TWO VIEWS: HIGH DENSITY OR GREAT OPPORTUNITY?

The following opinions were submitted on ARNNE (Alum Rock Neighborhood Network Email list) by David Sanchez, Alum Rock Neighborhood Coalition President, and Andrea Flores-Shelton, Alum Rock Neighborhood Coalition Treasurer:

Dear Neighbors,
Another projected housing development (PDC07-041) is slated for 380 N. White Road, near the corner of McKee & White. From what I can tell, "The City" is trying to turn our community into the high density housing hub of San Jose, yet we continue to be one of the most neglected areas of the City.

Have any of you driven by the corner of McKee and White lately? The traffic light there is very old and always going out, there are no sidewalks on the north side of McKee, the two strip malls (7-11, Dairy Bell) are some of the worst blighted areas, and you would think White Road is one big crosswalk the way people are walking in the middle of the street to go from Seafood City back to their homes. Not to mention that there are already signs erected that another large high density housing development is being built at the same corner!, North Point I believe.

Add to this the recent closure of several large grocery stores in our area, the resistance of the City to rebuild Fire Station 2, already the busiest in San Jose mind you, and The City's inability to upgrade, or sometimes even maintain, our roads and services and you have a once proud community that is quickly becoming overcrowded, ugly, dangerous and very, very undesirable to live. From speaking with many of you at recent community meetings we as a community do not need, want or support The City's plans to turn Alum Rock into San Jose's Hub of High Density Housing.

I am a proud and long time resident of Alum Rock, 45 years, and my family has called this area of The City home for longer than that. We've been born, baptized, educated, raised and buried in this community. This is our home, you are our family, this is OUR community ........ speak up Alum Rock, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Let The City know what we want our community to look like, what our community needs are and how their decisions are affecting the community that we live in.

David Sanchez
alumrock.ning.com

David and others -
Thanks for the heads-up about this development but I have a different perspective on this. I wouldn’t consider 7 houses on an acre high density. When you look at the lot size (1 acre) and the shape of it, and the fact that it is currently vacant and next to a large development already, adding 7 detached homes seems cramped (probably tiny yards), but the new standard. It doesn’t sound like high density to me – not townhouses, condos, apartments. Best of all, converting this vacant lot with weeds, chain link fence around it catching garbage with no one caring about it into homes (hopefully in the realm of affordable) is a win from my perspective. I drove past it today – what an eyesore!

High-density will be Northpoint! High-density will be coming the day the American Legion decides to sell, but not even Northpoint can talk them into it.

I do think the community must use every development opportunity to extract community benefits – sidewalks, street lights, etc especially when long neglected, unincorporated parcels like this one are being annexed into the city due to the development. Fleming Avenue is a wonderful example with the pocket park being a part of the conditions of approval. My hope with the Northpoint development is that this community gets very involved because this is going to be huge and McKee and White MUST get the sidewalks and street lights, and traffic calming it desperately needs.

I am a tree hugger by most people’s standards, so development in Coyote or outside the urban service areas, and those mega homes that ruin our hillsides in Evergreen/San Jose/Milpitas hills make me cringe. But, 7 homes along White Road seems reasonable at this rate.

My two cents.
- Andrea Flores Shelton