At the recent televised priority session, the city council and senior staff discussed the priorities for San Jose which included the Redevelopment Agency (RDA) and the dollars spent on the Strong Neighborhood Initiative (SNI).
SNI is a policy implemented about eight years ago. SNIs are suppose to represent areas in the city that are “run down” and/or in need of “special attention.” There are 20 SNIs in San Jose where the RDA has spent approximately $60 million.
I asked a question about the equity of the SNIs. For example, how much has been spent to date in each SNI area and what did the overall neighborhood receive in return. This data has been attached at the end of my post.
People have asked me how a particular neighborhood became an SNI area and their concerns for “non-SNI areas” that were left out. In addition, I also wanted to understand the equity between SNI areas themselves. I wanted to understand how funds where allocated. Was it by population or by need?
Each SNI chooses their “top ten” list and it is from this list that the RDA funds what the SNIs want. These “top ten” lists resemble what most other neighborhoods want citywide.
What if one SNI wants a million dollar community center but another SNI just wants new trees? It appears that there may be a lack of equity. What about the “non-SNI area” who needs traffic calming or street maintenance? They don’t even have the right to a top ten list. My concern is equity.
I applaud our city for trying to reach out and help underserved communities. However, I think we need to “self check” ourselves. With the city in a budget deficit, other non-SNI areas are actually becoming underserved.
SNI Projects: Expenditures by Project to Date
SNI – 13th Street
COUPLET CONVERSION 2,796,239.46
BUSINESS FACADES 384,202.70
STREETSCAPE 1,523,950.00
BACKESTO PARK 200,000.00
SNI – 13th Street 4,904,392.16
SNI – Five Wounds/Brookwood Terrace
WILLIAMS 24TH ST IMPROVE (FAÇADE) 397,416.75
MCLAUGHLIN AVE. IMPROVEMENT 858,456.00
BART STATION AREA VISIONING 837.37
SELMA-OLINDER PARK 1,000,000.00
WILLIAM ST. STREETSCAPES 50,000.00
HOUSING REHABILITATION 256,615.51
Roosevelt Comm. Ctr. Skate Park 500,000.00
SNI – Five Wounds/Brookwood Terrace 3,063,325.63
SNI – Delmas Park
RESIDENTIAL PARKING 13.00
NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC PLAN 50,000.00
W. SAN CARLOS STREETSCAPES 1,199,387.53
AUZERAIS STREETSCAPES 573,700.00
SIDEWALKS 60,000.00
SNI – Delmas Park 1,883,100.53
SNI – East Valley/680 Communi
NOISE STUDY 42,120.00
SIDEWALKS 1,000,000.00
COMMUNITY FACILITIES 40,388.05
STREET SWEEPING 25,000.00
SNI – East Valley/680 Communi 1,107,508.05
SNI – Edenvale/Great Oaks
GONA NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER 243,828.17
ERCA NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER 538,076.82
MASTERPLAN FEASIBILITY STUDY 1,518,967.10
COMMUNITY GARDEN 175,000.00
SKATEPARK 440,632.52
TRAFFIC CALMING AT SCHOOLS 20,333.00
IMPROVE LIGHTING 56,000.00
SNI – Edenvale/Great Oaks 2,992,837.61
SNI – Greater Gardner
STREET IMPROVEMENTS 2,288,311.39
