Outlook
Fw: Japantown's support for the Historic Preservation Ordinance Reform Memorandum, From Agendadesk <[email protected]>
Date Wed 11/19/2025 1:34 PM
To Rules and Open Government Committee Agendas <[email protected]> From: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2025 1:30 PM
To: Agendadesk <[email protected]>
Subject: FW: Japantown's support for the Historic Preservation Ordinance Reform Memorandum, From: Tamiko Rast
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2025 11:53 AM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Cc: Tordillos, Anthony <Anthony. [email protected]>; Cohen, David <[email protected]>; Foley, Pam <Pam. [email protected]>; Doan, Bien <[email protected]>; Kamei, Rosemary ‹Rosemary. [email protected]>; Candelas, Domingo <[email protected]>; Gvatua, Alexander <[email protected]>; Danino, Shawn <[email protected]> Subject: Japantown's support for the Historic Preservation Ordinance Reform Memorandum, [External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn more] Some people who received this message don't often get email from Learn why this is important Dear esteemed Councilmembers,
We would like to offer our firm support for the Historic Preservation Ordinance Reform memorandum.
Japantown is home to more than 100 properties on the Historic Resources List, yet the vast majority of residents and property owners are unaware of this designation. Although Japantown is not a formally recognized Historic District, its 135 years of contributions to the fabric of our city are well known and widely acknowledged.
This memorandum is an important first step in preventing the continued degradation of our community.
The processes to develop or rehabilitate our properties must be clearer, streamlined, and radically faster to implement. Jordan Trigg and his family paid too high a price for the City's inflexible framework for its historic properties, and we hope no other family in our community experiences this.
Future discussions must include the Japantown Business Association, Japantown Neighborhood Association, and Japanese American Museum of San Jose, in addition to the Japantown Community Congress, Preservation Action Council, and Developers Roundtable, to ensure our community can fully participate in shaping its own growth and future. We look forward to having a stronger voice in our own district.
We'd like to thank Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, Chief of Staff Alexander Gvatua, and Policy Director Shawn Danino for their thoughtful work on this memorandum, and to Mayor Mahan and Councilmembers Foley, Cohen, and Mulcahy for their support.
Regards,
Tamiko Rast
President, Japantown Business Association (JBA)
email:
JBA web: japantownsanjose.org
www.jtown.org
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