In its efforts to beautify the neighborhood, the North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association has planned a slew of neighborhood improvement projects for the next three months.

Greater Gardner Neighborhood Advisory Committee member Dan Erceg, who has been the driving force behind the improvements, said the association will start with a "Paint-a-Pole" project on July 30.

"A lot of street light poles have graffiti on them," Erceg said. "People have tried to paint over the graffiti and some of the poles look like a patchwork of different colors. We want to give them a fresh coat of paint to make them uniform."

The association will also push its ongoing project to build white fences around city-owned vacant lots. They will work on white fence detailing on the traffic islands at Hull and Coe avenues, and Delmas and Coe avenues in September.

The neighborhood association is also gearing up for more street planting in October.

Interested volunteers can call 408.537.0393 or email hello@northwillowglen.org.

Read all about it in
NWGNA newsletter

North Willow Glen residents can now learn more about their neighborhood through the North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association's newsletter. The association published its first issue in June.

Coe Avenue resident Heidi Le Vell initiated the project after she read a copy of the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association's newsletter.

"I was impressed," Le Vell said. "I find that many people want to get to know their neighbors better but are just too busy. Something like this can really connect the neighbors."

Besides updating residents on important issues like mosquito abatement measures, Le Vell also hopes to showcase slices of North Willow Glen history in the newsletter. In its inaugural issue, resident Judi McComak wrote about an old grocery-store-turned-home on the corner of Marshall and Delmas avenues.

"I love history and digging up information and then sharing those historical facts in the newsletter is going to be fun," Le Vell said. "It's also a great way to connect neighbors with goings-on and a way to build community spirit."

Ken Eklund, president of the association, said the group tried to get a newsletter going about two years ago to raise awareness and increase pride in the neighborhood. At the time the association wasn't able to find anyone to do so. He is glad that Le Vell "made it happen."

The association is looking for funding and volunteers for the newsletter and its distribution. Those interested in contributing articles or distributing the newsletter to neighbors can call 408.537.0393 or email hello@northwillowglen.org.

Willow/Prevost lot
closer to approval

The three single-family home development on the corner of Willow and Prevost streets is a step closer to becoming a reality.

After nearly five years in the works, Willow Street Property Group partner Jack Faraone met with neighbors at the Greater Gardner Coalition meeting on June 27. The community meeting is the precursor to the July 20 San Jose planning director's hearing to approve the project's planned development permit.

The project received a positive response from North Willow Glen and Gardner residents, who have watched the one-third- acre empty lot languish for years. The land was once home to businesses that have since been torn down. On Jan. 11, the San Jose City Council rezoned the parcel for residential use.

"It's the kind of projects we like to see," Greater Gardner Coalition chairman Kevin Christman said.

The late architect Peter Saitta "did his homework," Christman said, when designing three single-family houses in a Craftsman style. The homes will range in size from 4,240 to 5,558 square feet and two homes will have detached garages.

Faraone has planned to sell the property since Saitta's death due to cancer. Willow Glen contrator Dwayne Baker will buy the property if the project receives a planned development permit.