[Sosfbay-discuss] New Santa Clara Rural Development Fight

[Wes Rolley]

>Dear Green Friends,
>
>  F.Y.I. A new fight is brewing in Santa Clara County over rural 
>development. See pasted below the lead front page article in 
>yesterday's San Jose Mercury News.
>
>  This is a perennial issue where I live in Milpitas. Overwhelming 
>majorities of our local voters have expressed the desire to maintain 
>our beautiful green hills for twenty years.
>
Alex,

Thank you for calling this to everyone's attention.  It is worth an 
expanded comment, which I will probably end up making on CAGREENING.  
There are a couple of additional items to note:

- the highway over Mt. Hamilton that Pombo is pushing will significantly 
increase the value of some land.  Specifically, the Pombo Family Ranch, 
across which it would go and which would contain some of the most 
logical intersections with other roads, making them prime development 
locations.

- I have had inquiries from the SJ Metro newpaper about what I know 
concerning the Mt. Hamilton road.  They seem to be interested in doing a 
story here, just as they did on the Angelides - Tsakopoulos developer 
money flowing into California Democratic politics.  It was a reminded 
that we should not neglect such alternative newspapers.

- I have been reading Bruce Babbit's new book: Cities in the Wilderness: 
a Vision for Land Use in America.  The lessons that he illustrates 
concerning the development in Tucson, AZ, will be valuable here. He 
specifically talks about the deeply held belief of ranchers and other 
land owners who feel that they have the right to get rich off the land 
in any way that they can.  This is not a battle that conservatiionists 
will win without compromise and inventiveness in seeking solutions.

- one of the real issues involved here is that of affordable housing.  
The lack of affordable housing in Silicon Valley is the impetus for 
people moving into the foothills and over the mountains to San Joaquin 
County.  And in the middle of this, San Jose builder Barry Swenson is 
asking for a waiver re complying with Affordable Housing regulations in 
the construction of new high rise Condo's in Down Town San Jose. (link 
and exerpt below)  These issues are connected and  you don't solve one 
without affecting the other.

__
 From Tuesday, Feb. 14 San Jose Mercury News: - 
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/13867568.htm

*DEVELOPERS SAY S.J. AFFORDABLE HOUSING RULE CAN'T BE MET BY JUNE 
DEADLINE, SEEK WAIVER*

The developers of a high-rise condominium project in the heart of 
downtown San Jose say their project can't proceed unless they're 
exempted from city affordable housing requirements.

But they said there's ``no way in heck'' they can meet the deadline to 
qualify for that exemption.

Co-developers Barry Swenson Builder and parking company owner Albert 
Schlarmann unveiled detailed drawings last week to the Downtown 
Association, historic preservationists and other interested parties. The 
site is now a Second Street parking lot bordering on Fountain Alley.

But a key assumption in their 426,000-square-foot project could set up a 
stumbling block. The developers, who want to build at least 16 stories, 
say they'll ask the city to extend a waiver of affordable-housing rules 
beyond a June 30 deadline. City officials say they didn't know the 
builders were applying for the waiver.

``That's brand new news to me,'' said Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez, who 
represents downtown.

In August 2004, the city waived rules that say 20 percent of the units 
that developers build in downtown residential projects must be 
``affordable,'' a requirement they say can cost them millions. The 
waiver, which the city issued to encourage downtown high-rise 
construction, applies to projects that have building permits issued by 
June 30.




-- 
"Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don't, then you are wasting your time on this Earth" Roberto Clemente

Wes Rolley
http://www.refpub.com/
Tel: 408.778.3024