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Boy would I hate to be the city council tonight – here we go again having to show our true colors to the residents that vote for them. Hopefully, they will know that we are not small children who need to be ‘guided’ and ‘convinced’ that what they are doing is a good thing for us – but they will hear the words of the residents that go something like this regarding the proposed project at 900 Kiely, Gallery on Central, fairfield residential project in Santa Clara;
The current project is;
Too Dense – too many units proposed for this site – as it currently stands 806 units amounts to 2% of the local Santa Clara population
Traffic concerns – some of the local intersections have been deemed as failures by the vTA and this project will add more traffic to these interesection ans the surrounding streets
Trees – most of the trees at the current site will be cut down being replaced by saplings – how sad when those current trees add to the current feel of the area and blend in with what is already there. why cut down mature trees when we already know so much about global warming? Odd idea
Schools – do we have right numbers – it seems that we have conflicting reports on numbers – this is alarming. how can we get the right figures? is there some way to have this clarified.
Swim center – apparently there is mail out there from the developer attempting to have the local swim center swamp (excuse the pun) the meeting with supporters for the project. But unfortunately for the developer he does not realize that some of those swim center emails went out residents who are not in favor of the project as it now stands. Oxy Moron stuff don’t you think?
Also the developer has been talking to the chamber of commerce and local businesses attempting to have them speak in favor of the project because businesses need economic assistances and they are touting the idea that more residents will increase their business. Yes maybe some truth to that but perhaps many of these business need to reassess what it is their business does and what their service is like. Just a thought – rather than look to the potential new residents as ’saving grace’?
oh dear the list goes on and I pity the city council tonight – because I am sure like me in their heart of hearts they know that the project as it now stands is not ideal but we do need something there but not this. This developer has only talked to people who seem to benefit from the project such as the swim pool center and the local stores, they have continously refused to listen to local residents who share streets with this new developer. They have refused to be a part of the community but rather are waging a war of ‘hate’ behind the scenese by attempting to create a ‘us’ and ‘them’ attitude. We are the old wiser parent who has done this many times before and we know what we are doing – but do they?
They are attempting to turn small Santa Clara with heart into a concrete jungle – just as was mentioned in the mission city lantern blog. Hopefully the council will stand up to this giant corporate America and say ‘Yes we hear our residents’ and ‘come back with something that is more in keeping with the area and have your project blend in’.
This developer has turned this project into a political debate – how sad – had they worked with the locals and heard their requests for less density, more parking, more open space, fewer units, more amenities for the general public, it might have been an enjoyable working relationship. However as it now stands we have disgruntled residents who look to their elected leaders for resolution.
This coming Tuesday is a regular meeting for City Council at the Santa Clara Council Chambers starting 7pm at 1500 Warburton Avenue Santa Clara.
I just went to the website to look at what is on the agenda for this week as I believe that there are some residents who have requested an extention of reading the Draft EIR for the Gallery at Central Park – which is the 900 Benton, Fairfield Residential, old Kaiser site development. These residents have petitioned the city for an extension to read the draft EIR because it is quite extensive. The request is in view of the holiday season and the elections just gone that they need extra time to read this report.
Copies of the report can be obtained by going to the reference desk at the Santa Clara Library upstairs. They have copies if you want to understand the impact of this development on the local community. It discusses trees, transportation, business – you name it it’s there. There are also images of the proposed project. If you like a “prison cell block” look in your neighborhood you will be happy. If you are hoping for something with a mission flavor or a Rivermark feel to it, forget it, it’s nothing like that. More like large cynder block concrete mass construction or known in the industry as ‘budget buildings’. The report also shows you which trees are planned for the logging mill, of which I would say MOST! Darn it I guess the birds and the local wildlife will have to move out for a time, as will a lot of the local residents while they build this puppy over the next five years or so.
Now I’m hoping I’m right about this being on the Agenda, because as of 11.25am today the City Council agenda was not on line. And if my memory serves me right, they should have been on line a week before the council meets but Santa Clara might do it differently.
The front of the San Jose Mercury News brings us an article today about the down turn in the construction industry.
So this brings up questions for the residents of Santa Clara – as we go towards more building in Santa Clara what happens when construction companies start to realize that they won’t be able to either sell off or lease the properties that they are so hell bent on building? Will construction companies stop building, like people who have left their homes because they cannot afford their mortgage any more, will they leave sites half built? Will they leave their ‘keys’ on the kitchen counter and walk out the house and leave their worries to someone else? Will they start a job but not complete it?
It’s certainly a concern and something that people are not talking about or unwilling to address publicly.
