From: Michael Stockwell
To: Rebecca Bustos
Subject: Re: Santa Clara Station Area Task Force - Supplemental Application Questions Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2023 7:49:12 PM
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you for the opportunity to respond.
1, Please tell us in a few sentences why are you interested in being a Task Force member? As the Chairman of the Board for the South Bay Historical Railroad Society, I am interested in being on this Task Force to help maintain and preserve the historical integrity of the Santa Clara Station Area.
2, What knowledge or experience do you have that would contribute to this task force? The South Bay Historical Railroad Society is responsible for ensuring the protection of the depots listed on the National Register of Historic Places along the Caltrain line, this includes
the Santa Clara depot. SBHRS and its members have worked for over 30 years to preserve and protect the depot and the surrounding area. I have been on the board of directors for 15 years and the Chairman of the Board for the past 2 years and
have an understanding of the
responsibilities and challenges of working within the historic preservation community.
SBHRS reviews and approves a multitude of tasks that different agencies wish to do. These can be as small as placing a sign in one of the depots or repairing or replacing a roof and painting the structure, to being involved in very large projects, such as the electrification of the railroad line and the platform separation and construction of the underground tunnel that was completed in 2012.
3, In your opinion, what would be a successful outcome of this task force? A vibrant and functional transit hub which preserves and represents the historical fabric that makes the City of Santa Clara a rich part of California history. 4, Please tell us in a few sentences why you should be selected to be a member of this Task Force?
Due to Depot being on the National Registry of Historical Places, and the South Bay Historical Railroad Society being the overseer of the building and surrounding area, I believe I should be selected to the Task Force to assist in a new vision that addresses the current and future needs of commuters at the same time preserves and maintains the history of the area.
This is best done during the planning phases.
Thank you,
Michael Stockwell
Chairman
South Bay Historical Railroad Society
On Tue, Jan 31, 2023 at 4:25 PM Rebecca Bustos <[email protected]> wrote:
Hi Michael,
1. Please tell us in a few sentences
why are you interested in being a
Task Force member? *
2. What knowledge or experience do
you have that would contribute to
this task force? *
3. In your opinion, what would be a
successful outcome of this task
force? *
As a ong t me South Bay Area res dent of mu t p e decades - as we as a seasoned sen or transportat on p anner - I have seen the area transform around growth as we as the mount ng cha enges to p an a tru y susta nab e transportat on - the four p ars of wh ch are and use, transportat on serv ces, econom c access b ty opportun t es, and greenhouse gas em ss ons. I was drawn to my transportat on career by my exper ences as a teenager n Brook yn NY, v ng n an con c transportat on-or ented res dent a deve opment and gett ng to schoo and work us ng buses and tra ns, my ab ty to conduct my da y act v t es ndependent y struck me ear y on as a v ta nk to my festy e and my ab ty to shape my percept ons around enterta nment art and cu ture. Th s k nd of exper ence s one I'd ke for teens to have n Santa C ara County and everywhere. I know your C ty rather we even though I ve n Centra San Jose as I often meet fr ends there soc a y, attend profess ona uncheons there, and I am a season-t cket ho der of two passes and enjoy those out ngs. I wou d be honored to have an opportun ty to prov de my perspect ves and
exper ences as a transportat on profess ona to creat ng the k nd of pub c asset that the C ty can be proud of for many years to come that current y es before the C ty of Santa C ara.
Add ng to my descr pt on n Quest on #1 about my profess ona and persona exper ences, I have an educat on background n c v eng neer ng and I've performed hundreds of transportat on stud es throughout Ca forn a; and a so n Montrea , the Greater C eve and Area, Metropo tan Phoen x, Co orado Spr ngs, and Tampa F or da to name a few. The stud es I ead for pub c agenc es are rooted very much around reg ona transportat on cha enges and meet ng the needs of c t es and the r res dents as we as the day t me work ng popu at on. I understand that a of these needs must be met and the p ann ng of the Santa C ara stat on area w be no except on. I a so thr ve n an atmosphere of engag ng wth others around urban p ann ng, the economy, and ast but not east the needs of d sadvantaged commun t es and econom ca y marg na zed popu at ons. The t m ng for th s opportun ty s a so s gn f cant for me: Over the ast year I ost both my parents, who were e der y but had not been at a suffer ng from ness or med ca ssues and n that sense the oss was sudden and abrupt. IT has g ven me a renewed sense of the mportance of mprov ng the ves of e der y peop e - they are marg na zed both soc a y and econom ca y and I see the younger generat ons d scount the va ue of e der y fo ks as we as a ower ncome nd v dua s. Our soc ety w dec ne f we can't turn around these trends - and an argument can be made that t a ready has.
