Letters from the Public — San Jose City Council, April 18, 2023

[External Email]
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

FW: 4/18/23 Council Agenda item 7.2: "Actions Related to the Urban Confluence Silicon Valley Breeze of Innovation Project"
City Clerk <[email protected]>
Wed 4/12/2023 9:12 AM
To:Agendadesk <[email protected]>
1 attachments (547 KB)
D6NLG -- Council & Breeze of Innovation.pdf;

From: Lames
Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2023 9:06 AM
To: The Oﬃce of Mayor Ma Mahan <[email protected]>; District1 <[email protected]>; District2 <[email protected]>; District3 <[email protected]>; District4 <[email protected]>; District5 <[email protected]>; District 6 <[email protected]>; District7 <[email protected]>; District8 <[email protected]>; District9 <[email protected]>; District 10 <[email protected]> Cc: City Clerk <[email protected]>; Maguire, Jennifer <[email protected]>; Cicirelli, Jon <[email protected]>
Subject:
4/18/23 Council Agenda item 7.2: "Acons Related to the Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley Breeze of Innovaon Project"

Attached please find a letter from the District 6 Neighborhood Leaders Group (D6NLG) opposing plans for putting "Breeze of Innovation" at Cesar Chavez Plaza.

~Larry Ames, Chair, D6NLG

Honorable Mayor Matt Mahan, City of San José
and Members of the City Council,
200 E Santa Clara Street, San José, CA 95113
via email, sent April 12, 2023

re: Agenda Item 7.2 : the Urban Confluence Silicon Valley Breeze of Innovation Project.

Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,

We in the District 6 Neighborhood Leaders Group (D6NLG) advocate for equitably and sustainably preserving and enhancing the quality of life in San José, and for years1 we’ve been following the plans of Urban Confluence Silicon Valley LLC. We feel that their plan to put a giant structure in Cesar Chavez Plaza would cause severe cultural and economic impacts to the Downtown area and to the City as a whole.

Please put a stop to this nonsense.

San José is already recognized as the Capital of Silicon Valley and for our iconic City Hall and Rotunda Plaza.

We don’t need Urban Confluence to give us an “icon” as a “gift” – a gift that comes at a significant cost:
 It would take public land. Cesar Chavez Plaza is already a well-used and much-loved plaza. It is a community place-making asset – the heart of the city. The Plaza is critical for the success of downtown outdoor programming ranging from Christmas in the Park to the San José Jazz Festival – events that draw large crowds which are critical to the downtown core. Event organizers have pleaded for more space, and PRNS is studying the feasibility of expanding the park to meet their needs. Putting the Breeze of Innovation there would take space away from these events. Please require Urban Confluence to do an economic and cultural analysis (at their expense) to see if their proposed art-piece could possibly attract enough visitors to make up for the losses from reduced event capacity and cancelled (or relocated) events. Also, Urban Confluence needs to do better outreach: the community is an asset with which to collaborate, not a barrier to overcome.
 It would take money: hundreds of millions of dollars. Urban Confluence says that this is a “gift,” but they are seeking major contributions from private foundations. (Have they shown they know how to do this? Do they even have a plan?) These foundations do not have unlimited funds to donate, and money given for this means less money that can be given to other causes, such as community hands-on art projects and downtown cultural events. Then there’s the cost of ongoing maintenance and repair, and also the not-insignificant cost of decommissioning and removal the structure at its end-of-life.

Finding hundreds of millions of dollars is not a trivial task: groups have not yet succeeded in finding a much smaller sum for the planned Levitt Pavilion at St. James Park, and even San Francisco is struggling to find the money to keep the lights on on the Bay Bridge.

As we’ve said before, “Thanks, but no thanks!” We urge the City Council terminate the City’s relationship with Urban Confluence, say “no!” to the “Breeze of Innovation”– and stop wasting everyone’s time.

Thank you.

Dr. Lawrence Ames, Chair, D6NLG

1 see letters dated 5/3/21, 6/8/22, and 12/2/22, archived online at www.calsj.org/D6/

You don't often get email from Learn why this is important [External Email]
FW: Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2. Please support the study of Breeze of Innovation at Plaza de Cesar Chavez
City Clerk <[email protected]>
Wed 4/12/2023 12:29 PM
To:Agendadesk <[email protected]>

From: Lee Kopp <
Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2023 12:25 PM
To: The Oﬃce of Mayor Ma Mahan <[email protected]>; District1 <[email protected]>; District2 <[email protected]>; District3 <[email protected]>; District4 <[email protected]>; District5 <[email protected]>; District 6 <[email protected]>; District7 <[email protected]>; District8 <[email protected]>; District9 <[email protected]>; District 10 <[email protected]> Cc: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject:

Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2. Please support the study of Breeze of Innovaon at Plaza de Cesar Chavez

Dear Mayor Mahan and City Council;

I support the study of Plaza de Cesar Chavez as the site for Breeze of Innovaon and I ask you to do the same. I have been following the eﬀorts to create a world-class landmark in Downtown San Jose for over ﬁve years. I have donated my money and my me to this eﬀort, and I know it deserves every chance to succeed.

I was born and raised in San Jose. I was educated from elementary school through college in San Jose. I have made my living in this city for the last 50 years in good mes and bad, and sll proudly work with ﬁve diﬀerent arts organizaons in San Jose. My oﬃce is in the SoFA district of San Jose. I walk these streets daily. My heart is here.

I have seen the glory days of San Jose and I have seen the torn up streets and empty buildings of my city. I believe that the eﬀorts of Urban Conﬂuence should not only be supported, but should be duplicated over and over again. Art is central to all great cies. Your support is a statement that we as a people believe in that concept. It is bold.

I love this city and I believe that you must too, or you would not be serving in the polical workings of San Jose. Please support this mission of philanthropy. A project like this does not come to your table oen.

Support this, and you will generate the atmosphere for other gis to our city to be born out of your courage and foresight. Turn your back on it now, and you will send a terrible message to all of us who sll believe in San Jose.

Thank you.

Lee Kopp

You don't often get email from . Learn why this is important [External Email]
FW: “Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2”
City Clerk <[email protected]>
Wed 4/12/2023 1:20 PM
To:Agendadesk <[email protected]>

From: Shannon Timms >
Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2023 1:19 PM
To: The Oﬃce of Mayor Ma Mahan <[email protected]>
Subject: “Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2”

Dear Mayor and City Council:

I strongly support Urban Confluence Silicon Valley. Please allow them to study Plaza de Cesar Chavez as the site for Breeze of Innovation and conduct community outreach. This item appears as Item #7.2 on your April 18 city council meeting agenda.

In cooperation with many other community stakeholders, their long-term vision is to build Breeze of Innovation, elements that finally properly honor Cesar Chavez, and improved performing arts infrastructure at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. As a community, we hope to transform the park into a world-class urban public space.

Breeze of Innovation will be privately funded, and no city funds will be used to build, operate, or maintain the project. It will be a GIFT to the citizens of San Jose and ultimately add money to the city’s general fund by increasing economic activity in downtown San Jose.

All design details of the project will be publicly reviewed as part of the mandatory EIR/CEQA process that will follow city council approval. We fully embrace the rigorous process that will protect and improve our environment.

The project’s mission is genuinely one of philanthropy, community benefit, significant economic growth, and environmental sustainability. Our goal is to be your partner in creating a spectacular world-class landmark at the most important urban park in our city.

