BUENA VISTA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION Minutes of the Meeting Tuesday, June 30, 2009 At the Home of Robert and Linda Solis at 395 Mayellen Avenue
Meeting called to order at 7:15 PM PRESENT: [12 people present]
Brian Ward (President) Robert Solis (Vice President) Loui Tucker (Secretary) Sabine Zappe (Treasurer) Joe Carpenter
Ken Henning
Sally Henning Steve Rogers Linda Solis Jerry White Ruth White
Lara Tran, representing City Council- member Pierreluigi Oliverio's office
Guest: Layne Kulmer
PRESENTATION: Layne Kulmer provided an update on the San Jose City College sports field project developed on Leigh south of Moorpark. There was a serious lack of oversight on this project and the Evergreen Board of Trustees is looking into the mismanagement and miscommunication in connection with this project.
There are two issues: (1) the lack of process that allowed this project to get this far without oversight and community input; and (2) what is going to be done with the field as it exists. The Board said to consultant at the last meeting: “Come back with some alternatives.” Concerns are more than just safety. They also need to address noise and light and traffic issues and the aesthetics of removing trees (that there are no plans to replace) and putting in gigantic poles.
There are meetings planned in the future and the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Association will be monitoring the situation. BVNA officers and members are encouraged to stay information and/or attend the meetings.
ELECTIONS
By a unanimous vote of those present:
Robert Solis was elected President Sally Henning was elected Vice President Loui Tucker will continue to serve as Secretary Sabine Zappe will continue to serve as Treasurer
MINUTES - Approved.
TREASURER’S REPORT Sabine Zappe reported as follows:
Bank Balance: $919.12 Outstanding bills $0.00 $919.12
$200 will have to be returned from unused grant funds.
STATUS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Minutes of BVNA General Meeting 6/30/09
1. Incident on Menker. Lara Tran reported that she spoke with Police Captain Bennett about the Eurocars dealership and the fact that they appear to be using the neighborhood streets for overflow parking. Sally Henning reviewed what she had learned about the used cars from the Eurocars lot being stolen and the accident that it caused. The police officer who came to the scene at the time of the incident said this had happened before because the dealerships frequently leave the keys in the cars. It was noted that none of the West San Carlos used car lots belong to the West San Carlos Business Association, and that Association had no response to the incident involving the Eurocars dealership. It was suggested that perhaps a member of the BVNA should be attending the West San Carlos Business Association meetings.
On the positive side, Sally said the whole neighborhood was outside watching as the scene played out. When the police told her she had to get the truck out of the street (it had been hit and flipped by the stolen runaway car) and the tow company wanted $175 to flip their truck back, some of the neighbors came over and flipped it for them.
Hair Scene and Psychic. The border around the parking spaces is falling apart and the gravel and plants are spilling. Can Code Enforcement review this situation and ask the owners to fix this problem?
City Dispatchers Not Aware of Annexation. Brian Ward reported multiple incidents where his driveway has been blocked. When he called SJPD, he was told the area is part of the County, not the City. Steve Rogers said he has had similar problems with the City dispatchers not understanding that this area is now in the City, no longer a County “pocket.” If it is an emergency, all officers report, regardless of City/County designation. In the meantime, 311 dispatchers need to be informed that this area is now in the City.
Trees on Willard. The two problem trees on Willard that were marked for removal still have not been removed. What is the current status? When will this be done, the pavement repaired, and replacement trees planted?
525 S. Willard - Debris in the Street. The owners of the apartments at 525 S. Willard pulled all of the landscaping from the front of their property and piled it at the curb - dirt, plants, sod. The yard is now bare dirt. It has been sitting there for at least two weeks. Can Waste Management be told to pick up the debris or can the owner be contacted by Code Enforcement to get rid of it?
528 S. Page - Drainage issues. Robin sent photos of the drainage problem, the scraping that was done by the contractor, to Lara. Lara says she was unable to open the photos and to re-send them. Steve Rogers commented that Gary Schultz, the supervisor of Tony Rittenhouse, who did the actual scraping of the street, will no longer answer Steve’s phone calls.
436 Page Street is still vacant, boarded up, surrounded by dirt and weeds. This house was turned into Code Enforcement. When is something going to happen?
