11/1/2022 Iter #IS
From: Phil Kliza <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 1, 2022 3:23 PM
To: Mayor and Council <[email protected]> Cc: Civic Center Neighbors < [email protected]>; [email protected] Subject: 1601 Civic Center Drive Park proposal
I have attempted several times to post my comments without any success. I reduced the number of characters to less than 500, however I get the error message. Your tool tells me I have 493 characters, however, it still complains. Your site also acknowledged that I logged in correctly.
Please include my vote in support of the Park at 1601 Civic Center Drive and my comments below.
Thanks,
Phil
The CC Drive population density has increased without any commensurate increase in Parks. I strongly support installing a Park in this specific location.
Below is an excerpt from an American Society of Planning Officials document which highlights the importance of Parks.
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PLANNING OFFICIALS
A number of factors contribute to the making of slums and blighted areas. Whether the condition of the dwelling structure or the condition of its physical surroundings is the most significant in slum-building is difficult to determine. Certainly, environmental conditions are near the top of the list. One characteristic of the slum in many cities is its inadequate park and playground space, and one lesson that the slum has taught us is that once subdivision and development have taken place, it is virtually impossible for the city to provide that open space without either demolishing buildings or completely redeveloping the area.
Now is the time for the City of Santa Clara to act on the behalf of the Civic Center neighbors.
POST MEETING MATERIAL
11|1/2022 Item #15
From: Alex Ikeda Salzmann <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, November 1, 2022 10:30 PM
To: Mayor and Council <[email protected]> Subject: Thank You For The Thoughtful Discussion on 1601 Civic Center Dear Mayor and Council:
I want to thank you for a thoughtful discussion on a park in place of 1601 Civic Center. I am the board president at Boulevard HOA. As an educator and as the recipient of help from the City of Santa Clara through their BMR housing program for moderate income earners, I was uncomfortable speaking too much in opposition to an affordable housing project. NIMBYs never think it's a good idea to build in their neighborhood and if there is one thing I don't want to be as someone who was helped by the city in the past: I don't want to be a hypocrite, which is what I'd be if I became a NIMBY.
I am for affordable housing, but I am also for cities establishing standards and ensuring that all districts within their borders meet those standards. Our city block is up and coming. That is real estate speak for blighted, loud, crowded, and with limited amenities. Thank you for acknowledging this truth tonight.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but the council members I agreed with most were Park and Becker. I am not super excited about the park that my neighbors were asking for, because I fear it would attract more homeless as Councilmember Becker suggested. I also agree with Councilmember Park, that simply saying that an area has abundant green space, when that green space is a hodge podge without clearly designed and aligned uses is silly at best and dishonest at worst. The blacktop and field at Scott Lane are really substandard. Also, school grounds are closed during the day to seniors and families with very small children.
The Rotary Park that councilmember Hardy cited as close to 1601 CC is a disgrace. I am 50 years old and the equipment that is there now is from my childhood. It's an embarrassment to our city to have a playground in that condition with splintering wood, metal rocking toys that shouldn't be legal anymore, and metal slides. The parking lot behind the Triton always has trash and broken glass.
The City Hall grounds across the street attract the homeless after business hours. It smells like pee and marijuana. I know because we used to try and play hide and seek there when our daughter was younger, because the grounds are lovely. Council member Park said Civic Center Park isn't a place he'd take his daughter to play, but it
POST MEETING MATERIAL
really is the only place in walking distance we could take our daughter when she was little. I wish we had somewhere else to go.
I liked Council Member Watanabe and the Mayor's commitment to come up with a resolution that will serve everyone: a win-win. Senior housing, a mixed use facility (market price retail with BMR housing), a community center, senior housing, or simply a different developer all sound better than 100 units of housing in an already congested area. Thank you for working together, in an election year no less and thank you for having mercy on our up-and-coming block of Santa Clara. Thank you for committing to considering amenities when you approve a project at 1601 Civic Center. It's not just about about building more housing, it's about making this place a nice place to live. I feel like we are on the edge of nice now, but we're not quite there yet. Please help us get there.
Alex Salzmann
Boulevard HOA