San Jose Downtown Association Platform 2005
10 Questions for candidates

1. Downtown, North San Jose, Coyote Valley, Strong Neighborhood Initiative (SNI) – San Jose has many high profile development priorities. Where do you place the focus and why?

2. We enjoy the “safest big city” mantle but prefer the adjectives “successful and friendly.” How do you encourage changes in downtown police practices so we can be all three: safe, successful and friendly?

3. What is your assessment of the maintenance level downtown? What would you do differently to keep downtown clean?

4. We are on the verge of several high-rise residential projects beginning construction downtown. Since San Jose is an untested market for this type of housing, what are the appropriate incentives the city can offer?

5. Small business is the backbone of the city’s tax base yet many small businesses say it is more difficult and expensive than ever to open in San Jose. Are we moving fast enough to make this a more friendly, efficient and cost-effective environment for business and what will you do to improve the city’s performance in this area?

6. What is your plan to “fill the gaps” in the downtown and focus our public/private resources on targeted in-fill projects?

7. The pressure to build residential in today’s market is immense. Should we preserve certain sites in the downtown for future office/commercial use?

8. BART, light rail and bus projects are all proposed for Santa Clara Street. What transit options really make sense for downtown and why?

9. What is your plan to increase parking downtown?

10. Downtowns attract the “big idea” projects like convention center expansions, ballparks, theaters and stadiums. What is your “big idea” project for downtown?