Coyote Valley has become one of the Bay Area’s most important conservation success stories, as a rare, open landscape that still connects the Santa Cruz Mountains and Diablo Range, supports mountain lions and bobcats, and provides flood protection and groundwater recharge for San José. But a long‑approved development is threatening to undermine that progress: the Heritage Oaks Memorial Park Cemetery Project.
Approved in 2014, before the region fully understood the ecological importance of Coyote Valley, the project is now moving forward. And environmental groups, scientists, and residents have sounded the alarm for years.
What’s at stake and how can we all help to protect this irreplaceable landscape?
What is the project?
The project proposal calls for a 102‑acre cemetery complex, the size of 77 football fields, on a prominent ridge overlooking Coyote Valley. Plans include the following:
- A funeral home and chapel
- Multiple mausoleums
- A crematorium
- Office and maintenance buildings
- Parking lots and internal roads
- Extensive grading of the hillside
The site sits just east of McKean Road, on the south side of Bailey Avenue, directly above one of the most critical wildlife movement corridors in the region.
Environmental Concerns
In the heart of Coyote Valley, a crucial wildlife corridor connects two significant mountain ranges, allowing animals to traverse between them. This valley has been recognized by scientists as essential to the long-term survival of species such as local mountain lions. However, the construction of a new cemetery threatens to compromise this vital pathway. Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance, and Green Foothills, warn that the cemetery's buildings, lighting, and roads could obstruct or degrade this corridor, fragment habitats, and increase wildlife-vehicle collisions. Compounding the issue is the impending loss of a small number of heritage oak trees in the project area. While only a few will be logged, these oak trees are crucial keystone species that support birds, insects, and mammals and maintain soil health. Their removal cannot be replaced quickly or meaningfully, posing a threat to local biodiversity. The project's extensive grading of a sensitive hillside raises further concerns. The need for significant earthmoving on a steep slope brings risks of erosion, sedimentation into nearby waterways, potential landslides, and long-term soil degradation.
These serious issues were not fully understood when the project was approved in 2014.
In addition, residents and environmental advocates are anxious about the emissions from the proposed crematorium. Air pollutants, including mercury and particulate matter, could have far-reaching consequences for air quality, especially given the proximity of homes, farms, and essential wildlife habitats. This situation requires a thorough, up-to-date analysis of potential impacts.
Since the project's initial approval, new scientific insights and legal developments have transformed how Coyote Valley is viewed. In 2019, AB 948 designated Coyote Valley, including the project site, an Area of Statewide Significance, leading to major land acquisitions that have protected thousands of acres. Recent wildlife studies have underscored the valley's importance as a regional ecological lifeline.
Why This Matters Now
Coyote Valley is one of the last large, undeveloped valley floors in the Bay Area. Once it’s fragmented, we can’t get it back.
What You Can Do to Speak Up to Protect Coyote Valley
- Submit a comment to the City of San Jose at Bethelhem.Telahun@sanjoseca.gov. Don’t worry if you don’t live in San Jose. Local governments routinely consider input from people who would be affected indirectly or who have a legitimate stake in the outcome. The deadline to submit a public comment is March 4th.
- If you live in San Jose, call or write your personal district City Council member through their personal contact page.
- Share this article. Most people don’t know this project is moving forward. Awareness is power.
- Write a letter to the editor (LTE) of the Mercury News. The editor’s word limit is 150 words. LTEs are accepted using an online form, Letters to the Editor – The Mercury News.
Other Resources:
Coyote Valley | Open Space Authority
Green Foothills Lunch and Learn about the Heritage Oak Project 04Feb2026