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Greenbelt Alliance In the News
June 3, 2003
Environmentalists
Release Development Plan to Prevent Urban Sprawl in Coyote Valley
Subheading
Byline
San Jose's Coyote Valley has been looked at for future development, and
environmentalists have decided to develop a plan to help prevent urban
sprawl if and when civilization pushes itself into the region.
Jim Taylor in the KCBS Santa Clara County Bureau says the Greenbelt Alliance
has developed a plan called "Get it Right" to make sure development
happens in a controlled, responsible manner.
The group took a tour of the Coyote Valley today.
Jeremy Madsen, field director for the Greenbelt Alliance, said the plan
is really a vision.
"What we want to have is a vision to think through what should Coyote
Valley look like if and when it gets developed," Madsen said.
"We have envisioned a community of neighborhoods," he said.
"Basically, this is a new town that is part of San Jose that would
be self-contained and allow for people to live and work and shop and go
to school all within the 2,200 developed acres of Coyote Valley."
"We also have a downtown that is kind of built along the model of
downtown Palo Alto or Mountain View - a walkable, convenient, easy-to-access
downtown that will allow for this area to serve essentially as a new community,"
he said.
Madsen said the group is concerned that the down economy could lead to
a relaxed attitude toward development, which could in turn lead to sloppy
planning and urban sprawl.
"I think that vision is necessary to get a good plan in place and
make sure that when we put a lot of development down there, we have it
right versus screwing it up," said Madsen. "If we mess it up
now, there's not going to be a chance to change it."
The group wants to avoid the urban sprawl that dominates in Southern California's
San Fernando Valley.
"Smart growth [is] more sustainable, more socially equitable and
economically very vibrant," Madsen said.
In the plan, development would only take place west of the Monterey Highway,
leaving the eastern half of the valley green.
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