Village could sprout at site of long-time north San Jose orchards

SAN JOSE — A big mixed-use village with several hundred homes could sprout on the site of long-time orchards in north San Jose, according to a new plan being floated with city planners.

The proposed new neighborhood is envisioned for a 22-acre property near the corner of Montague Expressway and Seely Avenue in north San Jose, the city documents show.

“This will be a great new neighborhood,” said Erik Schoennauer, a land-use and property consultant who is helping to steer the project through the San Jose city decision-making process.

An estimated 1,473 residences would be developed on the site, whose addresses include 2620 Seely Ave. in San Jose, according to a planning proposal from The Hanover Co., a major real estate developer.

Along with the homes, about 53,800 square feet of commercial space would be built on the site. The commercial site could accommodate a new grocery store. A public park would also be part of the project, city documents show.

“We are going to have market-rate apartments, for-sale townhomes and affordable housing,” Schoennauer said.

Here’s how the residential categories break down, according to the planning documents:

— 1,147 market-rate rental apartments.

— 172 affordable rental apartments.

— 154 for-sale townhomes.

The property at present consists of long-time orchard sites, but like countless orchards in Silicon Valley, the agricultural uses are slated to be transformed into a new modern development project. Tsukuda Fruit Stand, a fresh produce store, is a notable business on the property.

Hanover Co. doesn’t own the land yet but has struck a deal to buy at least one of the 11-acre parcels that will be needed for the proposed development, documents on file with Santa Clara County show.

SummerHill Homes and The Pacific Cos., both major residential builders, are also listed as potential developers on the site. Pacific Cos. often builds affordable apartments.

The development site is in the heart of the north San Jose tech hubs. Cadence Design Systems operates its headquarters campus across the street.

Plus, Google, Apple, Amazon, Samsung and Cisco are among the tech titans with existing operations or that has launched plans for major new expansions.

“This is exactly what the city wants in north San Jose, a mixed-use, high-density new neighborhood,” Schoennauer said.