ALUM ROCK COMMUNITY UNITES, PLEDGES TO IMPROVE NEIGHBORHOOD

Alum Rock neighbor James Cape and Todd Trekell of Barry Swenson Group shake hands after Trekell pledged to include the community in any new plans to develop the PEO home property on Kirk Avenue. Cape and others promised to hold the developer to his word.

By Len and Julie Ramirez

If anyone ever doubts the commitment of Alum Rock neighbors to improve their community and their ability to defend it, let them hear about what happened tonight. "I left excited and ready to roll up my sleeves," said one long time Alum Rock resident after attending the standing room only meeting at the fellowship hall of Foothill Presbyterian Church on McKee Road. About 150 residents packed the room for the Alum Rock Neighborhood Coalition's regular March meeting. Community spirit was reborn and special commissions were set up so neighbors working in small, cohesive groups could tackle some of areas of concern:

• Graffiti Removal
• Blight
• Beautification
• Neighborhood Watches
• Roads and Traffic
• Schools and Education
• Community and Business Relations
• Public Relations/Media

But two items dominated the night's agenda: the future of the PEO home on Kirk Avenue and the ongoing concern over the proliferation of swanky nightclub-style cafes on Alum Rock Avenue.

Interest over the PEO property exploded during the last 10 days while talks of a women's prison surfaced and later fizzled. Intense emails and phone calls flooded the in-boxes of local officials, news reports aired, and tempers flared, while neighbors rallied. "Calls went from nothing to 50 the next day over this issue," explained Darcie Green of Assembly Member Joe Coto's office. Applause broke out as ARNC President David Sanchez proclaimed, "What's the latest on the PEO home? Nothing--it's over!!"

The sigh of relief was short lived; however, while neighbors realized the future of the property is still a big question. Todd Trekell, representing property owner and developer Barry Swenson, also noted the overwhelming response of neighbors to his office over the prison plan. "We heard you loud and clear," he said. Trekell also assured the community that Barry Swenson will work with the community in the future. Trekell tried to gain credibility with the skeptical crowd by citing his own family ties to the East Side as well as Mr. Swenson's (he graduated from James Lick High School). Trekell told neighbors that the site is an excellent location for an assisted living center, and that his company is working with a couple of entities in that regard, but noted that the land is for sale, and thus could be sold and developed by others.

Neighbors also heard a presentation by Greg Lippman, of ACE Charter Schools, over his company's interest in the PEO site as a potential charter middle school. Citing its beautiful grounds, good driveway access and ample classroom and meeting areas, Lippman said the site is an excellent candidate for a school of about 400 students. But he also noted that his company is not yet ready to move forward with formal plans.
The owner of Miss Cafe on Alum Rock Avenue faced a large and skeptical audience of concerned East Siders.

Some of the most heated discussions of the night centered around two of the newest members of the Alum Rock business community: Miss Cafe and Thien Y, which are Vietnamese cafes that feature short menus and even shorter skirts and skimpy tops for their waitresses. Attorney James Barrett, who represents Miss Cafe brought up the businesses owner (who was not named), his wife and two toddlers and said "these are the faces of Miss Cafe." The audience gave a collective chuckle, but bit its tongue on voicing more pointed comments until after the wife and children had left the front of the room. Miss Cafe attorney James Barrett fielded questions and criticism from neighbors while Miss Cafe's owner and manager stood by. Barrett said "I want Miss Cafe to be a part of this community."

"This is an issue of appropriateness and its impact on this community," said neighbor James Cape referring to the dark, reputedly smoky environment and skimpy outfits. Maureen Behlen pointed out how she currently avoids using the Wells Fargo ATMs next to its entrance after her 12 year old son was shocked by what he saw during their last visit to get cash. "Would you take your children there?" she asked the owner. To her surprise he admitted he took them to work with him and his wife. As the audience gasped, she snapped, "Shame on you!"

Attorney Barrett said he would meet with ARNC's newly formed community and business relations commission next week, while insisting he wants Miss Cafe to "be a part of this community."

