July 22, 2004

Arrive early to find a parking place a Vineland Branch Library

By Jeanne C. Lewis
Staff Writer

“If you build it, they will come.”
–Field of Dreams

Eighty-six spaces provide parking for the six-month old Vineland Branch Library. Of that, three are for handicapped, two are for electric cars and one is for 15 minutes or less parking. At certain hours of the day, vehicles circle around the lot waiting for patrons to leave the 24,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility. To relieve overcrowding, the library has a circular driveway in front of the main entrance that is utilized for book and passenger drop-off, yet gridlock remains a problem during key hours.

“Unfortunately, parking at the Vineland Library will be tight until the new Almaden Library/Community Center opens in about eighteen months,” Library Director Jane Light said. “Right now, Vineland is not only serving as the library for the Blossom Hill and Almaden community, but also is providing space for senior classes and the SeniorNet computer program. The classes will move to the Almaden Winery building nearby when its remodeling is completed early next year. I’m delighted to see the new Vineland Library being so well used and enthusiastically received by the community, but regret the inconvenience caused by the short-term parking shortage.”

Light reports that the branch is now servicing 100,000 Santa Clara County residents. The Vine-land Branch Library employees are also aware of the congested parking lot.

“I know the parking can be a problem at times for our customers,” Suzanne Rostamizadeh, branch manager said.

“But it is a temporary problem. When the winery opens and the Almaden Library and Community Center is built, we’ll see a decrease in the number of people using the facility. Until then, the great collection, the good service and the overall beauty of the branch will be the incentives to be patient about parking.”

Vice Mayor Pat Dando’s office was unavailable for comment and the city of San Jose Transportation spokesperson Frank Hernandez said that the parking jurisdiction was under the library system.

The Almaden Winery Community Center is located on Chambertin, the nearest cross street off Blossom Hill by the Vineland Branch Library. The building is undergoing seismic upgrades and interior improvements with a planned opening in November of this year. Many of the Almaden senior classes will be moved to this locale. The new Almaden Branch Library and Community Center is scheduled to open in early 2006.

Until then, Rostamizadeh suggests arriving early, parking across the street in the residential area, or utilizing the parking at the winery, two blocks from Blossom Hill Road on Chambertin. And above all, be patient.

—Photos by Jeanne C. Lewis