Road work on Lincoln?
Wondering about the road work on Lincoln Avenue? The City's Department of Transportation has informed us that Phase I of scheduled pavement repair and preparation work has begun on Lincoln, from Lonus to Nevada.
According to DOT Director Jim Ortbal:
This is a standard preparation phase of a pavement sealing project, whereby the City’s contractor will be removing damaged sections of pavement/roadway base and replacing it with new asphalt/concrete to ensure the underlying road structure is sound prior to a final sealing treatment. All current roadway striping that may be impacted would be temporarily restored in the current configuration to ensure safety and visibility.
The work began on the evening of July 8th and was meant to be finished by July 9th, but the work has been extended due to equipment damage on Wednesday night and weather conditions on Thursday night.
The work will continue in the evening on Sunday (July 12th) and Monday (July 13th) to avoid any weekend night impacts. The contractor has indicated their confidence in completing the work by/through Monday night.
If you have any specific questions about this work, please contact John Burchfiel, Principal Construction Inspector with the Department of Transportation at (408) 794-1967.
FYI: According to the DOT, all businesses and residents fronting Lincoln Ave within the limits of the project received a hand delivered notice from the contractor informing them of the work to be performed.
And as we've noted previously, the full pavement sealing treatment is still scheduled to occur in October.
Take our road diet survey
As you may know, the WGNA board has been asked by the Department of Transportation to provide them with a recommendation on the road diet trial that has been in place on Lincoln Avenue since the beginning of March. The DOT will take that into account when making their recommendation to the City Council on whether or not the road diet should be made permanent.
Earlier this week, WGNA Board President Chris Roth sent a letter to the DOT and Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio pointing out Article II, Section 2 of our bylaws, which states that: "WGNA represents all members and does not endorse candidates for political office, political parties, or divisive issues." Because our board may find the road diet to be a divisive issue, we wanted to make the city aware that WGNA may not be able to take a position.
As stated in Chris' letter, our decision will be informed by a review of the DOT's traffic analysis report as well as the results of the community survey we just launched (see below). Additionally, we will be listening to everyone's comments during the next Road Diet Trial Community Meeting on Thursday, June 18th, at 6:30pm in the Willow Glen High School Cafeteria. We encourage you to attend and make your voice heard.
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Annual Meeting (Preliminary) Report
The official minutes from our annual meeting on May 28th will be posted to this website soon. In the meantime, we can report that after a protracted discussion, the following slate of board officers and directors was elected for the 2015-16 term beginning July 1st:
President - Chris Roth
1st Vice President - Mayra Flores De Marcotte
2nd Vice President - Nancy Rice
Secretary - Ryan Elliott
Treasurer - Peter Allen
At-Large Members - Archie Moore, Debbie Cain, Matt Capaci, Elizabeth Estensen, Samantha LoCurto
Additionally, a five-member Nominating Committee was elected to recommend officers and directors for the 2016-17 term, to be elected at the next annual meeting in May 2016. That committee includes the following WGNA members in good standing:
Matt Capaci, Board Member, Member of 2015-16 Nominating Committee
Elizabeth Estensen, Board Member, Member of 2015-16 Nominating Committee
Hugh Graham, Former WGNA President
Ed Rast, Former WGNA President
Jeff Stanley, WGNA Member
We're excited to move into a new year with new energy. We hope you'll join us along the way, and stay tuned for more to come from the annual meeting...
WGNA Annual Meeting 2015
Join us for our annual meeting to discuss current neighborhood issues and concerns, upcoming events, and ways you can get involved in the community. You can click here to RSVP.
We want your help in shaping the topics the meeting will cover. Please take five minutes to complete this simple survey by May 15th so we can find appropriate speakers to discuss the topics you identify as top priorities.
PLEASE NOTE: Transportation — particularly the Lincoln Avenue Road Diet — will NOT be discussed during our annual meeting as there will be a separate community meeting on June 11th dedicated solely to that topic.