ALUM ROCK CAFES UNDER SCRUTINY

Mercury News Columnist Scott Herhold attended a recent ARNC meeting and wrote the following article after interviewing Alum Rock locals Julie Ramirez and ARNC President David Sanchez. His article takes a look at the Alum Rock Vietnamese cafe controversy:

http://www.mercurynews.com/scottherhold/ci_8688825?nclick_check=1

PEO PRISON PLAN DROPPED!

The following is a letter to the Alum Rock community from Leaders in Community Alternatives President Linda Connelly formally withdrawing from the PEO/Prison plan:

Dear Neighbors,

I submitted a letter to the State of California today officially withdrawing our application for a Female Rehabilitative Community Correctional Center at 10 Kirk Avenue. Our intent was never to develop this site without the consent of the neighbors, and it was apparent there was not enough support to continue with the process.I want to apologize to you that it appeared as though we were trying to push this project on the neighborhood without your involvement. We were in the very early stages of discussions with the State of California for the project. This was a highly competitive bid process (funding was availablefor 1200 beds and there were 10,000 beds bid throughout the state), and there was no certainty that Santa Clara County would be selected. We were in the planning process with some Alum Rock neighbors strategizing the who,what, where, why, and when of talking with neighborhood groups andindividuals, and the best way to go about that. We planned this process to take several months, and did not want to begin in a major way until we knewif the state was even interested in Santa Clara County for the women'sprogram. Unfortunately this very preliminary concept of possibly using the 10 Kirk Avenue site for a rehabilitative program for women was leaked to the pressvery prematurely and we were not given a chance to talk to each of you. I know this has been very distressing, and has caused great concern for manyof you. I understand completely, and am deeply disappointed that this washow you heard about our proposal. I have worked in the criminal justice field for 34 years, and have opened many residential programs over the years. Our typical process if to lookfor potential sites. When we find one, we first talk to immediate neighborsto see if there is any major concern. If not, we begin the process of talking to police, elected officials and neighbors. This process is done over several months because it takes at least six-nine months to go through a conditional use process. It is during this time that we decide if we canget the community support to open a program,. If not, then we back away from a site. Neighborhood support is crucial, and without it, there is no point in going forward. There is a serious lack of programming available in Santa Clara County for women and men returning from state prison to their home communities. Theresult of this is high recidivism rates, increased crime, and significant expenses to the local infrastructure. The State of California, Departmentof Corrections and Rehabilitation, is attempting to mitigate the revolving door of our criminal justice system, utilizing evidence-based research, and developing intensive treatment programs in the community offenders will bereturning. This is a huge asset to local communities and a significant benefit for the clients in the program and the communities housing theprograms. Obviously, though, the program site needs to be in the rightlocation. All of the programs I have started, and the hundreds of programs my colleagues across the country have started, have completely integrated themselves into their respective neighborhoods in a positive way. Neighbors end up loving these programs because of the value they bring to thecommunity - jobs, tax revenues, community service and neighborhood projects,resources for neighbors as well as program clients, 24-hour awake presence,decreased crime, and increased housing pricing. The research and actual programs demonstrate this over and over again. I know it would have been true at 10 Kirk, and I know it can be true where ever we end up.The silver lining in what has transpired over the last week is that thisvery serious issue of re-entry has been brought to the forefront of not only the Alum Rock neighborhood, but also the city of San Jose and County of Santa Clara. There has been a lot of interest in working with us to providethis necessary treatment services in the right location within the County. The other silver lining is that your neighborhood has demonstrated its cohesiveness and ability to coalesce around an important issue in a short period of time. It was impressive. I wish you the best, and again, my heartfelt apology that this process did not work itself out the way it was intended. Regardless if the end result had been the same, you and the program deserved to be fully vetted and understood before a decision was made. Thank you.

Linda Connelly,
President/CEO Leaders in Community Alternatives, Inc. (LCA)594 Howard Street - Suite 300San Francisco, CA 94105415-546-5222 (Phone)415-546-1932 (Fax)mailto:lconnelly%40lcaservices.comhttp://www.lcaservices/.com

PEO HOME MEETING SET

By ARNC President David Sanchez

This Thursday's Alum Rock Neighorhood Coalition Community Meeting will be held at the Foothill Presbyterian Church, 5301 McKee Road and will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m.. An agenda will be posted but the main focus of this meeting will be on the PEO Home/FRCCC (Female Rehabilatative Community Correctional Center) with updates from last months meeting.

