Developer Mike LaBarbera proposed two builder's remedy subdivisions in unincorporated areas near South San Jose: 49 single-family homes, 10 of them deed-restricted for low-income households, on an 18.95-acre parcel at 19780 Almaden Road, and 16 homes plus four affordable accessory dwelling units on a 97.5-acre parcel at 6591 Woodcliff Court (Circle Hill Estates). He filed SB 330 preliminary applications for both sites on October 13, 2023, and a second one for Almaden Road on February 8, 2024, while the county lacked a compliant housing element, followed by formal applications on April 5, 2024. The county found the applications incomplete; its May 3, 2024 letter on Almaden Road listed items from its planning office, engineering, environmental health, the fire marshal, the county geologist, roads and CAL FIRE. HCD certified the county's housing element on February 5, 2025. LaBarbera resubmitted several times until county officials told him he had missed a 90-day deadline on the most recent round of submissions; under the county's rule, the preliminary application then expires and the project loses its builder's remedy protection. On September 25, 2025 the Planning Commission voted 5-2 to deny his appeals on both projects. County planners said the projects could still go forward if they meet local density and zoning rules. The county's SB 330 project list, as posted in October 2026, shows the Almaden Road application deemed complete on May 13, 2026 and under CEQA review, and the Woodcliff Court application found incomplete on July 10, 2026; it marks the October 2023 Almaden Road preliminary application as expired and does not say whether either project is still treated as a builder's remedy project. The Woodcliff Court figures follow the plans reported in April 2024 and San Jose Spotlight's count; the county's list still describes 13 homes and four ADUs there. Tenure is not stated, so the project type is left blank.
Staff · Planning Commission · Santa Clara County Planning Commission
| Date | Event | What the record shows |
|---|---|---|
| October 13, 2023 | Builder's Remedy Preliminary Applications Filed | LaBarbera files SB 330 preliminary applications for 6591 Woodcliff Court and 19780 Almaden Road. County of Santa Clara: https://stgenpln.blob.core.windows.net/document/SB330_ProjectsList.pdf |
| February 8, 2024 | Second Almaden Road Preliminary Application Filed | A second preliminary application for Almaden Road covers 49 homes, 10 of them affordable to low-income households. County of Santa Clara: https://stgenpln.blob.core.windows.net/document/SB330_ProjectsList.pdf |
| April 5, 2024 | Formal Applications Filed for Both Subdivisions | LaBarbera files formal SB 330 applications PLN24-062 (Woodcliff Court) and PLN24-063 (Almaden Road). County of Santa Clara: https://stgenpln.blob.core.windows.net/document/SB330_ProjectsList.pdf |
| May 3, 2024 | County Finds Almaden Road Application Incomplete | The letter lists items from county offices including the fire marshal, environmental health and the county geologist. County of Santa Clara: https://stgenpln.blob.core.windows.net/document/PLN24_063_SB330_Letter_Incomplete_response.pdf |
| February 5, 2025 | State Certifies County Housing Element | HCD certifies the county's housing element, and the county stops accepting new builder's remedy preliminary applications. County of Santa Clara: https://plandev.santaclaracounty.gov/services/planning-services/processing-planning-applications/sb330-housing-development-project/sb330-faqs |
| September 25, 2025 | Planning Commission Denies Both Appeals, 5-2 | Commissioners uphold the county's position that LaBarbera missed a 90-day deadline, which the county says ends the projects' builder's remedy protection. San Jose Spotlight: https://sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-county-finds-way-to-fight-builders-remedy/ |
| May 13, 2026 | Almaden Road Application Deemed Complete | The county lists the application as complete and under CEQA review. County of Santa Clara: https://stgenpln.blob.core.windows.net/document/SB330_ProjectsList.pdf |
| July 10, 2026 | Woodcliff Court Application Found Incomplete | The county's project list shows a new incompleteness determination for Circle Hill Estates. County of Santa Clara: https://stgenpln.blob.core.windows.net/document/SB330_ProjectsList.pdf |
| Date | Body | Action | Vote | Staff rec. | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 2024 | Staff | deemed application incomplete | — | Unknown | County of Santa Clara: https://stgenpln.blob.core.windows.net/document/PLN24_063_SB330_Letter_Incomplete_response.pdf |
| September 25, 2025 | Planning Commission | appeal rejected | 5–2 | Unknown | San Jose Spotlight: https://sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-county-finds-way-to-fight-builders-remedy/ |
| July 10, 2026 | Staff | deemed application incomplete | — | Unknown | County of Santa Clara: https://stgenpln.blob.core.windows.net/document/SB330_ProjectsList.pdf |
Rating 3 of 5. Multiple sources, including at least one primary record. Corrections: https://whokilledthebuilding.com/corrections.