Matthew Quevedo
Running for:
City Council District 3
Campaign Website:
1) The severely neglected state of Willis Polk's 1905 First Church of Christ, Scientist across from St. James Park has vexed residents and City officials for years. As D3 Councilmember, what actions would you take to hold current owner Z&L Properties accountable for their neglect? What actions would you take to facilitate its urgently-needed rehabilitation? Do you have a vision for the adaptive reuse of the structure?
It’s heartbreaking to see such a beautiful piece of our city’s history left in disrepair. As your Councilmember, I will make it my responsibility to ensure that absentee owners like Z&L cannot simply let historic treasures crumble. If they invest in a property with a significant historic structure, they are assuming responsibility for its preservation. My first priority would be to direct our Code Enforcement team to closely monitor the site, issue citations if the building is not properly secured and maintained, and require a clear plan for immediate stabilization. The present penalty limit is only $100,000, which may not be impactful enough for some developers. We need to increase this limit so that it is commensurate with the property’s value.
I will also leverage public awareness of the property owner’s actions to maintain pressure. By demanding regular progress reports from Z&L at Council sessions and through the Historic Landmarks Commission, we can hold them accountable for the condition of the site. If Z&L does not have the funding to protect this national landmark, the city must take control of the property and allocate funds to safeguard it until another developer is found.
Preservation and restoration is a specialized process that requires cutting red tape and streamlining approvals through the Planning and Building Departments. We can help current or future owners by assisting them in applying for financial opportunities, such as local, state, and federal preservation grants. Programs like the Mills Act can make a significant difference by lowering property taxes for owners who commit to restoration and long-term maintenance. Additionally, public-private partnerships can be a viable funding source to bring the church restoration project to completion.
Once elected, I will bring together nonprofit preservation groups, potential investors, and City leaders to develop a plan for funding the immediate securing of the property. My goal is to outline a path that benefits all stakeholders, including the owner, neighbors, and the city.
Willis Polk’s 1905 First Church of Christ, Scientist is a treasure we cannot afford to lose. My vision is to see it come alive again—honoring its historic architecture and stature while giving it a fresh purpose in our modern downtown environment. One possibility is turning the sanctuary into a small performing arts venue or community gathering space for concerts, recitals, or civic meetings, thereby preserving its grandness while welcoming the community. Other ideas include using it as a cultural hub, an art gallery, a small local history museum, or a shared workspace—keeping the building connected to the community and its historic roots in Saint James Park.
If a larger development is planned around it, the project must integrate the church in a way that showcases its iconic features while creating a vibrant mixed-use space. Implementing a new use that brings foot traffic, supports local arts, and highlights our history is key; tearing it down or leaving it to rot serves no one’s best interests.
As your District 3 Councilmember, I refuse to sit by while yet another historic site is left to decay. San José’s identity is rooted in landmarks like this church, and preserving them connects us to our past while adding depth and culture to our future. I am committed to holding property owners accountable, streamlining solutions, and working hand-in-hand with neighbors, nonprofits, and developers to protect and revitalize our shared heritage. Let’s do right by this remarkable building and bring it back to life—together.
2) Are there other properties on PAC*SJ’s 2022, 2023, and 2024 “Endangered Eight” lists, or any other culturally important sites, whether in District 3 or beyond, that you would use your power of elected office to help address, and how?
San José’s cultural identity is woven into every historic building and landmark we still have, and we cannot afford to let them be demolished or left to decay. PAC*SJ’s “Endangered Eight” lists for 2022, 2023, and 2024 highlight properties throughout the city—some in District 3, others elsewhere—that are at risk due to neglect, development pressure, or a lack of awareness of their significance. These sites are not being prioritized as opportunities to enhance the city’s identity and attract visitors, nor are they recognized for their role as symbols of our history. Beyond the Church of Christ, Scientist, notable examples include the Burbank Theater, the Lawrence Hotel, and Diridon Station.
If elected to City Council, I would use my position to protect, preserve, and thoughtfully incorporate these vulnerable properties into our cityscape. Proactive rather than reactive monitoring is essential to safeguard these gems and to identify other sites of significant historic value. I would push for accountability through a coordinated program that involves our Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement Departments, with oversight from the Historic Landmarks Commission. This program would include stronger Code Enforcement tools, such as the increased penalties I’ve recommended for the First Church of Christ, Scientist.
We cannot allow demolition by neglect to be a cheap, easy option, as the Redevelopment Agency once attempted with the Montgomery Hotel (which is now a valuable city asset). I would ensure that owners face meaningful fines or other legal consequences if they fail to responsibly steward our historic resources. The greater the risk, the higher the penalty—thereby incentivizing proper maintenance or risking forfeiture of development rights.
