Another two articles emerged highlighting our struggle to save our rink:
Charles Feldman of WalletPop.com posted an article entitled "San Jose roller derby skaters collide with developers".
SanJose.com featured a snippet in their Top Stories entitled "Housing Project Opponents on Wheels".
Of course, remember if you want to know what you can do to get involved, read "Save Our Rink" for detailed instructions.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Making News
A special thanks to Joe Rodriguez who covered this story with a fantastic article in the San Jose Mercury News entitled "Malice In Wonderland? Affordable Housing vs Roller Derby". Click here to check out the article.
Also thank you to Sal Pizarro who first brought light to our situation back when he mentioned it in his column on February 5th. If you missed that one, you can catch it here.
Also thank you to Sal Pizarro who first brought light to our situation back when he mentioned it in his column on February 5th. If you missed that one, you can catch it here.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
SAVE OUR RINK!
We are on the verge of losing one of our valued community resources. San Jose Skate (previously Aloha, Roxy’s, and Golden State) at 397 Blossom Hill Road faces the grim possibility of being torn down. Right now the deal is pending and you have a chance to influence the outcome.
The Situation
The Management of San Jose Skate operates under a short-term building lease from the land owners. Without a long-term lease, they have been unable to justify investing in improvements that would better the facility and improve business. The land owners were gifted this property over a decade ago by the original owners of Aloha, but have no interest in the world of roller skating. The land owners have been looking to sell the property for quite a while and now they have found a potential buyer with Charities Housing. Charities Housing will purchase the land to build a 152-unit low-income studio complex if they are able to get city council to approve that the land be rezoned from commercial use to residential use. There has been one community meeting. The date for the public hearing for the rezoning has not yet been set, but should be within the next two months.
While we support the mission of Charities Housing, we feel there are other opportunities to develop that would not involve tearing down this cherished San Jose institution.
What You Can Do Help
1. Contact Your City Council
• Go to this link and input your address to determine your district: http://eservices.sccgov.org/district/prepare.do?action=begin
• Go to this link to find the contact information for the city Councilperson assigned to your district: http://www.sanjoseca.gov/council.asp
• Contact them! Here is a letter than you can forward to your Councilperson. Feel free to edit it and personalize it.
2. Sign The Petition
You can find physical copies of the petition to sign at San Jose Skate or any SVRG event. If you can’t get to one of these locations, then you can sign the petition online at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/sanjoseskate/. This petition will be added to the city planner’s project file which will be presented to the City Council. It will also be presented to the land owners as a plea for them to keep the rink and enter into a long-term lease with San Jose Skate management or to sell the property to a party interested in preserving it as a roller rink.
3. Attend the Public Hearing
The date has not been set, but you can keep track of coming events on our blog at http://saveourrink.blogspot.com for more information.
4. Spread The Word
Forward this information to your friends and family and ask them to get involved too. It only takes a moment!
The Situation
The Management of San Jose Skate operates under a short-term building lease from the land owners. Without a long-term lease, they have been unable to justify investing in improvements that would better the facility and improve business. The land owners were gifted this property over a decade ago by the original owners of Aloha, but have no interest in the world of roller skating. The land owners have been looking to sell the property for quite a while and now they have found a potential buyer with Charities Housing. Charities Housing will purchase the land to build a 152-unit low-income studio complex if they are able to get city council to approve that the land be rezoned from commercial use to residential use. There has been one community meeting. The date for the public hearing for the rezoning has not yet been set, but should be within the next two months.
While we support the mission of Charities Housing, we feel there are other opportunities to develop that would not involve tearing down this cherished San Jose institution.
What You Can Do Help
1. Contact Your City Council
• Go to this link and input your address to determine your district: http://eservices.sccgov.org/district/prepare.do?action=begin
• Go to this link to find the contact information for the city Councilperson assigned to your district: http://www.sanjoseca.gov/council.asp
• Contact them! Here is a letter than you can forward to your Councilperson. Feel free to edit it and personalize it.
• Don’t live in San Jose but still want to offer your support? Email your letter to lizapalooza@svrollergirls.com and we will include it in the file presented to City Council.Dear Councilman/Councilwoman ______________,
I am contacting you to ask your assistance in a matter that is very important to me. I would like your support in preserving San Jose Skate, 397 Blossom Hill Road, which is currently up for rezoning to residential use to build low income studios in its place. The roller rink at San Jose Skate has been providing the community with safe, affordable family fun for over 30 years.
I feel that rezoning this property would be a detriment for the neighborhood, because this studio complex project that Charities Housing is proposing would not be paying full property taxes, would not have sufficient parking for its residence, would significantly increase foot traffic in an already congested neighborhood, and add to a severe traffic problem surrounding getting onto Highway 85 at Blossom Hill.
I feel that the property holds a greater value to the community as a roller rink since it serves as family friendly entertainment for all ages, is one of the few
indoor exercise facilities for children, provides teens with a safe place to socialize, and is home to the Silicon Valley Roller Girls, our local women’s flat-track roller derby league. Given the dearth of affordable indoor recreational facilities in San Jose, the closing of San Jose Skate would be detrimental not just to the neighborhood, but to the city as a whole.
