2/3/25, 5:08 PM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
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FW: council 2-4-25, item 7.1, file #: 25-086, please postpone.
From City Clerk < [email protected]>
Date Mon 2/3/2025 7:47 AM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
From: Steve Cohen <
Sent: Sunday, February 2, 2025 10:02 PM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>; The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan <[email protected]> Cc: Matthew Quevedo
Subject: council 2-4-25, item 7.1, file #: 25-086, please postpone. [External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn morel I am sending the comments to you because D3 has not permanent council person and the e-mail for the appointed person has not been set-up. They also need time to review the proposal and impacts on D3.
My concerns and why I request this item is postponed.
There is no permanent council person and Carl Salas has not established a functioning office or an e-mail. This there is no way anyone who has thoughts on theis project can get proper representation.
Steve Cohen
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. https://outlook.office365.com/mail/[email protected]/inbox/id/AAQkADUxOWI4ZjE3LTRkNDEtNGUzMS04MjAwLTIzNzdiYTdkMjc5NAAQA…. 1/1 Outlook
FW: council 2-4-25, item 7.1, file #: 25-086, opposition From City Clerk <[email protected]>
Date Tue 2/4/2025 7:38 AM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
From: Steve Cohen
Sent: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 4:32 AM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: council 2-4-25, item 7.1, file #: 25-086, opposition [External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn more] Parking, Trash, Vandalism: There is limited parking available and the free parking is in the adjoining neighborhoods.
There will be spillover and the neigborhood will have to deal with the noise, trash and vandalism. History repeats itself and I lived through decades of Music in the Park when it was free and that is exactly what happened. Also from the large club venues when they were on S 1st and I am on S 3rd.....a nightmare for those of us that live downtown.
Noise: The immediate area along St. James Park and the surrounding neighborhoods will have to deal with the noise from the venue nd the people coming and going to their cars parked in the neighborhood including long after the event ends and they just hang out. Again, history repeats itself.
Lower Rents and Property Values: Living in the vacinity of a music or entertainment venue is bad enough. An ope venue where all the above issues exist is worse and the last choice for owners and renters.
Previous events were infrequent and low key. We have no issue with that but now you want to put a large permanent venue in the middle of the Horace Mann neighborhood, a venue any other neighborhood would strongly oppose. Since it's a primarily middle class hispanic neighborhood I guess it's OK? Not to mention te $70 million + city deficit we are now facing. How many cops could we hire with the money being allocated forthis event space.
Steve
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FW: SUPPORT Levitt Pavilion
From City Clerk ‹ [email protected]>
Date Tue 2/4/2025 9:28 AM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
From: Seth Miller
Sent: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 9:21 AM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: SUPPORT Levitt Pavilion
[External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn morel You don't often get email from -carn why this is important Dear Council,
As a local neighbor living near the university in Naglee Park, I am thrilled at the possibility of a permanent stage being built in St James Park. We visit the park for the free shows, purchase refreshments and make donations to keep the music flowing.
I'd love for more people to know about these wonderful events and I would love to have a more permanent home for music in this park. This is the perfect location as downtown really needs more energy and more reasons for people to visit. Each time I've been to St James Park when there is a music concert, you get a bunch of new visitors that wouldn't usually engage in that space, which improves the entire park's feel of it being a space that is safe for everyone to enjoy.
More people in this space, activating this space should be a top priority and this project is absolutely perfect to achieve more visitors to downtown.
Seth Miller
D3 Naglee Park
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FW: Levitt Pavilion - YES we need art to activate our city From City Clerk < [email protected]>
Date Tue 2/4/2025 9:29 AM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
From: Grace Pugh <
Sent: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 9:27 AM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Levitt Pavilion - YES we need art to activate our city [External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn morel You don't often get email from Learn why this is important To whom it concerns,
I am a local resident who has greatly enjoyed the concert events at St James Park. I highly support spending my tax dollars for the creation of a permanent stage in the park. It is always challenging to overcome inertia and perception when building up the critical mass for any new art or concert series, but I have seen great improvements already in both the crowd sizes and the activation of the park since | started attending these events.
I believe that we must continue to invest in the arts in public spaces - like the Levitt Pavilion to help build the sense of community and make our city the world-class place that it deserves to be.
Grace Pugh
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FW: Item 7.1 - St. James Park
From City Clerk <[email protected]>
Date Tue 2/4/2025 9:31 AM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
From: Fred Buzo <
Sent: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 9:30 AM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Item 7.1 - St. James Park
[External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn morel You don't often get email from carn why this is important Mayor & Councilmembers,
Given the absence of a councilmember for District 3 until just last week, this item should have been deferred. Assuming it is not deferred, then here are my comments.
In 2022, I had the privilege of hosting two parks experts in San Jose-Carol Colletta and Alexa Bush-both familiar with San Jose and St. James Park. After a presentation on the park's future and a self-guided tour of the park itself, I asked for their thoughts on the city's plan to invest significantly in the park, starting with a Levitt Pavilion.
Here is a summary of their response:
• Proceed with caution on St. James Park.
• Without a clear strategy for the adjacent private properties, this investment risks being diluted, entrenching current landowners, or leading to increased speculation. • The park's location presents ongoing challenges.
• Without active edges and consistent foot traffic from surrounding uses, issues like encampments, litter, and other difficult-to-manage behaviors will persist.