Your ongoing support is deeply appreciated,
Thank you,

Shannon Timms

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Shannon Timms Art Advisory

You don't often get email from Learn why this is important [External Email]
FW: Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2
City Clerk <[email protected]>
Wed 4/12/2023 5:10 PM
To:Agendadesk <[email protected]>
Thank you!

From: Jamie Arreola
Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2023 4:59 PM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2

Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2
Dear Mayor and City Council:

I am excited to support Urban Confluence Silicon Valley's idea of placing this cool piece of art, Breeze of Innovation downtown. We need more art, vitality, music, and fun downtown for our community to be proud of, and share with visitors to San Jose.

Please allow a study of Plaza de Cesar Chavez as the site for Breeze of Innovation and conduct community outreach.

This item appears as Item #7.2 on your April 18 city council meeting agenda.

The project’s mission is genuinely one of philanthropy, community benefit, significant

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. economic growth, and environmental sustainability. Our goal is to be your partner in creating a spectacular world-class landmark at the most important urban park in our city.

Your consideration is always appreciated,
Thank you,

Jamie Arreola, M.Ed.

Jamie Arreola Activates

ACTIVATE YOUR HEADSPACE
Create meaningful routines, healthy habits and enrich your LIFE!

--
Jamie Arreola, M.Ed.

Jamie Arreola Acvates

ACTIVATE YOUR HEADSPACE
Create meaningful rounes, healthy habits and enrich your LIFE!

You don't often get email from Learn why this is important [External Email]
FW: Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2
City Clerk <[email protected]>
Thu 4/13/2023 3:51 PM
To:Agendadesk <[email protected]>

From: Mock Joanne
Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2023 3:46 PM
To: The Oﬃce of Mayor Ma Mahan <[email protected]>; City Clerk <[email protected]> Cc: District1 <[email protected]>; District2 <[email protected]>; District3 <[email protected]>; District4 <[email protected]>; District5 <[email protected]>; District 6 <[email protected]>; District7 <[email protected]>; District8 <[email protected]>; District9 <[email protected]>; District 10 <[email protected]>
Subject: Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2

Dear Mayor and City Council:

Breeze of Innovation will be privately funded, and no city funds will be used to build, operate, or maintain the project.

It will be a GIFT to the citizens of San Jose and ultimately add money to the city’s general fund by increasing economic activity in downtown San Jose.

Your ongoing support is deeply appreciated,
Thank you,

Martin Menne
President

FW: Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2
City Clerk <[email protected]>
Fri 4/14/2023 8:58 AM
To:Agendadesk <[email protected]>
-----Original Message-----
From: Matt Roben
Sent: Friday, April 14, 2023 8:14 AM
To: The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan <[email protected]>; City Clerk <[email protected]>; District1 <[email protected]>; District2 <[email protected]>; District3 <[email protected]>; District4 <[email protected]>; District5 <[email protected]>; District 6 <[email protected]>; District7 <[email protected]>; District8 <[email protected]>; District9 <[email protected]>; District 10 <[email protected]>
Subject: Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2
[You don't often get email from Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ]
[External Email]
Dear Mayor and City Council:

I am writing today with the hope that you will support Urban Confluence Silicon Valley. As I walk down Market street I imagine what Plaza de Cesar Chavez could be- THE place to visit when one comes to San Jose. Bringing a landmark like this to our city would be a great way to revitalize the downtown area. Having lived in Chicago for nearly 20 years I saw just how much something like a giant metal bean sculpture became a focal point for tourists from around the globe to come and visit, and just how much of the surrounding area grew to support that influx of people.

I could just imagine Park Ave, where it is currently shut down for construction, becoming a pedestrian walkway with food trucks, or even street performers to engage the crowds and support our local artists, adding to the vibrant energy that the Breeze of Innovation brings to the area.

Thank you for your consideration,
--
Matt Roben
--------------------
"Spend your time echoing something worth hearing."
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

You don't often get email from Learn why this is important [External Email]
FW: “Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2”
City Clerk <[email protected]>
Fri 4/14/2023 8:59 AM
To:Agendadesk <[email protected]>

From: Coombs,Tom <
Sent: Friday, April 14, 2023 8:23 AM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Cc: Coombs,Tom <[email protected]>
Subject: “Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2”

Dear City Clerk (Toni),
I strongly support Urban Confluence Silicon Valley. Please allow them to study Plaza de Cesar Chavez as the site for Breeze of Innovation and conduct community outreach. This item appears as Item #7.2 on your April 18 city council meeting agenda.

Breeze of Innovation will be privately funded, and no city funds will be used to build, operate, or maintain the project.

It will be a GIFT to the citizens of San Jose and ultimately add money to the city’s general fund by increasing economic activity in downtown San Jose.

Your ongoing support is deeply appreciated,

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Thank you,

Tom Coombs

Tom Coombs, AAMS™
Financial Advisor
Edward Jones
If you are not the intended recipient of this message (including attachments) or if you have received his message in error, immediately notify us and delete it and any attachments.

Dear Mayor Matt Mahan and City Council Members:

As a former Board member currently serving on the Advisory Council for the Breeze of Innovation (BOI), I write to request your support for making BOI a reality in San José by allowing a study of installing BOI in the Plaza de Cesar Chavez and allowing its Board to engage in a community outreach process.

Experts from various fields will address and resolve concerns regarding the placement of this piece of art and the example of BOI’s scientific use of wind power on the grounds of the Plaza.

The Breeze of Innovation will be an attraction to residents and visitors alike while preserving many of the annual activities which typically take place at that location.

Furthermore, the Board’s plan includes the possibility of adding a statue of Cesar Chavez in that location to enhance the connection between our City’s past and its future as represented by BOI’s unique and innovative structure.

Thank you,

Fernando R. Zazueta
Advisory Council Member
Urban Confluence Silicon Valley
4/17/23, 9:55 AM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/[email protected]/inbox/id/AAQkADUxOWI4ZjE3LTRkNDEtNGUzMS04MjAwLTIzNzdiYTdkMjc5NAAQA… 1/2 [External Email]
Letter of Support Re: 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2 re Breeze of Innovation Christine Davis <
Fri 4/14/2023 4:59 PM
To:The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan <[email protected]>;District1 <[email protected]>;District2 <[email protected]>;District3 <[email protected]>;District4 <[email protected]>;District5 <[email protected]>;District 6 <[email protected]>;District7 <[email protected]>;District8 <[email protected]>;District9 <[email protected]>;District 10 <[email protected]>
Cc: City Clerk <[email protected]>
1 attachments (15 KB)
Letter of Support for April 18 City Council Meeting - Item #7.2.docx; Some people who received this message don't often get email from Learn why this is important

Dear Mayor Mahan and Members of the San José City Council,

Please ﬁnd aached my leer in support of Item #7.2 on your April 18th meeng agenda.

Kind regards,

Christine Davis

Vice President
TMFC, Inc.

4/17/23, 9:55 AM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/[email protected]/inbox/id/AAQkADUxOWI4ZjE3LTRkNDEtNGUzMS04MjAwLTIzNzdiYTdkMjc5NAAQA… 2/2 This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Office:

Cell:

April 14, 2023

RE: Item #7.2 on your April 18th City Council mee�ng agenda

Dear Mayor Mahan and City Council Members,

I enthusias�cally support the Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley (UCSV) project. With your blessing on April 18, the next step will be to perform an in-depth study of Plaza de Cesar Chavez as the site for Breeze of Innova�on to be installed, and conduct a series of community outreach.

