WGNA Board Meeting & Presentation 
next on Thursday 12 July 2018

Our next board meeting on Thursday, July 12, 2018, will include Willow Glen Planning Area updates on a number of items, and including Bramhall-Willow Street Park, and the Greater Gardner Area.

The Willow Glen Planning Area is one of fifteen large sub-areas in the City of San Jose's "Greenprint".  The Planning Areas are used by the city in a number of ways, including how the Planning Division or the Parks Department monitors the supply and absorption of vacant land and to track and forecast development activity.

The Greenprint, in itself, is "a long-term plan that sets goals and strategies for how San José's parks, trails, and community centers will change over the next 20 years.  City staff and policymakers use the Greenprint as a guide as they explore the ways the parks system can help people in San José be healthier and happier.  The City is working on a major update of its existing Greenprint, which was accepted by City Council in 2009. The new Greenprint Update is expected to be complete in Spring 2018."

The 2009 version of the Willow Glen Planning Area and "Greenprint" is what defines the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association's area of membership and advocacy, as noted in our Bylaws and Policies.  See the "Planning Maps" page of our website, and an annotated 2009 Willow Glen Planning Area here.  

Two years ago, in WGNA's July 28, 2016 Board Meeting, issues relating to Bramhall-Wilow Street Park were presented by Stakeholders for a Safe Green Village, then with a follow-up walk-through of the park happening that August.  By November 2016, Dave Mitchell from San Jose's Department of Parks, Recreation, & Neighborhood Services (PRNS) visited WGNA's Board Meeting for a response and presentation.  This July 2018, we will now review the issues from the last two years, give updates on the progress, and engage feedback on current and future needs in the park.

WGNA's Greater Gardner Committee will give an update on issues since our last Town Hall Meeting on December 14, 2017, with Jim Beall, Jr., California State Senator (15th District).  Recent items have included a sound wall (concrete fence) behind the Gardner Academy; neighborhood traffic calming and street paving initiatives (especially on W. Virginia St.); California High-Speed Rail right-of-ways into the area; playground and other improvements inside Biebrach park; freeway/Caltrans cleanup issues; homelessness; Gregory Street area needs; impacts from the proposed Google-San Jose development; plus, the most recent proposal (application) for a wireless cell phone tower on Prevost Street near Jerome Ave.

Note that WGNA meetings typically occur on the second Thursday of the month.
Our regular meeting location is Willow Glen Library, Community Room, 1157 Minnesota Avenue, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

See the meeting Agenda here.

In the following August 2018, WGNA will be hosting National Night Out.

#WillowGlen #WGNAsj #SanJoseCA #GreaterGardner #WillowStreetPark. #BramhallPark #StakeholdersSGV #StakeholdersWSP

National Night Out 2018

National Night Out returns to Willow Glen on Tuesday 07 August 2018.   The Willow Glen Neighborhood Association will be organizing the event with this year's host, the Willow Glen Creamery, at the Willow Glen Town Square on the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Willow Street.   Thanks to the creamery and frozen yogurt shop, free ice cream will be offered to every guest that participates, 6:30 to 8:00 PM.

National Night Out is a national program (trademarked) by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW).  It occurs annually on the first Tuesday of August.  NATW describes the event as "an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live."  

Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities, and military bases worldwide

Coordinated by local police departments and grassroots organizers in every city across the United States, this is a community-based event with the purpose of awareness-raising, partnership, and neighborhood development. 

In agreement with National Night out themes, WGNA regularly addresses issues related to public health and safety (police, fire, emergency response, coverage areas, public welfare, etc.). We frequently invite guest speakers from the San Jose Police Department on the topic of neighborhood watch, and other anti-crime efforts.

"National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances." 

#NationalNightOut #WillowGlen #SanJoseCA #SanJose #WGNA #WGNAsj #SJPD #WillowGlenCreamery #PublicSafety#NeighborhoodWatch #WillowGlenCares #EyesOnTheStreet#WillowStreetSJ #LincolnAvenueSJ #NNO

A Special June 21st Meeting in Gardner
ref. Wireless Antenna Slimline Monopole

Thank you for participating in our special meeting on June 21, 2018, at the Gardner Community Center with the City of San Jose, and the project applicant, Mobiltie LLC.

WGNA Endorses a Position Papers on the 
Wireless Antenna Slimline Monopole

See the paper endorsed on 2018, June 14 — regards a City of San Jose Special Use Permit to allow the installation of a new 60-foot Wireless Communication Antenna Slimline Monopole within a new 6-foot block wall compound along the perimeter landscaping on a 0.45 gross acre site. The project location/address is at the northeast corner of Prevost Street, and Jerome Street, San Jose.  The Applicant is Mobilitie, based in San Juan Capistrano, CA.  The city's project Reference Number is SP17-044; and number 2017 039775 DV.  The WGNA position paper was endorsed by the WGNA Board and reads in part: 

See Our New Page for the WGNA Greater Gardner Committee

To find more information concerning this project, and all matters relating to WGNA's Greater Gardner Committee, see our new web page at http://www.wgna.net/greater_gardner_wgna

WGNA and the members of its Greater Gardner Committee also share regular developments on our social media pages and other Facebook groups.  Please see our social media options to follow us there.

Note, this June 21st was a special committee meeting, whereas our last regular WGNA Board meeting was on June 14th at the Willow Glen Library (Minnesota Avenue), and our next regular board meeting is on Thursday 12 July 2018.  These meetings have all been an open house for everyone.  

A canvassing flier was handed out to residents in the greater Gardner neighborhood, and our position paper has since been presented and discussed at both the June 14th and 21st meeting.  We also share these items on the website and in the social media.  They are recorded with the San Jose City Clerk, and various city departments for public record.

For an official business with WGNA, please contact the Board President, Elizabeth Estensen.  For general questions regarding Gardner, please contact WGNA Board Members Jeremy Taylor and Rowan Pike, who live in Gardner, or contact WGNA's Greater Gardner Committee by email at gardner.wgna@gmail.com

Also see a PDF formatted document of the above flier here.  And our news entry at http://www.wgna.net/gardner_wireless_antenna.

Summary from the previous WGNA
Monthly Board & Membership Meeting 
on Thursday 14 June 2018

Letter to the City & Decision at City Hall —

ACTION REQUESTED:

California State Senator Jim Beall, Jr. is requesting that the City of San Jose, Department of Transportation (DOT), conduct a traffic study of these two intersections. Once the studies are completed, the state of California will take on the necessary improvements to make these intersections safe for primary school children to cross. The timing of these two studies is very important.

Please get back to me within the next twelve working days with a resolution. That is, confirm a date and time when these two studies will be scheduled and expected to be completed. We would appreciate a copy of any correspondence sent to the San Jose DOT team, and their responses.

The Bird Avenue roadway has become increasingly busy, and with all the recent developments beginning at the north of the intersections, West San Carlos Street at Bird Avenue/ Montgomery Streets traffic will increase dramatically. The intersection of Auzerais Street, Bird Avenue and Interstate 280 (i.e., the on and off ramps) is already very dangerous.