San Jose Approves Google Deal
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Wednesday, Volume 151 12.5.2018 No. 43 SERVING SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934 WWW.SJSUNEWS.COM/SPARTAN_DAILY Sold: San Jose approves Google deal By Winona Rajamohan and partnership with Google. Mauricio La Plante “Google remains committed STAFF WRITER AND to working with the city and CONTRIBUTING WRITER community to address the aspirations and concerns On Tuesday, protesters chained surrounding future development themselves to their seats and delayed that have been raised this evening San Jose City Council’s meeting. and over the last year of public The councils met to approve engagement,” Gonzalez said in a Google’s offer to buy public land statement from Google. downtown near the Diridon Station The Purchase and Sale for an extensive development Agreements outline Google’s project between the city and the proposed spending of about tech giant. $110 million on several parcels As of 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, of land, including some sites council members voted previously owned by the San Jose unanimously in Google’s favor, Redevelopment Agency and 15 according to Mercury News. acres held by the city of San Jose. Speakers against Google’s Much of the land included development showed a mixture of parking lots that were frequented fear and contempt at the podium. by transit users and SAP Center San Jose police arrested multiple patrons, as well as the San Jose Fire people for disrupting the public Department Training Center. meeting and ordered the public to “After eight months of leave the city council’s chambers. MAURICIO LA PLANTE | SPARTAN DAILY extensive and transparent public City leaders reconvened around 10 San Jose residents fi ll the City Hall chambers to voice their frustrations during the city council meeting engagement, we look forward p.m. to move forward with their regarding Google’s proposed purchase of San Jose land and its possible outcomes on Tuesday. to continuing this process with decision, as other protesters rallied Google to bring transit-connected outside of the chambers. out like a tug of war between the can increase my rent to as much want to profit off that in some way.” jobs and vibrancy to downtown “This is a little awkward,” said ideas of two different parties, one as he wants whenever, he wants,” The city council’s meeting San Jose,” Liccardo said in a Nov. 16 Councilman Raul Peralez. “I’m just that welcomed Google’s proposals said Tori Truscheit, a tenant who with Google’s public policy and news release. pitching to an empty chamber.” and another that sought to reject lives near the Diridon Station. “He’s government affairs manager, The city initially planned to San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo them. pretty nice, he might not do that, Javier Gonzalez, centered around develop the area in 2014, when city called the issue “a tale of two “Practically speaking, because but with Google coming across the the proposed Purchase and Sale valleys.” The public opinion played I live in a duplex, my landlord street, I can’t imagine he wouldn’t Agreements the city developed in DOWNTOWN | Page 2 Religious defense might not save pot church San Jose city attorneys accuse Coachella Valley Church of illegally selling marijuana By Vicente Vera STAFF WRITER “By signing this agreement, Coachella Valley Church was operating without I acknowledge that I do not zoning permits and the neighbors were mad belong to any type of law enforcement group or agency, about having to deal with an unregulated and genuinely need cannabis dispensary in their neighborhoods. as a sacrament to exercise my religion.” Devora Davis These were just a few of the District 6 council member rules that Coachella Valley Church’s lifetime members were required to abide by been very vocal in her efforts before they were allowed access to shut down illegal pot clubs to tax-free weed. in the city. The church claimed to “Coachella Valley Church VICENTE VERA | SPARTAN DAILY “distribute” marijuana amongst was operating without zoning the congregation in exchange permits and the neighbors were Coachella Valley Church, located right on the border of Santa Clara and San Jose, had more than 600 lifetime members. for “suggested donations,” mad about having to deal with rather than selling it. an unregulated dispensary in The church opened for their neighborhoods,” Davis v. Victoria Foxx,” Doyle asserted dispensary at the same location, business right under the radar said. “I don’t hate pot, I just that Amsterdam’s Gardens was are the ones behind Coachella,” of San Jose city regulators want people to follow the laws.” a “public nuisance.” said Doyle. in May of last year, just Dave Henschel, who