BUENA VISTA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Minutes of the Meeting Tuesday,, October 23 , 2012
the home of Robert and Linda Solis at 359 Mayellen Avenue
Meeting called to order at 7::113 PM
PRESENT : [111 people present]]
Members :
Brian Habeko ss (PPresident))
Loui Tucker (SSecretary))
Sabine Zappe (TTreasurer))
Jose Gonzalez (DDirector))
Robert Solis (DDirector
Shelby Palms (DDirector))
Joe Carpenter
Steve Rogers
Linda Solis
Guest s :
James Reber (SSan Jose Parks Foundation))
Rachel Reyes ( Pierluigi Oliv erio’s office )
THE MINUTES
The minutes of the August meeting were posted on the website and the yahoo group files section.. The minutes were approved.. There was no meeting in September..
TREASURER’S REPORT
The current balance is $ 1,738.49 . We received a $11500 grant , and the remaining is discretionary funds.. Steve gave Sabine a check for dues this year..
PARKS FOUNDATION REPORT
Parks Foundation Board member and BVNA Board member John Leyba was not able to attend the meeting , but James Reber reported on behalf of the Parks Foundation..
James att ended a conference this summer attended by 900 people representing 200 cities and 40 countries.. All ar e concerned about getting funding for parks.. The movement is about 10 years old,, and it’s a revolution in terms of how we build and maintain parks..
History : Parks were originally created for the wealthy (ggated parks for members only)).. Once people started urbanizing,, moving to the cites,, and working in factories,, civic leaders felt it was appropriate to build a p lace where everyone could have a little bit of nature in the middle of the city.. The movement s tarted in Europe,, after the I ndustrial R evolution,, and then came to the US.. New York City’s Central Park was the first,, but it is not the largest.. From the 18 70’’ss on,, parks became the norm and every community w anted them.. The s uburbs started developing , people moved out to the suburbs,, and many parks were abandoned.. For example,, Central Park became a place to get mugged.. The Parks R evolution started when peop le decided back in the 1980s to take back Central Park.. The concept of a conservancy for parks came about to take care of parks..
Parks in New York : James tou red New York parks this summer where the local communities had taken control of the local parks.. Union Park,, for example,, had become a drug den and an eyesore.. 28 years ago the community took it over,, starting with a farmers market,, which is now 3 days a week all year round.. Because of that success,, t here are now 43 parks in New York City that have f armers markets.. Clean,, v ibrant communities with restaurants surround these parks . Movies are shown outdoors during the summer,, and there is skating during the winter.. There is n o graffiti – none!! The parks are clean and there are people are around all the time,, from dawn to after dusk..
The ideas is to d rive out the bad by making it a place that good people want to go.. If they can do that in New York,, we can do it here in San Jose..
Other examples : Millenium Park in Chicago was built on an old freight ya rd and is now a tourist attraction.. E levated train tracks in New York City became a park called The Highline.. It is beautiful so businesses want to build and rent and lease near it..
Example of how funding works : In June an Almaden Winery Park represent ative called about planting roses some roses . If they give funds to the Parks Foundation,, it would be tax deductible.. The Parks Foundation would become a fiscal agent collecting money ($$22100 in this case)) on behalf of groups that want money for parks..
Goals : T he Parks Foundation wants to bring in money that will remain in its coffers for specific community projects.. The Parks Foundation believes people will support parks in their neighborhoods.. The Parks Foundation want to make it easy,, to cut the red tape.. Y ou can give to a specific park or to the general fund.. You can also volunteer.. The Parks Foundation also recruit s , train s , and ‘eemploy s ’ volunteers (ccurrently has a database of over 1000 volunteers)) to clean parks and trails,, whatever needs to be done..
The last word : The parks belong to us,, the people of San Jose.. If New York can do it,, we can do it.. We are only limited by our imagination..
BUENA VISTA PARK STATUS
The City has advised that the Buena Vista Park extension//rremodel has gone out to bid.. O nce bids are in,, work migh t be able to start this winter,, which will get the park opened by summer.. John will have details at the next meeting..
Historically our neighborhood keeps getting out - maneuvered when it comes to parks.. O’Connor Park was in the ma ster plan as a public plan but it was so badly designed and modified by the City and the project developer that now it is virtu ally a private park..
There is n o parking available . Auzerais should have a 2 - hour parking limit so residents of the complex can not take all available parking..
T here is no signage . Signage is hidden so people don’t know it’s there and people think it’s a private park..
Plumbing was installed for bathrooms,, but the bathrooms were never built .
Basketball hoops were planned,, but n ot installed..
Another example is the corner of Clifton and Scott was going to be used for a small park but the lot s upposedly has contaminated soil.. It still sits empty and t he funding designated for that park has disappeared..
We did a preliminary s tudy to create a park over 280.. It was concluded that it is feasible,, but there is no funding..
On the other hand,, James Reber stated that Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio is one of the Parks Foundation’s largest donors.. The Art Boxes Project is under the Parks Foundation umbrella and Pierluigi Oliverio has also given that project $88,000 - $99,000.. This is evidence that there is support on the current City Council..
