December 27, 2007

ValleyViewpoints

Ugly landscaping on Almaden Expressway

Editor’s Note: The following letter was sent to us by Almaden resident Doris Michael who says she is tired of seeing the poor job of landscaping done on Almaden Expressway between Camden and Trinidad. She asked that we print both the letter she wrote to Supervisor Don Gage and one he sent to her prior to her letter as well as several photos depicting what she considers a poor job of landscape maintenance. Unfortunately, we do not have room to print Supervisor Gage’s letter, but here is Michael’s letter along with some photos.

Dear Mr. Gage,
For ease of reference I am enclosing a copy of the letter I received from you defending the ugly and destructive landscaping done along Almaden Expressway between Camden Avenue and Trinidad in Almaden.

Approximately two years ago, country crews first came through and cut the oleander bushes back to a fraction of their original size. This exceeded by far the amount of trimming necessary for the safety of persons using the adjoining pathway. Moreover, the trimming was done in a haphazard and unprofessional manner. About six months after that, no content with the damage already done, the crew returned to apply weed killer to the weeds below. In the process, the weed killer also got on the oleander killing large patches.

Trimmed oleander bushes that are supposed to be 5 to 7 feet tall.

This year the road crew returned and again hacked away at the oleander, which was starting to recover. That was too much for me. That was when I called you after learning Almaden Expressway is maintained by the county and not by the city of San Jose.

In terms of attractiveness, Almaden Expressway between Camden and Via Valiente is already one of the poorer looking stretches of roadway and center divider strips in San Jose in terms of weeds and lack of professional landscaping. Please at least have the county crews stay away from destroying what is here.

Quoting from your letter, “In response the Department trimmed the bushes to 5 to 7 feet high and has since tried to keep them at that height. Those changes were well received by the users of the pathway.”

I am enclosing photographs I took after receiving your letter. You tell me if those bushes look 5 to 7 feet high to you. Also, please give me the names, phone numbers and addresses of the persons [from] whom the butchering of the bushes was well received.

“The pepper tree [according to Gage’s letter] you mentioned was trimmed as all our trees are to correct a problem. The county does not generally trim trees without a reason, and the tree you mentioned is expected to fill in by the fall.”

I have also enclosed pictures of that pepper tree after that beautiful tree was worked over by one of your obviously unskilled crews. It is now November and it does not look much different.

Further, I have included pictures taken at the main intersection in Almaden at Camden and Almaden Expressway. Please observe the large median strip area of bare dirt. (It looks better than usual because the weeds are gone for a change.) The last picture, taken at the same intersection, is of the locked-up parking lot on one corner, the lot that someone actually thought would encourage people to get on a bus to ride over to behind Oakridge to wait for the light rail to take them where they were going.

Lastly, I have a request. The county crews seem to think they should chop of the bottom 8 or 10 feet of branches on fir trees rather than leaving them in their beautiful natural shape. The trees near Almaden Lake Park are an example. Please, please keep your crews away from the fir trees on the median strip between Trinidad and Via Valiente.

Doris Michael
Almaden Valley

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San Jose, CA 95122