Ram Singh's Opinion on Coyote Development

By Ram Singh

Coyote Valley development has many adverse consequences which cannot be mitigated. This development shall never take place.

I, Ram Singh, present my views on the Coyote Valley Development briefly here. Anybody wishing to discuss this matter in detail may contact me by telephone.

I am glad that the Coyote Valley Development has been put on hold at this time. I have many serious concerns, which should be considered carefully before any action is taken. This valley lies in a flood-prone area with a very shallow ground water level. A mere 100-year flood will inundate this area completely. This open farming area is adjacent to the Coyote riparian corridor and is traversed by local habitats. Development of Coyote Valley will have a significant impact on the traffic congestion on Santa Teresa, Monterey Highway, and interstate 101-85. Decision on providing adequate mass transportation to the new development has not been decided. There are also concerns about the efficient delivery of City services to this area.

This development will have significant impacts on air, water, and land. Concerns about mix of development with local job growth and degree of open space in the development have been very controversial. To what extent, green engineering and sustainability will be included in this development? Is there any incentive to developers to apply green engineering? Some people want to leave this area as open space, and others want to fill it with residential developments. The Environmental Impact Assessment prepared in support of this development is incomplete.

Wastewater treatment facility on Zanker Road is reaching its capacity, and has permit restrictions on discharge of treated waters to the San Francisco Bay. The Water Quality Control Board is going to come up with further restrictions on storm water discharges. There are problems with the treated water recycling in San Jose. How are these issues going to be resolved?

It's a known fact that the half of our water supply comes from Delta. Delta levees are weak, and they are bound to fail during a strong earthquake. Then, saline water will submerge the pumping source near Tracy. There is already a court order in regards to Delta pumping. Simply adding a major development without any foresight will augment the problems faced by this city.

Our City has been mismanaged. There are no funds to fix potholes. The City is ill-prepared to handle a major emergency. It is predicted with 90% certainty that a major earthquake will hit the San Francisco Bay region within the next 30 years. Can San Jose handle a major disaster when roads are blocked, bridges and overpasses are damaged, power lines are down, water supply is disrupted by broken pipes, and major fires spread due to broken gas lines? What are all professional politicians doing? Do they have money to retrofit our infrastructure to minimize possible major disruptions? The City has planning department and planning commission, but do they understand the basics of planning? I am really concerned. Simply adding such a major development without the ability to provide adequate city services is unwise.

I think we need to explore, study, consult, and consider all aspects of this proposed development fully before doing anything. In fact, it's my opinion that Coyote Valley development shall never take place.

Please don't hesitate to contact me at 408-687-3317 for further discussion of this and other issues. Thank you for reading and considering my viewpoints on the Coyote Valley Development.

Humbly submitted by Ram Singh