As a resident in downtown San Jose since 1984, my husband and I have taken great pleasure in suppor�ng our city development. The core of our city, should be the pride of our city.

Since incep�on of this UCSV project in 2017, which was created by the PEOPLE, our goal was to reach out to the en�re world with an Open Ideas Design Compe��on. Indeed, the world responded – with 963 qualiﬁed and impressive submissions from 72 countries on six con�nents. Breeze of Innova�on was the winner! A spectacular iconic design appropriate for this unique region that is now universally recognized as the world- wide center of technology. This bold des�na�on landmark will provide a posi�ve educa�onal impact, major enhancement to downtown San Jose and a signiﬁcant catalyst for Silicon Valley’s diverse culture. Represen�ng our culture with pres�gious allure, this interna�onally respected structure will oﬀer much needed long-term regional economic development for San Jose, while connec�ng and inspiring people in the service of humanity.

Loca�ng Breeze of Innova�on at Plaza de Cesar Chavez is beﬁ�ng. The perfect opportunity to properly honor Cesar Chavez and his extraordinary history of civil rights leadership! Cesar Chavez, along with the pioneers of technology, have forever changed the world. “Silicon Valley is not about replica�ng the past; it’s about shaping the future”, says Fernando Jerez the designer of Breeze of Innova�on. His goal from the beginning was to capture the ever-changing magic of Silicon Valley while also crea�ng a deep connec�on with the en�re local community, and the world. The dynamic rods swaying in the wind create a drama�c visual eﬀect while genera�ng power to light the structure, giving it a strong presence both day and night. A landmark, one that is alive, symbolizing PEOPLE coming together – working together – and standing together!

I was proud to serve on the Board of Directors of UCSV from 2018-2022, and currently serve on the Execu�ve Advisory Board. Our team knows the depth of this projects enormous value to the city and this important urban park that is now in the heart of San Jose’s growth. Steve Borkenhagen, one of the founders of this origina�on, has been the Execu�ve Director since incep�on. The Board of Directors has substan�ally grown with a diverse group of skilled professionals that are well-suited, well-connected and dedicated to the process ahead. Several members of The Cesar Chavez family also serve on the current Board. We all share in the mission to protect our public spaces and improve our environment, while enhancing the enjoyment of this spectacular area we call home with a profound GIFT of renown world-class public art and placemaking in the heart of San Jose. It will be privately funded. No city funds will be used to build or maintain the project.

Its’ taken tremendous philanthropic prowess, countless volunteer hours, ingenuity and pa�ence to ensure that the loca�on Breeze of Innova�on will become an architectural legacy of our current genera�on.

The project has greatly appreciated three previous unanimous votes from the Council. Please grant your con�nued support. An ICON Awaits!

Thank you,
Chris�ne Davis
4/17/23, 9:53 AM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/[email protected]/inbox/id/AAQkADUxOWI4ZjE3LTRkNDEtNGUzMS04MjAwLTIzNzdiYTdkMjc5NAAQA… 1/2 [External Email]
Letter of Support for Item #7.2 on April 18 City Council Meeting Agenda John Davis <
Sat 4/15/2023 2:14 PM
To:The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan <[email protected]>;District1 <[email protected]>;District2 <[email protected]>;District3 <[email protected]>;District4 <[email protected]>;District5 <[email protected]>;District 6 <[email protected]>;District7 <[email protected]>;District8 <[email protected]>;District9 <[email protected]>;District 10 <[email protected]>
Cc: City Clerk <[email protected]>
1 attachments (14 KB)
Letter of Support of Item # 7.2 in the 4-18-23 San Jose City Council Agenda.docx; Some people who received this message don't often get email from Learn why this is important Hello Mayor Mahan and City Council Members,
I am proud to write a leer in support of the Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley project that is on your agenda as Item # 7.2 for the 4/18/23 meeng. Please see aached.

Kind regards,
John Davis

4/17/23, 9:53 AM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/[email protected]/inbox/id/AAQkADUxOWI4ZjE3LTRkNDEtNGUzMS04MjAwLTIzNzdiYTdkMjc5NAAQA… 2/2 This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

President
TMFC, Inc & Club Auto Sport.

Office:

Cell:

Dear Mayor Mahan and Council Members of San Jose City Council,

First of all, I write in SUPPORT of the site study of Plaza de Cesar Chavez as the new site for Breeze of Innova�on.

Which is Item #7.2 on your April 18th City Council Mee�ng agenda.

Second, I write in SUPPORT the Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley organiza�ons project. Both ﬁnancially and in their hard work from the beginning as the San Jose Light Tower Corp. A vision to bring a landmark back to downtown San Jose similar, BUT with much more meaning and grandeur than the original Light Tower of 1881.

I graduated from San Jose State University in 1967, founded Air Systems, Inc. in 1974 just several blocks from downtown San Jose. 56 years later, I s�ll live in the downtown neighborhood of Naglee Park. My moto has always been – give back to the community of which you live. So, needless to say I’m passionate about the downtown progress. Over the years, I’ve witnessed most all the ideas to develop and improve the community. As Mayor Mahan knows, I’m an ac�ve advocate for cleaning up and developing economic growth in our community. With all that said, growth starts with the reasons people would want to live, work, shop, play and visit downtown San Jose.

Visit San Jose – What year-round atrac�on do we have now that the local community or visitors abroad want to come see?

The Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley project has sustained itself since 2017, constantly working towards its mission.

An amazing show of support both locally and world-wide for a world-class design. It’s confronted the challenges, and pivoted when necessary to achieve the goals for the city public space, and reached out to the community for the best avenue to overcome any concerns. Their goal is to deliver a landmark every age group can enjoy and be proud of. All with donated money from the community, corpora�ons and founda�ons.

The mo�on for Breeze of Innova�on going back to the Plaza de Cesar Chavez site where it was originally intended is not only imminent, but brilliant! We need to build on the hard work of our communi�es founding fathers’ crusades, as well as, the exper�se of today’s technology, and truly look towards the future with overall innova�on in mind. Inves�ng �me, resources, and money from like-minded individuals and companies that believe in what it takes to make San Jose GREAT. Great ci�es do great things – it’s �me we did. Breeze of Innova�on, is one-of-a-kind and “iconic” in nature to righ�ully represent San Jose and Silicon Valley’s world-wide accomplishments.

In closure, please vote YES in favor of item # 7.2

Sincerely –
John Davis

4/17/23, 9:57 AM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/[email protected]/inbox/id/AAQkADUxOWI4ZjE3LTRkNDEtNGUzMS04MjAwLTIzNzdiYTdkMjc5NAAQAI… 1/2 [External Email]
“Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2”
Big Kahuna Productions <
Sat 4/15/2023 5:17 PM
To:City Clerk <[email protected]>;The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan <[email protected]>;District1 <[email protected]>;District2 <[email protected]>;District3 <[email protected]>;District4 <[email protected]>;District5 <[email protected]>;District 6 <[email protected]>;District7 <[email protected]>;District8 <[email protected]>;District9 <[email protected]>;District 10 <[email protected]> Some people who received this message don't often get email from Learn why this is important

Dear Mayor and City Council:

Great cities do great things. I strongly support the study of Plaza de Cesar Chavez as the site for Breeze of Innovation and I ask you to do the same. I have been involved as a volunteer in the efforts to create a world-class landmark in Downtown San Jose for over 5 years . I have donated my money and my time to this effort, and I know it deserves every chance to succeed. More than 400 committed citizens, foundations, and organizations have donated over $3 million to date. Plaza de Cesar Chavez currently lacks identity and will likely not be improved without a collaborative master planning process that includes community stakeholders (e.g., Christmas in the Park, San Jose Jazz, Music in the Park, Pride, park neighbors, park users, etc.). Breeze of Innovation will be a gift to the citizens of San Jose, Silicon Valley, and the world.