Please use the evite invitation link ..... HERE ...... to RSVP, it will help us get a rough idea of the attendance. The invitation is and open invitation so please share this email and the evite link with others who may be interested in attending. If someone would like to post the invitation at some of the local businesses as well, that would be great!

LET'S KEEP THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT ALIVE

By Julie Ramirez

The energy and momentum generated in Alum Rock over the last week is inspirational and a real testiment to the will, committment and wealth of knowledge in our community. Our neighborhood has sent a clear message to San Jose and state leaders that our neighborhood is not a suitable area for a prison. Aside from the buzz of the proposed prison site, neighbors have begun asking: "What's next?" "How can we keep the momentum going to build a better Alum Rock? How can we attract [and sustain] more businesses to our area?" The answer has clearly emerged: We need to invest in our neighborhood!!

Among the many hidden treasures in our area, one that is often neglected and bashed is our school system. My children attend an award winning school. It offers extra curricular activities including GATE, band, drama, and dance. They are exposed to and enjoy the diversity of cultures and languages. Their teachers are credentialed. They're offered a hot breakfast and lunch and a free after school YMCA program. They go on several field trips throughout the year, attend enrichment festivities like a Back to School Carnival, Family Literacy Nights and an International Dance Festival. And, they are receiving a great education!

I don't pay high tuition rates; I don't transport them across the Valley. And I don't settle for mediocrity. I proudly send them to Linda Vista Elementary school. If we are looking for a place to start investing in our community, it makes sense to start with the schools.

Linda Vista is a California Distinguished School with an execellent, experienced staff. Principal Paddy Douglas and Vice Principal Colin Ford are dedicated and work closely with their staff and students to create a welcoming environment and great educational experience. Over the last three years, it has consistently improved its API scores, and is getting very close (765) to breaking the 800 barrier which many parents shopping for neighborhoods and schools look for. It's an outstanding achievement for the students and staff given the diverse community Linda Vista serves.

Unfortunately, many families in the area are quick to look beyond our local schools when it comes to their kid's education. Just imagine what the schools in the area can become if more parents invested in them? And we get so much in return. As a family, we have built great relationships with our neighbors because of our ties to Linda Vista.

The Alum Rock Unified School District also houses three other Distinguished Schools-- including McCollam, which is also in our immediate area. Alum Rock has 27 schools throughout its District, including three so called "small schools." Our Superintendent Norma Martinez was recently named "Administrator of the Year" by the Association of California School Administrators and many of its teachers have been recognized as well.

Schools are the heart of a community, more so than trendy businesses and fancy chain stores. They are where families meet. If you build strong schools, more people will be attracted to the area, and prosperity will follow.

PEO PRISON PLAN DEFEATED?

The recent groundswell of opposition to a proposal to locate a state women's prison facility on the PEO Home site may have forced the plan's backers to look elsewhere. Here is how NBC 11 covered the controversy tonight:

CITY CRACKS DOWN ON ALUM ROCK CAFES

The following letter was sent as a follow up to the recent Alum Rock Neighborhood Coalition meeting in which several neighbors urged city planning and code enforcement officials to take
a harder look at the cafes. The specific complaint neighbors made is that the cafes applied to be restaurants, but are not operating as such.


Miss Cafe/2880 Alum Rock Avenue

Code Enforcement issued a compliance order to the property owner and business owner requiring that entertainment activities cease until such time as the business can demonstarte that the business is operating as a "bona fide eating establishment" as defined by the Zoning Ordinance. In addition, the property owner and business owner were ordered to remove the outdoor seating located to the rear of the building that was added without Planning approval. Finally, the business owner has been issued administrative citations for allowing smoking to occur inside the business.