Parking in the Neighborhood. Brian presented a list of cars that he has been watching for several months. They get moved around and around the neighborhood in compliance with
Minutes of BVNA General Meeting 6/30/09
the 72-hour ordinance. Lara asked that this list be emailed to her. Many of these cars are inventory from the used car lots on West San Carlos who use the City streets as parking for their overflow inventory.
It was mentioned again that there are serious parking violations every night in the neighbor- hood - cars parked by fire hydrants, in red zones, around corners and across driveways. If the police department were to drive around any night, they could write hundreds of dollars worth of tickets.
It may be time to look into permit parking. This would certainly eliminate the problem with the used car lots. Does someone want to look into the process involved and paperwork that needs to be completed?
9. Code Enforcement Officer Nashmeel Sadjadi. Loui Tucker had a meeting with Nashmeel Sadjadi, the current Code Enforcement officer assigned to the Buena Vista Neighborhood. Nashmeel could not attend the BVNA meeting but Loui passed out some informational flyers prepared by Nashmeel about what constitutes blight and how to report it. Loui reported on her behalf that Nashmeel has been working to remove illegal signage and prevent their re-occurrence by local advertisers, and been fairly successful at it. She and her partner make regular drive-through inspections of the neighborhood street and houses looking for violations, writing and calling the owners of the property, mailing citations, etc. It is a gradual process and it takes time to educate the people who own property in the newly annexed areas of what the City ordinances will and will not allow, and to show them that she and the City are serious about bringing the properties up to Code. Nashmee’s business cards were provided and anyone with a Code Enforcement issue should contact her.
OLD BUSINESS
The Bascom Community Center/Library. This project is coming along. Can someone get the sidewalk opened so people can walk on that side of the street? It is dangerous to walk in the street and there doesn’t appear to be any reason for the sidewalk to be closed.
The Park on Bascom. Pierreluigi Oliverio is not supportive of making the vacant lot across from the Bascom Community Center into a park, and seems to think the land should be sold to someone who will develop the land for commercial use. On the other hand, he is supportive of turning the Pizza Hut and its parking lot at the corner of Park and Race into a pocket park - despite the fact that everyone else in the area and all the organizations in the area clearly show a preference for the Bascom lot being made into a park. The Pizza Hut lot is much smaller and in an area with other nearby parks, whereas the Bascom park would be in area that is significantly under-served.
Buena Vista Park Extension. It’s just red tape holing up the project. Funds have to transferred officially from Account A to Account B to pay for the workers to start. The funds exist, just not in the right pocket. It is not part of the budgetary problems that face the City.
Vagrants in Parks. A lot of concern has been expressed by various residents that parks, especially ones with public bathrooms, will attract vagrants and the homeless and drug sales. Joe Carpenter mentioned a San Francisco ordinance that has worked very well: If
Minutes of BVNA General Meeting 6/30/09
there is a play structure in the park and you don’t have a child, you can’t just hang out there. Adults without a child in tow hanging around parks with play structures can be cited and fined. This approach might work well in San Jose as well.
5. ION Project. ION members pulled everything but the two cedar trees out of the Stevens’ front yard on Saturday the 27th. Seven workers worked a total of 5.5 hours, trimmed the trees, pulled out several dead rose bushes, 16 junipers, stepping stones, bricks, grass, and a swing. The front yard is now ready for a watering system and new landscaping. Workers were rewarded with a fabulous barbecue lunch and all the water and lemonade they could drink!
NEW BUSINESS
1. None this month
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Rose, White & Blue Parade will be on Saturday, July 4 at 10:00 AM. The Buena Vista Neighborhood “racing bed” will be decorated and part of the parade.
The Menker Street July 4 Block Party begins at 1:00 PM. Everyone is invited, and should bring a side dish to share.
The next BVNA meeting will be on Tuesday, July 28 at Buena Vista Park. Members are encouraged to bring a chair as there is limited seating.
Mark your calendar and plan to attend.
Meeting adjourned at 8:55 PM.
Did you hear the one about the lawyer who tried to talk the police officer who stopped him for failing to stop at a stop sign out of writing him a ticket? Email Loui for the joke....