Willow Glen Resident

News

Greater Gardner develops new list of neighborhood Top 10 priorities

By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

Decades of residents' sweat equity in the Greater Gardner Coalition neighborhoods was recognized by the San Jose City Council.

"This is a community that has come together and exuded leadership in a transformative way, and the results can be seen clearly," said San Jose District 3 Councilman Sam Liccardo, who represents this area of the city. "The Greater Gardner neighborhoods are the best example of what works."

Under the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative plan, Greater Gardner residents have worked with the city to complete four of the original items on their Top 10 list, including the completion of Fuller Park and the installation of heritage street lamps. Going forward, the Greater Gardner Coalition has established a new top 10 priority list for the next five years, including street rehabilitation, neighborhood safety and noise reduction. The city council unanimously approved this list at its Nov. 6 meeting.

Although the three neighborhoods making up the coalition--Gardner, North Willow Glen and Gregory Plaza--have made significant progress, there's still much more work ahead, said Greater Gardner Coalition chairman Harvey Darnell.

"It's an ambitious plan, but I think a lot of it can get done," he said. "We need to make sure that the strides that we have made are maintained and improved upon in regard to community policing and community safety."

Darnell was pleased with the city council's vote and said he was especially proud of the many residents who showed their support by showing up to address the council.

"I was really proud, especially of Rudy Martinez," Darnell said of the Gardner Advisory Council president. "He was so eloquent and gracious."

Coalition board member Debbie Wade echoed Darnell.

"There are many people in the neighborhood that have put in many hours of hard work, sometimes frustrating work over the years," Wade said. "I think it reinvigorates them to have this kind of support.

"We've made the neighborhood a friendly place for others to walk or drive through with our new heritage street lamps and walkways," Wade added. "Now we need to focus on installing gateways that people will recognize and come to identify as the Gardner community."

Wade has lived in the Gardner neighborhood for the last 12 and is a witness to neighborhood's transformation with the inception of the SNI program.

"The contrast from when I moved in is obvious," she said. "It was strictly unsafe. Now, it's incredible."

When Wade purchased her Gardner home, she said her friends and family were "horrified."

"The first time my family visited, there was a gang fight in the street," she said. "The gangs had taken over the neighborhood. Now that behavior is no longer tolerated. It wasn't going to happen without SNI. It helped organize and create neighborhood leadership as well as generate the funds that made the changes possible."