Welcome to the AVCA home page! This site provides information of special interest to the residents of Almaden Valley, the area roughly equivalent to Postal Zone 95120, in San Jose, California.  The items in the left column contain more permanent information of interest. The items below contain current, mostly temporary information. General Plan update to General Plan 2040 San Jose is currently operating under General Plan 2020.  Updates for a General Plan 2040 are under consideration, and the public is invited to get involved.  To learn about the process, read General Plan Update:  Envision San Jose 2040 San Jose Prepared! -- Community Emergency Response Team Training San Jose Prepared! Home Page about education, training, and support for emergencies/disasters.  The series of five class modules, open to area residents, is described, with dates of the next scheduled classes listed.  Watch for upcomming classes   Enroll online. Calendar for the week starting May 8, 2008         Calendar of Local Events - from the Almaden Times Guide to Local Cultural & Charitable Events         from Image Magazine - from the editors of the Almaden Resident Flyers received for Coming Events: Update on Scope, Schedule and Budget for revision, recirculation of the Coyote Valley Spercific Plan Environmental Impact Report. SAVUR Report in Almaden Times 2/14/2008 First Relay For Life in Almaden Valley was a tremendous success! Twenty-four hours of participants' laps around the Leland High School track brought in more than six times the dollar amount expected by the American Cancer Society.  There were over 400 participants, perhaps as many as 600, on more than 30 teams, who spent Saturday, June 30, at 10 AM through Sunday, July 1, at 10 AM running, jogging, walking the oval and earning money donated by sponsors for the ACS.  The final tally is not yet reported, but it was amazing for the first relay at a new location.  See the articles and photographs at: Impressive first step:  American Cancer Society Relay For Life in Almaden     raises over $169,000 at inaugural event Anti-cancer relay rakes in six times organizers' goal Objections to the Coyote Valley Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR)     by Art Boudreault, AVCA President. This study should be reviewed by all Almaden Valley residents and other concerned individuals. Almaden Area Development Permits(click on the address to see the details) 926 HAMPSWOOD WAY: Special Use Permit to construct a 552 square-foot accessory structure, in excess of 200 square feet allowed by right, to a single-family residence on a 0.53 gross acre site - 3/28/2008 6786 ELWOOD RD: Planned Development Permit to construct two single-family detached residences on a 0.72 gross acre site - 10/24/2007 1135 GRIMLEY LN: Rezone from Single-Family Residence Zoning District to allow single-family detached residential uses on a 1.48 gross acre site - 9/28/2007 1135 GRIMLEY LN: General Plan mendment request to change Land Use/Transportation Diagram designation from Very Low Density Residential (2 DU/AC) to Medium Low Density Residential (8 DU/AC) on a 1.48-acre site - 9/28/2007 1110 BLOSSOM HILL RD AT ALMADEN EXP: Determination of Public Convenience or Necessity to allow the off-sale of alcohol at a new retail (Grocery/Food) store on a 10.2 gross acres site - 9/18/2007 11819 REDMOND AVE.: Allow a 992 sq. ft Second Unit/accessory structure on a 0.56 gross acre site - 9/18/2007 1110 BLOSSOM HILL RD: Renovate shopping center. Replace Rite Aid with WholeFoods - 8/29/07 LITTMAN DR: Site Development Permit to allow construction of an irrigation pond and associated pump house at an existing golf course. - 8/29/07 TUCSON DR: Permit to establish a landscape plan and remove two Palm trees (101 and 96 inchs in circumference) and one non-ordinance sized Brazilian Pepper tree at an existing fourplex - 8/27/07 ALMADEN EXP near REDMOND AVE: Permit for single family detached units on 0.95 acres - 8/21/07 1250 BLOSSOM HILL RD: Conditional Use Permit to construct a 5,000 sq ft building - 8/15/07 6082 ALMADEN EXP: Rezone from Agricultural to allow 13 homes - 8/7/07 ALMADEN EXP: San Jose General Plan Amendment from Very Low Density Residential; (2.0 DU/AC) to Medium Low Density Residential (8.0 DU/AC) on a 1.82 acre site. DU/AC = dwelling units per acre - 8/7/07. 0 BRET HARTE DR: Allow wireless communication antennas atop an existing PG&E pole and a 252 sq ft enclosure for cabinets on a 4.96-acre site - 6/28/2007             (on Bret Harte Drive just as one approaches Queenswood Way) 16310 ALMADEN RD: Demolition of an existing single-family residence and construction of six single-family detached residential units on a 1.07-acre site - 6/11/07             (on east side of Almaden Expy, between Redmond Ave. & McAbee Rd.) 19600 ALMADEN RD: Six single-family detached residences on a 1.09-acre site - 5/24/07             (along Almaden Road, near McKean Rd./Mockingbird Hill Rd.) DELETE SAVUR interim sports field from General Plan text - 10/25/06 6604 NORTHRIDGE DR: (Wireless Antenna) - 10/3/06 16310 ALMADEN RD: - 7/10/06 MC KEAN RD: opposite Shillingsburg Ave. (16 homes) - 06/12/06 7311 GLENVIEW DR: - 03/22/06 1126 BARNES LN: - 02/03/06 6664 BROADACRES DR: - 12/02/05 8108 BERTRAM RD: - 12/01/05 18950 ALMADEN RD: (Feed & Fuel Restaurant) - 11/07/05 6411 GUADALUPE MINES RD: - 05/02/05 San Jose in Photographs: years 1975 and 2000 shots of the same location The origin of these fascinating photographs showing San Jose areas twenty-five years apart has been traced. The photographs were put together by Gerald J. Greenleaf, Senior Architect of the San Jose Redevelopment Agency, as a PowerPoint presentation, and then adapted to display on the Web by Loui Tucker of the Buena Vista Neighborhood Association.  You can see the display on a page of the Buena Vista Neighborhood Association's Web Site. Those of you who were here in 1975 will doubtless recognize many of the locations.  What a contrast between the "then" and the "now!"  The links to newspaper articles used to be located below, on the rest of this page. They have now been moved to a second page, so if you would like to look for news articles related to Almaden Valley or, for some topics, related to San Jose, please click to follow the link: to newspaper links AVCA meetings for 2008 will be held on:       Monday, May, 12       Monday, June, 9       Monday, July, 14       Monday, August, 11       Monday, September, 8       Monday, October, 13       Monday, November, 10       Monday, December, 8 Send us your E-MAIL address, if you have not done so, to: Lee Dimmitt, our Communications Manager, to get meeting announcements, interactive communications, etc.  Stay informed.  AVCA communications are now conducted through the AVCA Web site, the AVCA E-mail Network, and by letter to the editors of newspapers. Almaden Valley schools are above national average, traffic is at an unacceptable level, land usage is a problem because it ignores traffic impact, public safety is the best in the city, and disaster planning is satisfactory. For full details, check out the articles linked from the column at left. Is the quality of life in the Almaden Valley worth $15/year, three years for $30 (tax deductible)? Yes! How to become an AVCA member Viewer Comments, not necessarily AVCA's position:     About Almaden Please send any comments to Lee Dimmitt at LDimmitt@aol.com