Three of the candidates—Rich De La Rosa, Nancy Pyle and Ron Siporen—met earlier this month before the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group, where they were faced with questions pertaining to their views on citywide policies.

The most recent meeting found all four candidates—including William Garbett, who did not attend the first forum—responding to issues directly related to Almaden Valley and Blossom Valley, such as the hotly contested sports complex, new housing developments and lifting a ban on the sale of alcohol at gas stations.

The question-and-answer forum hosted by the Almaden Valley Community Association, considered to be the most powerful public voice for Almaden Valley, welcomed about 100 people, including the current representative for the district, Vice Mayor Pat Dando, and her husband Bob.

Dando has thrown her support behind the McKean Road sports complex, which is undergoing a second environmental impact report. The proposed complex, which would include multiple athletic fields for youth soccer, baseball and softball, is situated in an unincorporated area of the county, just outside District 10's boundary. The land is owned by San Jose Unified School District and was intended to be used for a new school once the Coyote Valley was developed, but the school district has agreed to lease the land to the city on an interim basis for the fields.

The city's General Plan requires the school district to build a new school only after specific development goals for the area, such as specified increase s in jobs and housing, are met .

Opponents to the complex say building the fields would violate 20 separate points of the General Plan, including points regarding traffic volume and safety, water resources and septic lines. Opponents also say they don't believe that the project will be interim; they believe it will be permanent.

Both Siporen and De La Rosa said they strongly support the fields, while Garbett spoke in favor of having a different location where more than one game can be played at a time, offering solutions to light and noise complaints. Pyle stated she would prefer renovating and resurfacing existing school fields.

"I strongly support the fields, not because my son plays soccer and baseball, but because if we consolidate the fields, it will be a place where people can get to know their neighbors and where people can get to know the kids in the neighborhood better," Siporen said.

Pyle pointed out the violations to the General Plan and voiced her concern for the increase in traffic on narrow McKean Road.

"I would prefer to see the existing fields at the school facilities corrected—fixed immediately so that these fields can be available now," Pyle said.

De La Rosa, who has been a field coordinator for youth soccer, said he understood and agreed there are many issues that need to be mitigated.

"I keep hearing reasons why we can't do this field. I think we need to find ways we can do it," he said.

Candidates also discussed the issue of removing the ban on alcohol sales at gas stations. The city council is planning a public hearing on the issue, tentatively slated for Feb. 17. For Almaden residents, the controversy hit home with the story of Hank Rullhausen, the owner of the Chevron at the corner of Almaden Expressway and Redmond Avenue.

Rullhausen has been told by Chevron that if the city lifts the ban on alcohol and food sales, he will have to replace his service bays with a convenience store. His station and repair shop has been serving Almaden Valley since 1985.

Garbett suggested that the city should stick to the policies in place. "We need access, not excess," he said.

De La Rosa expressed concern for losing the repair shop facilities and agreed with Siporen about the significance of combining alcohol and gasoline sales.

"I think it sends the wrong message," Siporen said. "I don't know anybody who is demanding that service stations also sell alcohol."

Services for the senior population, traffic, budgets, overspending, and small business issues rounded out the evening's topics, and those who were there said they were glad for the opportunity to hear the candidates speak.

"This gave us a chance to see the various personalities and their different styles," said Almaden resident George Stone, who said he thought Garbett had some particularly creative solutions to issues.

"William Garbett had good, thoughtful things to say," added Sandra Winkler. "I like hearing specifics."

Stone and his friend Dave Crowley said they were interested to learn where the candidates stood on housing and zoning issues and were curious if the contenders would allow higher-density housing in their neighborhoods.

Both Stone and Crowley agreed that it was still too early in the March 2 race to make up their minds on who they would vote for, but both said they liked different things about each candidate.