Downtown San Jose sure has changed since the last time CCAPA was at the Fairmont. That was in 1989, when the Fairmont had just opened up. The idea of a fancy hotel in downtown San Jose – or a fancy anything, for that matter -- was kind of a new idea. Today, the Fairmont's practically a venerable institution compared to the newer cool things, like light-rail and high-density housing and the Adobe "vertical" campus and the excellent "urban interface" between downtown and San Jose State …
The opening reception at the Tech Museum featured a lot of planners doing nerdy things (imagine!) like making little water turbines at the exhibits. CP&DR collected a few tidbits as well ….
… Rick Willson reports that there's a proposal to eliminate the College of Environmental Design at Cal Poly Pomona (that's the college planning has been in forever) and merge it into a new school that includes agriculture and natural resources. They're not happy about this! …
Bill Anderson, the San Diego city planning director, and Planning Commissioner Kathy Garcia report that the city's General Plan – still called "City of Villages" will come before the Planning Commission within a month. Anderson shocked everybody by leaving Economic Research Associates after 23 years to become the planning director, but he seems to be thriving; Bill now oversees planning, economic development, redevelopment, facilities finance, and urban design…
Well, it wasn't our fault: As the city's redevelopment manager, Shawn Tillman was always downtown Redding's biggest booster. CP&DR, of course, recently rated Redding as having one of California's worst downtowns. But Shawn says he moved on to the City of Chico to be in charge of neighborhood planning three months ago – before we came out with our ratings …
And appropriately enough – especially considering yesterday's blog on Warren Jones – a number of California's most distinguished planners adjourned from the Tech Museum last night for their first annual Dan Curtin Memorial Dinner. Everyone in San Jose this week misses Dan …
Hands-down best "after-party" last night was the Civic Solutions casino night at The Montgomery – which included not just blackjack but also some pretty ferocious bocce ball …
Receptions we've heard about …
Tonight
* Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Paragon Restaurant, 5 pm (BEFORE CPF Auction)
* DC&E party, The Loft Bar & Bistro, 90 S. 2nd St., 8-11 pm (AFTER CPF Auction)
Tuesday night
• Call Poly Pomona, Atherton Room at the Fairmont, 8 pm
If we hear about more we'll keep you posted.
