City Council expresses dismay when Glen Loma project comes back
with soundwall
What part of
”
no
”
do you not understand?
That seemed to be the message to the Glen Loma Group when Gilroy
City Council members told the developers Monday night that, once
again, they don’t want an unsightly soundwall built along Santa
Theresa Boulevard.
City Council expresses dismay when Glen Loma project comes back with soundwall
What part of “no” do you not understand?
That seemed to be the message to the Glen Loma Group when Gilroy City Council members told the developers Monday night that, once again, they don’t want an unsightly soundwall built along Santa Theresa Boulevard.
Glen Loma builders pitched building the soundwall to border the Phase III part of the Rancho Hills/Deer Park subdivision, an upscale community of 107 single-family homes on 24.5 acres abutting the Santa Clara County Water District Water Channel and Santa Theresa Boulevard. The houses will occupy footprints of 2,165 square feet to 3,657 square feet, with side yards adjacent to Sunrise Drive.
The developers, John Filice’s Glen Loma Group, were expecting to get the all-clear for their tentative map on a project for their client, Arcadia Homes, during the council’s weekly meeting Monday, but were told to come back when they got it right – specifically, when they come up with an alternative to a soundwall next to the water district channel and Santa Theresa.
Mayor Al Pinheiro expressed frustration that the developers seemed to ignore the council’s original instructions.
“We’ve had enough with soundwalls,” Pinheiro said. “Years ago we talked about this, and the applicant comes back with the same thing that’s been done. And that just really bothers me.”
Councilman Peter Arellano agreed.
“I remember telling the people here we don’t want soundwalls,” Arellano said.
Developer John Filice tried to allay the concerns of the council, and said that the proposed soundwall would not be completely solid. It would be broken at parts with wrought iron fencing.
“The soundwall has been a tough nut to crack,” Filice said from the podium. “This is not an issue we blindly jumped in to make this proposal.”
Alternatives to soundwalls include special landscaping, frontage roads and deep berms. However, to maintain such features, Filice said, a Homeowners’ Association has to be established. Filice said they can’t establish a Homeowners’ Association for Phase III of the project because the rest of the homes already built in the massive project are not subject to such an entity.
“When you have homes bucking up to Santa Theresa, you have the issue of the soundwall,” Filice added. “We have met to the letter of the policy.”
Councilman Craig Gartman wanted to know why a Homeowners’ Association could not be created.
“We could, possibly,” Filice said. “The applicant chose not to. Lots further away are not HOA. There would be a difference in taxes.”
None of it sat well with Mayor Pinheiro.
“It’s one thing to talk out of one side of the mouth, and say something else out the other,” Pinheiro offered.
Pinheiro said he’s seen the alternative to soundwalls accomplished in other cities, such as Santa Barbara, and that it can be done well and beautifully.
“It’s time we stepped up to the plate, starting from where the soundwall ends. There’s got to be ways.”
Councilman Roland Velasco echoed the complaint.
“We had a discussion about this corner area, whether or not there was going to be a soundwall on Santa Theresa,” Velasco said. “We already got one on Sunrise. I’m not sure where we go from here.”
Actually, the council went nowhere with the issue, except to direct the applicant to come back with a better plan. Several council members said they did not want to outright deny the project, and advised the applicant to return with a better alternative to the soundwall.
Another sore point was what’s called “PUDs” – planned unit developments – which means amenities the developer offers to make the project more aesthetic and beneficial to the public at large.
“Stucco trim shutters around the windows…I expected a lot more out of this applicant, especially since it should all be there to begin with,” Pinheiro said. “I take offense to stucco trim being an amenity.”
City Administrator Jay Baska agreed that better and broader definitions of PUDs should be incorporated into the city’s planning policies.
Arellano also bagged on the offered PUDs.
“They gave the bare minimum,” Arellano said. “Even the amenities, frivolous things. This worked in the past; it will not go with us again. We are looking for frontage roads, berms, beautiful streets – it can be done. This is the [City’s] Gateway to the North.”
