A housing development in Campbell near the main post office could add more than 100 homes to a quiet suburban neighborhood, raising concerns about an influx of new residents.
The Campbell Planning Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved a 108-home development at 251 Llewellyn Ave. Georgia-based PulteGroup, Inc. will develop the potential three-story project on a roughly 5.6-acre site, which could include 90 townhouse-style condominiums and 18 detached single-family homes.
The development also includes 16 affordable homes, meeting the city’s mandate that 15% of new housing developments with 10 or more homes be affordable. Approximately seven of those homes will be dedicated to low-income households, and the remaining nine to moderate-income households. The project needs approval from the Campbell City Council, which will review the proposal at its July 16 meeting. If approved, PulteGroup plans to begin construction later this summer or early fall. It is unclear when construction will be completed.
Some residents like Steven Barnett, 81, are concerned about construction noise and the increased traffic the project will create in the quiet residential enclave.
Barnett moved into his home on the cul-de-sac across from the project site in 1970. He said that unlike some of his neighbors, he did not receive a letter with information about the PulteGroup project in the mail and only learned about it this week. He would prefer a more scaled-back plan, but said he understands the needs for development and affordable housing as a retired high school physical education teacher.
“Will it affect me much if they do it? That’s life, you know,” he told San José Spotlight. “If I had the choice, I would say no just because I know the traffic in the area will be (bad), but I’ve seen the growth (of the neighborhood).”
PulteGroup did not respond to requests for comment.
The development could also displace Pacific Clinics, a behavioral health services provider, which provides a mobile crisis unit at the current location and will relocate elsewhere. The provider supports the move.
The current tenant is just one of several service providers that have operated at the location. For years, Uplift Family Services, formerly EMQ FamiliesFirst, provided mental health treatment programs for children, until it merged with Pacific Clinics in 2022.
Construction will be completed in two phases to accommodate Pacific Clinics’ move: 70 condominiums and all single-family homes will be built in the first phase and the remaining 20 condominiums, where the provider is located, will be completed in the second phase.
The development was proposed as a potential housing site about two years ago, in accordance with the city’s state-mandated housing goals. Campbell has to add at least 2,977 homes by 2031 to meet state housing requirements, but aims to accommodate 3,870 homes, 1,542 of which will be considered affordable for low-income residents.
Campbell resident Andressa Hernandez, 33, has rented her home near the project site for three years. She received a letter informing her about the development and said she is concerned about the small amount of affordable housing planned. She said the influx of residents could exacerbate traffic, especially since she has already seen people disobey nearby stop signs, but that she could support it if the size were reduced.
“I think it’s strange,” he told San José Spotlight. “If the goal was to have more affordable homes, it’s not ideal, especially because of the impact of density.”
Other areas of Campbell are also starting to see changes. The city council approved a 47-unit mixed-use housing project along Gilman Avenue last month, and a six-story affordable housing development being built in San Jose is hitting the fences of Campbell residents.
Campbell Community Development Director Rob Eastwood said the more development there is in the city, the better.
“I hope (PulteGroup) gets built as soon as possible,” he told San José Spotlight. “If we can get more housing in Campbell faster, that’s a good thing.”
Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @analise_ellen on X, formerly known as Twitter.
