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West San Carlos Chick-fil-A

In Design

1301 W San Carlos St, San Jose, CA 95126

Project Overview
  • Project Type: Restaurant

  • Owner/Developer: Chick-fil-A

 

For more information, please refer to

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* Projects go through several phases. Developers submit applications to the City, get their design reviewed, do redesigns based on City & community feedback, resubmit proposals for review, and get approval (though can even redesign after approval)

Summary

 

Chick-fil-A is proposing a car-centric, single-story fast food restaurant at the intersection of W. San Carlos and Race Street that will tear down a building currently occupied by two small, local businesses. The City of San Jose’s General Plan calls for the area of West San Carlos Street in Midtown San Jose to transform into one of the city’s “urban villages,” which means a walkable, transit-accessible neighborhood of buildings 3-7 stories with active ground floors and housing above. Chick-fil-A should only be allowed here as part of a multi-story housing project or it should be located elsewhere.

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Background

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Earlier this year, the City of San José received a proposal to develop a new Chick-fil-A located on a 1.09-acre site at 1301 W San Carlos Street. As proposed, construction of the single-story, 5,139-square-foot restaurant requires the demolition of an existing 3,817-square-foot commercial building currently occupied by a local taqueria and hair salon on Race Street. Some residents might know the portion of the site closest to the intersection of W San Carlos and Race St as the location of a now-demolished Burger King.

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In October 2024, we brought Chick-fil-A’s proposal to the members of our Project Advocacy Committee to ask their opinion. They echoed CSV staff concerns regarding the proposal.

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Sidenote: Although the proposal was eventually withdrawn, in August 2019, Catalyze SV members did evaluate a mixed-use, multi-story development on this same site that included 230 homes and over 3,000 sq. ft. of retail on the ground-floor.

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Below are Catalyze SV’s reasons for opposing the current proposal:

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1. Chick-fil-A’s proposal will displace small, local businesses and replace them with a large parking lot.

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As proposed, the restaurant will front West San Carlos, at the south end of the property, and feature a covered outdoor dining patio in the southwest corner near the intersection with Race St. Unlike other Chick-fil-A locations in San José, this project does not include a drive-through. Instead, the existing businesses at the north end of the site will be demolished to construct and expand a large, 65-stall parking lot accessible via two entrances along Race St. Approximately two-thirds of the site is dedicated to parking.

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2. Chick-fil-A in areas like Midtown San Jose needs to focus on locating in multi-story buildings.

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Despite some fast food establishments being standalone buildings, there is ample precedent for a Chick-fil-A on the ground floor of a housing project, such as this one in Los Angeles or Milbrae’s Gateway.

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3. Chick-fil-A’s proposed single-story building on San Carlos St violates San Jose’s Urban Village Plan.

 

This project falls squarely within the area designated by the West San Carlos Urban Village Plan, a document adopted by the City of San José in 2018. The Plan outlines “a vision for the transformation of West San Carlos Street into a more urban and walkable corridor” and provides an array of policies, actions, and guidelines to achieve that vision.

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Under this plan, the proposed Chick-fil-A is located in the Mixed-Use Residential Character Area, one of four character areas created to guide the appearance and design of buildings. Here is how the Plan describes the Mixed-Use Residential Character Area:

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"The area is envisioned with higher-density mixed-use and residential development drawing energy from nearby Downtown San José and the Diridon Station. Development is proposed to range between three and seven stories with residential uses above a mix of active ground floor retail. Land uses in this area include Mixed Use Commercial, Urban Residential, and Urban Village."

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A car-oriented, single-story, 5,139-square-foot fast-food restaurant does not align with this vision. In fact, it goes directly against what an Urban Village is supposed to be.

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4. It will increase car usage, traffic, and pollution when San Jose needs projects that do the opposite.

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This project will demolish two existing occupied buildings and expand the existing parking lot to accommodate higher levels of traffic. Car-centric development here does not work. This site is in a transit-rich location adjacent to VTA’s fast and frequent 523/23 and a less than 10-minute walk from the nearest light rail station. With the Stevens Creek Corridor Vision Study nearing completion, active transportation and public transportation will become even more accessible in the near future. Ignoring transit and providing a larger parking lot goes explicitly against two West San Carlos Urban Village policies:

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  • Policy UD-6.3: Limit the amount of vehicle parking to incentivize sharing and minimize the amount of land dedicated exclusively to parking.

  • Policy LU-3.1: Strongly encourage mixed uses and intensities that support High-Intensity Urban Transit ridership.

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5. Its design won’t help Midtown San Jose become more vibrant.

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The design of the building also fails to cultivate a lively, vibrant pedestrian atmosphere. The active dining spaces face inward, toward the parking lot, rather than out toward the street frontages.

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6. It violates San Jose’s Design Standards.

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These design choices are not only out of line with the West San Carlos Urban Village Plan but also inconsistent with citywide design standards. For example, Standard S2 in section 2.2.2 of the San José Citywide Design Standards and Guidelines stipulates that projects at street corners must have a maximum of 1 driveway on each street. This project provides 2 entrances on Race Street. Section 4.1.3 deals entirely with mitigating large blank walls that “make places feel uninviting and sometimes unsafe,” as in the case of the San Carlos facing portion of this project.

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Members of our Project Advocacy Committee want to see a proposal that aligns with the vision laid out by the West San Carlos Urban Village Plan—a proposal that fosters a vibrant urban atmosphere, reduces car dependency, and creates badly needed housing.

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7. Catalyze SV joins neighborhood groups wanting to see this site be a multi-story, mixed-use building that preferably includes housing.

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The Buena Vista Neighborhood Association and the District 6 Neighborhood Leadership Group also oppose this proposal. Like Catalyze SV, these neighborhood groups want to see medium-density housing on this site with a less car-dependent proposal and an active ground floor (that could include a food establishment like Chick-fil-A).

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8. If Chick-fil-A wants to be in this part of San Jose, there are many vacant ground-floor spaces they can pursue.

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Catalyze SV has worked on countless mixed-use projects with active ground-floor space and is happy to put forward a host of possible locations in San Jose to Chick-fil-A as alternatives. For instance, less than 0.5 miles from the proposed site at 1338 The Alameda is an empty retail space formerly occupied by a Starbucks.

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Tell the City to stand by their principles and plans; a standalone Chick-fil-A at this location is not an acceptable land use.​​​​ Follow the button below to contact all the parties involved with this project.

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Email City planning staff, the Mayor, the local Councilmember, and Chick-fil-A to abide by the City’s principles and plans; a Chick-fil-A alone at this location is not an acceptable land use.

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