Willow Glen Resident

News

VTA considers housing plan on Tamien site to pay for more parking

By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

Willow Glen residents learned a hard lesson during phase one of the Tamien Station area projects: Know the planning process, and come prepared.

This time around, residents were ahead of the curve and did their homework before meeting with Santa Clara VTA officials in November.

Residents made it clear from the get-go that the second phase of the Tamien area development was not compatible.

"You don't live here, we do," a resident said to VTA officials. "We need to live together. This just makes us more frustrated."

VTA wants to amend the Tamien Station Area Specific Plan--adopted by San Jose in 1995--to create additional housing and parking on 17 acres owned by the VTA. This proposal was not in the original plans.

VTA is requesting this amendment because it did not anticipate the dramatic increase in ridership. To resolve the problem, the transportation agency is exploring a possible infill housing project that would finance a multi-level parking garage along the transit corridor. The high-density project would include between 500 to 600 living units in buildings varying in height from three to 11 stories.

"This proposed project is not appropriate for the surrounding neighborhoods," said North Willow Glen resident Jason Goldsmith.

Goldsmith said a parking structure and additional housing would overcrowd an already congested neighborhood.

VTA proposes the parking structure be located adjacent to Highway 87's northbound ramps on Lelong Street.

This idea did not sit well with residents.

Traffic is at a standstill on the highway during rush hour and gets backed up onto Lelong, said North Willow Glen resident Ken Eklund.

"If there are really more riders in need of more parking for the light rail station, then they need to get in and out of this parking garage in a timely way in order to not miss their train," Eklund said. "The flow of traffic in this area needs to be fixed before the parking structure is added, or another site should be looked at."

Eklund suggested the VTA conduct a traffic study of the area and factor in the cars that will come from the future development of Tamien Place and the Elks Lodge projects.

"You're looking at more than 1,000 cars in the area at any given time," he said.

Greater Gardner Coalition and North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association president Harvey Darnell pointed out that once again a project is being constructed with a lack of retail.

"We are just concerned that we have a lot of housing proposed without basic services," Darnell said. "We just don't have enough substantial retail; it's all in Campbell and Milpitas, which are still between 45 minutes and an hour on the light rail."

Darnell said the communities he represents believe in transit-oriented development, but these developments need to make it easier for people to get to work, shopping and back home.

VTA commercial design manager David Miller said the proposed project will include commercial and retail services in the neighborhood, specifically on the corner of Alma Avenue and Lelong Street.

In addition to this, VTA plans to add a signal light at the northbound 87 ramps to ease traffic.

In 2003, the San Jose City Council approved two 11-story twin towers and 12 townhomes on the corner of Lick and W. Alma avenues that were proposed by Barry Swenson Builder. The project, already in construction, will add 242 residential units along the transit corridor. The design also includes a 4-acre park.

The park was to be created on the parcel now used by Caltrain for light rail and commuter train parking. The construction of a light rail garage was also part of the project, according to Miller.

However, the cost to construct the garage was underestimated, creating a $1.8 million shortfall, Miller said.

He blamed the cost increase on the rise in concrete and steel prices, which have skyrocketed in the last two years.

However, residents such as Goldsmith argued that cost increases shouldn't fall on the homeowners' shoulders.

"Why do we have to pay for this shortfall?" Goldsmith said. "Why doesn't VTA just pay the bill?"

Three preliminary concept designs were presented to the residents. VTA originally intended to submit an application for its proposal in late December or early January for a plan amendment, but with the absence of a District 6 representative, these plans have been postponed.

Miller said a creative solution is needed to finance a larger parking structure.

The Tamien Station area includes San Jose's Districts 3 and 6 and encompasses 140 acres. The area is bounded by Willow and Little Orchard streets, Lick and Alma avenues, a portion of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and the Guadalupe River. Highway 87 bisects the area, which crosses into the North Willow Glen neighborhood.

According to the 1995 Tamien Station Area Specific Plan, the city's objectives are to develop the area into a high-density housing project that can accommodate various income levels, encourage the use of public transportation and make "efficient use and reuse of land."