This project symbolizes people coming together, working together, and standing together.

Our goal is to be your partner in creating a spectacular world-class landmark at the most important urban park in our city.

Your ongoing support is deeply appreciated.

Thank you,

Sean O’Kane

The Urban Confluence Silicon Valley Board of Directors
Sarah Adeel, Richard Ajluni, Tony Arreola, Steve Borkenhagen, Lina Broydo, Xavier Campos, Andres Chavez, Jaime Chavez, Bill Ekern, Laura Guio, Ray Hashimoto, Gabriel Medina, Sean O’Kane, Michael Willis

4/17/23, 9:57 AM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/[email protected]/inbox/id/AAQkADUxOWI4ZjE3LTRkNDEtNGUzMS04MjAwLTIzNzdiYTdkMjc5NAAQAI… 2/2 This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. ______________________________________________
Sean O'Kane
Big Kahuna Productions
Mobile:
www.bigkahunaproductions.com
Create new possibilities everyday for yourself and others ______________________________________________

4/17/23, 9:58 AM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/[email protected]/inbox/id/AAQkADUxOWI4ZjE3LTRkNDEtNGUzMS04MjAwLTIzNzdiYTdkMjc5NAAQA… 1/2 [External Email]
Breeze of innovation support 4/18 City Council agenda item Randy Zechman <
Sat 4/15/2023 5:27 PM
To:The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan <[email protected]>;City Clerk <[email protected]>;District1 <[email protected]>;District2 <[email protected]>;District3 <[email protected]>;District4 <[email protected]>;District5 <[email protected]>;District 6 <[email protected]>;District7 <[email protected]>;District8 <[email protected]>;District9 <[email protected]>;District 10 <[email protected]> Some people who received this message don't often get email from Learn why this is important

Dear Mayor and City Council:

Your ongoing support is deeply appreciated,

Carpe Diem
Randy Zechman
Mischief Executive Officer
O.

CleanSolar.com

YES, I want to sign the peon to SAVE CALIFORNIA SOLAR!

We love your referrals! Click here to earn $250!

Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2
betty neals <
Mon 4/17/2023 12:10 AM
To:City Clerk <[email protected]>
You don't often get email from Learn why this is important

Greetings:

I strongly support Urban Conference Silicon Valley. Please allow them to study Plaza de Cesar Chavez as the site for Breeze of Innovation and conduct community outreach.

Among my many reasons for this jubilant enthusiasm is the newness in a physical tribute to Cesar Chavez. Statues are fixtures of honor, wonderful, yes, but I applaud this fresh, new idea: a breeze, which itself is synonymous to movement. Coupled with innovation, the possibilities of wonder are limitless.

It can happen. It will be an iconic landmark for San Jose and an artistic statement that leads to beauty, economic activity and community pride. Specific design, including all details for Plaza de Cesar Chavez has not yet been developed. All park details will be designed by top architects and designers and approved by park stakeholders and the city council.

Please look favorably on item 7.2. Thank you, kindly.

Very truly yours,
Betty H. Neals

4/17/23, 11:21 AM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/[email protected]/inbox/id/AAQkADUxOWI4ZjE3LTRkNDEtNGUzMS04MjAwLTIzNzdiYTdkMjc5NAAQA… 1/1 [External Email]
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Letter of Support for 4/18/23 City Council Vote on Item 7.2, Breeze of Innovation Jon Ball <
Mon 4/17/2023 10:59 AM
To:The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan <[email protected]>;District1 <[email protected]>;District2 <[email protected]>;District4 <[email protected]>;District5 <[email protected]>;District 6 <[email protected]>;District7 <[email protected]>;District9 <[email protected]>;District8 <[email protected]>;District3 <[email protected]>;District 10 <[email protected]>
Cc: City Clerk <[email protected]>
1 attachments (15 KB)
Letter of Support for April 18 City Council Meeting - Item #7.2[200991].docx; Some people who received this message don't often get email from Learn why this is important

Dear Mayor Mahan and Members of the San José City Council,

Please ﬁnd aached my leer in support of Item #7.2 on your April 18th meeng agenda.

Jon Ball
Co-Founder, “Breeze of Innovaon”, a project of the San Jose Light Tower Corporaon (501.c.3)
Chairman, 2017-2022

April 17, 2023

RE: Item #7.2 on your April 18th City Council mee�ng agenda

Dear Mayor Mahan and City Council Members,

As the original Chairman and co-Founder of this project, I was proud to serve on the Board of Directors of UCSV from 2017-2022, and currently serve on the Execu�ve Advisory Board. Our team of supporters knows the depth of this project’s enormous value to the city and this important urban park that is now in the heart of San Jose’s growth. Steve Borkenhagen, one of the founders of this origina�on, has been the Execu�ve Director since incep�on. The Board of Directors has substan�ally grown with a diverse group of skilled professionals that are well-suited, well-connected, and dedicated to the process ahead. Several members of The Cesar Chavez family also serve on the current Board. We all share in the mission to protect our public spaces and improve our environment, while enhancing the enjoyment of this spectacular area we call home with a profound GIFT of renown world-class public art and placemaking in the heart of San Jose. It will be privately funded.

Since the incep�on of this UCSV project in 2017, which was created by the PEOPLE, our goal was to reach out to the en�re world with an Open Ideas Design Compe��on. Indeed, the world responded – with 963 qualiﬁed and impressive submissions from 72 countries on six con�nents. Breeze of Innova�on was the winner! A spectacular iconic design appropriate for this unique region that is now universally recognized as the world-wide center of technology. This bold des�na�on landmark will provide a posi�ve educa�onal impact, major enhancement to downtown San Jose and a signiﬁcant catalyst for Silicon Valley’s diverse culture. Represen�ng our culture with pres�gious allure, this interna�onally respected structure will oﬀer much needed long-term regional economic development for San Jose, while connec�ng and inspiring people in the service of humanity.

It has taken tremendous philanthropic prowess, countless volunteer hours, ingenuity, and pa�ence to ensure that the loca�on Breeze of Innova�on will become an architectural legacy of our current genera�on.

The project has greatly appreciated three previous unanimous votes from the Council. Please grant your con�nued support. An ICON Awaits!

