Willow Glen Resident

News

Greater Gardner's streetscape on track for renewal efforts

By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

The Greater Gardner Coalition's No. 1 one priority--street and sidewalk improvements--has entered the next phase.

The area upgrades are part of the coalition's Strong Neighborhoods Initiative top 10 list, which included the reconstruction of Prevost Street between W. Virginia Street and Fuller Avenue.

The project begins in October with an expected completion date of April 2007, said San Jose Department of Public Works project manager Domingo Trinidad.

The sidewalks and gutters will be removed, smoothed down and repaved. Three large walnut trees will be removed and replaced by crape myrtles and sycamores.

There will also be 13 sycamores planted in the open space along Prevost Street at the corner of W. Virginia Street, along with installation of an irrigation system. Four streetlights will be added, bringing the total streetlights along that section of the neighborhood to nine.

Greater Gardner residents were pleased to learn about the additional trees and an irrigation system as part of the streetscape plans. The residents are looking forward to seeing the empty open space on the corner of Prevost and W. Virginia streets spruced up.

Lighting, however, is still an issue. Residents worry the addition of trees would encourage transients to set up camps there during the night.

Trinidad said the streetlights could be staggered on either side of Prevost Street instead of just on one side and this should alleviate concerns about transients creating makeshift camps.

The other SNI projects in the area included the reconstruction of Delmas, Minor and Spencer avenues, which were a top priority in North Willow Glen, have all been completed. The final stage of reconstruction on Spencer Avenue and Brown Street, is slated for construction in the fall.