I believe that Fairfield Residential will not do such a thing and that they will see their commitments to the end but there is a part of that site that has to be built by another company and that has not bee clarified yet. So that section will sit maybe for years, maybe not, but nevertheless this has not been addressed by Fairfield or the city.
I can remember a building site in Sydney that sat for years, the base was dug out, the pylons poured and then it just sat and sat … the rain water gathered and sat creating a mosquito heaven, the tramps found places to sleep, the graffiti increased, you get the picture. Unfortunately, the builder couldn’t even afford to maintain security, his money was gone. I left Sydney and years later I returned to see that same hole in the ground sitting there a big eye saw in the heart of that gorgeous city. I’m sure by now it’s a building, well I hope so.
Yes we have reason to be concerned about what some of these developers will or will not carry out. We have the right to understand their plans for a recession. The boom seems to be over, Sun Microsystems is no longer the Santa Clara hero, Yahoo has plans to come but what if they get acquired by Microsoft? will they still come? Envidia has plans to expand and so far no talk of cutting back, well at least not publicly, a good thing I think.
I think it’s worth asking the city council do they have a plan if builders walk away from sites mid term? or is it really none of their business? Just a question, nothing more, nothing less.
©Letters From Silicon Valley 2008
Los Gatos City Council is no pussy cat when it comes to taking a stand when it comes regarding developers. Wow, the city let the owners of a property where a hospital stood for a number of years know that they would not allow a developer to come in and build town-homes! In fact the owner of the property was told by the city to go find another hospital administration to be the tenant. Gutsy stuff – perhaps the city was listening to the people or just not plain greedy when it comes to taxes?
A few times I’ve spoken to council people or heard them talk in Santa Clara about ‘developers’ I’ve also heard the phrase ‘we can’t tell the developer what to do’ or ‘we can’t tell the land owner what to do’ because….
because… why because ? ….
because ‘we will get sued’
I guess Los Gatos figures they don’t care if they get sued – or maybe the catch phrase we will get sued is a ’story’.
After all isn’t it all about rezoning a piece of land and if it was zoned one way back then, there may have been a plan and the plan was to ensure so many residents, so many hospitals, so many commercial, so many parks so many …. etc.
Whatever the ’story’ perhaps Los Gatos City Council should talk to Santa Clara City Council and planning and share their stand against developers. Perhaps the story that we had to allow the sale of the old Kaiser Hospital to a developer such as Fairfield Residential is just that … a story. And no-one was ever going to sue anyone, after all how could Los Gatos CC taken on the developers – don’t you think their city Attorney would have forewarned them? Or perhaps Los Gatos just has smart legal advice! Go Cats!
It’s interesting to note that Mr Kevin Riley the head of the Santa Clara planning department lives in Los Gatos – he doesn’t even live in our city and he has a catch cry that goes something like this ‘let’s build more high density housing in Santa Clara’ – yet he doesn’t live in Santa Clara he lives in Los Gatos – how odd is that?
©Letters From Silicon Valley 2008
It’s well know that many of the major developers work their magic by getting their developments accepted at planning and city council by donating to the council. Donations are varied as I see it.
You have the donation to the cities capital fund for projects like, parks and recreation, sewers, roads. You know something that the city feels needs to be addressed – that’s probably why Santa Clara and Dominic Caserata can say we don’t have a pothole in Santa Clara. The city gets the developers to contribute towards the ‘pothole’ fund. It’s worth noting that Fairfield Residential has not contributed to the ‘pothole’ fund as yet but I’m sure they will find the appropriate ‘pothole’ – personally if I was them I would make a contribution to the largest ‘pothole’ the ‘International Swim Center’ I’m sure Mrs Mahan would love that being built in her time perhaps they could even call it the Mahan Swim Center? Though in my humble opinion it should be the Mark Spitz Swim Center given he really ‘begun’ his career in that very swim center. And Mark is a one of my favorite swimmers – along with a bunch of great Aussie Atheletes, Gould, Thorpe, Fraser, Rose, Perkins and the wonderful gentle giant Klim! But Mark had the guts to state what he wanted and win the gold everytime. He also is someone you can look up to – he managed to win all those medals during a very difficult and trying game. To understand these games read this at wikipedia.
