Trouble in Tamien Town

Last night VTA (and a battery of consultants) hosted a community meeting regarding the disposition of their significant land holdings around the Tamien Light Rail Station. The point of the presentation was to tell the community that the agreement hammered out over the controversial Barry Swenson Tamien Towers project had quietly failed and that the community would have to accept a smaller park, or much higher density, or 11-story towers (pick any two), in order to overcome a $1.5 million shortfall and build the parking structure that would enable the promised park. The organizers seemed unprepared for the overwhelmingly negative reaction that followed. Jonathan Noble of Cindy Chavez's office, architects of the Tamien Towers agreement, was quick to distance Cindy from the concepts proposed by VTA. So the attendees rejected the concepts, and urged VTA to return with new concepts more in line with the Tamien Towers agreement, which included funding ideas for the parking garage that did not require more sacrifice by the community. NWG was well represented at the meeting, and I urge attendees to add a comment.