Google Giant Land Deal With San Jose To Be Heard Today

SAN JOSE, CA -- Attending the City Council meeting Tuesday may require a pen, paper, patience and even a pack with a sleeping bag in it.

That's because the metro city government will discuss selling six parcels deemed in the redevelopment zone near the Diridon transit station for $110 million. The proposal is exacerbated with the city's estimate of another $110 million gained in sales tax revenue from the site located north of Interstate 280 and west of Highway 87.

Crowds are expected to voice their favor or opposition for the plans of the search engine giant, which holds the distinction of topping the list as making the first and second largest land acquisitions in the nation from one coast to another.

The city contends five of the six parcels are required to be sold now for economic development purposes anyway as part of the dissolution of redevelopment agencies statewide in 2011. The land consists of parking lots, a few industrial buildings and an nearly obsolete fire training facility, which is due to be moved.

Many options are floating around regarding what Google will build on the land. In addition to a likely office complex to house workers, other mixed-use projects have been discussed ranging from housing and retail to public plazas and parks on the west side of downtown San Jose.

The city has insisted Google construct a quarter of the property with affordable housing and rent-restrictive units to combat the ever-increasing housing problems. The median price for a home in the area numbers about the same as the population at $1.1 million.

Housing and what to do about it appears to be the hot-button issue when it comes to dissent and disgruntlement among the city's naysayers.

But those in favor of the Google land deal contend the search engine giant is not to blame for the housing issue and won't make it worse. Further, Mayor Sam Liccardo reported 68 percent of San Jose residents support a Google-built transit village to surround the Diridon station.

Like the project supporters, Liccardo argues the current housing crisis resulted in decades of imbalanced development throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. The fact is, the job market has been too good in the region. The South Bay has produced six times as many jobs as housing units.

With the Google complex, the city not only expects to provide no subsidy to the company but also anticipates the firm will foot the bill for costly infrastructure such as water, sewer and road improvements.

Still, despite the appearance of a win-win between city government and its citizens, the proposal has not been well-received by everyone. The First Amendment Coalition, in conjunction with Working Partnerships USA, has sued the city in Santa Clara County Superior Court over disclosure of "secret details" of its negotiations to sell the public land. The accusation is one the city flatly denies.

Through a public records request, FAC is asking for records relating to the city's agreements with Google. The coalition accuses the mayor and other council members of "signing NDAs (non-disclosure agreements at Google's request."

"The public is entitled to know what elected leaders are doing and saying in negotiation with corporations doing business with the government -- especially where those companies are as large and powerful as Google," FAC Executive Director David Snyder said. "NDAs do not and cannot override elected leaders' obligations to produce records under public records laws."

The unrest on such issues has sparked protests over the large campus anticipated to hold up to 20,000 employees.

Working Partnerships Deputy Executive Director Maria Noel Fernandez noted "the public shouldn't be left in the dark" in respect to the plans.

"The question we're trying to get to the bottom of here is: 'What are they hiding?'" she said.

The dissenting groups have also sent a letter to the city alleging violations of the Brown Act, California's open meeting law.

City should be the envy of others

The South Bay business community is trying to understand the source of the dissent, which Silicon Valley Organization President Matt Mahood calls a cross between "creative, social activism" and "NIMBYism," the latter standing for "Not in my back yard."

"They're using this as a rallying point. But if you look at the fundamentals of what's happening, San Jose could be the envy of every other jurisdiction around," he said, following a town hall the Silicon Valley business community hosted to voice its support for the project.

For one, Amazon's quest for another corporate site sent some cities into a frenzied bidding war to have the successful company consider it as its next site.

The Los Gatos resident contends Google's request to build another eight million square feet of office space will do more than give high tech staffers a place to work. The spillover into the neighborhood commercial opportunities is great and creates a vibrant core where those workers can spend money.

"What I would argue is what's the alternative?" he said. "Without successful business, communities cannot thrive. Look at Pittsburgh and the coal state towns. "There tends to be (the notion that) high tech has caused all social ills. Yes we have issues in the community, but they're not cause by business."

Mahood's sentiment was joined by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Vice President of Transportation, Housing & Community Development Jason Baker.

Baker also insists many cities would clamor to have Google approach them with their construction ideas. He also noted how the $237.50 per square foot is more than a fair market value for the company to pay. As a community development guru, Baker also points to the proximity of the proposal as one of its shining attributes.

"The picked the best place next to one of the biggest transit centers. This will be good for the whole region," Baker said. "I think the message that gets lost in all this is that this is the perfect place for the local economy -- and its good for job," he said. "This is what we planned for decades."

Baker referred to many Google employees having to drive "way up the Peninsula" to go to work at Google's Mountain View headquarters. Urban planners have long advocated methods to get workers closer to where they live. Many of Google's staffers live in the San Jose metropolitan area.

--Images courtesy of city of San Jose and Silicon Valley Organization