The Willow Glen Trestle

Home , History Park, HP Garage, Kelley Park, Los Gatos Creek Trail, New Almaden

Larry Ames Friends of the Willow Glen Trestle May 10, 2017. déjà vu

 This is a “Third Party” nomination by “Friends of the Willow Glen Trestle” SHRC unanimously recommends WG Trestle

 Local involved residents be listed on the National Historic Register

 Last year, Commission at the statewide quarterly Seth Bergstein, commission meeting, historian for Friends of the Willow Glen recommended the National April 18, 2016 Trestle Historical Register list the Susan Brandt- Hawley Trestle “at Local Level” The State Historical lawyer for the Friends at the Golden Resources Commission  List Keeper questioned Gate Club in supporting the Presidio in speaker: San Francisco Wayne trestle’s city-wide impact; Donaldson. chair of “returns” the application the Nat’l Adv’sry Council on Hist. Pres.

 Now we ask Commission principal speaker in to list the Trestle Cmsnr Council SHPO Chair Cmsnr Cmsnr Cmsnr Cmsnr opposition: Moss Lynch Polanco Brandes McKay Harris Praetzellis Bertoli Councilmember Pierluigi as a local resource on the Oliverio, San Jose Dist. 6

State Historical Register 57

2 Applying for listing at Local Level of Significance

 Not the oldest, tallest, or longest Coyote trestle in the State Creek Willow  (Not even the Glen Trestle longest or tallest Town of Willow Glen trestle in San José) 1927 - 1936

 But the WG Trestle modern-day played a major role Willow Glen in the development (approx.) of Willow Glen.

3 Willow Glen Trestle Willow Glen: an Independent Town, 1927-1936

business district

4 Willow Glen is an active & involved community

principal author: Joan Bohnett, granddaughter of State Assemblymember L.D.Bohnett Buffington House – City Landmark

Dancin’ on

5 LG Crk Urban Stream Restoration Proj. Community helped the City win funding

a “Historic Trail”

The Three-Creeks Trail Connects the History Park… an update for Jim Beall L. Ames, March 15, 2012

Save Our Trails! Promoting trails in Santa Clara County for the benefit and enjoyment of all

Taisia McMahon, President Bill Rankin, Vice President 1 Bruce Tichinin, Counsel from our presentation to State Senator Jim Beall

… at Kelley Park …

… by means of a historic train trestle …

… to the historic cannery district in WG. 12 6 On the Historic Walk, Gateway to Willow Glen

cannery district History Park

WG Trestle

Willow Glen

Abrupt change in plans...

Feb ‘17 Feb

Mar ‘17 Mar

Aug ‘16 Aug

Oct ‘16 Oct

up briefs

MND

Jun ‘15 Jun



Jul ‘14 Jul

EIR

Friends Friends appeal?

Jan ‘14 Jan

demo.

EIR

)

for for demo

2018?

EIR Mar ‘13 Mar

1990s ?

no no

EIR

Oct ‘14 Oct

May ‘15 May

demo’d

appr’vd

carload

Ct: use dif. criteria Ct: use dif.

Oct ‘12 Oct

2011

2000

SJ Ag. SJ

EIR

2004

than

changed changed politics?

MND Court: do SC SJ: appeal & do Council: historic; not approves SJ: ask demo; to Denied Ap’lt too Ct: busy. Supreme rehear Ct: on remand SC



1860s

1922

no no loss if

Trail

(re)do (re)do



survive

Crks 51

- ?

Cms

: : 3

on Trestle reuse Trestle on

service, service, less

w/ Trestle w/

historic

1850

Montgomery Montgomery

for for Nat’l

1777

‘

EIR

making” gateway on trail network

: : is Historic

May May



Oct ‘15 Oct

Sep ‘16 Sep

Cms

WG Trestle built Trestle WG overnight small farmers Valley: farmers & canneries Silicon leave GreenPrint LGCT & ROW acquired Trestle Eng.Rep’t abrupt change: prefab bridge non (SJ:

Trestle restored adapted & trail for use Trestle

approv’d

hears nomination

WG WG has a historic & iconic “Place

Hist.Landm’k

: :

SJ SJ founded Capitol State Southern Pacific Railroad monopoly WP RR

SHRC

40s

SHRC

Friends: Friends: Q’s answer Nat’l

Landm’k

Friends: Friends: file for Nat’l Hist.