Thank you,
Jon Ball
Co-Founder and Chairman of Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley, a project of the San Jose Light Tower Corpora�on (501.c.3)

4/17/23, 3:16 PM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/[email protected]/inbox/id/AAQkADUxOWI4ZjE3LTRkNDEtNGUzMS04MjAwLTIzNzdiYTdkMjc5NAAQA… 1/2 [External Email]
Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2 Breeze of Innovation Ray Hashimoto < >
Mon 4/17/2023 1:43 PM
To:The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan <[email protected]>;District1 <[email protected]>;District2 <[email protected]>;District3 <[email protected]>;District4 <[email protected]>;District5 <[email protected]>;District 6 <[email protected]>;District7 <[email protected]>;District8 <[email protected]>;District9 <[email protected]>;District 10 <[email protected]>
Cc: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Some people who received this message don't often get email from . Learn why this is important

Mayor Mahan and City Council members:

In cooperation with many other community stakeholders, their long-term vision is to build Breeze of Innovation, elements that provide an opportunity to finally properly, honor Cesar Chavez, and improved performing arts infrastructure at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. As a community, we hope to formulate a plan to transform the park into a world-class urban public space.

All design details of the project will be publicly reviewed as part of the mandatory EIR/CEQA process that will follow city council approval. We acknowledge and fully embrace the rigorous process that will protect and improve our environment.

Your ongoing support is deeply appreciated,
Thank you, Ray.

Ray Hashimoto, AICP
Principal, Land Development Manager

o.
c. |
www.hmhca.com

Breeze of Innovation, item 7.2
Pattie Cortese <
Mon 4/17/2023 3:25 PM
To:The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan <[email protected]>;City Clerk <[email protected]>;District1 <[email protected]>;District2 <[email protected]>;District3 <[email protected]>;District4 <[email protected]>;District5 <[email protected]>;District 6 <[email protected]>;District7 <[email protected]>;District8 <[email protected]>;District9 <[email protected]>;District 10 <[email protected]> Some people who received this message don't often get email from Learn why this is important

Dear Mayor and City Council:

I am writing with enthusiastic support for Urban Confluence Silicon Valley's "Breeze of Innovation" project (item 7.2 on your 4/18/23 agenda). I recall several years ago reading an OpEd in the SJ Mercury News from a critic of San Jose's downtown redevelopment saying of the city, "there is no there there." A project like the Breeze of Innovation would be a stunning centerpiece for downtown San Jose worthy of the esteem in which we all as residents afford our city. I respectfully request that you vote to allow the process to move forward.
gratefully,
Pattie Cortese
San Jose, CA

4/17/23, 4:49 PM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/[email protected]/inbox/id/AAQkADUxOWI4ZjE3LTRkNDEtNGUzMS04MjAwLTIzNzdiYTdkMjc5NAAQA… 1/2 [External Email]
Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2
Patron Paule <
Mon 4/17/2023 3:30 PM
To:The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan <[email protected]> Cc: City Clerk <[email protected]>;District1 <[email protected]>;District2 <[email protected]>;District3 <[email protected]>;District4 <[email protected]>;District5 <[email protected]>;District 6 <[email protected]>;District7 <[email protected]>;District8 <[email protected]>;District9 <[email protected]>;District 10 <[email protected]>
You don't often get email from Learn why this is important

Dear Mayor and City Council:

Your ongoing support is deeply appreciated,
Thank you,
Patron

4/17/23, 4:49 PM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/[email protected]/inbox/id/AAQkADUxOWI4ZjE3LTRkNDEtNGUzMS04MjAwLTIzNzdiYTdkMjc5NAAQA… 2/2 This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. --
Bertrand "PATRON" Paule
Visual Director
SJSTORYBOARD.com
Text

4/17/23, 4:50 PM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/[email protected]/inbox/id/AAQkADUxOWI4ZjE3LTRkNDEtNGUzMS04MjAwLTIzNzdiYTdkMjc5NAAQA… 1/2 [External Email]
Cesar Chavez Plaza and Breeze Of Innovation: A no brainer first step <
Mon 4/17/2023 3:40 PM
To:City Clerk <[email protected]>
Cc: District1 <[email protected]>;District2 <[email protected]>;District3 <[email protected]>;District4 <[email protected]>;District5 <[email protected]>;District 6 <[email protected]>;District7 <[email protected]>;District8 <[email protected]>;District9 <[email protected]>;District 10 <[email protected]>;
You don't often get email from Learn why this is important

Dear San Jose City Council:

Please add my strong support for Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley’s mission to study Plaza de Cesar Chavez as a site for the Breeze Of Innovaon project.

The historic plaza deserves to be San Jose’s welcome mat, front porch and celebraon center. Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley’s vision encompasses all of that. It would give Cesar Chavez’s societal impact a visible manifestaon. It would elevate the park as a performing arts space. And it would provide an iconic landmark to honor the city’s role as a technology spawning ground, located just blocks from the building where the hard drive was developed.

Shouldn’t we want such a project in San Jose? Especially with no city funds being used to build, operate and maintain the proposed Breeze Of Innovaon? Taking this ﬁrst step, to have Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley examine and quanfy and present the project’s potenal beneﬁts, seems to be a no brainer.

I believe that over the last 50 years, our region has been the most interesng place on earth. The Breeze Of Innovaon could take its place among the world’s landmarks with a luminous message that says: This is it. You are here. This is the place where it happened and will keep happening. This is the place where people like Cesar Chavez and Steve Jobs, in diﬀerent ways but with the same energy, have aacked the possibilies and inspired the planet. This is a beacon that millions will visit and be movated to join those pathﬁnders in the future. There will be nothing else like it because there is nowhere else like San Jose and Silicon Valley.

As a cizen and resident of San Jose, I always look forward to what happens next. I hope that my grandchildren can one day visit Chavez Plaza and see something extraordinary. I urge you to give Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley the green light on its requested study.

Thank you,
Mark Purdy

Cesar Chavez Plaza and Breeze Of Innovation. Letter Attached <
Mon 4/17/2023 3:47 PM
To:City Clerk <[email protected]>
Cc: District1 <[email protected]>;District2 <[email protected]>;District3 <[email protected]>;District4 <[email protected]>;District5 <[email protected]>;District 6 <[email protected]>;District7 <[email protected]>;District8 <[email protected]>;District9 <[email protected]>;District 10 <[email protected]>;
<
1 attachments (14 KB)
BreezeOfInnovationLetter.docx;
You don't often get email from Learn why this is important

Please see my attached letter regarding the Breeze Of Innovation Project. Thanks!

Dear San Jose City Council:

Please add my strong support for Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley’s mission to study Plaza de Cesar Chavez as a site for the Breeze Of Innova�on project.

The historic plaza deserves to be San Jose’s welcome mat, front porch and celebra�on center. Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley’s vision encompasses all of that. It would give Cesar Chavez’s societal impact a visible manifesta�on. It would elevate the park as a performing arts space. And it would provide an iconic landmark to honor the city’s role as a technology spawning ground, located just blocks from the building where the hard drive was developed.

Shouldn’t we want all this in San Jose? Especially with no city funds being used to build, operate and maintain the Breeze Of Innova�on? Taking the next step, to have Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley examine and quan�fy and present the project’s poten�al beneﬁts, seems to be a no brainer.

I have long believed that over the last 50 years. our region has been the most interes�ng place on earth. The Breeze Of Innova�on could take its place among the world’s landmarks with a luminous message that says: This is it. You are here.

This is the place where it happened and will keep happening. This is the place where people like Cesar Chavez and Steve Jobs have atacked the possibili�es and inspired the planet. This is a beacon that millions will visit and be mo�vated to join those pathﬁnders in the future. There will be nothing else like it because there is nowhere else like San Jose and Silicon Valley.

