all of those concerns could be raised when the development applies for its building entitlements. They proceeded to approve the motion unanimously. This display of neighborhood opposition indicates that The Kelsey’s Ayer Station may need significant support from the affordable housing community as it moves through the development process.

More details about the site and the plans for the development can be found on the city’s site and the Kelsey’s website.

Tuesday was a very busy day for housing in San Jose – with the afternoon meeting blending into the evening meeting, which lasted until just before midnight. See our posts on Safe Parking, Co-Living, and Stevens Creek Promenade for more information.