: both Trestle & prefab OK & prefab Trestle : both

& &

1985

1920s

Jul ‘16 Jul

Friends: Friends: State file listing for

Nat’l Keeper: return Nat’l Keeper: for info

Friends of WG Trestle sue SJ sue Trestle WG Friends of

Cal Cal

Jan ‘15 Jan

inform SJ SJ inform

Feb ‘14 Feb

Apr ‘16 Apr

shaped

May ‘15 May

EIR

30s

Nov ‘16 Nov

WG & SJ WG &

LGCT

SJ SJ Hist. Sep, Nov ‘13 Nov Sep, 8 Reason to replace Trestle?

 One can’t see it from the street;  View of Trestle from Coe Ave  No one even knows that it is there;  No one will miss it if it’s gone.

the Trestle is visible from the planned  Los Gatos Creek Trail from Downtown 9 PR Campaign

site tours newspaper coverage

photo contests

10  presentations Public Works Dept. knows how to order bridges from a catalog, but unsure about restoration?

11 City bought the replacement bridge without proper review...

 City didn’t inform or involve its Historic Landmarks Commission or its Parks & Rec. Commission before decision

 “The City’s actions in approving the project before preparing and adopting the MND violated CEQA.” ⸺ finding of the Court of Appeal of the State of California, Sixth Appellate District

12 City-cited locations 1. The Los Gatos Creek trestle.

6a 6 2. Coyote Creek near Story Road. 3. Silver Creek near Eggo and Highway 101. 6b 4. Guadalupe River south of Alma. 5. Los Gatos Creek south of Diridon.

3 6. Trestle through Don Edwards Wildlife Reserve.

5 2 7. Over Pajaro River near Highway 25. 1 4 8. At San Benito County line.

Santa Clara County

13 8 Mud Slough City-cited locations

6a 6 6a

6b 6

6b 3

5 2 1 4

Coyote Creek Guadalupe River

3 4 5

8/17/16

Los Gatos Creek 7

Guadalupe 8 14 Silver Creek What to do with the prefab bridge?

 Would be useful and welcome elsewhere: Coyote Creek at Singleton currently floods State Fish & Wildlife wants it changed

Coyote Creek at Phelan Coyote Creek at Singleton provide access to nearby Yerba Buena High School. Some other location within City?

15 From the EIR & Supporting Documents

the WG Trestle is sturdy Trestle “Retrofit” Prefab Steel Bridge and can readily be restored “Project” and adapted for trail use Construction cost $959,000 $1,637,000 Est. Maintenance $4,000 / year not budgeted Est. Inspection $2,000 / year $500 / year Construction time 5 months 7 months Estimated Life 30 – 50 years 75 years (more if well-maintained?) (w/o maintenance?)

Flooding not a problem not a problem Creosote not a problem if left alone a concern if disturbed Fire not a problem: no precautions are provided, and fire-retardant coating; steel loses strength at brushfire sprinklers, alarms and temperatures maintenance History (To be determined by the “While this does not salvage the trestle, State Historical Resources aesthetics could be made pleasing. Staining the concrete deck to resemble Commission, May 10, 2017) the old track could be done. Also, railroad themed signs could be incorporated at the approaches.” 16 Historic Status

 May 6, 2015: San José’s Historic Landmarks Commission unanimously recommended historic recognition

 Council overruled it; declared it “not historic”  April 18, 2016: the California SHRC unanimously recommended the Trestle be added to the National Historic Register at the Local Level

 Nomination returned; nothing happened. San José’s Historic Landmarks Commission, May 6, 2015  The Trestle has not yet been deemed to be historic: the city is still free to demolish it. 17 History of Railroads: 1899 Topo Maps

 First tracks to SF East San José: from Oakland San Francisco in 1864

 Tracks ran thru middle of San José, down 4th St., at grade: created traffic congestion.

