Last week’s column showed that there must be a rationale for accelerated development in Coyote Valley. With all of the quality-of-life issues involved, a case must be made proving conclusively that such dramatic action is warranted. So far no such proof has been shown. Council members and the Mayor’s office simply must not abandon the solid reasoning of the past three decades.
Councilman Dave Cortese was correct in bringing attention to the words of Janet Gray Hayes that ring very true today: “San Jose must become better before it becomes bigger.” In that effort, it has been a time-tested truism that we need more jobs to balance the reality of the established bedroom community here. The reason is simple: we need the tax base to have the money to hire cops, librarians, youth workers, and all the rest of the employees who make this a livable city.
So, why are we traveling in the opposite direction? At City Hall the mantra is: do little planning, but make every possible political accommodation. How else do you explain why the General Plan is now amended four times, I repeat, four times a year? In the eighties and nineties it was done twice a year and then changed to only once. This allowed the staff time to work on implementing plans and improving the city and cutting processing time, not solely reviewing changes, analyzing environmental impact reports, and conferring with every lobbyists anxious to bill more time to the ever anxious developer.
The only interests being served at present are expediency and the most short-term of needs. So many things have been done right in San Jose, it is painful to watch these latest turns. Out in the neighborhoods, there are many concerned people and some are beginning to mobilize.
Next week: Why the General Plan is not worth the paper that sits on a dust covered shelf. Also, the novel idea to “privatize” the San Jose Planning Department by staffing it solely by lobbyists. Meanwhile the search continues for the City Manager and Planning Director.
Who are the developers that are pushing for Coyote Valley development?
Who are the councilmembers that are advocating for Coyote Valley development?
What ‘positive relationships’ do the developers have with the City Council advocates?
I know that our elected representatives have our best interests at heart 24×7, but isn’t this something of such impact to the city that voters should have a say?
From what I’ve seen, its Gonzales and Williams who are pushing to let the development begin. No surprises there. Not sure who else on the council they may have recruited to join them.
There was an attempt to have the people vote on Coyote development a few years ago. More than 50,000 people signed a petition to qualify an initiative on the SJ ballot. They Mayor and Council refused to put the issue on the ballot based on a technicality. What do you think the chances would be today to get something on the ballot?
Janet Grey Hayes was Mayor of San Jose from 1974 to 1982 and in 1975 San Jose established General Plan 75 and adapted Smart Growth principles over 3 decades ago SEE
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/isjsmartgrowh.pdf
“The problem that San Jose faced back then was its tax base was largely residential with a small percentage of the total coming from business taxes. “
“During her term, she initiated a downtown revitalization program that eventually pumped nearly $1.5 billion into downtown San Jose. “
“But the real development got started in 1983 when Mayor Tom McEnery took over” “McEnery and the city in partnership with the San Jose Redevelopment Agency (SJRA) began an ambitious program to create industrial parks to attract high tech companies. “ SEE
http://www.literatureview.com/blog/2004/12/tuesday-december-7-2004-san-joses.html
Almost everyone supports Smart Growth principals and “ recognizes connections between development and quality of life. It leverages new growth to improve the community” SEE
http://www.smartgrowth.org/about/principles/default.asp
1) Does San Jose actually follow it’s public Smart Growth policy ? We have all seen it is easy for elected officials to talk the Smart Growth talk but are they really implementing the Smart Growth principals and how would San Jose do if we conducted a Smart Growth Audit ?
Fill out the 48 question Smart Growth Audit to see how San Jose does SEE
http://www.srpedd.org/smartgrowthform/auditform.pdf
A brief Smart Growth Audit summary discussion ( 1 page ) SEE
http://www.atlantaregional.com/qualitygrowth/qualitygrowthaudit.pdf
For a more detailed ( 32 page ) Smart Growth discussion SEE
http://www.atlantaregional.com/qualitygrowth/SMART_GROWTH_AUDIT_TOOL.PDF
It is estimated by San Jose’s Planning Department that 90 % of the General Plan amendments are developer initiated and the dictionary defines an a plan as “ a systematic program, or method worked out beforehand for the accomplishment of an objective. “
The General Plan is changed 4 times a year by rezoning land from one planned use to another planned use and lately most General Plan amendments are from commercial or industrial to a residential or mixed uses to accommodate developers with dozens to hundreds of acres being changed each quarter plus the Downtown, Evergreen, North San Jose and Coyote Plans. SEE
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/gp/pending_amendments_list.htm.
Some of these infill proposals ( Downtown expansion / North San Jose ) if carefully implemented ( we have a very spotty record in this regard – just ask some of the environmental groups and Smart Growth advocates not developers driven by profit motives) could actually follow Smart Growth principals especially where we have existing transit, city infrastructure and by carefully adding more residential and retail could accomplish true Smart Growth.
Other proposed developments where we are converting green fields to more residential housing as have been proposed in Coyote Valley and elsewhere without the required well planned mixed uses being done at the same time ( not possibly later ) to include commercial / office development that is probably not possible economically is very questionable Smart Growth and when compared against the principals probably fails most reasonable tests or audits
If San Jose approves most proposed a property owner or developer General Plan 2020 amendment changes so they can obtain a higher economic or more valuable land use based on the current market demand which for the last 3-4 years has been primarily residential.
2) Is this actually following our General Plan and Smart Growth policy and it’s well defined principals or are we talking about Smart Growth and General Planning but not really doing following the principals as we approve proposed development projects ?
For more information about Community Quality of Life Guidebooks
SEE
http://www.smartgrowth.org/about/issues/resources.asp?resource=2&type=1
Well today is a big day for me. One, it is my mother’s birthday; two, I will file with the city clerk my 501 Candidate Intention Statement. My mother loved JFK and Clinton. Followed and read everything about them. They had great ideas and ideals that went against the old-order, old-gaurd. I have to some ideas and ideals too. I love San Jose and of course the good people here. The city and the county have been very good to me. It is time to pay back what they have given me. I feel this is the right time to get started and talk about my ideas publicly.
Hey I will be the Next SJ Mayor
You will forever be known as the “unknown Comic”.
Where’s your paper bag?
Just hazarding a guess that maybe Mr. “I will be” gets around on roller skates.
Lack of vision in the 1960’s regarding growth doomed our airport(sjc) to second class status, and now we are all paying for it. Lack of visioion by the current Mayor and City Council regarding development in the Coyote Valley will lead to moe urban sprawl, clogging traffic and mediocre services. Haven’t we been down this road before? Let’s have some vision.
What is the use, downtown SJ is a freaking disaster with no life. Hopefully, Coyote Valley will develop into a thriving neighborhood, and there’s some hope that San Jose will be proud of itself. It’ll come from developed neighborhood, not downtown. Not all is lost.
Smurf, you don’t understand anything. Coyote valley should stay undeveloped until it can be developed with commerical development that will add to the tax base, period.