SCHOOL TRAFFIC CALMING 80,000.00
FULLER AVENUE OPEN SPACE 746,000.00
BUSINESS FACADES 121,974.93
W. VIRGINIA STREETSPACES 634,280.18
HOUSING REHABILITATION 130,000.00
SNI – Greater Gardner 4,000,566.50
SNI – Hoffman/Via Monte
NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER 166,456.37
ALLEY IMPROVEMENTS 443,520.49
HOUSING REHABILTATION 250,000.00
SNI – Hoffman/Via Monte 859,976.86
SNI – Union/Curtner Bus Cluste
FACADE 295,313.93
SNI – Union/Curtner Bus Cluste 295,313.93
SNI – University
O’DONNELLS’S GARDENS PARK 689,000.00
COYOTE CREEK TRAIL 546,500.00
COUPLET CONVERSION 300,000.00
PEDESTRIAN CORRIDORS 499,000.00
BUSINESS FACADES 76,715.56
STREETLIGHTS 486,000.00
SNI – University 2,597,215.56
SNI – Washington
PARQUE DE PADRE MATEO SHEEDY 731,183.18
ALMA CENTERS IMPROVEMENTS 397,255.00
STORM DRAIN IMPROVEMENTS 785,000.00
COUPLET CONVERSION 700,000.90
WASHINGTON SCHOOL IMPROVEMEN 100,000.00
ALLEYWAYS 99,719.39
ALLEYWAYS RECONSTRUCTION (CD 527,420.54
TAMIEN SKATEBOARD PARK
SNI – Washington 3,340,579.01
SNI – West Evergreen
MEADOWFAIR COMMUNITY CENTER 834,475.89
PARKS & REC SPACE 172.92
BARBERRY lANE TRAIL 84,000.00
ABORN PED IMPROVEMENTS 61,498.00
LOWER SILVER CREEK IMPROVEME 15,000.00
ADA CURB RAMPS 187,000.00
SNI – West Evergreen 1,182,146.81
SNI – Winchester
EDEN TRAFFIC CALMING 74,750.00
WINCHESTER STREETSCAPES 2,458,217.42
TRAFFIC CALMING/STREETSCAPE
SNI – Winchester 2,532,967.42
SNI – Blackford
IMPROVE LIGHTING 70,000.00
ACCESS TO RECREATION 5,434,376.84
WILLIAMS/BOYNTON IMPVTS (FACADE) 56,177.32
STREET TREE PLANTING 9,500.00
TRAFFIC CALMING 30,000.00
SNI – Blackford 5,600,054.16
SNI – Burbank/Del Monte
OPEN SPACE
SCOTT/AUZERAIS IMPVTS 996,755.00
FREEWAY PARK 48,812.10
PROGRAM/SERVICES INVENTORY 5,080.62
Richmond-Menker Apt Complex 320,000.00
SNI – Burbank/Del Monte 1,370,647.72
SNI – K. O. N. A.
BULK WASTE STRATEGY 10,230.00
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB 500,000.00
TRAFFIC CALMING 25,000.00
SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS 41,133.00
WELCH PARK 235,000.00
ADA REMPS 275,000.00
SNI – K. O. N. A. 1,086,363.00
SNI – Market/Almaden
NEIGHBORHOOD PARK 50,228.02
PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS 1,073,297.30
SNI – Market/Almaden 1,123,525.32
SNI – Mayfair
ADULT LEARNING CENTER 3,200,000.00
STREET LIGHTING 343,470.16
TRAFFIC CALMING 221,000.00
SNI – Mayfair 3,764,470.16
SNI – Spartan/Keyes
OPEN SPACE 140,000.00
TRAFFIC CALMING 1,053,896.00
KEYES STREETSCAPE 1,023,440.11
REVITALIZE BUSINESSES (FAÇADE) 145,186.86
NOISE STUDY 43,000.00
ACCESS TO SCHOOL 25,000.00
SNI – Spartan/Keyes 2,430,522.97
SNI – Tully/Senter
SHCOOL HUB 186,110.98
MCLAUGHLIN AVE. IMPVTS 682,683.36
NISICH DRIVE PARK 1,600,000.00
TRAFFIC CALMING 64,377.56
CHAIN LINK FENCE 120,236.98
Holly Hill Infrastructure Im 150,000.00
SNI – Tully/Senter 2,803,408.88
SNI – Gateway East
SANITARY SEWER IMPVTS 950,000.00
STORM DRAIN IMPVTS 75,000.00
PARK FACILITIES 862,401.64
COMMUNITY GARDEN 26,000.00
STREET IMPROVEMENTS 441,123.81
TRAFFIC CALMING 75,000.00
SNI – Gateway East 2,429,525.45
