Friends of Cambrian Park Plaza want a say in retail center’s redevelopment

SAN JOSE >> The 1950s-era Cambrian Park Plaza, well known for its colorful carousel sign at the corner of Union and Camden avenues in San Jose, is looking pretty tired these days.

The bowling alley and many stores are vacant as the shopping center’s owners move ahead with redevelopment plans.

Houston-based Weingarten Realty purchased the approximately 18-acre shopping center in 2015 and has submitted plans for an urban village that includes two six-story hotels with 238 rooms, a fourstory convalescent home, a seven-story, 260 unit apartment building and 73 town homes.

The plan, at cam brian park plaza shopping center. com, also lists retail, entertainment and event spaces, and the plaza’s iconic carousel would be relocated to a 1.63-acre park.

The proposed project led to the formation last year of the Friends of Cambrian Park Plaza, which held a June 18 community meeting to brief neighbors about the plans.

“What we took away from that meeting is most people recognize there’s a need for redevelopment,” Friends’ member Peter Clarke said. “But most people also said they don’t like the heights, and they’re concerned about the hotels and apartment homes.”

That was borne out in an online survey the Friends conducted earlier this year. The results from more than 1,100 Cambrian residents, at friendsofcpp.org, show neighbors want restaurants, shops, green space and entertainment opportunities.

Fewer than 100 of the respondents said they were “very much in favor” of Weingarten’s plan, while more than 800 were worried about increased traffic.

“The intersection of Camden and Union is one of the 10 worst in the city,” Friends’ member Bob Burres said. “It has a grade of ‘F’ for failing.”

Burres said the level of development that’s being proposed is too much, too soon.

“The city wants a livework-play environment, but you’re going to have million dollar town homes and market rate apartments that the people who work at the shopping center won’t be able to afford,” Burres said.

With those concerns in mind, the Friends are knocking on neighbors’ doors this summer to boost their membership numbers — there are currently about 900 members — and hope to arrange a meeting with city officials and Weingarten.

In other words, they want equal footing at the negotiation table.

“This is our first foray into community action and we’ve been learning a lot,” Clarke said. “The city has a very defined planning process and Weingarten’s proposal meets the (Envision San Jose 2040) General Plan. So, if nobody does anything, it will be approved. Except the neighbors won’t be happy and it will ruin our neighborhood.”

Asked about the Friends’ survey results, Weingarten spokeswoman Meagan Froehlich said they “appreciate the continued interest in the redevelopment of Cambrian Park Plaza.

“We are currently in the planning process; evaluating comments from the local community and governing body with the intent to develop a space the community will enjoy,” she said.

An environmental impact report is being prepared for the project, so it’s expected to be next year before the proposal goes to the city planning commission or City Council, Clarke said.

The Friends, in the meantime, are watching the political scene, since District 9 Councilman Don Rocha terms out in November.

Rocha will be replaced by either Pam Foley or Kalen Gallagher, who are in a runoff for the District 9 council seat.

The Friends’ have interviewed both candidates and are considering endorsing one of them.