Please be advised that I personally accompanied staff during inspections conducted on Monday, March 10th and Wednesday, March 12th. The Miss Cafe has created a menu that now offers a variety of menu choices for customers. You may recall the original menu appeared to serve only appetizers. In addition, I inspected the kitchen area and observed silverware and plates/cups necessary for a restaurant use. Finally, I observed the kitchen refrigerators and observed food items necessary for preparing food when ordered. During my inspection yesterday, at noon, I did not observe any of the customers eating food, of the approximate 20 customers in the Cafe'. In addition, I observed several tables and chairs to the rear of the building for smoking customers. I was accmpanied on the inspection with Principal Planner Jeannie Hamilton as I was interested in her viewpoint as to whether the business was operating as a restaurant as described by the Zoning Ordinance.

I am not convinced, at this point, that the Miss Cafe' is operating as a restaurant as described in the Zoning Ordinance, though I believe that the Cafe' is moving towards compliance with there efforts to date. I admonished the business owner on allowing outdoor seating and ordered that the outdoor seating cease immediately, pending subsequent Planning review and approval. I advised the business owner that entertainment may not be reinstated until Code Enforcement is convinced that the use is that of a restaurant and not a "coffee shop".

Thien Y Restaurant/3116 Alum Rock Avenue

Code Enforcement staff has been monitoring the business since the original complaint was received, and on March 3rd obtained enough preliminary evidence to begin enforcement proceedings. Additional evidence was obtained yesterday, March 13th, to support Code Enforcement's position that this business is not operating as a bona fide public eating establishment.

Code Enforcement has issued a compliance order advising the property owner and business owner of the following violations: entertainment, specifically karaoke, must cease at 10:00 p.m. and for failing to obtain building permits for the mounted television monitors that exceed 50 pounds as previously instructed. The compliance order will provide the property owner and business owners notice of violations and corrective action required as follows :

1. Obtain a building permit or remove the mounted television monitors that exceed the 50 pound limitation no later than Thursday, March 27, 2008;
2. Cease any live entertainment, specifically the karaoke entertainment, after 10:00 p.m., no later than 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, 2008.

Thus far, Code Enforcement has issued the business owner a $250.00 administrative citation for failing to obtain a sign permit.

Please let me know if additional information is desired. Please share this e-mail with community/neighborhood members.

Cordially,

Michael Hannon
Code Enforcement Official
Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Department
City of San Jose

BIG CHANGES COME TO ALUM ROCK VILLAGE

After more than a year of waiting and wondering if a new coffee house would be coming to Alum Rock Village, the question seems to be answered. "Starbuck's Coming Soon" banners were hung this week from the top of the old Rafiki's coffee house space at Alum Rock and White Road. Several residents were hoping for a Starbuck's or perhaps a Peet's and negotiations had been going on for some time to bring a major coffee house to the corner. No word yet on when the store may be open, but it appears work inside the space is moving quickly along. The space has been gutted inside.

This means that not only will great coffee be coming to Alum Rock, but so will jobs.

A notice in the window of the door says there will be a Starbuck's Coffee Company Hiring Fair on Wednesday, January 16th, 2008 at 2990 East Capitol Expressway (Capitol and Tully) from 10am to 12pm. No word on how many full or part-time jobs will be created.

Meantime, across the street, the Thai White Rock Cafe has sadly closed down. The signs have been taken down and the windows have been shuttered. Word that the restaurant would be shutting down circulated in the neighborhood for months and it finally happened. It was a well-regarded restaurant and had several good reviews. There is now a notice in the window that says there has been a change of ownership. And it appears a new Vietnamese restaurant will take it's place. No word on when the new restaurant will be open.

FLEMING PARK PLANS TAKE SHAPE

Most community members at the meeting liked Concept Plan1 the best, with the exception of the gazebo. Neighbors voted for the gazebo to be replaced with a longer trellis type structure as seen in Concept Plan 3 (below).

