Meeting called to order at 7:05 PM
PRESENT: [14 people signed in] Brian Ward (President) Loui Tucker (Secretary) Mikala Caune (Treasurer)
Carlos Ramirez Robert Solis Linda Solis
Scott Hraban Brent Jensen Steve Rogers Sabine Zappe Sally Henning Ken Henning
Lan Tran (representing City Councilmember Pierreluigi Oliverio’s office)
John Myers (representing County Supervisor Ken Yeager’s office)
BUENA VISTA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION Minutes of the Meeting Tuesday, October 30, 2007
MINUTES - Minutes of the August 28, 2007 meeting were approved.
TREASURER’S REPORT Approved. Current bank balance is $1,462.00. After current outstanding invoices are paid, approx. $377 left. Still waiting for the bill for printing the October newsletter. Grant bank balance (Home Tour) is $210. $130 will be spent on printing once we get the bill for that; $88 remaining.
STATUS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD John Myers, from Supervisor Yeager’s office, and Lan Tran, from Councilmember Oliverio’s office being present, members offered their input and observations regarding activities and circumstances in the Neighborhood. Some of the items below were reports from Lan and John to previous concerns.
Pot hole on Page Street in the 500 block is still there. John Myers said it is on the list to be fixed.
Eight of the new lights on Scott Street are not working, specifically those between Buena Vista and Menker. The old lights are not working in that area either; perhaps an electrical problem?
The drug dealers at 428 Page Street have been arrested. After Steve Rogers confronted the landlord and suggested he might be turned in for renting to drug dealers, the landlord agreed to evict the tenants.
c. Situation on Douglas has not changed – car “dealer” is still in business and the loud parties are still occurring too frequently. Perhaps a visit from the Sheriff’s Department at an upcoming meeting would be a good idea. Brian will look into that.
Can Brian also get in touch with Mr. McVeigh about his undeveloped property at 415 S. Willard? The piles of vegetation reported LAST month that were created the last time someone cleared the brush from the lot have been there so long they are collapsing and sprouting grass. Also there is a string of shopping carts, each full of garbage, on the parking strip. This is a County problem – who can we contact regarding code enforcement and/or blight.
Sally and Ken Henning continue to monitor the graffiti and litter at the Buena Vista Park at Menker and Scott. There are now bits and pieces of the equipment on the ground where they have broken off and been discarded.
Can someone, once again, talk to Code Enforcement about the lot NEXT to the park? The owner of the property has been cited and now fined, but continues to ignore the problems.
Would it be possible to get signs that limit parking next to the Buena Vista Park to 2 hours? Or can the curb be painted to limit the parking?
The tenants at the property to the north of Buena Vista Park are being evicted. Is there a legal non-conforming structure on the back of the house/lot?
415 Meridian is for lease, not for sale, through Geri Wong at Ritchie Development. No development on that lot being planned now.
It was found that the owners of 467 S. Meridian have been turning a carport into a garage or some other illegal structure, and they will be getting a letter from the City.
Letter from Grace on Menker about the “boom cars” at the apartment complex was forwarded to Lyn Romano in Code Enforcement.
Minutes of BVNA General Meeting 10/30/07
3. GUEST SPEAKER/MEETING TOPIC - Status of Annexation?
Thus far the annexation process has involved only industrial/commercial property rather than residential, the belief being that these properties will not impact the City as much because they will not require a lot of services. The Buena Vista Neighborhood is currently ninth on the list of 14 areas to be annexed, currently estimated to take place in 2010.
The BVN is clearly on record (through motions in meetings, writing various letters over the years to City and County officials, and having a very close election on the issue) as desiring annexation. The BVN was *first* on the list for annexation many years ago. Moving the Buena Vista Neighborhood to the top of the list must be made a priority. When Yeager and Oliverio were running for office, promises were made about annexation. These promises were not kept.
The NAC has drafted a letter addressing various concerns with annexation. A copy of this letter was passed around at the meeting and Ken will also email a copy to the BVNA Yahoo group. Comments may be made. The NAC will send this letter and it was moved and seconded that the BVNA write and send a similar letter.
4. OTHER BUSINESS
With respect to the 2007 Home Tour, the drawing was held for the winner of the stay at the Jabberwocky Inn in Monterey - Colleen Coleman on Gifford. Robert will see that the gift certificate gets to Colleen and a letter goes to each participant thanking them for their participation, telling them that Colleen won the big prize, and letting them know that their one-year subscription to Old Home Journal should begin shortly.
The Home Tour Committee should be meeting in the next few weeks to get organized.
Robert and Ken attended the meeting about the proposed park on Sunol. “It will have public
bathrooms.” “It will have a dog run.” The park is planned for 2.2 acres to begin with and a basketball court will probably be included in that first phase. The proposed park could eventually expand to 6 acres and is connected to the Los Gatos Creek Trail.
Robert also reported on the status of the Community Center on Bascom which is scheduled to be completed by 2010. It will include a community center, dividable meeting rooms, a kitchen, a gym, a café, an internet café, as well as a full library. The City was planning to sell the vacant lot on the other side of Bascom, but the neighborhood wants that land saved and converted to a park, with an overhead walkway connecting the community center to the park. The question now is the source of the funding for the park.
Barry Swenson Developers is in the very preliminary stages of proposing two 22-story towers (!) containing an unknown number of condos on the old VTA property at Sunol and West San Carlos. At the planning meeting, when the residents expressed outrage at the size and scope of this project, their representative said, “We really don’t know at this point exactly what we want to do with this property.” This project will have to be closely watched.
There was a report on the status of the traffic light that the BVN wants moved from Auzerais to Douglas, per original design and promises. This will cost at least $500,000, and the City does not have the money. Perhaps funds can be found from development projects in the area, since the funds were promised when the housing development when in at that location, but were not spent on the traffic light as promised.
It was moved and seconded that Loui’s stipend for working on the BVNA website should be doubled.
h There was an earthquake at 8:04 PM, later reported to be around 6.5 on the Richter scale, and centered in the east foothills, near Alum Rock Park.
i. The Scott Street Party to celebrate the new lights, trees, sidewalks, etc., is now being planned for the spring of 2008. It was going to be in November, but the required insurance could not be obtained in time.
Minutes of BVNA General Meeting 10/30/07
5. ANNOUNCEMENTS
There will be a traffic calming meeting with respect to District 6 on November 29, 6:30-8:00 PM, at Willow Glen Middle School..
The County extended the Burbank Weed & Seed program through 2008. They received a grant for about 2/3 and will fund the remaining 1/3. This is a program designed to “weed” out gangs and blight and “seed” the neighborhood with positive programs.
The Los Gatos Creek Trail has been extended. Go check it out!
Halloween Spirit Night House will be at the home of Marcos and Carlos on Menker. Robert has
about 100 shots of film and 250 glow necklaces. Various members of the BVN brought bags of candy to the meeting that will be passed out. There are frame/envelopes left over from previous years. The house will be open from 6:30-8:30 PM. Members are encouraged to drop by when they can. Loui will prepare a business-card sized information item (with contact information about the BVN, meetings, website, phone, yahoo group, etc.) to be passed out to parents who bring their children by the Spirit Night House.
The meeting adjourned at 8:20 PM.
NEXT MEETING The next meeting will be Tuesday, November 27 at the home of Mikala Caune. This may be a potluck holiday party rather than a business meeting. More information will be forthcoming!