Los Gatos owns a 13-acre parcel in the middle of Santa Clara County's Vasona Lake Park, and the town council appears to some to be in a hurry to take the county's first offer for the land. The Planning Commission approved the sale May 9. Many concerned Los Gatans spoke at Monday night's council meeting in opposition. The matter is on the June 4 agenda, so the council could not respond.
The county is offering $501,923 per acre for the town's land, which is surrounded by county land, but it wants nearly $800,000 per acre for a sub-acre parcel that the county owns in the town's Oak Meadow Park. Joe Carroll, during verbal communications, suggested that the town offer to buy all of Vasona Lake Park for $502,000 per acre--$75 million--and see how the county responds.
"There are no good reasons to sell this land. None." Carroll told the council. A real estate developer, he explained that there comes a time in any negotiation when both parties are ready to deal, but "we're not there yet."
The council risks appearing anti-youth if the sale goes through, if only because the list of those speaking against the sale include Lee Fagot and Jeff Miller of A Place For Teens (at the Apr. 2 meeting), Ed San Juan of the Los Gatos United Soccer League, and Joe Clancy, of the Los Gatos Little League board. Only Councilmember Steve Glickman, who has traditionally aligned with youth, seems opposed to a quick sale.
"If it's a done deal, it's so unfortunate," Ed San Juan of the Soccer League said. He told the council that his inbox is full of messages from angry parents. "This is very, very unpopular," he said, accusing the council of giving property away that could be used for youth sports. Noting the recent debate over whether the town is "child-friendly," he warned the council it was creating a "child-proof" town.
Update: A Place For Teens board member Jeff Miller spoke against a quick sale in April, but now supports the idea "under terms the council deems appropriate" and does not believe selling the land is in any way "anti-youth."
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