Despite community outreach from the city, only a small group of neighbors from the Fleming/Alum Rock area turned out for a final neighborhood meeting to plan a new city park for the area. The meeting on September 17th, was also attended by two city employees from the parks department, Evelyn Velez-Rosario and Jason Condit, as well as City Councilmember Nora Campos and her staff member Ryan Ford. Condit, who is a park designer, unveiled three plans for the half-acre site between Alum Rock Avenue and Fleming Court (former site of the Korean Baptist Church).

All three of the plans incorporated elements previously requested by neighbors at a meeting last spring such as a small childrens play area, par course, covered seating and grassy open space. The designs also include existing assets such as the mature pine, oak and fruit trees on the property.

Click on the photos above to get a closer look at the plans.

After some discussion, neighbors voted to accept the Concept Plan 1 design, which will be modified to include a longer trellis type structure instead of a gazebo, as well as a low decorative fence around the park's Fleming and Waterstone Court perimeters.

Not all neighbors in attendance approved of the plans. One gentleman who stated his family has lived on Fleming for 70 years said he "couldn't believe" the city was putting a park on Fleming Avenue. He called it the worst thing he's ever heard of. The neighbor had not been involved in the process before.

The park plan was developed as a compromise effort to reduce density, ease traffic and create open space in conjunction with a Braddock and Logan housing development next to the park. In late 2005, developers announced plans to build 21 homes on the former church site. Shortly thereafter, neighbors banded together and spoke out at a series of planning and council meetings throughout 2006 to get number of homes reduced. Eventually, the city council approved a plan to build 14 homes on the site, with some of the remaining land to be used for a small public park.

Unfortunately, city officials stated that the park will not be completed until sometime in 2009, although construction on the homes is well underway.

SJPD LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE SERVICE

San Jose Police have launched a very useful new service on the http://www.sjpd.org/ website which allows residents with personal computers to monitor the numbers, types and locations of all calls for service.
The free service works with Google maps and shows graphically the general location of where reported crimes are taking place. Individual calls show up as small icons denoting the type of crime, when it was reported and the incident number in case you want to follow up later. Individual addresses are not shown to protect people's privacy. The service also allows residents to get email alerts in near real time when the crimes have been reported. This is potentially a great tool for neighborhood groups trying to monitor crime in their area. They can look for trends, such as a rash of burglaries or car break-ins. Unfortunately for many of us, crimes reported to the Sheriff's Office are not part of the new online service

You can find the SJPD'S Crime Reports site here:

http://www.sjpd.org/Crime_stats/CrimeReportsFAQ.html

TRAFFIC BACKLOG GETS WORSE

No, I wasn't using my cameraphone while driving. I was completely stopped on 680, waiting for the light on the Alum Rock offramp. I decided to take a picture, because this was the first time I can ever remember traffic being backed up this far out onto the freeway. In fact, traffic was backed up so far that cars were side by side with those backed up from the Capitol Avenue exit. This was taken at 6pm on Wednesday. Is the East Side area getting crowded or what?

LYNDALE AVENUE BOY STRUCK BY SUV

The California Highway Patrol reported that late this morning that an unidentified 3 year old boy was struck while riding his bike by an SUV on Lyndale Avenue at Highwood. The boy was taken by ambulance to Valley Medical Center with minor injuries according to CHP Officer Todd Thibodeau. "He wasn't wearing a helmet", Thibodeau said, adding that the boy was lucky to escape with only "cuts and scrapes."

The boy's bike shows what could have happened. It was lodged beneath the wheels of the GMC Suburban. The driver, Maria Velasquez, told the CHP she was motoring northbound at about 20 miles per hour on Lyndale, when the boy veered into the street. Thibodeau said she tried to avoid hitting him, but could not stop in time. Velasquez is not a licensed driver, Thibodeau said, so she was cited and the vehicle was impounded.

Neighbors Nancy and Allen Olson said they had noticed the boy and his younger sister riding bikes and scooters earlier in the morning, apparently unattended. "We saw no parents," Nancy Olson said.

ALUM ROCK YOUTH CENTER FUNDRAISER

Dear Community Friends:

On Saturday, September 15, from 8:00 a.m. to noon, the Alum Rock Youth Center Advisory Team is hosting a flea market in the parking lot of the Youth Center at 137 North White Road. Please share the information with others, consider rent a space to sell, visit us Saturday to buy items, or donate items to sell. We appreciate your continued interest and support. You are welcome at any of our Advisory meetings which are held the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Center.

