The San Jose City Council gave preliminary approval to the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association's 2005-06 budget, which includes a hefty hike in the downtown business district improvement fees.

The council unanimously approved the item at its June 6 meeting. The final public hearing and council vote will be held on June 28. The Willow Glen Business and Professional Association has been going through the city council budget approval process since it was founded in 1984. This year's budget, however, has been mired in controversy because of the association's plan to almost double fees. Numerous businesses are opposed to the hike in fees. This is the first proposed fee increase in 15 years.

The business association wants to boost its overall fee revenues from $55,000 to $110,000. The increase will fund additional member services, and beautification and promotional activities, such as cooperative advertising. The fees are mandatory for all business and property owners in downtown Willow Glen.

During the past months, business association board members have discussed the fee increase with business owners and held several public meetings. There have been varying opinions in the issue ranging from opposition to disinterest. At the public hearing on June 6 only one business opposed the increase. Robert Johnson of Spa R & R, 1345 Lincoln Ave. ,told the council he disagreed with the proposal and suggested that any increase should be gradual.

However, District 6 Councilman Ken Yeager supported the increase.

"The business association board is doing terrific work and has always done so on a shoestring," Yeager said. "This will give them more breathing room."

Books, DVDs and CDs
available at sale

Willow Glen Library has its annual summer book sale on June 18. The event is sponsored by Friends of the Willow Glen Library, with all proceeds benefiting the branch.

Adult and children's books, videos, DVDs and CDs will be sold from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The library is at 1157 Minnesota Ave.

For more information call 408.998.2022 or visit www.sjlibrary.org.

Red Cross collecting
DVDs for fathers

The American Red Cross' Operation: Care and Comfort is collecting movies for fathers who are spending Fathers Day fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Movies can be dropped off or mailed to The American Red Cross, Operation: Care and Comfort, 2731 N. First St., San Jose, 95134. Volunteers will also assemble care packages during the month of June. People interested in helping may call 408.251.3234.

Farmers market to
move into downtown

Although the Farmers Market will remain at Willow Glen Elementary School through the summer, organizers hope to move the market after school opens in September into downtown Willow Glen.

The market's current site will be used to construct a two-story school building in September. The market then has the option of moving to the school's rear parking lot, but South Bay Farmers' Markets director SuEllen Sterling said the site is hidden from view, has no parking, and that crossing that stretch of Lincoln Avenue to the site is dangerous.

Originally, Sterling and co-director Melanie Defe thought the market would have to move in early summer due to construction. The duo surveyed market shoppers on where they would prefer to move. Sterling said she received many calls from Willow Glen residents who wanted to keep the market on Saturdays in or near downtown Willow Glen.

Sterling and Defe are still working out the details for the market's future site, but the women have talked to the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association about moving it into downtown. Sterling thinks the new location would be a positive move and said, "It's going to be better for everybody."

Delmas parcel OK'd
for rezoning by city

The San Jose City Council unanimously approved the rezoning of the parcel on the corner of Delmas and Dorothy avenues from residential to planned development. The lot is almost one acre in size.

The rezoning is the first step toward completing Stonebridge Development's proposal to build seven single-family homes with two-car garages on the property. Currently there are three homes on the property--two single-story Spanish colonial homes and one colonial revival cottage.

North Willow Glen neighbors raised concerns over the development's compatibility with the vintage neighborhood, and how the project would impact the visibility and access to the Guadalupe Trail.

In response to neighborhood concerns, San Jose District 6 Councilman Ken Yeager recommended the council approve the rezoning with several conditions. These conditions included installing a gate at the rear of the project so homeowners could access the trail and a three-way stop sign at Dorothy and Delmas avenues. The council also asked Stonebridge to work with residents to move or salvage the three existing homes and discuss architecture compatibility with the homes in the neighborhood.