October 11, 2007

NEWS BRIEFS

City to hold Community Visioning Workshop

The city of San Jose will hold a Community Visioning Workshop on Saturday, Oct. 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at City Hall. The workshop is part of Envision San Jose 2040, in which the council’s 37 member task force is updating the General Plan to determine the city’s future character and quality of life for the next 30-plus years.

The task force’s first step in the process is to find out the concerns, values and priorities of the community from residents, business owners, developers and community leaders. These ideas are to be presented to the task force and city council to determine the basis for the General Plan.

Community members are encouraged to join the process on Saturday. There will be three separate rooms where discussions will take place in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. The workshop will conclude in council chambers where the results of each will be presented and a large wall graphic will note the themes and ideas expressed by community members. Members of the task force will be present to participate in the discussions.

This is the second outreach process. The first was conducted by city staff in March through May.

The task force meets monthly and the public is invited to attend on Nov. 13 and Dec. 17 in the council wing of City Hall at 6:30 p.m.

Many of the common themes heard at the Early Community Outreach meetings align closely with issues incorporated into the Envision San Jose 2040 Work Program. Transportation issues – automobile, pedestrian, transit and biking will be discussed in December. Sustainability – environmental, economic, and fiscal – will be addressed beginning in January 2008, as the task force discusses the city’s environmental assets, infrastructure and services needs and housing and employment capacity requirements.

Issues regarding land use – density, open space, deciding where to put the future jobs, housing and necessary community facilities will be discussed in Spring 2008 as the task force reviews alternate future options for the Envision San Jose 2040 General Plan. Many more issues addressing the quality of life in San Jose into the future will be addressed by the task force in Phase II of the process, beginning in fall, 2008 when a comprehensive review of the Goals and Policies of the current General Plan will be undertaken by the task force.

Additional background information on the city council discussions leading to the initiation of the Envision San Jose 2040 General Plan Update can be found at the city’s Web site at www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/gp_update.

Police Foundation to hold fund-raiser for canine officers

The San Jose Police Foundation is holding a fund-raiser to purchase bulletproof vests for police dogs (similar to the vest pictured above) in the canine unit and other necessary equipment for the police department.

The fund-raiser is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 27 from noon to 5 p.m. at the Petco store at 886 Blossom Hill Road across from the Westfield Oakridge mall.

Those attending can bring their own cameras or make a donation and have their picture taken with a police dog from the canine unit.

For more information, contact scottcornfield@gmail.com.

Pedestrian killed on Almaden Expressway

The San Jose Police Department announced that a car on Almaden Expressway killed a pedestrian on Monday, Oct. 8 about 9 p.m. Sgt. Nick Muyo said the victim was a 39-year-old woman. He had no further details on the fatal accident, only that he did not believe it was a hit and run. "I think the driver stuck around and that this was an unfortunate accident," he said.

No arrests were made in connection with the collision, and neither police nor the Santa Clara County Coroner's Office identified the woman.