October 4, 2007

AVCA, Safe Graystone Neighborhood to hold Oct. 22 public forum

The Almaden Valley Community Center and the newly formed Safe Graystone Neighborhood will hold a public forum on Monday, Oct. 22 at the Almaden Community Center to discuss road, traffic and pedestrian safety in the Graystone neighborhood. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Almaden Community Center.

The forum will include representatives from six agencies including the county, the city, CHP, the county sheriff’s office, San Jose Police and the Santa Clara Valley Water District. In addition, County Supervisor Don Gage will be there along with Councilmember Nancy Pyle. The groups also have invited both the city and county personnel who specialize in traffic and roads. County roads policy aide Colleen Valles will attend. Rosemary Kamei also will be on the panel.

The two groups are concerned because the Graystone area is divided between the city and county, which has impeded resolution of traffic and safety issues.

The forum’s agenda will include a map of the Graystone area from Graystone Lane and Camden Avenue at the northern end, to the intersection of Harry Road and Camden to the south. The map will delineate what is city and what is county property. A second map of the same area will show assignment of safety responsibilities--the CHP versus the county sheriff versus the San Jose Police Department.

Another map of the area will show a city/county history of accidents on and near the roads and include cars and pedestrians along with other transportation-related issues.

The forum will also discuss official and legal constraints enabling or impeding the county and city from working out mutual solutions to the problems in the above outlined area. Traffic and road officials will talk about precedence for solutions that do and don’t work for traffic and pedestrian safety. Finally, the discussion will include a timeline for proposed studies and implementation of solutions.

For more information, contact Robin Beresford and Jane Frommer from the Safe Graystone Neighborhood at safe.graystone@gmail.com. Or AVCA officials Art Boudreault, AVCA president at artb@netwiz.net or Ron Blake, AVCA vice president ronblake@sbcglobal.net or visit the AVCA Web site at www.avca-sj.org.