Willow Glen Resident
News
Homes for $1 are bargain but have to be moved from Delmas
By Susan Carothers
It is no secret that Willow Glen is fast becoming a mecca for milliondollar homes. But for those looking for a deal, three houses near Dorothy Avenue on Delmas Avenue in North Willow Glen are going for the unheard of sum of just $1 each, according to a sign posted by the contractor.
There are a few catches. First, the buyer must purchase a city permit at $300 for removing the house. Next, if it is moved to another site within the city limits, a "special use" permit must be obtained at a cost of $1,400, said San Jose city planner Ed Schreiner. The buyer also needs a plot of land and must be able to afford the moving costs to relocate the home.
The three homes are more than 80 years old, built on land once known as the Delbert Track, a part of early North Willow Glen.
Resident Mary Stagi remembers when she and her late husband, John, bought their home on the corner of Delmas and Dorothy avenues in 1954, before there were any paved streets.
"It was just dirt roads," she says. "I really thought I lived out in the country."
One of the $1 homes is a romantic, storybook-looking wooden cottage with a white picket fence. A potato vine graces the wood shingle roof. Children are seen romping on the manicured lawn in front. The other homes are vintage California Mission-style Spanish stucco with red-tile roofs, fireplaces and hardwood floors. All were built in the early 1920s, when the area was still walnut and cherry orchards. The houses sit among mature lemon, olive and pine trees. One has a splash of rose bushes lining the sidewalk near the curb.
Last August, the San Jose City Council unanimously approved a 10-home project on the site to be built by Stonebridge Development. North Willow Glen residents and the planning department had fought the project, saying the development was too big and in conflict with the city's standard of eight units per acre. However, the planning commission approved it when it was assured the new homes would be compatible with 1920s-style homes in the neighborhood.
North Willow Glen Association president Harvey Darnell said, "We stated our piece, got changes in architecture and in facing. We got as much as we could."
Darnell even tried to find people who might want to buy the three homes, but he acknowledged the difficulty in getting people to move little houses. He said people want homes that are at least 1,800 square feet.
Once the city decided to demolish the three houses, the association made sure each home first was offered for $1.
Kathy Keith, a longtime North Willow Glen resident, said she telephoned the number listed on the on the sign several times but never got a response.
"My cousins were interested in the cottage, but never got a call back. I think they are trying to sell the homes for $1 to save the demolition costs," she said.
But the owner of the construction firm DNA and architect for the project, Johnny Da Rosa, said all messages left have been recorded. He promises the calls will be returned toward the end of June.
"The city wanted us to post the ad for one month, and then we will call all of the people who have left messages about the houses," he said.
However, there was a glitch in the message process. Vandals may have torn down the sign, because it was missing between June 18 and 25. It is now propped up against a tree.
Robert Skinner, a North Willow Glen resident and retired engineer who recycles computers, thinks the idea of selling the houses for $1 is innovative, and he supports the city's "pioneering efforts."
"Excellent," he said. "The key is that whoever sells the houses releases all liability as a contingent. Lawsuits are rampant."
Skinner said the city requires contractors to recycle demolition materials because it eliminates fees to the developer. It would cost a homeowner about $5,000 to demolish a home, which can be accomplished in one day, he said.
State law prohibits towing a house on freeways, and an individual must have intra-city permits. In addition, power and telephone lines can pose problems relocating a home to a new site.
Da Rosa concurred, acknowledging it is not an easy process.
"The preparation, fees, costs and the search for land are all the requirements, plus talking to the California Highway Patrol. I don't think they will find land in the Bay Area--probably in the Central Valley or in Sacramento," he said.
No matter what happens to dollar houses, most residents are optimistic about the upcoming neighborhood project.
The 10-home project will incorporate upgrades to Delmas Street, including a four-way stop sign at Dorothy and Delmas, antique street lamps and a "walkable, pleasant neighborhood," Darnell said.
Fencing will be added to the back of the homes so houses won't be visible while walking on the trail. Arched facing over the garages facing Delmas Street has also been added.
"We wanted a softer, more esthetic front on the garages so that they blend with the rest of the neighborhood," said Darnell.
