u/Raskul1

https://youtu.be/3Oiy8rf-C9o?is=AkYr1JR324b6ttCS — Nextdoor - Nextdoor
https://nextdoor.com/p/3yMSdFrNGKPB?utm\_source=share&extras=MjEzMDAwNTQ%3D&share\_platform=1&utm\_campaign=1786213210368&share\_action\_id=b10b54d8-345c-4e5a-b5f7-208ae494ab25&init\_source=other\_share

🥰 You may have noticed I’ve become a social media addict lately. No, Facebook didn’t hire me. No, I’m not running for influencer of the year. And no… I haven’t learned TikTok dances. (Let’s not get carried away.)

The truth is, I have a lot to say! Sometimes it’s about Downtown Santa Clara, sometimes it’s politics, sometimes it’s opinions, sometimes it’s showcasing amazing people, and every now and then… I just enjoy making you laugh.

But here’s the real reason…

About seven weeks ago, I managed to fracture two vertebrae in my lower back. Apparently, gravity and I had a disagreement. During the CT scan, the doctors also found a little 9 mm spot on my lung. As if my body wasn’t already providing enough entertainment. Also, the tip of my left lung has collapsed making my breathing very stressful.

To top it off, I had to cancel the vacation I’d been planning for over a year. My passport is now sitting in a drawer giving me dirty looks.

My daily schedule is now thrilling beyond belief:
💊 Pills.
😮‍💨 Four to five breathing treatments.
🚶 A brisk walk until I’m huffing, puffing, coughing, wheezing, and sounding like an old lawn mower that won’t start.

If anyone wants excitement, I can live-stream my breathing treatments. I guarantee they’ll put you to sleep faster than Netflix.

So… I post.

It keeps my mind busy, my fingers exercised, and gives me a chance to keep everyone informed about what’s happening in Santa Clara—especially our Downtown, because I’m simply too stubborn to quit caring.

If I seem to be posting every 15 minutes… don’t worry. It’s cheaper than therapy.

If a post isn’t your cup of tea, just keep scrolling. But if you decide to comment, please remember… you haven’t walked in these orthopedic shoes. At 84 years old, I’m just doing my best to heal, stay positive, and maybe make a few people smile along the way.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m due for breathing treatment number… oh, who knows anymore. 😜❤️

Three things I will never give up, The Downtown, the Coffee Chats, and yes I will be going to this event even if I cough all the way there.

SB 79 Is Here. Santa Clara Can Either Lead - or Be Left Behind. The State is getting desperate.

California’s Senate Bill 79 is no longer a proposal. It is the law.

Within days of the law taking effect on July 1, a developer in Palo Alto filed the first project under SB 79 before the city could put local implementation measures in place. That wasn’t an accident. Developers are paying attention, and they are moving quickly.

Santa Clara should be paying just as much attention.

Unlike many cities, Santa Clara has spent years planning for growth. We have the Station Area Specific Plan. We have the Downtown Precise Plan. We have completed environmental review. We have publicly owned land in Downtown. We have one of the Bay Area’s most important transit hubs. We have a vision.

What we have lacked is urgency.

For years, we’ve commissioned studies, hired consultants, formed committees, and debated what our Downtown should become. Meanwhile, housing demand has continued to grow, state housing laws have become more aggressive, and Sacramento has steadily shifted more authority away from cities that fail to act.

SB 79 is the latest example.

If Santa Clara’s local regulations are not fully aligned with state law, developers may increasingly look to SB 79 rather than local zoning. That means the City has less control - not more.

The solution is not to stop development.

The solution is to lead it.

Downtown Santa Clara should be our highest priority. Blocks A and B are publicly owned. The vision already exists. The infrastructure planning has been underway for years. Every year we delay, construction costs rise, opportunities disappear, and the State gains a stronger role in determining what gets built.

This isn’t just about housing.

It’s about creating the downtown Santa Clara has talked about for generations—a vibrant center with homes, restaurants, retail, entertainment, public gathering spaces, and a true civic heart connected to one of the region’s most important transit stations.

If we continue to hesitate, we shouldn’t be surprised when others make the decisions for us.

Santa Clara still has the opportunity to shape its own future.

But that window will not stay open forever.

The question isn’t whether growth is coming.

The question is simple:

Will Santa Clara lead its future - or will we continue reacting to it after someone else has already made the next move?

In my opinion, there were no winners in either the Convention Center/Chamber dispute or the PAL BMX controversy.

Both conflicts began during Mayor Lisa Gillmor’s administration. Whether you supported the City’s position or not, it’s fair to ask whether these situations could have been handled differently before they grew into years of division.

The Convention Center dispute ended with a settlement, damaged relationships, and a fractured partnership with the business community.

The BMX dispute divided families, volunteers, and the community around a youth program that had once brought people together.

To me, the common denominator isn’t the Chamber or the BMX volunteers, it’s the City’s approach to resolving conflict. When disagreements repeatedly escalate into public battles, litigation, and community division, leadership deserves scrutiny along with everyone else involved.

No one truly won. The people who paid the price were the residents, taxpayers, local businesses, and our youth.

Santa Clara deserves leadership that brings people together, solves problems before they become crises, and leaves the community stronger - not more divided.