WHEN WILL THE COURTHOUSE BE COMPLETED?
“I was wondering if you could find out what’s up with the construction of the county court building on Butterfield Boulevard. It has been under construction for years and does not seem to be making much progress.
This concerns me as the other county court building in San Martin was built at the price of $22 million and had to be vacated due to mold from poor construction, no doubt due to low bid contractors and inadequate oversight on the construction. This has to have cost us taxpayers lots of money. The new one seems to be moving along at a snail’s pace. I hope it is not due to a low bid contractor and architectural team. Since it is taking so long, it has to be going over budget, once again paid for by us taxpayers.
I would be interested in what you can find out about this project. Thank you.”
RED PHONE
The Red Phone spoke with Alicia Flynn, project manager for the County of Santa Clara. She told us that the county courthouse project had a “notice to proceed” (construction start date) of December 2004. That puts the project being under construction for 21 months. The completion date is set for the end of summer 2007. The county is still within time constraints as well as within budget.
Speaking of the budget, the total projected cost of the courthouse is $52.6 million, including the land purchase of $3.5 million which was made in agreement with the Morgan Hill’s Redevelopment Agency.
BOTHERSOME NEIGHBORS
“What can be done about people parking on the side of your property for long periods of time, listening to loud music and having a party with their friends, then leaving all their garbage in the street for others to pick up? This has been going on for years and it’s driving the neighborhood nuts! HELP!!”
RED PHONE
If the party people are on private property, noise statutes can be enforced by the police if the loud music continues beyond 10pm. Disturbing the peace is frowned upon by most residents.
Leaving the garbage in the streets is nothing other than plain and simple littering, which can carry a fine of $1000. Take some photographs for evidence, and call the police so they can cite these people. If they get socked with a fine, perhaps they would stop the littering or move the party elsewhere.
THAT OLD COCHRANE INTERSECTION AGAIN
“My question concerns cars headed west on Cochrane Road. Traffic wishing to enter the ramp onto Highway 101 north has a traffic light at that intersection and there are red cones dividing the ramp lane from the through lanes on Cochrane. When the light is red, I stop, and get honked at. Isn’t stopping the right thing to do at this intersection, even when you are turning right?
RED PHONE
The Red Phone has had calls about this intersection even before there were traffic lights installed.
The red cones are there to stop cars from crossing the intersection and cutting off the ramp traffic turning right onto the freeway from Cochrane Road.
Caller, you just keep stopping at the red light, but proceed with your right turn when it is safe after making your full stop. Some people feel that since the lane is “protected” by the cones, there is no need to stop at all. The police and the Red Phone advise otherwise.
OUR QUIET LITTLE TOWN IS NOT SO QUIET
“I am a resident of the senior mobile home park next door to the new Sobrato High School. I would like to know who approved building a high school right next to a senior
living facility. It would not have been so bad if they would have built the school on the other side of the property, but they built right next to us. Then after putting up with two years of dirt, noise, trucks, jack hammers, while the construction was going on, the PA systems started blaring all the time. They also put the driveway to the parking lot right next to our fence. The endless stream of cars going up and down the driveway with their stereos as loud as they can turn them up is maddening. Then there is the never ending drums pounding at all hours of the day and night, even during the summer.
We want a sound wall put up between our park and the school. The city seems to have plenty of money for other projects in town, why can’t they put up a wall to give us some peace and quiet? We can’t afford to move. The least the city could do is try to make our lives as peaceful and quiet as they used to be. How can we get the city to help us?”
RED PHONE
The Red Phone has started looking into your request. We started at the Morgan Hill Planning Office at City Hall and after some discussion, the correct course of action was still not clear. We are still awaiting some return phone calls.
Sometimes it takes a while just to find out where to start and who to contact. Please be patient, we’re working on this, and thanks for your call.
Keep the calls coming in. If we all work together, we can make Morgan Hill a better place to live. Contact Red Phone at (408) 779-4106, ext. 206, or e-mail
re******@mo*************.com
. Remember to leave a name and phone number when you call or e-mail. The Red Phone will not publish this information and will only use it for verification purposes.