Sincerely,

Tanya

OOPS! WRONG NAME SET IN CONCRETE

Fleming Dr. is stamped into the concrete on Fleming Ave's new wider curb and gutter at Braddock and Logan's new housing development.

Construction workers finished the new wider curbs and gutters leading into Braddock and Logan's new development on Fleming Ave. Unfortunately, it appears someone forgot to look at neighboring street signs or a map before the street name was stamped into concrete as Fleming Dr.

POLICE CHASE ENDS IN EAST SAN JOSE; SUSPECT ESCAPES

From the San Jose Mercury News
By Leslie Griffy

Sunnyvale public safety officers are searching for a San Jose parolee who escaped a dragnet Monday night, Lt. David Pitts said today.
Alegandro Alcala, 21, eluded officers after a chase that led investigators from a Sunnyvale mobile home park to East San Jose. The pursuit included an alleged assault and a stolen car and led 100 officers from four police agencies to search a San Jose neighborhood well after midnight.
The incident started at about 9:30 p.m., when a Sunnyvale public safety officer came into contact with Alcala in a parking lot. Alcala, who is wanted for a parole violation, ran.
Alcala ran into a mobile home park on Borregas Avenue.
At the park, Pitts said, Alcala broke into a mobile home where he allegedly assaulted a 76-year-old woman, who confronted him. Alcala ran out of the home after the woman's son went after him, Pitts said.
Next, Alcala allegedly broke into a second home in the park and stole a set of car keys. Officers next spotted him driving out of the park, Pitts said.
From there, they chased Alcala to an East San Jose neighborhood near Lake Cunningham, where Alcala crashed the car and ran away from law enforcement.
He was able to escape the 100-officer dragnet set up for him in the area after the crash. Residents reported seeing police helicopters for hours after midnight this morning. Pitts said officers cleared the area around 6 a.m. this morning.
Alcala is wanted on suspicion of kidnapping, assault, burglary, car theft and reckless evading of police officers. He is described as being 5-foot-11 inches tall, weighing 160 with short brown hair and brown eyes. He is Hispanic.

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

ALUM ROCK FIRE STATION MEETING TONIGHT!

Hello Community Members!

Thank you all for making your voices heard! We have been overwhelmed with support in the fight for public safety and funding for our community priorities.

I have included important information about our next steps. Let’s keep working together!

Bring signs, friends, family and neighbors to a brief info session before we head into the Council Chambers to show the Mayor and Councilmembers that we need to keep resources and improve public safety in the area with the highest need. It is critical that we maintain funding for the rebuild of Fire Station #2.

Date: Tuesday, June 5

Time: 6:00 p.m. Group Pre-Meeting/Information Session
7:00 p.m. Council Session and Public Forum

Location: Bamboo Garden
San Jose City Hall
200 E. Santa Clara Street

Parking: 6th Street and Santa Clara Street
Underground garage
Parking validation will be available


*Don’t forget to bring 10 community members with you!


Key messages:
Fire Station #2: Oldest! Busiest! Neediest!
Our firefighters deserve better!
Protect the East Side ! Protect the City! Rebuild Fire Station #2!
Fiscal Responsibility! No Band-aid solutions!
Keep the promise! Don’t Cut Funding for Fire Station #2!

FIRESAFE PROGRAM COMES TO EAST FOOTHILLS

After the Suncrest Avenue Fire near Alum Rock Park, September 24, 2006. Defensible Space helped save the homes near the top of this hill. (Photo by Richard Brown)