As a ci�zen of San Jose, I always look forward to what happens next. I hope that my grandchildren can visit Chavez Plaza and see something extraordinary. I urge you to give Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley the green light on its requested study.

Thank you,
Mark Purdy
You don't often get email from Learn why this is important [External Email]
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

FW: Important 4/18 City Council vote on item 7.2
City Clerk <[email protected]>
Tue 4/18/2023 7:44 AM
To:Agendadesk <[email protected]>

From: mcclewis <
Sent: Monday, April 17, 2023 8:02 PM
To: The Oﬃce of Mayor Ma Mahan <[email protected]>; City Clerk <[email protected]>; District1 <[email protected]>; District2 <[email protected]>; District3 <[email protected]>; District4 <[email protected]>; District5 <[email protected]>; District 6 <[email protected]>; District7 <[email protected]>; District8 <[email protected]>; District9 <[email protected]>; District 10 <[email protected]>
Subject: Important 4/18 City Council vote on item 7.2

Dear Mayor and City Council,

I would like to express my support towards the Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley study of the Plaza de Cesar Chavez as a site for the Breeze of Innovaon.

As a downtown resident of 5 years and patron and advocate for over 35, one can ancipate and appreciate what this project can bring to this central downtown San Jose locaon and the enhancement to the Cesar Chavez heritage that the locaon honors.

Given this is proposed as a privately funded, fully veed project that will ulmately be a gi to all of San Jose and it’s visitors, Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley should be given the opportunity to move forward with a study.

Sincerely,

Mark Lewis
San Jose Downtown Resident

Some people who received this message don't often get email from Learn why this is important [External Email]
FW: Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2
City Clerk <[email protected]>
Tue 4/18/2023 7:44 AM
To:Agendadesk <[email protected]>

From: Jeﬀery Lee
Sent: Monday, April 17, 2023 9:17 PM
To: The Oﬃce of Mayor Ma Mahan <[email protected]>; City Clerk <[email protected]> Subject: Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2

Dear Mayor and City Council:

I strongly support Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley. Please allow them to study Plaza de Cesar Chavez as the site for Breeze of Innovaon and conduct community outreach. This item appears as Item #7.2 on your April 18 city council meeng agenda.

Plaza de Cesar Chavez currently lacks identy and will likely not be improved without the generous parcipaon of the private sector.

Breeze of Innovaon will be a gi to the cizens of San Jose, Silicon Valley and the world.

Speciﬁc design including all details for Plaza de Cesar Chavez has not yet been developed. All park details will be designed by top architects & designers and approved by park stakeholders and the city council.

The project’s mission is genuinely one of philanthropy, community beneﬁt, signiﬁcant economic growth and environmental sustainability. Our goal is to be your partner in creang a spectacular world class landmark at the most important urban park in our city.

Your ongoing support is deeply appreciated,

Jeﬀery Lee, DDS

Jeﬀery Lee, DDS, rered
Private Communicaon. Prohibited From Further Distribuon Without Expressed Approval From Original Sender.

From: Cheri Lewis
Sent: Monday, April 17, 2023 9:25 PM
To: The Oﬃce of Mayor Ma Mahan <[email protected]>; City Clerk <[email protected]>; District1 <[email protected]>; District2 <[email protected]>; District3 <[email protected]>; District4 <[email protected]>; District5 <[email protected]>; District 6 <[email protected]>; District7 <[email protected]>; District8 <[email protected]>; District9 <[email protected]>; District 10 <[email protected]>
Subject: Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2

Dear Mayor and City Council:

In cooperation with many other community stakeholders, their long-term vision is to build Breeze of Innovation, elements that properly honor Cesar Chavez, and improve performing arts infrastructure at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. As a community, we hope to transform the park into a world-class urban public space.

Breeze of Innovation will be privately funded, and no city funds will be used to build, operate, or maintain the project.

It will be a GIFT to the citizens of San Jose and ultimately add money to the city’s general fund by increasing economic activity in downtown San Jose.

Your ongoing support is deeply appreciated,

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Thank you,
Cheri Lewis
D3

--
Cheri K Lewis

[External Email]
FW: April 18, 2023 Council Meeting Item 7.2 Urban Confluence - Breeze City Clerk <[email protected]>
Tue 4/18/2023 8:36 AM
To:Agendadesk <[email protected]>

From: jeanann2 <
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2023 8:35 AM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: April 18, 2023 Council Meeng Item 7.2 Urban Conﬂuence - Breeze

Please attach to the public letters section. Thank-you.

April 17, 2023

Honorable Mayor and City Council,

RE: Item 7.2 Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley – Breeze of Innovaon

Six council members recommend adding to the staﬀ recommendaons a provision that proponents of the Breeze of Innovaon underwrite a master plan for Cesar Chavez park that addresses the event space, changes to vehicular traﬃc and other details conceptualized in the park department’s 2018 preliminary study; this is a good addion.

For years, event organizers have begged the City to ﬁnd a way to expand capacity at the Cesar Chavez park. The most recent Breeze simulaon places the structure in the center of the park—eﬀecvely bisecng the site. A master plan will address the impact Breeze would have on the viability of the most important outdoor event center in the City. The remaining ﬁve council members should vote for this requirement.

The next requirement should include a hard look at the concept and its ﬁnancing viability and ongoing maintenance costs. Breeze’s proponents allude to many private funders and corporaons without speciﬁcity. They have hinted at using a restaurant to ﬁnance on-going costs. But no speciﬁcs. Let’s see more detail. San Jose is liered with unﬁnished projects that now require public park department money. No prior Council asked for details; you should. Here are three examples:

30 years ago, prominent cizens promised to build out Guadalupe Gardens with private money. Some was built. But they could not fulﬁll the promise. The park department is now building on airport land—money that could have been used on St. James Park or other downtown sites.

20 years ago, a private group promised they would build a Vietnamese Heritage Garden. It sits unﬁnished—the private group gone. Now the community expects the park department to pay to complete this vision.

50 years ago, leading cizens and community groups promised to care for the Japanese Friendship garden and the Chinese cultural group.

Their leaders aged and their groups did not survive them. Both sites are in disrepair. The parks department is expected to ﬁnd money and step in.

Despite the claims of the proponents, this project comes with many costs to the City. For example, staﬀ me is diverted from other city projects.

Time is ﬁnite. It doesn’t maer that me is paid for, what is diverted can never be used on your priority district projects.

Public land is not free. Big projects cost big money and have big maintenance costs over their lifespans. A master plan will highlight some of the risks to the event space. An analysis of the ﬁnancing and conceptual maintenance costs should be next.

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.

Sincerely

Jean Dresden

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. · Plaza de Cesar Chavez currently lacks identity and will likely not be improved without the generous participation of the private sector.
· Breeze of Innovation will be a gift to the citizens of San Jose, Silicon Valley, and the world. · Rather than taking money from the general fund, activations at Plaza de Cesar Chavez will contribute to the general fund by generating economic activity at and near the park. · Breeze of Innovation and related park improvements can be unique game changers for Plaza de Cesar Chavez and our downtown (different from private developments). · Park design will come from a collaborative master planning process that includes community stakeholders (e.g., Christmas in the Park, San Jose Jazz, Music in the Park, Pride, park neighbors, park users, etc.). · Specific design including all details for Plaza de Cesar Chavez has not yet been developed. All park details will be designed by top architects & designers and approved by park stakeholders and the city council. · The project will always follow best environmental practices and go through a full EIR/CEQA process. · DEI is integrated into all our work to create a spectacular urban space. · Breeze of Innovation symbolizes people coming together, working together, and standing together. · Great parks are economic engines and important for ALL citizens including the most disadvantaged. · San Jose is desperate for a grand iconic landmark and artistic statement that leads to physical beauty, increased economic activity, and community pride.

