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History

Greenbelt Alliance began work in the South Bay as parent organization People for Open Space (POS), helping to establish the Mid-Peninsula Open Space District in 1972. After POS became Greenbelt Alliance, we worked to help create the Santa Clara Open Space Authority in 1994.

The South Bay office in San Jose was the first Greenbelt Alliance field office, established in 1988. Staff worked hard to preserve recreational lands such as Bear Creek Redwoods and agricultural lands. Recently, field staff have:

• endorsed several compact developments that have increased the amount of affordable housing available in the area
• crafted an award winning smart growth vision for Coyote Valley
• worked on updating Morgan Hill's growth management ordinance to better promote smart growth and affordable housing
• helped triple the Open Space Authority's funding
• worked with the Santa Clara County Housing Action Coalition to increase the amount of affordable housing and housing projects in the South Bay

Field staff are still hard at work in the South Bay, protecting open spaces and promoting livable communities in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.