Councilmember Cohen from San Jose City Council announced -

 "People who have been sheltering in their RVs and/or vehicles currently located at the encampment on Orchard Parkway will have the opportunity to relocate to the Vista Montana site once all the essential services to provide a safe, secure, and clean site are implemented. We anticipate people and vehicles will start to show up at the site between September 4th and September 7th. "

The neighborhood is concerned as a result, for several reasons - 

1. Safety concern - There are daycares and several parks very close to this site. We are very concerned about the safety of our children.

2. Increasing crime - The city already has a bad track record of deterring crime in the area currently. Car break-ins,theft and suspicious people walking around are common and despite video evidence we do not seem to get timely help or action. The excuse being that there aren’t enough resources with the city. At times we cant even report crimes because they are non-violent.

3. The plan was not disclosed earlier and the neighboring communities were not given sufficient time and information to react. This feels deliberate.

4.San Jose has been trying to deal with current homeless encampments for years and they are out of control with rampant drug use, trash everywhere, and the recent fire on Orchard Pkwy. We do not trust the city to keep this sanctioned “RV parking lot” safe for the neighborhood. We completely oppose having this parking site, even temporarily.

5.The city has failed miserably in maintaining peace and safety and stopping illegal parking/parking violation with subsidized housing. We can't expect the city to do better with the encampment moving here.

The city should consider alternatives that are away from residential areas such as city-owned commercial property or the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, that could be used for a “temporary” and safe RV parking lot.

As much as we understand that this is a problem that city needs to resolve and be compassionate at the same time, it is equally important that they consider the safety and other concerns the current residents of the neighbourhood have.

Please sign the petition to make your voices and concerns heard so that the relocation stops.

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