Please consider voting NO on the rezoning of this property. Thank you!
A Concerned Citizen,
Name
Address
2. Sign The Petition
You can find physical copies of the petition to sign at San Jose Skate or any SVRG event. If you can’t get to one of these locations, then you can sign the petition online at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/sanjoseskate/. This petition will be added to the city planner’s project file which will be presented to the City Council. It will also be presented to the land owners as a plea for them to keep the rink and enter into a long-term lease with San Jose Skate management or to sell the property to a party interested in preserving it as a roller rink.
3. Attend the Public Hearing
The date has not been set, but you can keep track of coming events on our blog at http://saveourrink.blogspot.com for more information.
4. Spread The Word
Forward this information to your friends and family and ask them to get involved too. It only takes a moment!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Save San Jose Skate!
First, I would like to thank you for past business with San Jose Skate.
Next my reason for sending you this email. Trust me I would not do it if it wasn't extremely important.
San Jose Skate is in danger of going the way of most child oriented venues in California and particularly in San Jose. Think about it! Where do children have the opportunity to go these days that is safe and inexpensive? You probably have many fond memories of spending a Friday or Saturday night here as a teen or attending a birthday party as a kid.
Now some background. The owners of the property have decided to sell the property to Charities Housing of San Jose. Charities Housing is planning on developing a SRO (single residence occupancy) type facility for low income individuals or couples. There will be a community meeting organized by the City's Planning Department on
Thursday February 11 at 6:00pm at the
Edenvale Library
located at
101 Branham Ln.
San Jose, CA 95111
Link to Google Maps http://maps.google.com/maps?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&oq=edenvale&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=edenvale+library&fb=1&gl=us&hq=edenvale+library&hnear=San+Jose,+CA+95111&cid=0,0,8942800682769164941&ei=VmtjS__UAYHWtgPOisGdAw&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQnwIwAA
I firmly believe in the job Charities Housing does and especially now with the economy being what it is, however, the rink has been here for over 30 years and is valuable to all citizens of the Silicon Valley and San Jose no matter what their income.
I know that the rink is well worn and needs a lot of cosmetic improvements but unfortunately we have never had a lease that would allow us the flexibility to invest in long term upgrades. If we could ever secure a long term lease or even purchase the building then the necessary improvements would be made.
I have included some links so that you can do the necessary research to form an opinion. Once you do so please plan on attending the community meeting. If you can not attend then please let you local representative know how you feel about the rink closing. I have provided a link to locate your representatives below.you
Thank you for your time and again your business.
Management of San Jose Skate.
Overview of project: http://www.csh.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageID=3141
Architect's graphics: http://www.dbarchitect.com/project_detail/147/Blossom%20Hill%20.html#project_detailsPlanning dept: http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
Find your representative: http://eservices.sccgov.org/district/prepare.do?action=begin
Next my reason for sending you this email. Trust me I would not do it if it wasn't extremely important.
San Jose Skate is in danger of going the way of most child oriented venues in California and particularly in San Jose. Think about it! Where do children have the opportunity to go these days that is safe and inexpensive? You probably have many fond memories of spending a Friday or Saturday night here as a teen or attending a birthday party as a kid.
Now some background. The owners of the property have decided to sell the property to Charities Housing of San Jose. Charities Housing is planning on developing a SRO (single residence occupancy) type facility for low income individuals or couples. There will be a community meeting organized by the City's Planning Department on
Thursday February 11 at 6:00pm at the
Edenvale Library
located at
101 Branham Ln.
San Jose, CA 95111
Link to Google Maps http://maps.google.com/maps?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&oq=edenvale&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=edenvale+library&fb=1&gl=us&hq=edenvale+library&hnear=San+Jose,+CA+95111&cid=0,0,8942800682769164941&ei=VmtjS__UAYHWtgPOisGdAw&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQnwIwAA
I firmly believe in the job Charities Housing does and especially now with the economy being what it is, however, the rink has been here for over 30 years and is valuable to all citizens of the Silicon Valley and San Jose no matter what their income.
I know that the rink is well worn and needs a lot of cosmetic improvements but unfortunately we have never had a lease that would allow us the flexibility to invest in long term upgrades. If we could ever secure a long term lease or even purchase the building then the necessary improvements would be made.
I have included some links so that you can do the necessary research to form an opinion. Once you do so please plan on attending the community meeting. If you can not attend then please let you local representative know how you feel about the rink closing. I have provided a link to locate your representatives below.you
Thank you for your time and again your business.
Management of San Jose Skate.
Overview of project: http://www.csh.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageID=3141
Architect's graphics: http://www.dbarchitect.com/project_detail/147/Blossom%20Hill%20.html#project_detailsPlanning dept: http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning
Find your representative: http://eservices.sccgov.org/district/prepare.do?action=begin
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