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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.
So it’s been a while since I posted here – I’ve been busy with traveling, illness, Obama elections, Christmas (yes I still like to use that word rather than Holidays), family etc. I’ve had people ask me what is going on in Santa Clara regarding the old Kaiser site – the Fairfield Residential project or rather what’s the fancy name for it. “Gallery on Kiely” I think that’s its official name – the 900 Kiely Boulevard project.
You know the one – the one where 806 units are slated to be built of which 536 are to be rental properties. And ‘X’ amount of single family residents with those wonderful 10 x 12 backyards. Yes everyone needs a cell block for a back yard don’t you agree?
Anyway forget my tongue in cheek attitude to the project, what annoys me more is the wonderful report that the Santa Clara weekly did on the project. They made the project sound so glowing and so in line with what we need in this wonderful small city that hasn’t got enough housing to house the masses. And the fact that the weekly has never taken the time to sit and talk to residents or if they do they tend to argue how the city is right and they know what is best for us. I guess if I continually advertised in the Santa Clara weekly or had a stake in it they might hear my point of view, but I don’t so they continually show no understanding for the general public. I think this is why Blogging is called ‘freedom of the press’. Because it occurs to me that Freedom of the Press does not occur in the press. In fact I would say that freedom of the press is dictated by who advertises in the press. It’s like those special interest groups that ‘ear mark’ special projects. Sigh…….
This being said brings me to the point of my update on the 900 Kiely site – right now in the city of Santa Clara there are 329 units/apartments/homes/condos/townhomes/single family residents with big/small back yards FOR SALE at the time of writing this.
The average days on market for these properties are 112 days at the time of writing - that’s in effect three months worth of inventory. Wait till that new block town homes with the 10×12 backyards on Lawrence are on the market – and the ones by KB homes near the Scott.
Why not sell these before the city permits more building any more?
I don’t even know how many places are for rent in Santa Clara city but seems to me there is enough for sale. It also seems to me that there is a down turn in the economy – the city needs to be thinking about bringing business back to it rather than building more cell block homes.
I cannot help but think of George Orwell – and reflect on some of his quotes
“Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it. “Or this
“All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others. “Or this
” If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. “
I believe it’s time to put a hold on building or at the very least start to listen to what the residents would like. Let’s clean up El Camino, bring back small businesses, focus less on building, and give us Hope! Listen to the average Joe resident please.
Wow last night I attended the City of Santa Clara council meeting. This was a first for me. As some of you may or may not know my background in Australia was politics. I was involved in politics at a student level and later at a State and Federal level and still call some members of parliament close friends. In fact one of the senior party members has visited the U.S. and spent time with our family. In leaving Australia I really was happy to leave behind my political involvement and any political desires I might have had or been requested to pursue. Love it or hate it, I was happy to leave it!
These past weeks I inadvertedly got involved in discussions with a number of residents over the planned building of a site on the old Kaiser hospital on Kaiser Drive. I learnt that the property had been sold to a developer – fine that’s groovy – until you discover the plan and the ‘accommodations’ the city planners are making to allow such a development.
This project is called the Fairfield Project and this was not why I went to city council last night but it was a catalyst for me attending. I went to here about the Marina Playa project. Boy politically was this an eye opener. Here are some of the things I witnessed.
I saw Dominic Caserta acknowledge openly one of the head developers for the Marina Playa project. I also witnessed him looking completely bored, half asleep, walk out of the room more than five times (yes I counted), one time returning munching on food. Clearly Mr Caserta had voted in his mind on the proposals that were to be put forward that evening. His vote had been caste before he was asked to vote. I heard a Doctor point out that Mr Caserta should ‘excuse’ himself from voting on the Marina Playa project because he had legally accepted donation money from the builder of this project to fund his political aspirations. I heard that Mr Caserta did not take the decision to ‘abstain’ in fact he voted in favor of the project. Suprise Suprise. The Santa Clara weekly calls him young – I suspect he’s more foolish than young. I’m sure Shakespeare had something to say about that when he wrote the stages of man.
I saw Mayor Patricia Mahan look away with embarrasment when one of the local residents pointed out that her father would be ashamed of her associations with the planning projects that were currently on the table. Mayor Mahan clearly was ‘uncomfortable’ with the statement that this elderly Santa Clara resident had to say about her lack of support for city as a whole. I heard Mayor Mahan be defensive with another resident when he challenged her over where these projects were being built in relation to her own property in Santa Clara. The Mayor felt it was unfair to be personal yet she herself had made comments that these projects were no-where near where she lives.
Pat Kolstad had nothing to say all night except press forward the proposal to pass the Environmental report that allows the planning department to allow the builder to build Marina Playa. Wow perhaps he did this because he wanted to go home – it was getting close to midnight when this matter on the agenda was being discussed by council. Perhaps the meeting was getting past his bed time? just a thought given it seems he’s been on the council a few too many years. Fortunately his term is up – time for some fresh blood – perhaps someone who knows how to ask questions of importance and listen to residents. After all more than a dozen residents talked against Marina Playa, noteably most about the traffic issues and the discrepencies between what the CHP and the city contractor had to say. Mr Kolstad is a former cop – you think he of all people might have some thoughts on the fact that the yards of these proposed townhomes are going to be 10×12 feet. This size yard reminds me of a prison yard – hmmm food for thought.
Jamie McLeod had a lot to say regarding the traffic reports in fact she suggested that the city take more action and reviews in this area but ALAS Jamie was knocked down and eventually voted in favor of Marina Playa. Though I did observe that even Jamie was not comfortable with the size of the yards of these units and how the traffic around this project, along with the other to be submitted projects in the same area, will in turn affect the Lawrence/El Camino cross street. Jamie was alone in a crowd of wolves! Sorry Jamie I heard your cry but your ‘buddies’ took you down. My only question is: why did you vote in favor of it?
Kevin Moore – hmm can’t say he had much to say though. I guess Kevin feels that the 10×12 yard is sufficient for any good person given his concentration is parks and recs and he did well because the builder gave parks and recs $200,000 to sweeten the deal. Ahh I see – he swims with sharks.
Joe Kordner attempted to align himself with Jamie and ride in on her amendment to have the planning department review the traffic conditions in that area. But sometimes yah just gotta do what the boss says Missum! You know how it goes ….and after-all given he’s on the financing authority of the city you know that the money the builder is going to give to fix the sewer line has to be his sweetener.
Bottom line I smell a rats – rats that finked out their residents. To learn more about how you can help and what’s going on in the city according to residents versus according to the city planners and the city council visit http://liveforeverodt.com/santaclara/ - through this website I started to realize that what was going on was not all kosher at the Santa Clara City Hall.
In talking to an old time Santa Clara resident I discovered today that a lot of this has been going on for years. This accounts for why we don’t have a proper downtown, why our public schools are some of the worst in the area, why once you enter our part of El Camino there is nothing more than brothels, $49 motels, tattoo stores, and sleazy seedy sex shops! Yep something to proud of Mayor Mahan! You have served your city well – may you and your crowd move on to better cause. May Mr Caserta find his place in the Assembly and be brought to more scrutiny.
You gotta love a day in the life of Santa Clara Politics! I’m so proud that I can vote this year because as it stands I’m not going to vote for one of these guys or one that they wish to endorse – their records speak for themselves after what I witnessed last night. In 1975 Gough Whitlam was voted out of Australian politics – and in the words of the Liberal Campaign I have three words for most of the Santa Clara city council:
SHAME, SHAME, SHAME
©Letters From Silicon Valley 2008
