October 27, 2005

Pierce Ranch neighborhood group—a simple model for others

‘Loose association’ has more than 120 families in e-mail loop

Editor’s note: The following is the second of an ongoing series looking at different neighborhood groups in the valley. Next month: Almaden Hills Estates Homeowners Association.

By Sheila Sanchez
Staff Writer

They proclaim they belong to a “loose” neighborhood association without bylaws or rules governing what they need to do with their beautiful million-dollar homes near the historic Pierce Ranch.

Stephanie and Leonard Procker, Sharon and David Armstrong, Nancy Lichtle, and Tom and Mary DeNatale gathered at Almaden Roasting Company to share with our readers how easy it was to form their neighborhood group. Photo by Sheila Sanchez

They announce that they have a common interest in developing a community among their neighbors, in getting to know one another, in watching out for one another and in making sure that crime is kept to a minimum.

They’re members of the Pierce Ranch Neighborhood group, which informally began as a social body and eventually connected to a safety-and-community involvement movement led by Len Procker, the man many jokingly refer to as the “mayor of Pierce Ranch.”

“We learn what we can learn. We meet regularly with the police. We know many of them. When there are false alarms we meet them in our driveways,” proudly declares the Rolling Oaks Drive resident during a meeting at the Almaden Roasting Company where he recently convened seven of the neighborhood’s most active advocates to share with our readers how easy it was to form the neighborhood group.

The block-party organizer with a keen interest in a sense of community is Nancy Lichtle.

The parks and recreation experts are Sharon and David Armstrong.

The community policing advocates are Mary and Tom DeNatale.

In June of 2001, Lichtle, a Whitbourne Drive resident, began hosting a block party to foster community spirit and get to know her neighbors. Two years later, Lichtle expanded her block-party invitation to Procker and his group and the e-mail list grew to more than 100 people. Today, the association has 124 families on the e-mail loop representing more than 300 people. Procker, a retired IBMer, is credited with having formed the group’s first e-mail list.

In June of 2003 the neighborhood was stunned by a serious crime committed right in their backyard. To protect the victims’ privacy, the group refuses to discuss the incident.

The Armstrongs, who have lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years, said it wasn’t until that incident that the residents really began reaching out to their neighbors on the other streets.

The DeNatales and Roger Henson began meeting with police and interested neighbors in their driveway after the incident and organized the first police-and-neighborhood watch meeting.

“I just wanted to get the people together and become advocates who were community oriented and care about each other. I wanted to get our neighbors to say, ‘Let’s begin to talk,’ ” Mary Lou said.

The neighborhood describes its boundaries as stretching from Leland Park Drive west to Skyfarm Drive, north to Camden Avenue and south to Whispering Pines and Rolling Oaks drives.

The association today is involved in government action. When county or city officials vote on issues that directly affect them, Procker e-mails those on the list. He also alerts them to any crime, government action or Lichtle’s annual neighborhood social block party.

If it’s a time-critical issue, neighbors can directly send the information to the distribution list.

“If nothing is going on we wait for the block party,” Procker said. “If things are going on we say, ‘we’d better get together.’ “

Some of the political issues the neighborhood has been involved in include working with the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department to purchase 3.18 acres adjacent to the new SummerHill Homes development to build a 75-car parking lot at the northwest corner of McAbee Road and Skyfarm Drive.

It has also been voicing its concerns about the proposed secondary-unit program and lately it has united to fight a move by the heirs of the Tony and Mary Pierce estate to get the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to deem that lots under 160 acres in the hillside-zoning district can be eligible for a lot-line alignment. (See sidebar story below).

Tom DeNatale and David Armstrong, with the Pierce Ranch neighborhood group, signed a petition that ultimately included 80 signatures presented to the Santa Clara County Planning Commission earlier this month opposing a change in the minimum lot size of conforming lots for lot-line adjustments. Photo by Sheila Sanchez

The neighborhood is also ever vigilant against crimes of opportunity, with a growing number of outsiders lured to the area near the Quicksilver County Park entrance to break into cars parked along McAbee Road or burglarize homes that are not secured.

Because of the group’s social aspect, everyone seems aware of who belongs in the neighborhood and who doesn’t. The neighbors call the police, without hesitation, at the first sign of trouble. They praise the San Jose Police Department for its quick response to crime in the community. Because of their watchful eyes, there have been many arrests in the last three years.

In one case, a resident reported on a burglary happening nearby by keeping a watchful eye in the darkness of her home, so she wouldn’t be noticed. The woman got police officers to arrive at the scene as the crime was in progress, they say. “She’s a model of the concerned, helpful and involved citizen,” Procker said.

“The police are part of our community. They have shown a keen interest from the top all the way down,” Lichtle said.

The neighborhood also boasts one of the best pet-recovery rates of any other Almaden Valley neighborhood. Many find their cats and dogs after disappearing for days.

On the group’s small Web site, which the group uses as a discussion board, various messages from the neighbors get posted. “I’m interested in playing bridge, is anybody else?” asks a woman. Another resident adds, “I have a child who baby sits.”

The neighborhood looks forward to strengthening its sense of community, getting to know more people who live nearby, adding more neighbors to the e-mail loop, maintaining its relationship with the local police and continuing to be involved in the issues that affect them.