Willow Glen Resident
News
VTA board member speaks out against possible transit-oriented development
By Mary Gottschalk
A community meeting on the project commonly called the VTA Towers brought close to 150 people to Lincoln High School's media center on March 18, where residents got one of the first public looks at the controversial high-density project that developer Green Valley Republic wants to build on the corner of W. San Carlos and Sunol streets.
Michael Van Every, senior vice president of Republic Urban, which owns 50 percent of Green Valley Republic, told residents that the company wants to build as many as 800 housing units on the 8.25-acre site.
The Valley Transportation Agency owns 5.6 acres of the land and has entered into an exclusive negotiating agreement with Green Valley to sell it.
Van Every said partner Barry Swenson Builder, which owns the other half of Green Valley, has an option to purchase the remaining land from Union Pacific.
If the VTA board approves the sale, it will enter into a development and disposition agreement with Green Valley for a transit-oriented development.
The towers moniker, which Van Every has said he does not like, refers to three 12-story buildings, 120 feet high, that are part of the proposed development, along with four other buildings that will be four or five stories.
Supervisor Ken Yeager, who held the Council 6 seat for six years before moving on to the board of supervisors, did not mince words, telling those present, "I have strong feelings about this project," which he described as "very tall and very dense."
As the meeting progressed, several speakers thanked Yeager for his e-mail alert on the meeting and complained that the developers had made no effort to include the neighborhoods in the meeting.
Yeager is a non-voting member of the VTA board, which is expected to vote on a deal with Green Valley at its May 1 meeting.
In an interview prior to the meeting, Van Every called Yeager "the lone critic" on the VTA board.
Yeager told the group, "It's important that people voice their opinions early. It's important for the developer and the VTA and members of the city council to hear from you early. Don't be shy."
Bill Williams of Steinberg Architects said the development would include 17,000 square feet of retail space about 60 feet high along W. San Carlos as well as between 700 and 800 residential units.
Williams said there would be underground parking, sustainable design, easy pedestrian access and safe pathways. No gates are planned for the development.
When the presentation was finished and the question-and-answer session started, the first question asked was about the parking ratio.
"It's 1.5 stalls per residence. Local government is discouraging parking spaces," Van Every said.
When the question of where residents with two cars and visitors would park came up, Van Every said, "There are people who will buy these units who do not own cars."
In response to another question, Van Every acknowledged that the soil on the project site is contaminated and will have to be excavated.
He said there would be an Environmental Impact Report that will take from 12 to 18 months to complete. The current target date for construction is 2010 to 2011 he said.
Van Every also told the group there are no government subsidies coming to the developers and that the city is requiring them to reserve 20 percent of the project for low-income residents.
"We'll lose money on those units," he said, adding, "This project may never get built" because of the current economic slump.
He estimated it will cost $300 million to build.
Several speakers expressed dismay at the height and density of the development.
"We're not in favor of height," said one.
"We're not New York or London or Paris," said another. "We're already impacted by traffic and increasing it is irresponsible to our neighborhoods."
One woman said she is still shocked when she drives down W. San Carlos toward downtown and sees the eight-story Delmas Park Apartments at the Bird Avenue intersection.
"We do not want to lose our views of the mountains," she said.
Others brought up the issue of shade from the 12-story structures affecting the surrounding area.
At one point when a show of hands supporting the plans was asked for, less than 10 people raised their arms.
However, there were supporters in the audience.
Denelle Fedor, Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio's director of public policy, spoke for several minutes, seemingly in support of the developer, although she said neither she nor the councilman has taken a position.
The last speaker summed up the mood of many present when he said, "We're not against development. We're against development that isn't well thought out."
Van Every will make additional public presentations April 8 at 6:30 p.m. to the W. San Carlos Business Association at Korean Palace, 2297 Stevens Creek Blvd.; and April 9 at 7 p.m. to the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association at Willow Glen Baptist Church, 1292 Minnesota Ave.
On April 3, Green Valley Republic will make a presentation to the VTA Board on community input to their current design and finalizing an agreement.
On May 1, the VTA Board will determine if the agreement will be approved.
The VTA Board meetings are at 6 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors' Chambers in the County Government Center, 70 W. Hedding St.
