The Willow Glen Business and Professional Association is looking for community input on changing the downtown parking ordinance.

The business association has scheduled a community meeting for April 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the Fraternal Order of Eagles, 1036 Lincoln Ave.

Currently, new and expanding businesses must provide a certain number of parking spaces for customers. However, the business association said the requirement hinders its plans to build a pedestrian-friendly district that can offer a strong retail and restaurant presence.

The business association's board voted on March 14 to request the city remove the parking ordinance in Willow Glen's business district. According to the association, other San Jose neighborhood business districts are doing the same.

For more information, call the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association at 408.298.2100.

Yeager wants input on tree removals

The public is invited to San Jose City Hall on April 6 to comment on stricter tree ordinance requirements. This open session was triggered by Willow Glen neighborhood leaders rallying for stronger fines pertaining to illegal tree removal.

The proposal, led by San Jose City Councilman Ken Yeager, will be presented in the city hall council chambers, 200 E. Santa Clara St., at 6:30 p.m.

The proposal recommends increasing fines from $500 to $1,000 for illegally removing a tree on private property, and fining individuals and companies up to $1,000 for removing street trees.

San Jose has one of the lowest fines for illegal tree removal in Santa Clara County. In the 2004-05 fiscal year, residents were cited for removing 65 street trees. A number of trees were illegally removed in Willow Glen in 2005, and tree advocates hope stricter fines will deter the practice.

For more information about the meeting, contact Yeager's aide, Tony Filice, at 408.535.4957.

Man robs Subway on
Canoas Garden Ave.

A man entered the Subway sandwich shop, 655 Curtner Ave., at 10:06 p.m. on March 20, brandishing a handgun and demanding money from an employee behind the register.

According to San Jose police spokesman Enrique Garcia, the Subway employee described the man as either Hispanic or white, with blonde hair and brown eyes, approximately 6 feet tall with a slender build. He was wearing a ski mask and a black and white bandana. The employee was unable to determine the man's age.

The man took an undisclosed amount of money and fled on foot. He was last seen going north on Canoas Garden Avenue. No one was injured.