It is also time for WGNA members to elect Officers and Board Members for the 2015-16 term. Members may vote using this online survey OR in person at the annual meeting.
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Road Diet Working Group
A working group has been established to solicit feedback from key constituencies – residents, commuters, business and property owners, etc. — and coordinate with City of San José staff to determine the size, scope, and feel of an upcoming "road diet" trial on Lincoln Avenue, scheduled for Spring 2015. This working group is comprised of residents, business owners, and other key stakeholders from Downtown Willow Glen and surrounding communities.
The Road Diet Working Group (or RDWG for brevity's sake) is committed to an open and transparent process that ensures all voices are heard. You can learn more about the RDWG and stay up to date on our progress by visiting this special page on the WGNA website or by following our Facebook and Twitter feeds. We'll be posting meeting minutes, data analysis, and other useful content on a regular basis.
If you'd like to contribute your thoughts to the discussion, we encourage you to please send an email to the RDWG or use this simple web form.
There will be a follow-up community meeting in January on a date TBD to provide an update on the RDWG's work and solicit additional feedback. In the meantime, we appreciate your engagement on this important issue for the future of our community!
Road Diet
WGNA will be hosting our next community meeting on Thursday, November 20th, from 7 to 9pm in the Willow Glen Elementary School Cafeteria. The topic of the meeting will be a recently proposed lane reconfiguration of Lincoln Avenue and a potential trial simulation.
There will be comments by District 6 Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio and representatives from the San José Department of Transportation, who will also answer audience questions. This subject drew a lot of interest when we recently asked our community about it on Facebook, so we expect a large crowd. Be sure to RSVP ASAP.
Willow Glen Elementary is located at 1425 Lincoln Avenue at the corner of Minnesota. Parking is available in the rear of the school or across Minnesota. Please use crosswalks and DO NOT jaywalk.
Public Works on Mackey Avenue
As part of our mission, the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association aims to keep our community informed on a variety of planned city improvement projects.
From November 2014 through March 2015, the City of San José’s Department of Public Works will be replacing sewer lines on Mackey Ave., Dawson Ave., and Cross Way. If you live nearby or regularly use these streets, please expect delays during this project period. You can download this city fact sheet for more information.
If you have any questions or concerns about this project and its effects on the surrounding neighborhood, you are welcome to contact Jess Tanciangco at (408) 793-4145.
We encourage you to share this information with your neighbors!
Touring Historic Willow Glen Book Orders
Touring Historic Willow Glen: Ten Walking Loops was a joint effort between the WGNA and Preservation Action Council of San Jose. In a little over 100 pages, Touring Historic Willow Glen manages to capture everything that makes Willow Glen such a wonderful place to live -- its richness in history, balance of nature and architecture, and walkability. Grab a copy of the book, take a walking tour, and fall in love with Willow Glen like we have.
You can purchase Touring Historic Willow Glen: Ten Walking Loops at these local retailers:
Grace on the Avenue (1100 Lincoln Ave. #150)Hicklebee's (1378 Lincoln Ave.)Three Sisters (1393 Lincoln Ave.)Top Nosh (1167 Lincoln Ave.)Underground (1342 Lincoln Ave.)Whatnots and Dodads (1130 Lincoln. Ave.)Zanotto's (1421 Foxworthy Ave.)
If you'd like to distribute Touring Historic Willow Glen through your business, please complete this quick survey, and we'll follow up with you ASAP.
Public Works on Minnesota Avenue
As part of our mission, the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association aims to keep our community informed on a variety of planned city improvement projects.
For those of you who live nearby or commute through Minnesota Avenue: From September 2014 through January 2015, the City of San José’s Department of Public Works will be replacing sewer lines on Minnesota between Bird and Lincoln Avenues. You can download this city fact sheet for more information.
If you have any questions or concerns about this project and its effects on the surrounding neighborhood, you are welcome to contact Amanda Lei in the Public Works Department at (408) 535-8478.
We encourage you to share this information with your neighbors!