Ballot Measure Refinement Survey
“To generate revenue for park improvements and other recreational purposes, shall the City Charter be amended to allow the City Council to approve park use agreements for up to 30 years in parks larger than five acres, provided the agreements enhance the recreational purposes of the park?”
SJ City Council Agenda for 8/5/08
3.7 Council Discussion, Consideration, and Action on the Submission of Various Ballot Measures for the November 4, 2008 Election.
Recommendation: Council discussion and consideration of various ballot measures for the November 4, 2008 Election and adoption of resolutions calling and giving notice of, on its own motion, Special Municipal Elections to be held on November 4, 2008 to submit to the electors of the City of San José the following measures:
…
(4) A measure entitled “Long Term Agreements in Certain City Parks” to amend the City Charter to permit the Council to enter into long term agreements WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL.
Bond Measure O – San Jose 2002 Election
911, Fire, Police Paramedic, and Neighborhood Security Act
City of San Jose – March 5, 2002 Election
To improve San Jose’s fire, police, and paramedic response times by: adding and improving fire stations and police stations, training facilities, and creating state of the art 911 communications facilities, shall the City issue $159,000,000 in bonds, at the best rates possible, with the moneys deposited in a special account to be used only for these purposes and with annual expenditure reporting to a CITIZENS WATCHDOG COMMITTEE(?)
The bond proceeds could only be used for the construction of fire and police stations, training facilities and 911 communications facilities and the cost of land acquisition for these improvements. The maximum principal amount of the bonds cannot exceed $159 million. The bonds would be paid from additional property taxes levied on real property within the City.
The measure also requires the bond proceeds to be deposited in a special account and the creation of a citizens oversight or “watchdog” committee which will review annual reports of the expenditure of the bond proceeds.
Lincoln Glen Park off of Lincoln Avenue …
has trees, greenery, and open space …
until Firestation #37 replaces it.
Mercury News Coverage of Council Meeting
San Jose City Council spent 58 minutes the other day discussing the issue of removing Fire Station #6 and building Fire Station #37 on city park land.
However, the report posted on page 3B of yesterday’s newspaper, makes NO MENTION of it!
San Jose City Council voted yesterday to adopt a resolution ordering the submission to the electors of the City, at the Municipal Election to be held in November, a measure entitled “Fire Station Construction – Lincoln Glen Park site”.
The resolution passed. Three councilmembers, Pierluigi Oliverio, Kansen Chu, and Vice Mayor David Cortese, voted against the resolution.
The park land open space, next door to Willows Senior Center, is owned by the city.
SJ City Council – June 19
The video and audio of this City Council Special Meeting – 06/19/08 is linked from sanjoseca.gov/meetings.html and is posted at Watch or Hear City Council Meetings Live Online
Discussion concerning the Lincoln Glen Park site starts at one hour and 37 minutes (1:37:14 to be exact) into the recordings.
I like to think of the Willows Senior Center as an oasis in the community. Lincoln Court is on one side and the park open space is on the other.
The Willows Senior Center has been threatened in many ways before and has always pulled through due to the actions of its members. I’m not suggesting that what the San Jose City Council is doing next week is a threat to the center, but it’s worth considering. They plan to build a large fire station next door and close the current fire station #6 on Minnesota. The reasons they give are that it is needed to better protect the Cambrian Park area, AND they can get the park land virtually free!
Next week, on June 17, on Thursday morning, June 19, San Jose City Council plans to put it on the ballot. Once that happens it is expected to pass because no one outside this area cares. I agree with our District 6 Councilman about keeping #6 open, but he still wants to give away the park land. I suggest we insist that the city look for land to buy, and build a smaller station elsewhere.
This Willow Glen Resident Article article says the property is currently set aside for park use only. Why don’t they keep #6, plan to build a smaller station, and use the money saved to buy available property at a better location?
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8842593
The location, size and availability of the parking lot adjacent to Willows Senior Center at 2175 Lincoln Ave. have made the property San Jose’s top choice to build a new fire station in Willow Glen.
The city already owns the land, which means the department doesn’t have to wait for a willing seller or spend an estimated $1.5 million to $2 million to purchase new land. “We are at the end of the line as far as funds available to buy property,” Bohn said, adding that purchasing land would hinder other projects.
Construction of Station No. 37 is estimated to cost $6.2 million. Shifting resources to South Willow Glen would reduce service levels in the area directly west of Cherry Hill up to Leigh Avenue, Bohn added.
The Willows property is currently set aside for park use only. As a result, voters would have to approve it as a site for the fire station. The earliest the project would be put on the ballot is November, Bohn said.
The Big Tree, an Incense Cedar. Traffic at the Curtner & Lincoln.
Meeting started on time at 6:30 and lasted until after 8 PM. Tom Bohn, Deputy Director at City of San Jose, made the presentation.
The money to tear down Station #6 and build this one is coming from the Library Bond Measure “O”. It provides $6.4 million to build brand new fire stations. $800 will come from selling the old #6 Fire Station land to developers. It was stated that the money is not allowed to be used for anything else.
More research is planned before this becomes reality. Risk, Hazard and Value Evaluation, or RHAVE, is the program expected to show the impending effect of Signal Pre-emption, the technology allowing emergency vehicles to get through traffic signals faster.
It was stated that no evidence was found that having a fire station built next door to a property had any effect on its value.
The issue of noise pollution was avoided completely until questioned about it, and even then with evasion. Apparently, noise pollution is a sore spot with proponents, too.
The city wants to move a fire station from Minnesota to our neighborhood. I’m concerned about the noise. There’s a community meeting tomorrow night. We are going.
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Should San Jose move Fire Station #6 off of Minnesota/Cherry to Lincoln/Curtner?
Please join the City of San Jose Fire Department for an overview and community discussion regarding a new Fire Station proposed to be located adjacent to the Willows Senior Center.Thursday, March 27, 2008, 6:30 p.m.Willows Senior Center, 2175 Lincoln Ave.
Lincoln Ct. 