has DAVIS Nemcov has fought back The civil case, “People of the a few blocks south of Santa lived in the neighborhood against the characterization of State of California v. Coachella Clara University. since 1999, said he is happy Amsterdam’s Gardens as illegal. Valley Church,” was filed in the Since then, more than to see how Davis handled the that there’s little kids here, “The city is still out of Santa Clara Superior Court on 600 people jumped at the situation with the church. some people would just walk touch,” Nemcov told the Silicon Dec. 7 of that same year. opportunity to become a “I’m just one guy so it’s hard into the house.” Valley Business Journal while The city attorney wanted part of the self-proclaimed for me to get the attention of The city of San Jose he was a contract manager of a preliminary injunction to “first federally approved the city,” he said. “But when claimed that Sacha Nemcov is Amsterdam’s Garden on Dec. be imposed on the church. Rastafari church in the state of Davis got involved, that’s when the landlord of the building 10, 2013. “We’ve been through If granted by a judge, a California.” the city really began to take occupied by Coachella this pretty much every year. It’s preliminary injunction would But when lawmakers action against the church.” Valley Church. just a waste of time and energy.” allow the city to shut down the in San Jose caught wind Resident Maria Elena Before the church planted Doyle confirmed on church until the rest of the case of the operation, they did Flores lived directly behind itself on the outskirts of San March 30, 2017 that the plays out in court. not take too kindly to the the church and said people Jose, Nemcov was also accused city succeeded in closing Nemcov did not respond church’s classification. constantly mistook her house by the city in a 2015 lawsuit of Amsterdam’s Gardens. to a request for comment. “The owners know what for Coachella Valley Church. allowing a separate illegal pot Just two months later, According to court documents, they’re doing is illegal,” said She said the confusion arose club operate in his building, Coachella Valley Church his attorney argued the city San Jose City Council member because both her house and “Amsterdam’s Gardens.” took ownership of the couldn’t prove he rented his Devora Davis. the church shared similar According to San Jose City same building used by the building to the church, and that She represents the city’s street addresses. Attorney Richard Doyle, aforementioned dispensary. landlords aren’t responsible for 6th District, the area right on “All different types of people Amsterdam’s Gardens illegally “Based on the evidence we’ve making sure that their tenants the border of Santa Clara and came knocking on the door sold marijuana with no regard gathered, it is our belief that are following the law. San Jose, where the church looking for marijuana,” Flores to the city’s requests to shut Nemcov and his sister Viktoria conducts its business. Davis has said. “Even when they can see down. In “The City of San Jose Foxx, who owned the prior MARIJUANA | Page 2 A&E Opinion Sports Surprise movie Would you Women’s volleyball every month at voluntarily freshman excels Cinema Club go to prison? on the court Page 3 Page 5 Page 6 sjsunews.com/spartan_daily 2 WEDNESDAY, DEC. 5, 2018 NEWS applications for pot shops new applications,” MARIJUANA to operate legally. said Miller. “Coachella Valley But the church’s defense Continued from page 1 Church would be happy proved insufficient to to register with the city, win over the opinion Senior deputy city but they can’t because the of the Santa Clara attorney Kendra McGee- city won’t take anymore Superior Court. Davies said the city’s applications,” he said. On July 2, the Court argument was heard by The city of San ordered that Coachella Judge McCracken in court Jose began accepting Valley Church shut its on March 27, 2018. applications from doors by July 5. After another businesses wanting The report stated, “The additional briefing, the to register as medical Court disagrees that the court took the matter marijuana collectives on Coachella’s activities under submission. July 18, 2014. do not fall within the For Coachella Valley Pot clubs were given provisions of the San Jose Church to be successfully a three-month window Municipal Code.” shut down, the court to apply. Political science junior Diana Solares said she became a member of the church because it was a convenient place to access pot. I don’t have a problem so much with Solares said she used the church itself . I just don’t think it marijuana medicinally should be in the neighborhood. to relieve her stress and anxiety. PHOTO COURTESY OF SANTA CLARA SUPERIOR COURT Richard Gonzales “It’s hard for me to This picture taken on Jan.