Feasibility Studies in San Jose, CA

Read the General Plan designation with current zoning

San Jose’s General Plan resources provide a land-use map and explain that the plan and zoning both matter when evaluating a proposed use. Identify the designation and current zoning for the property before defining a development program. Record the rooms, units or commercial space actually proposed and ask staff about questions that remain unresolved. A site comparison should distinguish market demand from planning assumptions: a promising location does not by itself establish the permissible scale of a project. Include the relevant maps and current correspondence with the feasibility brief so those dependencies remain visible.

Identify the urban village and its plan status

San Jose’s Urban Villages resources distinguish approved village plans from planning work still under development. The strategy addresses combinations of housing, employment and access to transit, with local plans providing more detailed context. If the parcel is in a village area, identify its boundary and the specific plan documents relevant to the concept. Do not assume every village has the same status or development conditions. For an apartment or restaurant investment, separate existing nearby activity from the additional residents or workers anticipated in a planning document, and test the business case if that surrounding change arrives later.

Connect transportation evidence to the intended trip

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority publishes technical resources relating land use to transportation analysis and community design. These resources help identify questions about vehicle, pedestrian, bicycle and transit access around a San Jose project. They do not replace the transportation work required for a particular development. In a feasibility study, define the customers and trips that the business expects, then compare how those customers reach the site and competing properties. Keep proposed network changes, existing service and observed activity distinct when translating accessibility into hotel demand, restaurant visits or the appeal of an apartment location.