Supervisor Don Gage gave some advice Wednesday that a roomful of
South Valley officials was quick to adopt. He said that, in order
to get the City of San Jose
’s attention to South County concerns about Coyote Valley
development, they should “ask them to respond to your comments.
Keep putting the pressure on.”
Supervisor Don Gage gave some advice Wednesday that a roomful of South Valley officials was quick to adopt.
He said that, in order to get the City of San Jose’s attention to South County concerns about Coyote Valley development, they should “ask them to respond to your comments. Keep putting the pressure on.”
The same officials have frequently complained that their attempts to be part of the planning process have been rebuffed at every turn.
The problem is that San Jose is developing an entirely new, planned community in Coyote Valley, largely west of Monterey Road and north of Palm Avenue with Bailey Avenue as the center of town. More than 80,000 new people living in 25,000 new housing units and 50,000 new employees staffing a new industrial community is a powerful lot of people sitting just up the road.
Officials of south valley cities, the county and school districts met Wednesday for the second time to coordinate their worries about the effect this behemoth will have on their areas. The City of Gilroy is also part of the summit but was not present at the workshop.
Some members met a week ago with San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales and said they were pleased with his response. Gonzales offered to listen, to meet any time and to pass the group’s concerns along to the Task Force.
Nevertheless, summit members are concerned that the planing task force is racing ahead without fully appreciating what could happen to South Valley roads, air quality and housing prices. And the local group is chafing.
“Dialogue isn’t enough,” said Shellé Thomas, school board member. While we talk “they’re planning our schools.”
Superintendent Carolyn McKennan said she worried about the kind of schools being planned.
“They are not listening,” McKennan said. “They are ignoring us or have already concluded we will have smaller campuses and multistory buildings.”
The summit’s concerns are broadly listed as traffic and transportation, housing, schools, public facilities, greenbelt, air quality and communications. Wednesday more details came to light.
Kennedy will draft a new letter to the San Jose task force with more detailed concerns and suggestions, to be approved by and signed by all involved agencies. And they will ask for a specific response.
The next summit meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 11, at the community center.
Details: www.ci.san-jose.ca.us/coyotevalley
