”
I am a very concerned citizen in Gilroy. I would like to know if
the cameras that have been placed on the signal lights are being
used.
Candid cameras?
“I am a very concerned citizen in Gilroy. I would like to know if the cameras that have been placed on the signal lights are being used. Whenever I see these on the signal polls, there are still up to four cars going through red lights. I don’t see anything being done to stop this. I thought the purpose of these lights was in fact to ticket people running red lights. If not, please explain the purpose for these cameras. Is it just a scare tactic?”
Red Phone:
The Red Phone got in touch with Gilroy Police Department’s one-and-only Sgt. Kurt Svardal, who said GPD does not have any cameras posted on the signal lights.
“We don’t have any photo sensors or radar red light runners posted in the city,” he said.
Perhaps, good caller, you might provide an intersection or address where the cameras are said to be posted, that way police can better grasp what you are talking about.
Feeling empty
“I’m just curious about the large storefront sitting over where Wal-Mart used to be. My understanding is that the city wasn’t going to let Wal-Mart open another store until they had a tenant for the old one. And yet here we are like everybody else in the country sitting with an empty Wal-Mart store. We’d sure like to have that taken care of. Thank you.”
Red Phone:
It recently fished out answers for similar questions regarding the old Wal-Mart, and Red Phone is happy to pass along the information it found regarding the sale and lease of the building.
The sales agreement does not require Wal-Mart to make any efforts to lease the building, but it does prevent the new owners, Hudson Jones Commercial Brokerage, in San Jose, from leasing to any big-box competitors.
The inability to lease the 125,000-square-foot building to a single large tenant means that Hudson will have to spend up to $3.5 million in renovations to accommodate a series of smaller businesses, according to Bill Cann, a broker with Hudson. The renovations will likely include installing new loading docks, sprinklers, dividing walls, a new air conditioning system and windows at the front of the store. Cann predicted the building will someday house several 20,000- to 40,000-square-foot businesses.
And the key word here, good caller, is someday – because it takes time to renovate.
Encore, encore!
“I heard recently that there is a specific number I can call to have someone fix the streetlights outside my house when they’re busted or not working. Can you let me know what that is? Thanks a lot.”
Red Phone:
Here is that valuable phone number once again, faithful readers. The community can call 1-800-LIGHTS-ON to report a light not working in the neighborhood. Be sure to get the street pole number and the address of where the street light is at. Once reported, you will see the light in 2 to 3 days.
Do you have a comment, complaint or compliment about an issue that affects Gilroy and its residents? Just let the Red Phone know. But remember to leave a name and number when you call or e-mail. The Red Phone won’t publish this information – it will only be used if verification is necessary. Contact the Red Phone at
842-9070 or e-mail re******@gi************.com.
