September 16, 2004

Chief city planner oversees controversial land-use proposals

Begins third year with hot topics such as ‘granny units,’ Coyote Valley plans

Editor’s Note: The following is the 10th article in an ongoing series about the city’s departments and appointed officials. Next week: San Jose Redevelopment Agency’s Interim Director Harry Mavrogenes.

By Sheila Sanchez
Staff Writer

Stephen M. Haase, director of San Jose’s Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement, explains the controversial nature of his job. Photo by Sheila Sanchez

Behind the controversial secondary units proposal, the repudiated high-density housing project in your neighborhood and the strict community preservation ordinance that forbids dirt-only yards and requires landscaping in visible portions of your house is Stephen M. Haase.

As director of San Jose’s Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement, the 50-year-old Haase hit the ground running in 2002, soon after being hired, drawing the public’s wrath when, with his assistance, the San Jose City Council created one of the most strict anti-blight city ordinances.

Now he’s grown accustomed to the controversial nature of his job, particularly when he and his extremely composed and polite planners attend community information meetings in which residents sometimes turn nasty.

“I’ve had to deal with very irate people who have yelled at me and have called me names, but my story is not the people who were angry, it’s the people who defended me and stood up for me,” says Haase. “I have to deal with angry people and I have to listen well to their concerns. I think it’s great the community is interested in these issues.”

But he cautions, “We need to not let our emotions rule the day and personalize issues. We’re a much stronger community by seeking understanding. My job is to make sure the community gets information about these issues and get them involved in the growth of our city.”

Asked to describe his job in layman’s terms, Haase says, “I plan cities. I plan places where people live, play and work.”

About the secondary units proposal, which has many residents in the affluent parts of the city crying foul, he says it’s a form of affordable housing being encouraged by state lawmakers.

“Our job is to create an environment for the private sector to deliver a variety of housing types. There are people who like a single-family home on a separate lot, but we have an obligation to create a larger mix of housing for citizens who have other needs,” he says.

As the city urbanizes, Haase explains, it has an obligation to meet those demands. “Residents don’t want to mow the lawn, they would rather get their latte on Saturday morning.”

Another hot issue Haase and his department is taking heat for is a proposal being considered that would allow gas stations to sell groceries and alcohol, lifting a 1985 citywide prohibition against it.

An information memo, prepared by Haase and San Jose City Manager Del D. Borgsdorff, has been sent to the council explaining what they’ve learned during the past year from community members and oil industry experts on the issue.

Another concern for Haase lately is how to help the city maintain a healthy balance between housing and industrial land for the creation of jobs, a goal of the city’s economic development strategy, formulated in 2003,
Because of the economic slowdown, Haase explains, the price of industrial land is low because it’s underutilized. Haase wants his department to take a long-term view of the city’s future to hopefully preserve some of that land, even if not immediately developed.

“If we build housing on those lands today, they’ll never be available for those jobs tomorrow. We have to be careful as we progress in looking at this issue,” he says. “We have to balance that.”

Haase is also involved in helping the city develop a planned community of 25,000 homes in South San Jose’s Coyote Valley—the last piece of undeveloped rural land in the city—that experts are saying could cost between $600 and $800 million. The council has set a mandate that 20 percent of the project’s units be set aside for affordable housing. The plan calls for a community of more than 50,000 jobs, and at least 25,000 homes that would house about 100,000 people, he explains.

“It’s a great opportunity that’s presenting itself when we have more time to plan it carefully. You can’t wait until the pressure is so great to do the job,” he says.

The department is structured into four divisions. It recommends and implements policies, which guide the city’s physical and economic development, ensuring its viability through enforcement of land, use, construction, health, safety and environmental regulations.

The planning division has two arms, one that handles long-term planning projects such as the San Jose 2020 General Plan; and another that handles “current planning,” or land development applications to build projects in the city.

The building division ensures new construction projects meet health and safety requirements to protect the lives of San Jose residents and contribute to the city’s economic development. It also implements engineering, energy and disabled access regulations and local and state laws for new construction.

The code enforcement division enforces various ordinances that promote the health, safety, and appearance of existing buildings and neighborhoods. It also enforces regulations related to building conditions and code violations such as plumbing, electrical and mechanical errors.

“If you build something in this city without a permit you’re violating the law,” says Haase, acknowledging that there are hundreds of illegal construction projects in the city because the department can’t patrol every violation of the city code.

One of the biggest criticisms against the department is that enforcement of zoning laws is handled on a complaint-driven basis, with inspectors investigating complaints rather than driving through neighborhoods looking for violations.

Residents in violation of city code are initially cited a $250 fine, which can be raised to $500 and $1,000, if violations are not corrected.

Haase is a native of California. He received a bachelor’s degree in public administration and a master’s degree in business administration from San Diego State University. He grew up in Dixon, a small town between Vacaville and Davis.

The father of two boys, Haase became the city’s chief planner in March of 2002 after working for the city of San Diego for 13 years as the assistant director of development services where he led initiatives to improve the permitting processes to institute a stronger focus on customer service and a reduction in permit processing time through the use of project management principles. He supervised more than 500 employees.

Haase’s arrival marked the first time in more than 30 years that San Jose hired an outsider as chief planner. Longtime chief Gary Schoennauer retired in 1997, and his replacement, Jim Derryberry, spent 30 years in the department.

He’s responsible for 336 employees and a budget of $35.4 million. His employees spend the majority of their time in the field, inspecting construction projects and looking at violations of the law to avoid blight conditions.

During his two-year tenure with the city, he’s completed its Strong Neighborhood Initiative planning process, culminating in plans for 19 geographic areas that subsequently were incorporated into the redevelopment project area.

For more information about the Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement, 801 No. First St., San Jose, Calif., 95110, call (408) 277-4754, or log onto www.sanjoseca.gov. To report blight call San Jose Code Enforcement, (408) 277-4528,or log on to www.ci.san-jose.ca.us/code and fill out a complaint online. You can also visit the office, 77 No. First St., or fax a complaint at (408) 277-3290. Complaints are kept confidential.