October 16, 2008

Working to eliminate problems in Hoffman-Via Monte

By Carol Rosen
Editor

Hoffman — Via Monte area residents typically have been shy about complaining over problems in their neighborhood. That’s all undergoing a big change.

The area is home to a large number of apartment dwel-lers who, for one reason or another, until recently did not come forward to let the city know about housing, gang or drug problems. In the past 3½ years though, the neighborhood action committee, with help from the District 10 office and police officers, have been more vocal and the situation is changing along with it.

For example, a cockroach problem in several buildings in the area had not been attended to. Code enforcement was called and the manager of the buildings, Cuper-tino City Councilman Gilbert Wong, had the apartments fumigated inside and out.

“We received a complaint from an apartment building on Almaden,” said code en-forcement official Mike Hannon. “We visited the building, confirmed the condition and the owner/manager has since fumigated both the inside and outside of the building.”

Hannon said, too often, residents are unaware that the code enforcement office can help renters get things like vermin or broken windows taken care of. “They need to know that they can call us so that we can get things corrected,” he told the Times.

District 10 Councilmember Nancy Pyle said she thinks the residents had concerns about calling the department, worried that they might get evicted. But she said she has noted increased calling. “We are educating these residents that their concerns are part of city code and showing them how to deal with these problems. They now appear more willing to come forward and get the word out. As a council member, my office wants to ensure that code issues are being taken care of,” Pyle said.

Part of the increased communication can be attributed to strong neighborhood meetings that are staffed with officials, translators and others that make residents more comfortable. Police officials and some government leaders, such as representatives from Congressional Rep. Zoe Lofgren office along with Pyle and her staff are working to eliminate the communication problems.

“More recently I’ve noticed there are children playing outside in these neighborhoods in the afternoons and on weekends,” Pyle added. “Three years ago, no children were out playing,” she said. She attributed many of these changes to a number of factors including the temporary community center and plans for a permanent center coming to fruition.

She also credited local police with some of the changes. “The police have been doing a phenomenal job. They get all the facts first and come to meetings, talk about changes and then stay and answer questions. They are helping the residents to feel accepted and safe and now you see families in the park having picnics and playing,” Pyle said.

In fact, some residents are offering suggestions for the permanent community center that will be located at the corner of Gallup and Mesa. The land has been purchased, but the buildings are not yet vacant. There was a meeting Wednesday night to discuss the architecture.

The center will combine two units for a total of 3,000 to 5,000 square feet and there will be both indoor and outdoor space. Pyle emphasized that money for the center is coming from the Redevelopment Agency. “It is not coming from the general fund,” she said.

Pyle is tackling yet another idea to boost the neighborhood. She is hoping to make residents in the area ready for the 100 jobs necessary to staff the Whole Foods Market being built on Blossom Hill Road, just west of Almaden Expressway. It’s scheduled for completion in late summer/early fall of 2009. Pyle says she hopes to train and teach those living in the area the skills necessary to take on the jobs at that market. “They will be able to walk to work—helping the environment, and with two new daycare centers in the area [one at Pioneer High School and the other near the Santa Clara Water District offices], they can work with a clear mind.”