Nice job playing up the junk yard behind the fruit stands. I
just thought you could go a little deeper into the story.
“Nice job playing up the junk yard behind the fruit stands. I just thought you could go a little deeper into the story. What are the zoning requirements for a fruit stand? I live out on Highway 152. Driving in and out of town is dangerous. Highway 152 is dangerous without the fruit stands. With the fruit stands, it’s even more dangerous. People hanging U-turns, trying to get back to a stand, in and out of traffic. I’m curious. And the other thing is do they have to grow the fruit or are they just buying it from Safeway and selling it out on the highway? What are the requirements for owning a fruit stand? Thanks.”
Red Phone: Dear Can’t Stand the Fruit, Just last year, the city of Clayton closed down a fruit stand in front of a residence run by an 11-year-old and 3-year-old who were selling fruits and vegetables from the family garden. ABC 11 reported that the mayor even got tried to break up the illegal operation. While that example may be a little extreme, the county does keep track of fruit stands in the area.
Fruit stands of varying sizes are allowed on agricultural land in the county, which includes most of the unincorporated areas.
“Limited sales are allowed as a matter of right in any of the districts while the larger general sales facilities would require an Architectural and Site Review from the Planning Office,” said Santa Clara County Code Enforcement Officer Jim Lanz.
Any farmer is allowed to have a seasonal booth under 400 square feet to sell agricultural products. The products need to be grown predominantly on site or on other property within Santa Clara County, and the booth can only be operated by a single proprietor, Lanz said.
Farmers are also allowed to have Christmas tree farms, pumpkin patches and apple or fruit picking on their property.
Sales structures between 401 and 1,200 square feet are allowed, but farmers need a special permit from the Planning Office first, Lanz said.
Farmers need a permit for anything larger than a single fruit stand such as a farmer’s market or if they plan to sell produce year around.
Lights on at Walgreens
“This is regarding the new Walgreens being built on First Street. Every time I drive by there, even in the late evening when there seems to be no one there, every light in the building is turned on, and it’s been that way since they were turned on. I thought maybe it was initially for testing to make sure there were no problems, but it has been this way for quite some time now. Is it really necessary to be burning all that electricity 24 hours a day? Seems like a waste of resources and money.”
Red Phone: Dear Don’t Light Up My Life, The new Walgreens store, which is scheduled to open at the end of this month or early next month, keeps the lights on for safety reasons while the final preparations are being made.
“The city asked that we keep them on,” said company spokesman Robert Elfinger. “Typically we will turn out the lights as soon as the last employee leaves. We usually have two small lights that stay on for safety. But all new stores are equipped with the most energy efficient lighting, refrigeration and heating because it saves money.”
The Gilroy Police Department doesn’t require lights to be on but doesn’t discourage it either.
“I do encourage businesses to have the lights on during the hours of darkness to provide for added security around their businesses,” said Sgt. Kurt Ashley. “Lighting allows officers to see around the structures while patrolling at night.”
