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Press ReleaseJune 6, 2005 Contact: Greenbelt Alliance Endorses Hitachi Campus Plan
Environmental group supports "good development" San Jose - Sprawling office campuses with acres of parking may start looking a little dated, if Hitachi's new plan catches on; and a local environmental group thinks it will. Hitachi Global Storage Technology plans to redesign its San Jose industrial campus, rebuilding all of the office and industrial space on a lot half the size. This efficient design will free up 147 acres for homes, jobs and shops right by a Caltrain station. That's great news to Greenbelt Alliance, a Bay Area land use organization, which sent a letter to urge the San Jose Planning Commission and City Council to support the project."We see this as the start of a very positive trend," said Julie Cummins, Greenbelt Alliance's Education Program Coordinator. "To protect our natural areas and working farms, this is exactly the kind of development that the Bay Area needs." The development is an excellent example of "walkable, transit-oriented development," according to Cummins. "Not only does it help reduce pressure to pave the greenbelt, it also creates a lively neighborhood, gives people more options for getting around, and makes transit more efficient by providing more riders." Greenbelt Alliance's Compact Development Endorsement program has been endorsing development projects inside cities for a decade. "We knew we couldn't just say 'no' to bad development on our fields and forests; we also needed to say 'yes' to good development within our cities. Infill developments like these will help the Bay Area grow in a smarter way." The proposed project, called the Cottle Transit Village, would be located directly adjacent to the Blossom Hill Caltrain station and the Cottle Road Light Rail Station. The plan includes 2,930 housing units, 20% of which will be designated affordable (as defined by the City of San Jose), comprising a variety of housing types. The plan also calls for a 10.5 acre public park, pedestrian- and bike-accessible pathways to the Caltrain station, and a mixed-use area for stores and offices. The Planning Commission hearing on the project is on June 6. ### For 50 years, Greenbelt Alliance has been the San Francisco Bay Area's advocate for open spaces and vibrant places, with offices in San Francisco, San Jose, Walnut Creek, Fairfield, and Santa Rosa. www.greenbelt.org
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