Your ongoing support is deeply appreciated,
Thank you,
Karen
Karen A. Cribbins-Kuklin

UCO/Lick Observatory
7281 Mount Hamilton Road
Mount Hamilton
CA 95140
17 April 2023
Honorable Mayor and City Council,
Agenda Item 7.2 Actions Related to the Urban Conﬂuence Silicon Valley Breeze of Innovation Project.

The University of California Observatories/Lick Observatory (UCO/Lick) The University of California Observatories/Lick Observatory (UCO/Lick), the world’s ﬁrst high altitude as- tronomical observatory, hosts 10 telescopes, plus multiple cutting-edge research and technology development instruments. The Observatory serves hundreds of faculty (including Nobel laureates) and students of the Uni- versity of California system, in addition to 35,000 visitors annually. Named in classic literature 1 and during the Apollo program 2, Lick Observatory leads the world, setting standards on astronomical matters and responsible lighting. New vistas on the universe and new worlds are routinely discovered from Santa Clara County. This could not have been achieved without the fruitful relationship between the Observatory and neighboring settle- ments — particularly with the City Fathers of San Jose, who wholeheartedly assured the observatory of their support even before the physical infrastructure of the observatory was inaugurated in 1888. The Mayor of San Jose was among James Lick’s 1875 board of trustees. Several City policies 3 enshrine protections for dark skies — some requiring referral to Lick Observatory. This cooperation is honored in the oﬃcial name of asteroid 6216: San Jose. Few cities share such an honor. UCO/Lick aspires to sustain the rapport and understanding between City and observatory that has endured since the 1870s.

The Impact of Light Pollution on UCO/Lick
Responsibly-installed lighting can beneﬁt communities. However, the growth of light pollution has always been of concern to Lick Observatory and residents in its hinterland. Today, these concerns are heightened: In 1989, of 17 major (exclusively US-based) observatories, Lick was ranked among the top 3 most heavily light-polluted astronomical sites4. By 2022, in a list of 23 major observatories worldwide, Lick was cited as the most aﬀected astronomical site5 in the visible regime. An acceleration of light pollution of between 49% and 270% has been reported over the past 25 years. In speciﬁc areas (e.g. rapidly developing conurbations in the industrialized world, like San Jose) this ﬁgure could be as high as 400% 6. Naturally, from a purely astronomical perspective, it would be best to have no additional light sources. The consequences of light pollution are recognized to have ramiﬁcations beyond the interests of the astronomical community. 1H. G. Wells (1897) The War of the Worlds.
2NASA Apollo 11 (20 July 1969) CAPCOM to Tranquility Base: ‘The Lick Observatory in California reports a return on the laser experiment’.
3For example, policy numbers 6-4, 4-2 and 4-3.
4Garstang et al. (1989) The status and prospects for ground-based observatory sites in Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Paciﬁc, 101, 306.
5Green et al. (2022) The growing threat of light pollution to ground-based observatories in The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review, 30, 1.
6Sanchez de Miguel et al. (2021) First estimation of global trends in nocturnal power emissions reveal acceleration of light pollution in Remote Sensing, 13 (16), 3311.

The Impact of Light Pollution on Human Health and Environment A multitude of peer-reviewed scientiﬁc studies, published throughout the last 30-plus years have identiﬁed links between light pollution, the circadian disruption it provokes and consequences on human health, including (but not limited to) behavioral changes, sleep disorders (arguably, the most prevalent health concern in the industrialized world), diabetes, depression, heart disease, MCI 7 and cancers — including, cancers of the lung, colon and rectum and, most securely, multiple causal connections between light pollution and hormonally- induced cancers of the breast and prostate. Public health reserchers and agencies implore policy makers: take eﬀective measures to curb the surging light pollution at night 8; immediate measures should be taken to reduce artiﬁcial light at night 9; curb the wide scale introduction of short wavelength illumination 10.

In 2011, the World Health Organization’s, WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC 11 listed circadian disruption as a ‘probable human carcinogen’ 12. In 2020, IARC restated that circadian disruption was ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’ — on this occasion, specifying cancers of the breast, prostate, colon and rectum. In 2009, the American Medical Association, AMA declared its unanimous support for light pollution control eﬀorts. Similarly, advocacy groups such as breastcancer.org and The Sleep Foundation appeal for controls on light pollution.

Other contributors will undoubtedly highlight the impacts of light pollution on fauna, ﬂora, habits and habitats (which have also been known of for 30-plus years). For example, in 1981, the German journal Gartenamt reported that 4 per cent of oak deaths in one American city happened because the trees were subjected to light every night 13.

Light Pollution is a Regional Scourge
Hence, it is incumbent upon authorities to be aware of the impact of light pollution — a phenomenon which is a regional scourge, since its eﬀects trespass beyond the immediate vicinity of lighting installations. For example, Duriscoe et al., (2018) 14 quantify the eﬀects of metropolitan light impacting astronomical sites up to 200–300 km away.

Breeze of Innovation
The most comprehensive documentation describing the lighting philosophies of the Breeze of Innovation proposal are ‘Lighting Guidelines for Arena Green Project’ (Orter, 8 April 2019) and ‘Arena Green Lighting Report’ (BOLD, 8 April 2019). In early May 2021, UCO/Lick reviewed the content of these documents, alongside the Breeze of Innovation Phase 2 Live Presentation 15.

From an astronomical perspective, the lighting report is rather deﬁcient, perfunctory and in at least one important respect failed the community:
‘...the site survey was conducted between the hours of 11pm and 1am on February 14th, 2019 on an overcast, rainy night...’
7Mild Cognitive Impairment: a transitional phase between normal aging and dementia. 8Chen et al. (2022) Long-term exposure to outdoor light at night and mild cognitive impairment: A nationwide study in Chinese veterans in Science of the Total Environment, 847, 157441. 9Al-Nagger & Anil (2016) Artiﬁcial Light at Night and Cancer: Global Study in Asian Paciﬁc Journal of Cancer Prevention, 17 (10), 4661.
10Haim & Portnov (2013) Light Pollution as a New Risk Factor for Human Breast and Prostate Cancers . 11The specialized cancer agency of the WHO.
12Bogard, P. (2013) in The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artiﬁcial Light . 13Wohlleben, P. (2016) in The Hidden Life of Trees.
14Duriscoe et al. (2018), A simpliﬁed model of all-sky artiﬁcial sky glow derived from VIIRS day/night band data in Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, 214, 133. 15https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOiRgI2ByoI
Thus, no attention appears to have been paid to the impact of the site on surrounding areas beyond the immediate vicinity of the installation. It seems that no eﬀort was made to gain perspective on the proposed site from any other external location or elevation. No eﬀort was made to assess the impact on the environment under the (typically more common) meteorologically favorable conditions, when the impacts of any lighted structure would obviously propagate and compound, becoming visible for many miles from the surrounding areas — especially elevated locations both eastward and westward of downtown San Jose.

