New Almaden development discussed at heated community meeting

By Kymberli W. Brady

Staff Writer

At a community meeting in New Almaden on Saturday, Nov. 1, Vice Mayor Pat Dando, along with representatives from Santa Clara Development Company and the Planning Commission, met with residents to discuss concerns about the proposed development on Almaden Road between Barnes and Grimly. “This is an important decision that we're making about our neighborhood,” she says. “I live just a few blocks away and this is my neighborhood as well.”

The concerns are as many and as varied as the residents who live there, including changes to the General Plan, traffic, density, parks, quality and character of the neighborhood, and the extension of Queensbridge Way.

Juan Diaz purchased a home on Grimly in September that faces the property and agrees that it could be improved. Although not opposed to development, he is against the project. “If you're going to change the zoning, then you need to look at the General Plan,” he says. “This change doesn't fit with the General Plan amendment. Adding more houses is going to add to traffic congestion and our schools are already overcrowded–I don't think this is smart growth.”

Although assured that children living in the area would not be denied access to neighborhood schools with waiting lists, residents still questioned the need for a change to the General Plan that would allow for higher density housing and threaten open space in New Almaden.

“There's always a misunderstanding of what the General Plan is,” says Dando. “It's just that, a general plan for the city. It's so general that the City Council has three to four meetings each year to change it. The direction of the city has been to be aggressive toward changing the General Plan to allow for more housing.”

In fact, District 10 has seen several changes in the General Plan over the past 15 years, including high density housing at Branham and Pearl as well as Almaden Expressway and Via Valente, and more recently, approximately 30 condominium units slated for future development at Almaden Expressway and Coleman.

“Our General Plan is really the blueprint for development,” admits Deputy Director of Planning Laurel Prevetti. “We're looking out to the year 2020 and how we can provide housing for our current residents as well as our children and future residents. It's the big picture. The question here is how many housing units per acre makes sense at this location. By answering that, the city council will be able to set the direction and vision for subsequent development proposals.”

I think that our history is building good projects and good homes,” states Mark Robson, president of Santa Clara Development Company. “More than that, our goal is to build a neighborhood. Here, you have a beautiful neighborhood on one side of the property, a beautiful neighborhood on the other, and a hole in the middle. This project is going to fill that in and we're excited about that.”

Resident Gom Mei Lee, a realtor agrees. “This is an eyesore and needs to be cleaned up. One builder with complete control will make it nice.”

With lots in the immediate area ranging from 8,000 to 20,000 square feet, many residents feel that the proposed 9,600 square foot lots are acceptable. The new, two-story homes will be approximately 3,500 square feet and sell for $1 million to $1.3 million.

“We feel that the balance here is so close that we're not going to take a position,” says Bob Boydston with the Almaden Valley Community Association. “I think both sides are closer together than some are willing to admit.”

“You just get a little nostalgic because things are changing,” explains Connie Smith, owner of Quicksilver Kitchen. “I don't think anyone had intentions of halting the project. They were just concerned about how many houses they wanted to cram into that property.”

“A couple of things came out of our neighborhood interactions,” admits Robson. “One was density and the other was Queensbridge. Subsequent to those meetings, we have lowered the density from 30 to 26 homes and as part of this project we will pay for and build Queensbridge so it goes through.” Robson feels the new thoroughfare will be an important addition, as it will enable kids on bicycles an alternative route through the neighborhood without having to enter Almaden Road.

Although traffic remains one of the most hotly contested issues, Boydston feels that it isn't as much a volume problem as it is a speeding problem. To address that, Robson has worked with the traffic engineer to widen the right of way so as to develop and install a series of medians on Almaden Road, complete with landscaping and split rail fencing. “The idea is to use the medians to calm the traffic,” he says. “More importantly, they will give it the rural character that people like out here and unify this entire neighborhood.”

To further address community concerns, Robson commissioned a traffic study and the results will be available next week.

“Installing the medians as a deterrent to speeders makes me feel a little better,” admits Smith. “These people are taking care of business that should have been done a long time ago.”

In response to requests for neighborhood parks, Dando explained that a $14,300 fee from each home sold would go toward adding equipment and improving existing parks. “For those of you that might expect that there would be a park in every neighborhood, there just isn't any longer in San Jose,” she said. “But we can also look at another area publicly owned close by and consider building a tot lot there.”

Additional improvements will include underground electric power, as well as adding curbs, gutters and sidewalks to all three sides of the development. “Along the way, we've been making improvements to the project,” adds Robson. “We've been listening to the community and trying to do things that make it a better project while remaining sensitive to their concerns.”