San Jose
– Coyote Valley Task force members demanded consultants provide
a realistic price tag, noting if true development costs are not
made clear soon, plans for the proposed community might stay
”
on a shelf.
”
San Jose – Coyote Valley Task force members demanded consultants provide a realistic price tag, noting if true development costs are not made clear soon, plans for the proposed community might stay “on a shelf.”
The cost issue, as well as traffic concerns, became the focus of Monday night’s meeting of the task force planning to build the development north of Morgan Hill in the rural Coyote Valley that could eventually be home to 70,000 new residents.
Over the past several months, consultants have publicly presented “concepts” to the task force for building the community around a 60-acre man-made lake.
Cost will be the deciding component to the community’s creation, said Jim Cunneen, a task force member who asked consultants for financial figures.
“We’re showing the public the Cadillac version (of the planned community), but there’s a question of whether or not we can afford the Cadillac version,” Cunneen said.
Task force member Pat Dando, vice-mayor of San Jose, asked city staff to come up with a clearly-defined list of all topics impacting Coyote Valley’s development.
In the past, plans to develop Coyote Valley were held back because true costs were not factored in, she said.
No bottom line on the total price tag to construct Coyote Valley over the next 25 years has been publicly stated. Consultants said the process is still in its “conceptual stages,” and it’s too early to define the billions of dollars need for the entire project.
At an August task force meeting, consultants said the basic infrastructure might cost from $607 million to $800 million. Homeowners will pay for part of this with a one-time surcharge on their newly-purchased houses. Several members expressed concern these figures were overly optimistic.
Monday night, Darin Smith of consulting firm Economic and Planning Systems said that computer, electronics, software, Internet, and bioscience industries are most likely to help provide the 50,000 jobs needed to make Coyote Valley viable. However, the situation is a bit of a Catch-22. The basic infrastructure needs to be established to attract these companies which in turn, through taxes, will help pay for Coyote Valley’s continued development.
Gavilan Community College will play a crucial role in helping educate that workforce. Coyote Valley is in Gavilan’s district which borders north at San Jose’s Bernal Road. The college plans to use funds from a $108 million facility bond passed in March to build a campus for a possible 10,000 students in the proposed community.
Gavilan President Steve Kinsella, who attended Monday’s meeting, said he felt optimistic Coyote Valley will be built if the proposed plan remains “flexible.”
Gavilan is currently in negotiation with Coyote Valley land owners for a campus site, but Kinsella said he could not disclose their identities.
Task force members also are concerned about how traffic will flow through a densely-packed community in Coyote Valley. Much of it centered on plans to dramatically alter the route of Santa Teresa Boulevard through the city.
Consultant Ken Kay of KenKay Associates said altering Santa Teresa Boulevard to take a sharp hairpin curve around the eastern edge of the town’s central lake. The abrupt design is intended to slow automobiles down and make Santa Teresa less attractive as a commuter route.
Several consultants proposed Coyote Valley be design as a “walkable” community where public transportation is key
County Supervisor Don Gage questioned the concept of making it hard for drivers to maneuver through Coyote Valley’s streets.
“I still see the problem,” he said. “Because you’re trying to slow (drivers) down, that does not mean that they’re not going to go through there anyway.”
Task force member and San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales also questioned the anti-car traffic concept in regards to how it might affect schools.
Kay also outlined some public land use ideas, including a “central commons” area, a 1.25-mile long swath of open space running west to east which would include park trails and community gardens.
Crossing at the center of the commons might be what Kay describes as a “Santa Teresa spine,” a shorter recreational park running from north to south.
Kay also proposed a recreation facility be built adjacent to the south side of Palm Avenue. If built, it would be on land now considered the “greenbelt” buffering Coyote Valley from Morgan Hill.
Other proposals include five, two-acre community gardens located in parks, and a “festival grounds” of 20 acres for a farmers market and sports stadium.
Meetings
• When: Sept. 21 at 7pm: City Council
What: The Coyote Valley Task Force will present the San Jose City Council with its “progress report.” Land use issues will not be presented.
Where: San Jose City Hall at 801 North First St.
• When: Sept. 28 at 7pm: Task Force and Community Workshop
What: Active community discussion about Coyote Valley’s future
Where: Southside Community Center at 5585 Cottle Rd., San Jose
• When: Oct. 4 at 5:30pm: Monthly Task Force Meeting
What: Discuss development of Coyote Valley with consultants and city staff, remarks by members of the public
Where: 151 W. Mission St., Room 202, San Jose
