SAN MARTIN
– San Martin’s major neighborhood organization has launched a
new Web site.
SAN MARTIN – San Martin’s major neighborhood organization has launched a new Web site.
The site, www.smneighbor.org, is the new online home for the San Martin Neighborhood Alliance, a grassroots organization that boasts more than 200 members.
The Internet site reflects the political goals of the alliance, which was formed to give residents more notice and input in land-use decisions and help ensure development stays in harmony with neighborhoods, serves local residents and enhances the community’s rural atmosphere.
The initial page greets visitors with a statement that reads: “Our goal is to provide you with a virtual resource of information relevant to any growth activity that threatens both the legacy and the future of San Martin.” A logo depicts a tree standing before a rustic barn.
Site features include specific information on current – and controversial – development issues in the unincorporated community, including a Lusamerica Foods fish processing plant proposed for California Avenue, expansion of the waste transfer station on Llagas Avenue and possible expansion of the South County Airport.
A page is devoted to each project with data from county files, contact information for county planners, and photos – as well as downloadable video clips of Lusamerica’s current San Jose processing plant and the transfer station expansion site.
Another page contains an online poll that asks site visitors whether they favor expansion of the airport. Visitors can vote by clicking on one of three radio buttons.
Information on group’s by-laws, officers, and membership is also included.
The alliance was formed two years ago by a handful of residents concerned about a proposed modular storage building project on Monterey Road. Although the project was approved, alliance members were able to delay it and win concessions like better landscaping, fencing and drainage.
Since then, the alliance has broadened its focus to advocate for parks and a community center and monitor development to promote projects that are aesthetically pleasing and improve San Martin’s rural character.