THE ART BOXES PROJECT
Tina Morrill is the person organizing the painting of the local utili ty boxes.. The program pays the artist s $2200 - $2250 per box for their work . She has the approvals and City has been supportive.. The BVNA can get local boxes painted by either raising the money or building enough volunteer hours to ‘ppay’’ for the artists.. V olunteer hours can be logged by p repping the boxes,, putting on an anti - graffiti coating,, and running planning meetings.. Marco is interested in painting some of our boxes.. The art has to be approved.. The CAP Grant could supply funds for the materials.. We have about a dozen boxes,, and only a few are AT&&TT boxes (wwhich AT&&TT does not want to be painted))..
We should s tart with one or two box es , visibl e one s . We can try to raise the money!! Can we get an inventory of boxes,, allow donors to p ut their donations o n a specific box that they want painted?? Can we p rint a map with the number ed boxes , put the map on the BVNA website,, and collect funds for specific bo xes??
Action : Joe Carpenter is going to see what he can set up for collecting funds for the boxes..
NEIGH BORHOOD TRAINING CONFERENCE
The Neighborhood Training Conference was n ot as we ll organized as in past years.. Everyone is pushing Facebook.. Do we want to go that way?? Can we make our website more visible,, more useful ? Can we put our n ewsletter on line an d save the mailing and printing costs ? Electronic media is probably not the best solution given our demographics (rrenters without computer or internet access)) . O ur printed newsletters are not bringing people to our meetings anyway,, so why not try electron ic newsletters and then do specific o utreach to people who don’t have computers..
Action : Jose is going to work on the Facebook page and set it up with multiple owners so it can be easily updated by several people instead of relying on just one person .
NEWSLETTER
We have funding now and we should get it started on another newsletter (wwhether we print it or not)) . Several possible articles (11)) Art boxes;; (22)) BVNA F acebook page ; (33)) progress on and dates for the park expansion ; (44)) the opening of the Basc om Library;; (55)) an interv iew.. We could interview Ruth about caroling and the July 4 Menker Block Party . The h istory of the neighborhood is on the website , and we have the history of specific house s available as well so how about a History Corner??
MOSAIC APARTMENT SIGNAGE
Joe has visited t he Mosaic Apartments and shown them the rules regarding signage in the public right - of - way,, along with a bunch of their signs.. Joe was very firm:: “ You will lose on this one . Don ’tt put them in my neighborhood..”” Is ther e a p ermitting process for Friday night through Sunday night as before?? The City could be collecting $2250 per sig n according to the City’s ordinance..
HALLOWEEN PLANS
Shelby and Larry will host the Halloween House this year . Around 6::330 people start bri nging their kids through the neighborhood and we are usually done by about 8::115 PM..
We need to collect candy,, purchase the glow necklaces / bracelets.. Loui and Robert have cameras and Loui will purchase more film . We ne ed volunteers to make necklaces,, p ass out the candy,, take the photo s . Decorations are also available..
Action : Loui will post the information and request for candy and volunteers on the BVNA yahoo group .
ELECTIONS
The elections for BVNA officers were supposed to happen in July election s but they didn’t.. We will have them next month,, in November.. The meeting is close to Thanksgiving,, but we will still hold the meeting..
Loui and Sabine announced they will be retiring// resigning as Secretary and Treasurer
Action : Loui will post sever al announcements on the BVNA yahoo group regarding the need for a new treasurer and secretary , and the fact that the elections will be held in November..
DUMPSER DAYS
Rachel Reyes passed out cards that give the bearer access to the dumpsters that will be i n the neighborhood this weekend.. The cards are used to prevent masses of people from other neighborhoods overwhelming the dumpsters..
FRIDAY REVIEW OF HOMES ON MERIDIAN
Robert announced that he has been granted access to the h ouses on Meridian that are sl ated to be demolished to make way for the new development.. If anyone else wants Robert to look for anything specific (fflooring,, door hardware,, shelves,, drawers,, cabinets,, etc..)),, tell Robert..
DEMOLITION OF STRIP MALL ON BASCOM
There are plans to demolish the strip mall on Bascom Avenue between Scott and Parkmoor.. The property is the entire block from the car lot to Scott,, except for the house on the corner of Scott and Bascom.. The businesses are leaving:: Big Al’s Record Store,, Time Tunnel,, Apatzingan,, Sp ace Cat,, Dollhouse,, the drycleaners,, etc.. The owner is selling it to a developer and the developer will do something with it.. The land will need to be annexed before anything can happen..
The c ost to annex is the same whether it is a small property or a larger property . The Burbank Theater,, for example,, could be included in the annexation.. The theater owner would like to be in City,, but he won’t do it alone because he cannot afford it.. He cannot demolish it or remodel it until it is annexed.. The devel oper will be submit ting plans,, but n othing will happen without annexation..
MALL ON BUSINESS CIRCLE
The Savers store got cleaned out finally and all the trash in the back was cleaned up as well . T he major potholes have been fixed.. The City really needs to consider Business Circle as a city street – for abandoned cars,, street sweepin g,, e tc.. Medical// dental offices are a possibil y going in.. Babyland has also been emptied.. San Jose BMW would be interested in putting a motorcycle dealership there,, but z oning will only allow them to sell autos,, but not work on them.. They make their money on maintenance and if they cannot get a zoning variance they won’t be able to move the repair shop..
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting,, on the fourth Tuesday of November,, will be on November 27.. The location will have to be announced later.. If anyone is interested in hosting,, please contact Brian Habekoss..
The meeting was adjourned at 9::005 PM..