Coyote Valley Task force members demanded consultants provide a
realistic price tag, noting if true development costs are not made
clear soon, plans for the proposed community might stay
“on a shelf.”
Coyote Valley Task force members demanded consultants provide a realistic price tag, noting if true development costs are not made clear soon, plans for the proposed community might stay “on a shelf.”
The cost issue, as well as traffic concerns, became the focus of Monday night’s meeting of the task force planning to build the development north of Morgan Hill in the rural Coyote Valley that could eventually be home to 70,000 new residents.
Over the past several months, consultants have publicly presented “concepts” to the task force for building the planned community around a 60-acre man-made lake. They hope the hilly ambiance will attract 50,000 new jobs to the region.
Cost will be the deciding component to the community’s creation, said Jim Cunneen, a task force member who asked consultants for financial figures. He formerly represented San Jose portions of Santa Clara County in the state Assembly.
“We’re showing the public the Cadillac version (of the planned community), but there’s a question of whether or not we can afford the Cadillac version,” Cunneen said. “Our motto is, ‘Let’s build it this time.’ We don’t want to leave it on a shelf and do nothing with the plan.”
Task force member Pat Dando, vice-mayor of San Jose, asked city staff to come up with a clearly defined list of all topics impacting Coyote Valley’s development.
“I would really feel more comfortable if we start a issues list,” she said. “We also need to look at a financial analysis on exactly what we think each of these issues will cost.”
In the past, plans to develop Coyote Valley were held back because true costs were not factored in, she said.
“Before we start an EIR (environmental impact report), we need a pretty good concept of how much it’s going to cost and who is going to bear it.”
No bottom line on the total price tag to construct Coyote Valley over the next 25 years has been publicly stated. Consultants said the process is still in its “conceptual stages,” and it’s too early to exactly define the billions of dollars need for the entire project.
At an August task force meeting, consultants said the basic infrastructure might cost from $607 million to $800 million.
Several task force members expressed concern the estimated costs were low.
Last week, Darin Smith of consulting firm Economic and Planning Systems, said computer, electronics, software, Internet and bioscience industries are most likely to help provide the 50,000 jobs needed to make the project viable.
However, the situation is a bit of a Catch-22. The basic infrastructure needs to be established to attract these companies which in turn, through taxes, will help pay for Coyote Valley’s continued development. The process will take a long time, Smith said.
“We think the goal of 50,000 jobs that is sought for this area is likely to take several decades,” he said.
The earliest start of work on the project is 2007.
Consultant Ken Kay of KenKay Associates outlined some public land use ideas, including a “central commons” area, a 1.25-mile long swath of open space running west to east which would include park trails and community gardens.
Crossing at the center of the commons might be what Kay describes as a “Santa Teresa spine,” a shorter recreational park running from north to south.
