No New Distribution Center in Coyote Valley!

[ Photo: Coyote Valley from Coyote Ridge to Cait Hutnik ]

Project Description: Just south of the Metcalf Energy Center, the Panattoni Development Company has proposed a 517,000 square foot warehouse/distribution center on 30 acres of farmland, including parking spaces for 90 semi trucks in North Coyote Valley. The project would be located on undeveloped farmland, directly adjacent to Fisher Creek which serves as an important wildlife corridor. This would be precedent-setting in North Coyote Valley, which is mostly undeveloped.

What We’re Doing: Committee for Green Foothills’ Legislative Advocate Alice Kaufman submitted a letter to the San Jose Planning staff on Janauary 4, 2016, setting forth our objections. We want to see a comprehensive plan for North Coyote Valley’s working farmland, wildlife corridor, and watershed. For this to happen, we will be asking the city councilmembers to delay hearing this request until after a full environmental analysis has been completed.

Take Action:  The San Jose City Council is scheduled to consider the applicant’s request to rezone the parcel from agricultural to industrial on February 23, 2016. Join us in speaking up for wildlife, farmland, and wise land use planning. Please send an email or letter to the San Jose Mayor and City Councilmembers by February 1 (emails are listed on the San Jose City webpage here). Note: letters and emails received after Monday, February 1 will still be accepted and shared with city councilmembers for consideration, but will not be part of the official February 23 meeting packet.

A Little History… North Coyote Valley has been the subject of development plans for decades. The area was designated as the site of San Jose’s future industrial development in the city’s recent general plan. A massive development by Cisco was approved in the early 2000’s but was never built due to the 2002 recession. A further proposal for development, the Coyote Valley Specific Plan, which would have provided for 50,000 jobs and 25,000 homes, was abandoned by the city after strong opposition from environmental groups. This new distribution center proposal is the first big project we’ve seen in North Coyote Valley since then, and may be the start of a new wave of development applications in the area.