Planning issues for Santa Clara

By Thomas MacDevitt

There are some significant land use decisions coming up for our City.

1.) The upgrading and charge back to the city of Santa Clara of the Hetch-Hetchy water system. Only a third of our residents utilize this system, should all of us have to pay for upgrades that we won't directly benefit from?

2.) The upcoming sale of the 17-acre BAREC site. This plot of land is an agricultural research site for the University of CA. They no longer need it and it falls to us to determine its fate. I would like to see this city's first community garden be placed here to honor the historic research this site has done, and the benefits we all have gained from this research.

3.) What will happen to the old Kaiser site, when the new hospital is completed?

4.) Do you feel that our city's reputation was tarnished by what happened to the residents of the mobile home park at Doma Estates? I do, and I ensure you that under my tenure, a similar scandal would never occur.

I'll update this by the end of 9/20/2002