The April 21 community meeting brought approximately 65 residents together with Albertson's project development manager—the Asset Management Group in San Diego—the architects and members of the San Jose Planning Department. The meeting was set to provide project details and hear residents' concerns before the application for a conditional-use permit to operate 24 hours a day goes to the planning commission, tentatively scheduled to happen in June.

The Albertson's corporation wants to demolish the existing 23,237-square-foot building and rebuild a 32,196-square-foot store, a plan that will require leasing the two adjacent shops.

Asset Management Group Vice President Ted Peterson said one shop is currently vacant, but the other, The Medicine Shoppe, which has been part of the shopping center for more than 20 years, will be part of a lease negotiation enabling Albertson's to add the extra 8,900 square feet to its store. The current tenant pharmacist, Richard Kitajima, said he is on a month-to-month lease.

"I'm sure to be out of here," said Kitajima, adding that he is still waiting to hear when he needs to vacate.

Aside from the expansion issue, community members were primarily concerned with the proposal to keep the store open round the clock.

"I don't feel there is a need for a 24-hour store smack in a residential area where people want to sleep," said Maureen Burkley, who lives in a townhome on the west side of the center.

Beyond Homes real estate broker Joanne Conca, whose office is next to Albertson's on Minnesota Avenue, said the area already has problems with loitering vagrants and added that she thought the late-night sale of alcohol would compound the problem.

And Jansen Avenue resident John Miller said he did not want a 24- hour store because he already has to chase off the homeless, who leave their beer bottles on his lawn and use his yard as a bathroom.

"A 24-hour store is not servicing this community and would be bringing in non-area residents during the night," said Matt Hall, who is a Willow Glen Neighborhood Association board member.

And delivery hours, a sound wall and proposed landscaping were also issues raised by the residents.

Those living by the shopping center wanted Albertson's representatives to assert that the delivery hours would not break the city's midnight to 6 a.m. curfew ordinance.

Architect Ric Craig told the group that the delivery area would include locked gates, which would be on timers after the curfew.

Willow Glen resident Andrea Wheeler told Albertson's representatives that she was concerned about an increase in customer shopping once the store was rebuilt and wanted to make sure that the lot was properly configured, because maneuvering through the center is difficult.

"I can't see getting more cars in there," Wheeler said.

Craig said the project's proposed design adds five more parking spaces.

Burkley added that she is also concerned about noise during construction and delivery because she works at home. She wanted to know if a sound wall and landscaping could be implemented to block the noise for residents who live along the store's western border.

There is a 6- to 8-foot-tall sound wall planned for the loading area behind Buchser Way, Craig said. And unlike the current loading area, which is outside, the new store will have a door for delivery trucks to back into so merchandise can be unloaded into the building, which should reduce the overall noise coming from the store. The trash compactor will also be located indoors; currently it is outside.

But even if the new store is not built, the overriding message to Albertson's representatives was a desire for fresher products and improved customer service.

Jansen Avenue resident Anne McDonough said she only goes to the grocery store for emergency shopping trips. She added that no one she knows shops there regularly because "it's dirty and the produce is unspeakable."

"We've had promises of a high-end Albertson's," she said. "There is such an untapped market in Willow Glen. People would die to go this store. This community matters to me, and this store matters to me."

Daniel Tell, who lives on Minnesota Avenue, said that he and his wife wouldn't shop there because the produce is not always stocked and sometimes only one checkout lane is available.

Heather Tell told Albertson's representative Kent Heasley that if the store's services aren't improved, enlarging the facility doesn't make sense.

"We don't like its image," said Heasley, adding that the corporation has been wanting to upgrade the store for a long time, but is still studying whether to make the store a high-end model.

Heasley said if the new Albertson's were constructed, it would have pharmacy, bakery, deli, fish and meat departments. It could also have a Starbucks.

"They're a great company and want to take the opportunity to enhance a frustrated store and make it a marquee store."