A second way Developers donate to cities is to make part of their plans is to build affordable housing in the development. So for instance in the million dollar plus development on Prunridge and Lawrence that boasts Cupertino schools. Also known as the Enclave there are four units in there that are not as large or expensive that have been made available through a system to those that could not afford to normally buy into an area like that. Great concept – something that the Dutch have done for years – nothing new. But what does annoy me is that the developers have this hoity toity attitude that they are doing us all a favor – what a lie. The council deems it part of the agreement to build and the average joe blow knows that the developer factors in the cost of everyone of those units into the bottom price of the other units so the middle class Joe blow pays for this puppy. Give me a break I wasn’t born yesterday. One way the developers look better to the council is that instead of giving the minimum per cent in affordable housing they give more so instead of say 10% they give 15% – how sweet is that? Sweet to whom?
The third way they give money is to pay for different city councilmen/women’s political campaigns – legal donations to campaigns. Ask Mr Caserta he knows how that works – and then ask him how he voted on each and everyone of those developments of the developers that supported him. I’m sure as we go into an election this year we might see developers supporting other city council candidates. Oh and developers are tricky – to deflect the controversy over this they get company individuals to donate. Heck that’s totally legal right – so if you have a big family – say you are one of 100 family members – each member gives the minimum dollar amount which let’s say is $100 you now have 100×100 – you do the math! Then when you look at the list of who contributed and you see $100 from every Wong or Smith – you know why. What’s worse is that that same city council member now does not excuse themself from the vote on that development. That’s just WRONG and STINKS in my book. I wonder if I were to get 1000 voters to campaign against high rise development and each of them to ‘pay’ oops I mean donate towards a council persons campaign could I now ’sway’ their vote? hmmm food for thought – no that just smells of good old fashioned bribery. Doesn’t it to you?
Meanwhile I came across this article in one of the Australian Newspapers on line – the Developers are now saying that they feel the controversy of supporting political campaigns. The public is creating a back lash against the developer and they are feeling the heat and the developers are not going to fund political campaigns. About time – I think developers should be held accountable for their actions and that citizens should start to question their involvement in city politics. Good for the Aussie developers for taking the lead – I predict the same will start to happen here. Developers should rightly keep their money and their nose our of politics and do what they said they would do develop. As it’s been said to me many times – the developer comes, makes a mess in a city and then leaves. Leaving the havoc and the mess to those that now live in the city to clean up. A lot of this mess is because they think they are doing great things but never really look at the bigger picture. Here is the article.
PS Fairfield Residential if you are looking to ‘donate’ to Santa Clara City Council ‘pothole’ fund I recommend $400,000 because that’s how short the city was in rebuilding the Swim Center and as a result the project got shelved another year! And we all know by next year that $400K will be $600K!
©Letters From Silicon Valley 2008
One thing the city of Santa Clara gets right is the 4th of July Fireworks in Central Park. People come from all over to sit and enjoy the fireworks. Since we live in walking distance to the park our family leaves late in the evening to find our spot and wait. We have this ’secret’ little spot.
This years events were spectacular and the police definitely had the whole thing under control. This year they had Kiely drive completely closed off. With Kaiser closed there was no need to have the street open except for residents with parking passes or a drivers license with the same street address. This made navigating the area on foot much easier than in the past.
Just before the fireworks started someone came to the podium and welcomed everyone to Santa Clara. I was surprised he didn’t do an advertisement for over 2,000 proposed new apartments and homes. Hey here was a chance to really sell Santa Clara – the city is always wanting to let people know what a great city it is, they had thousands of people there why not some unashamed blatant promotion? Are they not always looking for more people to come and live here and pay taxes?
I was also a little surprised that our Major Ms Mahan was not there to say something or perhaps some other City Councilmen/women. Heck what would it take to be there and say a dozen words at one of the cities biggest events that brings out most of it’s residents and people from other cities. I’m okay if you promote yourself – George Bush does it, Obama would do it, Mclean would jump at it. I’m surprised our star wannabe politician Mr Caserta wasn’t there promoting his favorite developers – he could have said something about the Fairfield Residential complex – in fact the city could have had someone from Fairfield tell all these residents about the wonderful 806 proposed residents they are going to build and the 536 of them that will be for rent that will over look the park. Man what a golden opportunity to sell your product. Or maybe they just aren’t proud of this development …. makes you wonder.
The fireworks were fabulous and clearly the city knows how to turn on a good show. Well done to the company who put on the show was Fireworks America - the music was great. And I guess as my first 4th of July as a citizen I found it all so more inspiring and patriotic.
Great Job!
PS Rick if what you say is true – then all I can say is she has a deep voice and sounded just like a man – perhaps she needs to take voice lessons.
©Letters From Silicon Valley 2008
Wheels and Deals was the place where you could park your car and sell it – naturally the company wheels and deals got a commission but the concept I guess was great. Oh, I should say is great because they moved from that large lot in the middle of El Camino near the SaveMart to another spot on El Camino (as I understand it).