P ann ng, pr or t z ng and engag ng are go ng to be among the ma n cornerstones of th s task force. The nd v dua s on th s task force w need to have qua t es such as empathy, sten ng, ab ty to be ana yt ca , and a very good sense of how to ba ance the object ve and the subject ve. There w be factua nformat on that w need to be mastered; but a so needed w be a h gh emot ona quot ent wthout po t ca d scourses to understand the mportant pub c po c es that w need to be vetted and crafted for the stat on area p an and the stat on area project at arge to equ tab y serve the needs of the commun ty. I be eve I have a of these qua t es and more.
2. What knowledge or experience do
you have that would contribute to
this task force? *
3. In your opinion, what would be a
successful outcome of this task
force? *
4. Please tell us in a few sentences
why you should be selected to be a
member of this Task Force? *
I am a ret red e ectr ca eng neer wth a background n geo og ca & c v eng neer ng. I have been v s t ng and exp or ng the area around the Santa C ara Trans t Hub/Tra n stat on, and the Hstor c Santa C ara Depot/Edward Peterman of Ra road Hstory s nce 2012. I watched the renovat on of the tra n stat on/trans t hub be comp eted n 2012. Back n 2012, I saw that th s corner of Santa C ara next to the tra n stat on & Un vers ty had amaz ng energy and potent a for a commun ty connect on. Because th s trans t hub had good energy & h stor c s gn f cance, I dec ded that the ra road museum wou d be a fun p ace to connect peop e through mus c, In 2012 I started a nonprof t str nged nstrument mus c jam open to the pub c at the h stor c depot. I asked the South Bay Hstor c Ra road Soc ety wh ch runs the Museum f they wou d sponsor the jam (2nd Saturdays, 12-3pm) and SBHRS agreed to do so. I am aware of the connect ons between the SBHRS and Ca tra n, and VTA, wth regards to ma nta n ng the Museum Depot & surround ng h stor c structures. I know econom ca y that the tra n ne that passes through the Santa C ara Trans t hub prov des nks up & down the pen nsu a to other c t es & passes near sports stad ums nc ud ng of course, the Santa C ara Un vers ty sports comp ex. It s a so c ose to the Norman Y. M neta, San Jose Internat ona A rport.
Any task force dea ng wth a trans t hub ke Santa C ara Stat on wou d want to be ab e to deve op a concept to d rect the var ous transportat on f ows n the most product ve and safe way. A successfu outcome wou d be to eff c ent y d rect movement of human be ngs through the area n a t me y fash on to meet the tra ns and at the same t me, avo d as many human nteract ons wth automob es, buses, tax s, etc. A rea y successfu outcome wou d make th s area a dest nat on by nc ud ng natura , nat ve hab tat, andscap ng, and p aces of resp te wth attract ve features, p us food &, enterta nment. Bu d ng park and pathways over tunne s over E Cam no Rea (see the Tunne s park nk ng Cr ssey F e d to the San Franc sco Pres d o), s one way safer & attract ve nks for pedestr an movement n th s area cou d be created.
Connect ng tunne s to a structure bu t above the Ca tra n park ng ot cou d ncorporate more park hab tat p us commun ty spaces.
Pop-up spaces for sma bus ness owners cou d be des gned nto the area. Th s area has potent a to not on y be prof tab e, but a re ax ng and fun p ace to v s t as a dest nat on. It a ready s a hea thy, fun, fam y-fr end y, dest nat on for fam es & ch dren who v s t the Tra n Museum at the Santa C ara Depot. The C ty of Santa C ara, Santa C ara Un vers ty, VTA, Ca tra n, the Norman Y.
M neta San Jose Internat ona A rport, the C ty of San Jose, and the var ous owners of Sports Stad ums nearby, cou d form a coa t on of nvestors to opt m ze th s area. The C ty of San Jose Goog e deve opment be bu t n downtown San Jose s nked by ra to th s ocat on- that means Goog e m ght a so be nterested n nvest ng n opt m z ng th s area as we .
I am a ret red e ectr ca eng neer ng wth c v & geo og ca eng neer ng background. I am very fam ar wth the ayout of the area covered by the SATF. I have many deas/suggest ons about how to opt m ze the des gn for th s ocat on for many users and types of transportat on that use th s trans t hub. I wou d be an enthus ast c, hardwork ng, and knowedgeab e add t on to the Santa C ara Stat on Area Task Force.