By Allan Thompson

The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council (SCFSC), a local non-profit group dedicated to preventing wildfires in Santa Clara County, has launched Defensible Space Chipping Programs to reduce hazardous fuels in selected areas of the county. These programs are funded by $90,442 in federal grants from the USDI Bureau of Land Management.
With the start of the 2007 Wildfire Season upon us, SCFSC is launching its pilot Chipping Programs in several areas including east and south San Jose and the East Foothills near Alum Rock Park, where last year’s “Suncrest Avenue Fire” burned a swath of grassland near some hillside homes.
These federal grants, and local matching funding from area individuals, companies and organizations like Pacific Gas and Electric Company and San Jose Water Company, enable SCFSC to provide these services free-of-charge. SCFSC is also offering more extensive assistance to qualified seniors and disabled residents through its Special Needs Assistance Program or SNAP.
To learn more about these free Chipping Programs, visit the SCFSC Website at http://www.sccfiresafe.org/ and click on “Defensible Space Chipping Programs.” If you have questions, e-mail DSChip@SCCFireSafe.org or call (408) 975-9591.
SCFSC also has a 20-page, guide for homeowners and residents available on-line or by mail. The guide, Living With Fire in Santa Clara County, is at www.SCCFireSafe.org/FireSafe/LivingWithFire.htm and is appropriate for the Wildland Urban Interface areas. It illustrates how to create Defensible Space and use fire resistant plants and roofing materials.

CALL TO ACTION: FULL FUNDING FOR FIRE STATION

Fire Station 2, on Alum Rock Avenue, is the oldest and busiest fire station in San Jose.

By Monica Limas
Office of Councilmember Nora Campos

This is a critical time and we need your support to restore full funding for the rebuild of Fire Station 2. We need to work together to ensure that the concerns of our community members are heard. Help give the Mayor and City Council the message that we are willing to fight for the much-needed resources in our community.

As requested by many of you, we have attached a sample letter. As well, we have included the city’s response to our request for full funding of the rebuild. Below are important dates and contact information.

Please confirm your participation so that I may be available to assist.

Important Dates:
* June 1st – Mayor’s Budget Message (Budget & Update)
* June 5th – Afternoon council session and public forum at 1:30 pm. Evening session at 7:00 pm.
* June 11th – Public hearing on Proposed Operating and Capital Budgets at 7:00 pm.
* June 12th – City Council vote to approve 2007 – 08 budget.

Contact Information:
* Mayor and City Council
200 E. Santa Clara St. 18th Floor
San Jose, CA 95113
Phone: 408.535.4800

D5 Staff will be available with more information at the Mayfair Community Groundbreaking at 2039 Kammerer Ave. on Thursday, May 31, 2007 at 6:00 pm. See you there!

In Unity,

Monica Limas
Community Relations Coordinator
Office of Councilmember Nora Campos, District 5
408.535.4905
408.535.4948 Direct
408.292.6262 FAX
monica.limas@sanjoseca.gov
https://webmail.cbs.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.sanjoseca.gov/district5

City of San Jose
200 E. Santa Clara Street, 18th Floor
San Jose, CA 95113

NATIVE EAST FOOTHILLS OAK TREE SCHEDULED FOR REMOVAL

Tree cutters arrive to chop down this 40 foot oak on Fleming Avenue at Fleming Ct. But due to last minute protests over a lack of neighborhood notification, the tree was saved, but maybe not for long. Removal was approved by the San Jose City Council as part of a street widening project in conjunction with the new housing development by Braddock and Logan.

Letter to City Council from Doris Livezey of Our City Forest regarding the tree:

Apparently neighbors were successful in putting a temporary stop to the removal of a native oak next door to 145 Fleming. Neighbors were told by the contractor there was a permit for its removal but they had never seen it posted. Neighbors have stepped forward saying they want the tree saved. When I called the San Jose City Arborist's office I was told that a permit was never issued because the removal had been approved by the City Council members for street widening and future construction. I'm assuming I was given the correct information. What is wrong with this picture? City Council can order a tree removed but the average property owner has to go through the removal process? The City of Mountain View has roads going around trees as does Los Altos. I just returned from a town in Southern California where the street curves out to accommodate an ancient tree. We've all seen it. Is the City of San Jose that interested in future construction that it has to destroy an old oak tree? I would assume time is of the essence. I'm appealing to all of you who received this email to save the tree!

Doris Livezey
San Jose taxpayer and member of Our City Forest