June 26, 2002
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
News
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By I-chun Che At its June 18 meeting, the San Jose City Council unanimously approved a rezoning proposal that permits the development of a townhouse complex in northern Willow Glen. The new development will be located on the Bird Avenue property that is currently the site of the Yellow Cab Company. The project's developer, Blackwell Brothers Construction Company, will build 16 three- and four-bedroom Spanish Eclectic-style attached units - nine three-story and seven two-story - on the 1.5-acre site near W. Virginia Street. Jerry Strangis, who represented the cab company's president, Larry Silva, as his real estate agent, said that they had expected the council to approve the project. "The approval was anticipated because we had won the support of neighbors and Councilman Ken Yeager," Strangis said. According to Strangis, the current buildings will be demolished by the end of the year, and the cab company will be relocated to a site on Seventh and Alma streets. When the proposal first became public, local residents were worried that the development wouldn't conform to the appearance of the rest of the neighborhood. They were also worried about increased traffic and parking congestion that might be created by the new residents. But those concerns have since been appeased. "There's no better solution to improve the site," said Northern Willow Glen Neighborhood Association Vice President Dan Erceg. "We don't have any personal problems with the Yellow Cab owners. It's just that the nature of the business is not comparable with the nature of the residential neighborhood." Erceg said that the association supports the project because the current site is a place for the company to store and work on the cabs. Neighbors have complained about the noise and litter created by the cab company. "I expect the new project can bring new home owners who care about the neighborhood and have more input in what's going on in the community," Erceg added. With the neighborhood's support, Blackwell also plans to acquire two commercial buildings at the southwest corner of Bird Avenue and W. Virginia Street that are not owned by Silva and not included in the sale. The company wants to incorporate the land into the residential development. The additional corner would accommodate five more units as well as an additional entrance off Bird Avenue. |
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