MORE ON ARCHWAYS
“Your response about the archways wasn’t adequate enough. Can you please give us more specifics about how the whole signage program for the downtown area got started.”
Â
Red Phone:
Here we go again, caller. Sorry our answer last week wasn’t sufficient enough. According to Garrett Toy, director of Business Assistance and Housing Services, an ad-hoc citizens’ committee consisting of representatives from the Morgan Hill Downtown Association (MHDA), the Architectural Review Board and interested downtown and community members recommended the entry feature concept to the Morgan Hill Redevelopment Agency in July of 2007. Prior to making its recommendation to the RDA, the committee met three times with city staff and a design firm retained by the city to discuss the concept for a downtown entry feature as well as a directional sign program for the downtown and the city as a whole. The committee considered numerous alternatives and decided to recommend the archway concept for a downtown entry feature. The agency considered the recommendation and directed staff to “revisit” the entry feature concept with the ad-hoc committee and report back to the agency with the input received from the meeting. This meeting, which is open to the public, is scheduled for Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Community and Cultural Center. If you would like more information on this meeting or would like to attend, contact Joyce Maskell, BAHS Manager, at 776-7373 or Theresa Kiernan, executive director of the MHDA at 779-3190.
More Stink
“I read your recent reply about the mushroom farm smell on Condit Road. I believe it was not a good response. There are two other mushroom farms in Morgan Hill, that do not smell. This farm is in the middle of million dollar homes, businesses that sell food, etc., and the smell is deplorable. This farm should be required to enclose their business like other farms. What is wrong with our City Council? They just sit on their butts and do nothing. Again, I suggest they hold a meeting in the parking lot next door. I can only figure that they do not live in this immediate area or they sure as heck would do something about it. Why must homeowners be restricted from sitting in their yards or opening their windows. We are taxpayers, too and Morgan Hill reaps from us a lot more than they do from the mushroom farm on Condit. Your answer that mushrooms are Morgan Hill … well the smell isn’t.
Red Phone:
Christine Kubogamell, 41, whose family owns South Valley Mushroom Farm, has told the Times in the past that she is not aware of anyone ever calling the company to complain about the notorious smell. But she did say it comes up in good-humored conversations with other Morgan Hill residents. Caller, if you’re that upset with the smell, please contact South Valley Mushroom Farm at 779-2682.
Graffiti
“On the road from El Toro Elementary School to Live Oak High School there are several small graffiti ‘tags.’ I have pointed some out to the city through the graffiti report form, but only one (on the bus stop) has been taken care of. Maybe I am mistaken, but does Morgan Hill have zero tolerance for graffiti policy?”
Red Phone:
The Red Crusader has had the same question about the graffiti problem around our community as you, caller. There are several graffiti spots that have not been cleaned up and it’s such a shame.
Morgan Hill police Cmdr. Joe Sampson said the city relies on its part-time graffiti abatement worker, Ron Nelsen, to clean up the ugly scribbles left behind by the culprits. Sampson said the reason we may see more graffiti throughout the city now than at other times of the year could be because Nelsen works part-time and he has many spots to clean up. Sampson, however, said the department is proactive in graffiti removal.
Sampson said anyone can call into the graffiti hotline at 776-8985 to report.
Sampson also said the offense could be a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the amount of property damage. Fines could range from $500 to $1,000 depending on the extent of the damage.