• Additionally, the significant capital investment required for redevelopment comes with a major opportunity cost, given the many pressing needs across San José's park system. • The ongoing maintenance and programming necessary to keep St. James Park vibrant would be a long-term financial drain unless there is a sustainable funding model in place.
Another key concern they expressed is the proposed event stage. • Is this park intended to be a regional event destination, attracting visitors from outside downtown? Or is it meant to serve as an everyday public space for the growing downtown residential community? • If the financial sustainability of the park is tied to large-scale events, then that priority will inevitably take precedence over the needs of local residents.
They encouraged me to advocate for directing public funds toward parks that directly benefit residents, support surrounding neighborhood uses —particularly housing-and align with a broader equity strategy. Park system investments should be guided by clear, long-term goals, ensuring sustained public support for additional resources across the city.
Perhaps St. James Park is a stronger candidate for this level of investment once the Parks Department's revenues are more stable. Public space investment should be intentional, leveraging limited public funds to attract private dollars strategically. As someone who deeply values parks — not just development-I want to see spaces that are successful, well- loved, and sustainably funded across our entire park system. Thank you.
Fred Buzo
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FW: 7.1 Levitt Pavillion
From City Clerk <[email protected]>
Date Tue 2/4/2025 9:58 AM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
From: Tim Gill <
Sent: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 9:55 AM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: 7.1 Levitt Pavillion
[External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn more] You don't often get email from Learn why this is important Dear City Clerk:
I am in favor of the City Council voting in favor of the Levitt Pavilion.
Thank you,
Tim Gill
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FW: Item 7.1 - Support for Levitt Pavilion and St James Park Improvements From City Clerk < [email protected]>
Date Tue 2/4/2025 10:44 AM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
From: Jeffrey Hare
Sent: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 10:40 AM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Item 7.1 - Support for Levitt Pavilion and St James Park Improvements [External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn morel You don't often get email from Learn why this is important As a resident of Downtown San Jose for almost four decades, and as a business owner who pays annual PBID fees for maintenance and other services in our Downtown area, and as a member of the Downtown Development Committee of the Rotary Club of San Jose, I am very well aware of the history, the current condition, and the circumstances surrounding St James Park. This situation screams for decisive and meaningful action, but it is daunting to think that total costs will run into the tens of millions of dollars. Yet, the in-lieu development fees were collected for this purpose, and the residents and business owners deserve nothing less than a clean, safe and vibrant public space.
Daniell Burnham famously declared: "make no little plans, for they fail to stir the hearts of men," in relation to his Plan of Chicago (1909). But we must approach with a healthy dose of skepticism, and incorporate meaningful standards for accountability and performance, lest we end up with unfulfilled promises, blighted and unfinished structures, not the least of which sits just to the north of this site. I support the effort to finally launch the Levitt Pavilion project, but at the same time urge the City to take due consideration in the contract to do all that is reasonably possible to secure a successful outcome.
Respectfully,
Jeffrey Hare
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FW: Agenda 2/4/25 Item 7.1 Levitt Pavilion St James Park From City Clerk < [email protected]>
Date Tue 2/4/2025 10:46 AM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
From: Jose Posadas
Sent: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 10:46 AM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Agenda 2/4/25 Item 7.1 Levitt Pavilion St James Park [External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn morel RE: Tri-Party Agreement with the Friends of Levitt Pavilion San José and the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation for the St.
James Levitt Pavilion
Dear Mayor and City Council
Our city parks are designed with the intention of bringing people together. They are a place for families, for enjoyment by both residents and visitors to our city, they are places of celebration, they foster a sense of community through sports, recreation, entertainment, food and music.
Parks lend themselves to being places where art can flourish and help the city to promote itself as a destination to travelers which in turn promotes economic activity for local businesses.
I am supportive of the plans to move forward with creating the means to revitalize our historic park by partnering with the Levitt Foundation and Friends of Levitt Pavilion. Art can transform a community and music concerts at St James Park can be beneficial to our city as a revenue generator.
Plan for our future and invest in art in my city.
Thank you
Jose Posadas
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FW: citizen input re: Levitt Pavilion proposal
From City Clerk < [email protected]>
Date Tue 2/4/2025 11:46 AM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
From: Doug King <
Sent: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 11:35 AM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: citizen input re: Levitt Pavilion proposal
[External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn morel You don't often get email from Learn why this is important Hello,
My name is Doug King and I live on in San Jose. I've been a homeowner in San Jose for 12 years. I just wanted to express my enthusiastic support for the Levitt Pavilion proposal that will be reviewed by City Council.
Any efforts to make downtown San Jose more attractive should be pursued - especially in a place like St. James Park, which is otherwise not much of an attraction for residents. Bringing concert-goers will stimulate the economy but also make the city more interesting and lively. Getting people to want to live downtown is precursor for getting businesses to have offices and retail downtown.
My family (including my young son) has attended a number of concerts in St. James Park over the years and we'd love to see more.
Thanks!
Doug King
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FW: Please vote FOR LEVITT PAVILION!
From City Clerk < [email protected]>
Date Tue 2/4/2025 4:57 PM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
From: Mark Schroeder
Sent: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 4:50 PM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Please vote FOR LEVITT PAVILION!
[External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn more] You don't often get email from Learn why this is important Hi City Clerk,
Please inform City Counsel of my wish that the City of San Jose should SUPPORT the LEVITT PAVILION project.
Thank you,
Mark Schroeder
San Jose CA 95112
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