Cisco Systems has proposed the development of a 6.6 million-square-foot industrial campus in the Coyote Valley, south of San Jose, California, that would employ 20,000 workers and bring massive development, traffic, and air pollution to some of the last remaining open space in an area that has been already heavily developed.

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How Will it Impact Our Region?

Already cities and counties to the south feel threatened by the continued expansion of Silicon Valley as more and more workers flock to Gilroy, Hollister and Salinas seeking relief from the high cost of housing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. As planned, Cisco's development is a huge economic engine that would create a brand new city at the southern edge of Santa Clara County — the trigger that would guarantee large-scale sprawl to the south.

Despite the intense housing crisis and near gridlock traffic congestion plaguing the region, the new "Cisco City" as approved by the city of San Jose is sprawl at its worst, and:

• Includes NO housing for the 50,000 new employees in the Research Park

• Completely lacks a credible plan for mass transit

• Will exacerbate gridlock

• Promises to drastically decrease air quality

• Destroys prime agricultural land

• Eliminates open space and destroys a valuable wildlife corridor

• Creates a considerable tax burden on the City of San Jose

Why waste precious resources to build a brand new city when San Jose could accommodate Cisco's development plans and thrive? With proper guidance and an innovative redevelopment plan for downtown San Jose, the Cisco campus could revitalize existing neighborhoods in San Jose, maximize the efficient use of existing infrastructure and public transportation, and be a boon to the cities' economy.

The large scale of the Cisco development — with 20,000 employees, a parking lot for nearly 20,000 cars, and 50,000 new car trips per day — is obviously inappropriate for the Coyote Valley. The impacts of this development threaten to be serious and permanent: if Cisco's workers commute from South County, Monterey County and San Benito County, hundreds of farm workers will be forced out of the area, threatening the area's lively agricultural economy.

Remember "The Valley of Heart's Delight," a center of agriculture with beautiful orchards and extremely fertile soil? Now it is called Silicon Valley, home to 23 Superfund sites. We believe the citizens of San Jose have learned a lesson — a lesson not to be repeated.

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What Can We Do About It?

The Committee for Green Foothills has long opposed Cisco Systems' proposal to build this massive complex in the Coyote Valley. We believe the project as currently conceived would have enormous negative consequences that extend far beyond the city boundaries of San Jose.

The Committee for Green Foothills has joined forces with the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the Audubon Society, the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Community Homeless Advocacy Ministry, and numerous concerned individuals to form a new organization, PLAN.

PLAN (People for Livable, Affordable Neighborhoods) is an association of local environmental organizations and individuals committed to stopping the proposed Cisco development in Coyote Valley. This requires overturning a number of San Jose City Council resolutions and ordinances passed on October 24, 2000.

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What is the PLAN Referendum?

In November 2000, PLAN launched a referendum to give the voters of San Jose the opportunity to choose whether they want this massive development in their city. The referendum would permit San Jose citizens to vote whether to overturn the City Council decision to create an Industrial Park for Cisco and other companies in Coyote Valley.

On December 12, PLAN submitted 54,147 signatures to Patricia O'Hearn, San Jose's City clerk. This large number of signatures was made possible with the help of many volunteers and paid signature gatherers. The City Clerk has now certified 42,859 of these signatures, a third more than the 8 percent of registered voters needed to trigger an election.

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What's Next?

On January 11, 2001, San Jose city officials declared that the text used in the referendum petition was incorrect, thus rendering invalid the referendum process.

PLAN feels that the City is trying to prevent the public from voting on this issue by throwing up a smokescreen. PLAN's attorney maintains that the petitions are valid, and is working hard to ensure that the people of San Jose have a choice in this issue, which will affect our quality of life immediately and permanently.

The amendments cited in the referendum are plainly legislative, and the San Jose City attorney and City Council have usurped the role of the courts in deciding the legal question as to what subject is referendadable. In doing so, the City Council has made a gross attempt to deny the people of San Jose their right to vote on this massive project, which will change our region forever.

PLAN will file a lawsuit shortly to correct this usurpation and give the citizens of San Jose their constitutional right to vote on this issue.

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How Can I Help?

1. VOLUNTEER!

PLAN is a grassroots organization dependent on the involvement of many volunteers. While we are working to ensure that the referendum does indeed qualify for a ballot, we are also gearing up for the election, which has not yet been scheduled but is expected for sometime in the spring of 2001.

We need all of the following:

• Volunteers who can return phone calls and e-mails, and be part of telephone trees

• Volunteers for a speaker's bureau

• Local organizations that would welcome an informational presentation and an endorsement of PLAN

• Help with research on voter lists and understanding the demographics of San Jose

• Volunteers to design graphics and message for posters, flyers, other informational material

• Volunteers to lead reality tours to Coyote Valley

• Help with research on effect of proposed development

• Help coordinating office work

To volunteer for PLAN's work, contact us:
PLAN office (408) 293-5314
Ernie Goitein (650) 369-6690
PLANcampaign@yahoo.com

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2. SPEAK UP!

If you are a resident of San Jose — or of any of the surrounding communities that will be affected by this development — let the San Jose City Council know what you think about the Cisco proposal.

Click here to send email to the entire San Jose City Council. All individual addresses are listed below by District.

San Jose City Councilmembers

Council District 10
City Hall
801 North First Street, Room 600
San José, CA 95110

Mayor Ron Gonzales
408-277-4237
mayoremail@ci.sj.ca.us

Linda LeZotte
District 1
408-277-5438
linda.lezotte@ci.sj.ca.us

Forrest Williams
District 2
408-277-4282
forrest.williams@ci.sj.ca.us

Cindy Chavez
District 3
408-277-5231
cindy.chavez@ci.sj.ca.us

Chuck Reed
District 4
408-277-5320
District4@ci.sj.ca.us

District 5 is currently vacant

Ken Yeager
District 6
408-277-5166
ken.yeager@ci.sj.ca.us

Vice Mayor George Shirakawa, Jr.
District 7
408-277-5226
district7@ci.sj.ca.us

David D. Cortese
District 8
408-277-5242
dave.cortese@ci.sj.ca.us

John Diquisto
District 9
408-277-5275
john.a.diquisto@ci.sj.ca.us

Pat Dando
District 10
408-277-5251
pat.dando@ci.sj.ca.us

Let the City Council know that you think the voters of San Jose should have a say in this matter, which will affect all of us for generations to come.

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How Can I Support PLAN's Work?

This campaign is being run on a shoestring with assistance from many dedicated volunteers. We are facing the formidable resources of Cisco and their powerful political allies. Your contribution toward our work will go a long way to helping save Coyote Valley.

Contributions can be made out to PLAN, and mailed to:

  PLAN
  48 South 7th Street, #101
  San Jose, CA 95112

Contributions to PLAN are not tax-deductible.

For information about supporting the work of Committee for Green Foothills or about making a tax-deductible gift to support local environmental work, contact CGF at (650) 968-7243 or info@GreenFoothills.org.

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Where Can I Find Out More?

Contact PLAN at (408) 293-5314, or PLANcampaign@yahoo.com.

Visit these great websites for more information about the Cisco proposal and the Coyote Valley...

http://www.savecoyotevalley.org
This Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society website has more details about the effects of the development.

http://www.stanford.edu/~rawlings/coyote/
This site from the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society describes the beauty and natural values of the Coyote Valley.

Together, we can PLAN a better future for the Coyote Valley!