Speaking of the City of San Jose spending money...
San Jose's (four-letter-word) developers ROEM and CORE are putting their hands out for more than $600,000 for a project not due to break ground until 2013. The developers need an advance on money the City's Housing Department has promised. This (semi)bailout would usually sail through the City Council no problem as the money had been promised and the developers just want an advance. Given the economy, that seems to make sense. But, this bailout isn't sitting too well with some of the neighbors of the Fiesta Lanes project on San Carlos Avenue. That's probably because ROEM/CORE have been seen as neighborhood bullies since the project started. Backyard neighbors to the project were told a year ago that part of their yards were actually on the project's property. These neighbors got a nasty note from
ROEM/CORE telling them that their fences were to be removed...which was not very neighborly. One such neighbor, Terri Belandra of the Fiesta Lanes Action Group, is fighting back and seems to have the ear of the City Council because she got the bailout package delayed a week and got Councilmember Oliverio all riled up too. Another pissed-off neighbor is Rod Sayfie, the owner of Meineke Muffler, whose lease on the property slated to be part of the development isn't up until 2013. Sayfie doesn't want to leave early and doesn't like the way ROEM and CORE have treated him up to now either.(Watch Dog readers should know that ROEM/CORE are likely to get the bailout they want from the City Council. RObert EMami (get it? ROEM) is perhaps the most generous political contributor to causes close to some City Councilmembers. Watch Dog bets that the Councilmembers who speak up loudest for the bailout are also the folks that are the beneficiaries of ROEM's largess.)
Speaking of active neighbors...Los Gatans pissed about a proposed cul-de-sac and development were successful in delaying project decisions too. Resident Stephanie Lynatt is concerned the orchards are disappearing and Planning Commission Vice Chair John Bourgeois complained the architect didn’t implement the level of changes the Commission asked for.
Santa Clara County is offering a Pharmaceutical Drop-Off Program for folks to go dump their unused med’s in a plastic box and not down the toilet. Pill-snatching, pharm-partying teenagers are not big fans of this new County program...
Three Silicon Valley blackmailers are heading to the County brig. Superior Court Judge Thang Nguyen Barrett generously gave them less than a year in County lock-up for luring men into a sex tryst – with cameras turned on. James Spader did not speak on behalf of the accused...
In a much different kind of scam (we hope) -- a group of scam artists pretending to be with the City of San Jose Senior Centers is hoping to separate older folks from their hard earned cash. Watch out...
Perhaps the number of desperate scammers is about to increase...the unemployment rate in the Silicon Valley jumped to 9.4% in January. The Silicon Valley Leadership Group's Carl Guardino is predicting a worse news in February and March...and he is usually such an upbeat guy...
Hao D. Lam was murdered outside a home in San Jose’s Alum Rock neighborhood Tuesday night. The Police are reticent to share details and are hoping you’ll call with information: (408) 808-4500.
Some Mountain View pre-school parents are pissed off and the Mountain View-Whisman School Board heard all about it. The pre-school currently rents unused District facilities. Now, the District needs that facility back as Mountain View-Whisman School District expands. The District and parents agreed to meet again and the District (and the City) are trying to help the pre-school relocate.
San Jose Revealed lets loose with more Quick Notes – or as Revealed calls them – notes for the temporally frugal…they hit Mayor Reed’s junket to D.C. to dine with SJSU officials. They also get a shot in on a GOP boss' salary...(which Watch Dog San Mateo wrote about yesterday)...
No comments:
Post a Comment