Despite the rather cursory lighting report and guidelines (which only consider the environmental impact of artiﬁcial light at night on riparian habitat and exclude other factors such as human health or additive contributions to overall light pollution and its impact on astronomical pursuits), there is some comfort to be found in the lighting recommendations, including the following statements:
• ‘...avoid using any steady sources of light that project upwards...’ • ...steady sources of light should be kept at the lowest possible level...’ • ‘...lights on the structure should be [...] shielded completely from casting any light up into the sky [...] to minimize the project’s contribution to general skyglow...’ • ‘...use as little full-spectrum white light or long wavelength red light as possible...’ • ‘...incorporate time-clock controls...’
• ‘...shutting oﬀ any lights not necessary for life-safety after a certain time of night, like midnight...’ All of the above seem to conﬂict with (2021 vintage) videos promoting Breeze of Innovation, which appear to depict indiscriminate upwardly-projecting, full-spectrum light emitters mounted atop 200-ft poles. Nowhere in these videos can one discern that any shielding has been incorporated into the design. Presumably, some artistic license is to be allowed in those productions. Regardless of the appearences in promotional videos, the Phase 2 Live Presentation served to allay concerns by stating [01:03:53]:
• ‘...all lighting is aimed downwards...’
Once again, while it would be best to have no additional light sources, given the above written and stated commitments by the Urban Conﬂuence/Breeze of Innovation team, UCO/Lick raised no objection to the Arena Green project. Provided the project continues to adhere to all of the above-mentioned assurances, the proposed relocation of the of the project to Plaza de C´ esar Ch´ avez, while concerning, is no cause for UCO/Lick to object outright.

The University of California Observatories/Lick Observatory shall continue to monitor the development of the project and shall remian available to advise on these matters, while continuing to foster the fruitful relationship between City and Observatory that has persisted for well over a century.

Yours faithfully,
Dr Paul D. Lynam FRAS
Astronomer
UCO/Lick Observatory

Dec. 8, 2022

Dear Neighborhood Services and Education Committee,

Christmas in the Park has followed the Breeze of Innovation project since the San José Light Tower Corporation gave it life. We have a tremendous amount of respect for Steve and the gift he wants to bring to the City of San José. We recognize and appreciate Steve’s willingness to work with stakeholders like us on this landmark project.

We have great concerns about the proposed location, Plaza de Cesar Chavez.

• We question the feasibility of building a world class landmark on a 2.5-acre park. • We question whether such a project allows Christmas in the Park to thrive much less survive.

We want to work with Steve and the City of San José to make Plaza de Cesar Chavez and Downtown San José the best it can be. As you consider his proposal, please remember what Christmas in the Park has given the families of San José for the last 42 years.

Christmas in the Park is a beloved city tradition. It is also the largest holiday event on the west coast.

Our free, forty-day event:

• Attracts nearly 800,000 visitors per year
• Includes 43 displays, 550 decorated trees and many local small business vendors • Is responsible for an estimated $20 million in economic impact to downtown San José

Every year we must choose which displays stay at our workshop because we don’t have room for all of them at the park. Every year more vendors want to participate in our event. And every year we see more of our community enjoying Christmas in the Park. The Breeze of Innovation project is exciting and will certainly attract visitors. Our concern is the capacity of the 2.5-acre Plaza.

Christmas in the Park Matters
Christmas in the Park is a proud temporary tenant of Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Our NPO with an all- volunteer board of directors manages a $2 million budget to produce Christmas in the Park in the Plaza.

Tradition
We offer a free holiday experience to San José that has been a community tradition for more than 40 years. Regardless of job title or income, everyone who visits our Park can feel the magic of the holidays and make long lasting memories.

Tree Lighting Ceremony
Our opening night Tree Lighting Ceremony kicks off the holiday season in San José with the lighting of our 50-foot tree. Local dignitaries, entertainment and Santa make it a fun evening for all.

Jingle Bell Stage
More than 100 performances each year showcase the cultures of the community. City council members program a night on the stage to highlight groups in their district.

This year we were proud to honor the Vietnamese community with an evening of special programming including dance, music and fashion. We’re working closely with our Latino community, and others, to do the same in the future.

Enchanted Forest
Our Enchanted Forest is a yearly tradition for schools, scouts, community groups, and San José businesses. A Forest of more than 550 decorated trees allows our community to display their holiday spirit and customs. Many of the handmade decorations are projects people look forward to each November.

Free Santa Visits
Visits with mall Santas are a financial strain on many budgets. Our Santa House provides visits with the Big Guy free of charge. Photos taken with our guests’ phones/cameras are cherished keepsakes. This year, we have several Spanish speaking Santas to better serve our community.

We are busy in our workshop throughout the year and appreciate the support of the community:

Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Work Program
The Work Program is vital to our Park. The participants bring a variety of skills to Christmas in the Park and have a chance to be part of a San José tradition. They often visit our Park during the holidays to show their families the projects they worked on.

Volunteers
We offer yearlong community service opportunities for students to earn their hours. In addition, companies use our Workshop for team building, helping us get projects completed.

We are for the community. By the community. And we look forward to continuing to serve our community.

Thank you.

Christmas in the Park Board of Directors

CITP is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization and is funded through sponsorships, donations and fundraising events, as well as through grants and in-kind donations. Tax ID # 77-0046955

Mail: 171 Branham Ln. Ste. 10-234 San José, CA 95136
(408) 271-XMAS • FAX (408) 516-9792
Some people who received this message don't often get email from . Learn why this is important [External Email]
FW: Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2
City Clerk <[email protected]>
Tue 4/18/2023 10:39 AM
To:Agendadesk <[email protected]>

From: Mark McKenna >
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2023 10:16 AM
To: The Oﬃce of Mayor Ma Mahan <[email protected]>; District1 <[email protected]>; District2 <[email protected]>; District3 <[email protected]>; District4 <[email protected]>; District5 <[email protected]>; District 6 <[email protected]>; District7 <[email protected]>; District8 <[email protected]>; District9 <[email protected]>; District 10 <[email protected]> Cc: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Important 4/18 City Council Vote on Item 7.2

Dear Mayor and City Council:

I know this is a form letter, and no doubt you will receive dozens, scores, maybe even hundreds of this same email.

Easy, I suppose, to ignore. Therefore I’m taking a moment to add a person touch to let you know that there’s a real person typing these words and expressing these views. I firmly believe that San Jose is a great city. However, it suffers somewhat like Oakland, where I’ve also lived, from the sense that “there’s no there there”. I believe city leaders share this concern. I’m optimistic that the development of BART, continued investments in public transit and bike lanes, the construction of Google village, and hopefully, one day, the building of a high-speed rail line to Diridon station will all contribute to changing that unfortunate situation. The proposal for the Breeze of Innovation sculpture is part of that process and I urge to offer your support.

Now for the form letter:

In cooperation with many other community stakeholders, their long-term vision is to build Breeze of Innovation,

This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. elements that finally properly honor Cesar Chavez, and improved performing arts infrastructure at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. As a community, we hope to transform the park into a world-class urban public space.

Breeze of Innovation will be privately funded, and no city funds will be used to build, operate, or maintain the project.

It will be a GIFT to the citizens of San Jose and ultimately add money to the city’s general fund by increasing economic activity in downtown San Jose.

Your ongoing support is deeply appreciated,
Thank you,

Mark McKenna

San Jose City CouncilApril 18, 2023

San Jose City Council
April 18, 2023