The shops on Lincoln Avenue have never been flashy, and in contrast to Santana Row and even downtown Los Gatos it is quite tame.  The residents of Willow Glen are proud and protective of their strip and can be quite vigilant when it comes to new development because of the fear of change.

However, lately there have been a lot of businesses on the Ave that have not been able to survive, especially in this economic downturn.  I was surprised to hear that two businesses recently have thrown in the towel and will close:  Vin Santo Ristorante and Willow Glen Liquors.  I am especially saddened to hear Vin Santo is closing because this is where my husband proposed to me. 

Willow Glen Liquors who is looking to stay in business but relocate off Lincoln, always has a wonderful selection of wines and as my personal mission to support local retailers, I buy my wines here instead of the BevMo directly across the street. 

The Ave is all abuzz this holiday season with holiday shoppers and faithful local residents supporting Willow Glen businesses, but what is going to happen once this flurry of shopping is over, when the decorations are boxed up and the excitement of Christmas is over?

Here are the plans.

Changes to Lincoln Ave. in Willow Glen

The latest news on the Ave is that there are ambitious plans to build a public plaza at the corner of Willow Street and Lincoln, where Willow Glen Frozen Yogurt & Ice Cream Co. now sits.  The proposed plan calls for construction of a three-story building that will include ground-floor retail, 26,000 square feet of office space on two floors, and a two-story parking structure, in addition to the public plaza. 

If the plans are approved, the opening date will be in spring 2012.  Also on the agenda is the opening of grocer Fresh & Easy (AKA Tesco) on the corner of Minnesota and Bird Avenue, where Albertsons used to sit.  Fresh & Easy is also going to locate in the Almaden Plaza upon the departure of Safeway; the opening of these two grocers is on track for 2009.

Willow Glen Residents’ Opinions

So, how do the local residents feel about these new changes?  As far as the Fresh & Easy grocery stores locating to Willow Glen, most are okay with this plan, however no one knows much about the British-based company.  The only concern is what has been reported in the news lately about Tesco, and what the quality of the food will be like. 

With the changes proposed for the Avenue, there are those that are very supportive about the plans to give Lincoln Avenue a badly needed facelift, and others who feel that the Avenue is fine the way that it is now, and do not want to see developers come in and ruin the look and feel of Willow Glen. 

Some people are very excited about the new plaza which will add an additional 150 new parking spaces, beautify the street and bring in new retailers.  With more retailers, Lincoln Avenue will bring in more business to Willow Glen, which will in effect be better for the economy of our town. 

On the flip-side, the nay-sayers are aggravated that more retailers equals more cars, more traffic, more development, and ultimately the demise of all history in town.  Another fear is that the older storefronts, such as Willow Glen Books, Hicklebees, the Thrift Box and Details Clothing will go out of business with bigger stores coming in, competing and pushing out ‘the little guys’.

A community meeting was held on December 17^th to discuss the plans with local residents; everyone was able to voice their opinions and ask questions at the meeting.  There was overwhelming support.  The next step is to have the proposed plans presented to San Jose Planning Department, who will either approve or reject the design.  It will be interesting to see how this unfolds, and I will share more information as it becomes available.

This has become desirable for many bay area residents that want to have entertainment, shopping and a social outlet waiting just outside their front door.  Many downtown businesses sense the high demand of residential-retail zoning, which is alluring many business districts to take advantage of this commercial high density epidemic.

The public concern for high density zoning is that it will bring unmanageable traffic and cars and high taxes and noise to the community.  On the flip side, some residents have voiced excitement and acceptance that it will bring money to the city, restaurants and better quality entertainment.  Moreover, it will lead to higher economic activity and productivity, save tax dollars, and increase property value.  As worrisome or exciting as it may be to the community, there is hardly an area untouched by this new wave of high density development; San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Campbell, Los Gatos and even Willow Glen are all conforming to this new way of life.