So what becomes of that old lot you might ask? I don’t know, ask the planning department – apparently there is a developer who is looking at building …. you guessed it, more luxury condominiums and two stores. This is what is called mixed zoning. The best part about this deal is that the residents behind the proposed complex have been notified about the proposed new complex. Yeah – I guess that’s because their homes are within a 1,000 feet of the project. So the residents quickly gatthered momentum and have a petition going and also seeking advice on how to address this issue.
Issue you might ask? What issue, after all we all want new housing and we all want El Camino cleaned up, don’t we? So doesn’t building “Luxury Condominiums” then address that issue? Sure, but when the residents behind the proposed development realized that thier yards are now to be in permanent shadow from the new buildings I think they have ISSUE.
Imagine a back yard with permanent shade? No sunshine – I guess that is okay if you live in fear of skin cancer.
As I understand it this group has started their own blog and will be taking their concerns to planning and other ‘interested’ parties. I wonder if like Fairfield Residential, Marina Playa and Santa Clara Square they will have their opposition fall on deaf ears?
When residents ask questions of the planning department they department points their finger to city council and when city council is asked questions they point to the planning department. It has a ‘who’s on base’ ring to it. Which leaves us with the question who is profiting from all this new proposed planning in Santa Clara? So who is REALLY doing the Wheels and Deals in Santa Clara – or am I just a cynical white witch?
©Letters From Silicon Valley 2008
I have the privilege of having a few days bed rest due to a some surgery. So as I have time I’ve been thinking about what would you do improve El Camino – if I had millions of dollars and total power to alter the state that currently is – here is my master plan. Please read this with tongue in cheek and the right to freedom of speech.
I think I’d sit down with some landscapers and see what we could do about greening El Camino – so it is more in line with Mountain View and Sunnyvale. Perhaps the trees that sit on the 900 Kiely Site where the old Kaiser hospital was could be moved to selective locations along El Camino. After all common sense tells you that Fairfield Residential is going to “conveniently” ‘loose’ most of those established pines! We all know that trees have a habit of ‘disappearing’ when developers take over a lot – even though they make big commitments to ‘keep’ or ‘move them’ hmmm. I’m not a genius but my gut tells me it’s more wishful thinking on a developers side vs reality. New York City Cracks down on Slumlords
Then all the stores on El Camino that require painting be issued with a selection of different paints – actually be issued with the paint not the money but the paint, rollers, brushes, tarps, tape etc and the city sets a clean up store front month. Imagine a community painting month – much like the community Spring Clean up. Perhaps we could have this month after the Spring Clean up period.
Of course this would happen after the building inspectors have done their due diligence and checked all the properties that look like they need inspections and to be up to code! Imagine that – just humor me this is my dream. But imagine if we had inspectors check that signs were approved as per building code, and that properties have fire alarm inspections by a person of authority - not just the owner! And what about cleaning store fronts and back areas. Or perhaps maybe all this is done and I’m just not aware of it – but it seems to me that it should be done more often! Quarterly for the next two years till owners and tenants get into a routine and develop some pride of their store fronts. You may find this article interesting about how NY city council introduced regulations to clamp down on slum lords
Now humor me on the signage along El Camino – perhaps we could have a change in policy and we don’t advertise ‘24 hour book stores’ or ‘tattoo store’ or ”24 hour video stores’ or ‘liquor stores’ – heck someone took on the tabacco companies and Joe Cool is no longer to advertise. Or the sign be no bigger than 20×30 inches! Let’s face it those that frequent those stores already know where they are and with the internet it’s possible to find anything if you really want it. So why the need for the urban blight? I ask you is it necessary – what are we advertising here in Santa Clara? We know how to tattoo you while you drink liquor flip through magazines that show not much but skin or watch a movie that demeans women and stay in a hotel that the police regular drive by in the evening to see who is frequenting it! Charming!
Speaking of hotels and motels it’s sad to have to tell prospective visitors that they really should not consider one of the more well known motels along the SC El Camino Strip – and as one of my friends said to me last Thanksgiving: “that explains why the reviews on line were very negative”.
Don’t get me wrong I’m all for helping and assisting those that need accommodation when they are in bad times. However, sticking them in a hotel that you know is frequented by people of interest to the local police is not nice! Surely those people who are looking for low income housing assistance deserve better. How low do we have to go?
Am I the only one that notices how little planning has gone into our section of El Camino? sigh….
©Letters From Silicon Valley 2008
