North Willow Glen resident Harvey Darnell was asked to participate in a new city program, Counter to Council. San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales created the Counter to Council task force earlier this year to draft recommendations that would improve the city's planning process. The task force, led by District 3 Councilwoman Cindy Chavez, is made up of members from the business community and Darnell.

Darnell said he accepted the post because he knew from experience that planning and land use were hot topics in neighborhoods, where large developments may threaten existing character.

"I saw it as an opportunity to influence the process from the community view," Darnell says.

Darnell is quite familiar with the neighborhood's point of view. He is a member of the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative Project Area Committee, a 52-member committee that advises the San Jose Redevelopment Agency. Darnell was also involved in the effort to improve the city's public outreach policy, is president of the North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association and vice chairman for the Greater Gardner Coalition.

Along with other members on the task force, Darnell hopes to find ways to shorten the current lengthy and expensive process--from the time an applicant approaches the planning counter to final city council approval. City memos state that an easier process could aid job creation and economic recovery by posing fewer bureaucratic obstacles.

In October, the taskforce presented its recommendations to the city council at a "Getting Families Back to Work" study session. Recommendations that could benefit the community include educating residents on city and government services, creating a community meeting template so neighbors can better understand developments and their impacts, and updating the city's General Plan.

During the task force's 10-week session, Darnell worked on the General Plan subcommittee. The General Plan is the city's strategy for growth, such as where to locate high-density housing. Yet Darnell said that developers are more frequently applying for General Plan amendments because the current document is out of date.

Although overhauling the General Plan could take nearly five years, Darnell said the potential for neighborhoods is vast.

"I'd like to see community standards in the General Plan," Darnell said.

Community standards could outline historic or "near historic" neighborhoods, as a way to preserve the look, feel and charm of older neighborhoods such as Willow Glen.

The city council voted on Nov. 15 to continue Counter to Council's work, and return to the issue in January.

"I'm somewhat insistent on the neighborhood view, but am willing to find the middle ground," Darnell says. "I'm always looking for the win-win situation."