An example of high density development that has majority of public acceptance is Sunnyvale Town Center’s new urban development project.  It has been underway for some time but the ultimate outcome will be 991,000 square feet of retail space, 315,000 square feet of office space and 292 ownership housing units.  There will be a 14-screen movie theater and a 200 room hotel located at Murphy and McKinley Avenues.  The 184-acres project encompasses a large block bounded by Mathilda, Washington, Sunnyvale and Iowa Avenues, known as the Town Center Mall.  The shops are planned to start opening in early 2009.  The vision of this new development is for a lively people-friendly place for shopping, working, living and entertainment. 

Sunnyvale residents are actually quite pleased with the new development, as it will bring in revenue for the city, increase visibility to the area, bring in restaurants, and retail and ultimately boost their home values.  Some residents of other neighborhoods are not quite as pleased.

Voices from Willow Glen

I have heard public outcries from the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association (WGNA) when they recently heard the news of the latest high-density development proposal.  The plan is to create a Community Benefit Improvement District (CBID), with “?mixed-used’ buildings along Lincoln Avenue with housing above retail; the project is said to attract better businesses on the avenue, and promote affordable housing. 

There has not been a very positive reception to the idea that the “?beloved’ Lincoln Avenue will potentially lose the charm and character that it has preserved over the years.  The majority of the public is outraged that big developers will come in and modify the old-fashioned downtown area and bring in retail chains and large department stores and push out the “?mom and pop’ businesses, thus destroying the neighborhood.  Another obvious concern of is the excess of cars and traffic that will result.

Lincoln Avenue is the centerpiece for a lot of residents in Willow Glen and to lose the small downtown feel would be tragic for some.  When comparing other high-density developments, the one key element that say Santana Row, Sunnyvale, Campbell and downtown San Jose have is several blocks to develop; Lincoln Avenue is only one long street with single family houses surrounding.  It will be interesting to see what the final outcome will be when business property owners in Willow Glen vote this month for the CBID initiative.

If you have a stance about this new high-density trend in your neighborhood, let your community know how you feel by participating in your local neighborhood association.  Feel empowered to take part in your community and get involved.  High-density building is part of the future; to better embrace this new wave of development, there is a lot of research available online to better educate yourself with this up-and-coming boom.

(c) Sara Greenwood for the Silicon Valley Real Estate Blog, 1SiliconValley.com

Recommended Reading:

• Creating a Better Standard of Living for Your Family
• Santana Row Neighborhood Information
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She’s hosting a neighborhood mixer in her home town with plenty of food, wine and non-alcoholic beverages too.  For more information and details on the event, please visit her page on Willow Glen 2.0.

The plantiffs contended that the proposed redevelopment would create population growth and traffic problems that would spill over into neighboring cities as well as I-880.

How quickly things change. 

In December, the Santa Clara County Superior Court approved a settlement allowing the vision for North San Jose to proceed. 

Now, Cadence Design Systems has announced that it intends to perform a major renovation on its headquarters, constructing a five-story 208,000 square-foot building to house all their 2,100 headquarters employees.  They currently have four separate low-rise buildings which will be obsoleted under the plan.

According to the Silicon Valley Business Journal, "Under the new plan, the city hopes to bring in 32,000 new homes and apartments, 26 million square feet of new industrial development and about 1.5 million square feet of new restaurants, shops and supporting services."

But more importantly, it increases the density allowed in the region, meaning taller structures and increased urban expansion.  The area is already home to Cisco, BEA and Sony among other companies, and Idaho-based Micron Technology will expand its Silicon Valley facilities into existing buildings there as well.

Project managers for this vision of North San Jose say that the goal is to bring over 80,000 jobs to San Jose, with the focus on attracting high-tech companies and corporate headquarters.  But they also set a goal for creating a "rich pedestrian environment within the core area to encourage use of the transit system."

(c) Steve Leung

Recommended Reading:

• Downtown Sunnyvale Revitalization Gets Desperately Needed Kickstart
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