DECEMBER 2008
VOLUME1I/ ISSUE 12
| DISTRICT 3 | DECEMBER 2008 |
VOLUME1I/ ISSUE 12 |
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The Peralta Adobe, San Pedro Square, and San José’s Identity Yet hardly a trickle will venture anywhere near the Peralta Adobe, the oldest historic structure in California’s oldest city. Nestled between vacant commercial and industrial sites around the corner from San Pedro Square, it remains largely ignored. All too often, we hear a familiar refrain: San José lacks a sufficiently palpable sense of “identity.” Though I disagree, it does not help that the cornerstone of our identity—our history—often remains hidden to all but a few. A plan to open the area featuring the Peralta Adobe, to renovate two 19th century structures nearby, and to transform the interstices into an urban public market, has generated considerable controversy in recent weeks. Much like Pike’s Place in Seattle or San Francisco’s Ferry Building, the public market would offer a venue to residents, downtown workers, and visitors for outdoor shopping, dining, music, and social interaction. Not unexpectedly, the media has focused on former mayor Tom McEnery, whose family and partners stand to benefit from $2.5 million in Redevelopment Agency grants for renovation of their historic structures, and another $2.5 million in loans for construction of the project. The day before a key Council vote on the project, a well-funded but anonymous opponent engaged a high-priced law firm to publicly accuse McEnery and his development team of violating lobbying regulations. Ignored are the most important questions: is this project worthwhile? Is it worth our public investment? Above all, in this atrociously difficult economic time, why now? To be sure, there are far more urgent needs for this City to address, particularly as we anticipate staffing and service cuts in the coming year. Under the state laws governing redevelopment agencies, however, we must focus our RDA bond proceeds on a limited set of objectives: eliminating blight in our neighborhoods, and generating economic development in our commercial and industrial areas. Moreover, investing public dollars in economic development projects now—particularly while private capital markets remain frozen—enables us to create construction jobs during the downturn. Best of all, it prepares us for economic opportunities that will emerge during the eagerly hoped-for recovery. Several weeks ago, Mayor Reed and I laid out a “Peralta Action Plan” for the integration of almost one billion dollars in private investment in a twenty-block area that includes this site. Our goal: to leverage the anticipated public investments in major projects there--including a new state courthouse, a federal office building, and a BART station—with developer interest. Within this synergistic vision of high-rise towers and investment lies the need for an attractive core: the urban market in San Pedro Square. Making our downtown attractive to future residents and workers requires “place-making.” It requires public spaces that attract the kinds of creative, professional people who crave an urban lifestyle. That means more than just tall buildings; rather, we need to create spaces between the buildings to which people will feel drawn: a patio within earshot of a street musician, an outdoor café overlooking the Peralta Adobe, or a paseo lined with a vendor’s watercolor paintings. Those are the makings of a great city. I wish you and your loved ones a very happy holidays. Sincerely, Sam Liccardo Happy Holidays From District 3 Staff
Pictured front row (left to right): Sharon Tran and Roma Dawson. Middle Row (left to right): Fred Buzo, Rhonda Hadnot and Ruth Cueto. Back Row (left to right): Ragan Henninger and Sam Liccardo. |
Contact Us D3 Staff |
Lend A Hand – Citywide Graffiti Clean Up Sam, Fellow VTA Board Members Call for Bike-Share Pilot Program Public Bicycle Racks Available Keep San Jose Beautiful Accepting Grant Requests Employment Opportunities Available for Census 2010 |
Winter Movies at the California Theatre |
Mayor Reed’s 2009 State of the City Community Breakfast |
Adopt A Cat |
Downtown for the Holidays
South First Fridays
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On a quarterly basis, the City of San Jose’s Anti-Graffiti and Litter Program coordinates a week long Citywide graffiti clean-up event, Lend-A-Hand. The program invites all residents to join City staff and help wipe out graffiti in their neighborhoods. The community volunteer week is January 12th-18th, 2009. You can pick up your anti-graffiti kits from the Anti-Graffiti Program Office located at 501 Vine Street on January 12th-17th from 8:00am-5:00pm. For more information contact the Anti-Graffiti Program at (408) 277-3208. 
With a goal of providing alternative transportation for residents, commuters, and tourists, three members of VTA’s Board of Directors—including Sam, Palo Alto Councilmember Yoriko Kishimoto and County Supervisor Ken Yeager—proposed a countywide, pilot bike share program. “Bike share” refers to a privately-managed program of short-term rental of bicycles from unattended “docking stations” with the use of a credit card or pre-programmed membership card. If adopted, such a program would create a network of publicly accessible bicycles. The plan seeks to boost cycling as an alternative to cars and increase the use of public transit by including several Caltrain stations in the pilot. Given the limited space on trains for bikes this is an opportunity to see if bike sharing can alleviate the problem and increase use of public transit. The details will be developed in the coming months, but the plan is expected to move forward for staff analysis and development.
Enjoy the holidays with family and friends watching classic movies in the beautifully restored and historic California Theatre from December 17th-28th. In addition to watching a classic movie and receiving free popcorn, guests will be able to listen to the sounds of the Wurlitzer organ, which will be played each night prior to the main feature. Tickets are just $5.00 each and can be purchased at the California Theatre Box Office before each show is played. For a list of show times and movies 
Mayor Chuck Reed and the City Council invite the residents of San Jose to the 2009 Community Breakfast. The event features the State of the City Address and Recognition of Outstanding Citizens by Mayor Reed. This event is Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, located at 150 West San Carlos Street. Doors open at 7:30am and breakfast is served at 7:45am. Tickets are required for all who attend and are $25.00 per person and $250 per table of 10. Please RSVP by January 6, 2009. For tickets or more information call (408) 286-2600 ext. 23 or simply visit