Santa LA Cruz

1899 USGS 15-minute map of San Jose: 1899 USGS 15-minute map of San Jose: http://servlet1.lib.berkeley.edu:8080/mapviewer/searchcoll.execute.logic?coll=histoposf&xsearch=San+Jose+15http://servlet1.lib.berkeley.edu:8080/mapviewer/searchcoll.execute.logic?coll=histoposf&xsearch=San+Jose+15-minute+Quadrangle -minute+Quadrangle 18 also 1942, 1947, 1951, 1953, and 1961 also 1942, 1947, 1951, 1953, and 1961 Western Pacific connects San José to the World

19 http://cluster3.lib.berkeley.edu/EART/maps/wpacific.jpg 1927 Map N

 WP brought to SJ  Belt-line J-hook loops around SJ, avoiding residential areas  Breaks SP’s monopoly

map in SJ City Hall, 3rd floor 20 Western Pacific comes to Willow Glen Dec 1, 1917  WP Director T. S. Montgomery assures folks that WP will not have “industrial plants, hay barns or anything objectionable” in Willow Glen.

 [WG] “will be benefited far more than hurt by the W.P.”

 “It is the desire of the company to help beautify and not to destroy”

 Tracks “will never cross the Alameda”

 WP will have “hardly a train a day”, and not the the Public thus reassured, 100 trains a day that Southern Pacific would have. they did not vote to incorporate as a town. 21 WP RR thru Willow Glen & to the San Jose Depot

Willow Glen Willow 1st segment - residential of laid track Glen Trestle Chein Lumber

Standard Oil of Calif.

only spur in WG Borchers Bros. [rock]

Georgia-Pacific plywood

California Packing

Union Ice

to Niles, Oakland, San José station 22 and Salt Lake City http://www.wplives.com/diagrams/yards/YD006.php http://http://www.wplives.com/diagrams/yards/YD006.htmlwww.wplives.com/diagrams/yards/YD006.php

Impacts on SJ Station 990 Ramona Ct. local area

http://www.wplives.com/diagrams/yards/YD006.html

991 Lonus station

SJ to to

I-280

994 Ramona Ct.

north north

map overlay by L. Ames

I-280 * **

map overlay 23 by L. Ames Sanborn Maps show developmental impact of trestle

 WG Trestle shaped western San José by serving new local businesses

Std. Oil Std. Oil Lincoln Ave. Lincoln Lincoln Ave. Lincoln Borchers Bros. pre-mix cement

grain WP

Gen’l Petroleum C.L.Dick & Co. fruit processing orchard orchard Hancock Oil machine shop oil reclaiming WG Lumber Bachrodt & Co. Conc. Block Mfg grain & feed

Willow Dairy Mayfair Packing WG Trestle Plant #2

1915 1950 24 Alternative SP WG Alignments Trestle  City of San José traded SP off against WP and Willow Glen in the future around-town alignment.

 Willow Glen fought for grade- separation at major arterials

 WG had to incorporate to have impact.

 Legal battles between SP and WG: Issue went all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court. Downtown Willow Glen

25 San José Mercury Herald City and County

June 25, 2015: SJ Mayor Sam Liccardo presents Dr. Ames a Commendation for his fight to save the “historic Willow Glen Trestle”

26 National Heritage Area

HP Garage port of Alviso Hanger One Japantown 1st park in Calif Comptr.Hist.Mus. Mission Farmwkr.Org. source: NPS.gov website 1st Calif. Capitol (site) Apple adobe Chinatown (site) Lick Observatory WG Trestle SJ History Park the Tech Civil War grave Ag.Hist.park Santa Clara County IBM New Almaden Mines

Mt. Um. Radar Tower

Native American Carvings

source: NPS.gov website 27 suggestions by L.Ames, NHA taskforce member The WG Trestle survived the recent floods

creek at “once-in-10-year” level, January 11, 2017 28 The Willow Glen Trestle: the Connection between “Silicon Valley” and “The Valley of Heart’s Delight”

It is still standing — it can still be saved! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Clara_Valley#/media/ 29 File:Prune_Orchard_near_Santa_Clara,_California_(3655751146).jpg Thank you

1955 30