Willow Glen Resident

News

District 4 race debates land use as well as transportation

By Stephanie Condon

Residents pressed the three candidates running for the Santa Clara County District 4 supervisor seat about land development issues and BART at a recent forum in the Cambrian Community Center.

The May 1 forum gave voters another chance to ask questions of Linda LeZotte and Ken Yeager, current San Jose City Council members, and Pat Mahan, mayor of Santa Clara. The winner of the June 6 election will replace Jim Beall, who has termed out, and represent the cities of Campbell, Santa Clara, West San Jose, some unincorporated county pockets and a section of Willow Glen.

The residents had concerns about development issues such as annexation, the development of the county fairgrounds and preserving hillsides and open space. They also repeatedly questioned the future of BART. All candidates responded with comments in favor of extending the transportation system in the West Valley.

However, LeZotte said she was not in favor of the "draconian" cuts that have been made to senior centers to fund BART. She does favor Measure A, the proposed half-cent sales tax on the June ballot, as a way to support a variety of county needs including BART.

"We have to have alternate means of transportation, and we have to have interconnectivity between buses, light rail" and other forms of public transportation, she said.

Mahan is also was in favor of BART but said Measure A may not necessarily be used to fund BART.

She acknowledged the county doesn't have dedicated revenue sources, but said it would be up to the voters to decide on Measure A.

"We have to do smart fiscal planning now," she said, in case the measure is not approved.

Yeager said he will follow the proposed distribution of Measure A funds because the county should have a safety net for public health programs. Measure A is a general tax that could be slated for any number of programs, including public health and transportation.

"When people understand the value of those programs, they'll understand the value of Measure A," he said.

He also said BART is important not only for individual cities but also for the entire region.

"We're competing globally with a lot of areas," he said. "An integrated area will benefit us all in the long run."

Mahan emphasized balancing county development with the preservation of history. She said smaller cities should not feel pressured to develop under the terms set by larger cities in the county.

"The needs are different," she said. "It's important to retain the histories."

When the issue of annexation arose, Mahan said, "I don't think you should be annexed if you don't want to be."

It is typically considered inefficient for the county to serve citizens directly, but she said some residents have told her they prefer county services.

"It's shameful the county doesn't take care of you," she said.

Yeager and LeZotte did not concur. They pointed out cities have a unique window of opportunity to annex small pockets without a vote because of a state law giving cities incentives.

Yeager told voters San Jose has not been "aggressive" enough in this area. He said the city and county need to connect with the people in those neighborhoods.

"They need to understand the tradeoffs," he said.

Eminent domain was another land-use issue that was brought up by voters. LeZotte said San Jose's Strong Neighborhoods Initiative would not be using eminent domain, but if it is used appropriately, it could be beneficial. She said the 2005 Supreme Court case of Kelo v. New London made it possible to use eminent domain as a means of creating public space.

"Part of that law has helped us rebuild downtown San Jose," she said. "It needs to be looked at in the larger picture."

Mahan said the Kelo case, which makes economic development a legitimate reason to use eminent domain, is "just plain wrong."

Yeager said there have been two cases of eminent domain in his district, one in which the property was used to build a park and another in which the property was used for a library and community center.

"I felt it helped the general community," he said.

Residents also asked about San Jose's recently passed sunshine laws as well as how each candidate planned to stay in touch with constituents.

LeZotte and Yeager voted to censure San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales due to his involvement in the 2005 Norcal contract fiasco.

"It's very disingenuous and dangerous for the community to not have a voice," LeZotte said.

LeZotte plans to make herself available to residents and will reach out to local mayors.

Yeager said along with attending neighborhood meetings, he sends his constituents regular emails and will continue to do so.

"People find it easy to hit the reply button," he said about his email correspondences.

Mahan said she would work with direct liaisons from each community, including unincorporated areas of the county, to make sure there was ongoing outreach.