Streamlined permitting and expert guidance are also crucial, because preserving historic properties can be daunting for owners who may not know how to navigate the approvals process. That’s why I propose a “fast-track” or specialized assistance program for rehabilitating historic properties, connecting owners with city preservation experts and organizations like PAC*SJ, providing guidance on historic preservation guidelines through the Planning Department, and cutting through red tape with an enhanced development process.
I would also leverage a variety of incentives and funding opportunities:
Mills Act Contracts: Lower property taxes for owners who commit to restoring and maintaining historic structures.
Grants & Partnerships: Collaborate with PAC*SJ, local philanthropies, and national grant sources to secure funding for property owners.
Public-Private Ventures: Encourage partnerships between private investors or nonprofits and the City to undertake large-scale restoration projects.
Adaptive Reuse: Promote community-serving uses—like community centers, affordable live/work spaces for artists, small performance venues, local history museums, or unique eateries—that keep these sites active and engaged with the public.
Public awareness is another critical component. Historic sites thrive when people recognize their value. As a Councilmember, I would use my platform to showcase San José’s rich history by promoting events, tours, and open house programs in collaboration with PAC*SJ and other preservation groups. An engaged community is our best ally in safeguarding these treasures.
San José does not always receive the credit it deserves for its deep history and diverse cultural heritage. If we want a truly vibrant future, we must honor the places that brought us here, preserving our roots and the unique character that sets us apart. Whether it is a threatened church near St. James Park or a historic trestle in Willow Glen, I am committed to using the full authority of my office to save these places before they become little more than memories in a photograph.
By remaining vigilant, enforcing our laws, leveraging incentives, and rallying the community, we can ensure that our most endangered cultural treasures are both preserved and thriving for generations to come.
3) In the past five years alone, at least ten vacant historic buildings in San José have been lost to fire. Often, these properties are left vacant after tenants are displaced in anticipation of future development that may never materialize. Would you support entitlement conditions that hold property owners accountable, such as: ensuring sites are occupied and actively used by residents or businesses, rather than sitting vacant; providing effective physical and electronic site security and monitoring if occupancy is not feasible; providing surety bonds to ensure payment of fines for code violations or loss of historic structures; and allowing PRNS to designate appropriate City parklands as receiver sites for historic buildings suitable for relocation?
Keeping historic buildings vacant and unsecured isn’t just an eyesore—it’s a genuine threat to San José’s cultural heritage and public safety. Too many of our historic properties have fallen victim to fires and other neglect simply because owners left them abandoned while they waited on speculative development. As your Councilmember, I will champion a set of strong, clear entitlement conditions to tackle this issue head-on:
Proactive Occupancy
If property owners are not actively redeveloping or restoring a historic building, the City should work with them to keep the structure occupied—whether by leasing it to local businesses or non-profits.
Empty buildings are magnets for both deterioration and criminal activity, so filling them with responsible tenants benefits everyone.
Mandatory Security Measures
If a property remains unoccupied, owners must implement robust security, including fencing, alarms, and reinforced entryways.
Electronic monitoring—such as security cameras linked to a 24/7 service—should also be required to prevent vandalism and reduce the risk of fire.
Surety Bonds for Accountability
Property owners should be required to carry surety bonds as a financial backstop for the City.
If code violations pile up or—worst case—a historic structure is lost due to neglect or fire, these bonds would cover fines and offset the City’s costs for cleanup and safety measures.
Relocation to Preserved Sites
If an owner has neither the intention nor the means to rehabilitate a historic building on its original site, there should be an option to move the structure to a safer “receiver site,” including City parklands identified by PRNS.
Any funds earmarked for demolition should instead be directed toward relocation costs to keep the building intact. While preserving a building in its original location is ideal, relocation is far preferable to outright destruction.
These conditions are not about punishing property owners; they’re about preserving San José’s cultural fabric, safeguarding public safety, and ensuring responsible stewardship of our city’s historic resources. When someone purchases a historic property, they take on the responsibility to protect it—and as your Councilmember, I will make sure those responsibilities are both clear and enforced.
4) In 2022 California passed SB9, which allows by-right redevelopment of up to four new units on most R1 (single-family-zoned) parcels statewide, but exempted historic properties, historic districts, and R2 (duplex-zoned) neighborhoods from eligibility. In 2025, City Council will consider expanding SB9-type entitlements to include historic properties and R2 districts. Do you believe this type of development can be appropriate for historic homes and older neighborhoods? If yes, how, and if no, why not?
No. While there’s no denying our present housing crisis, I believe we can address it through smart, context-sensitive growth—such as building in our downtown core and near major transit corridors—rather than by allowing dense, by-right redevelopment in older, historic neighborhoods. The character of these neighborhoods, including their historic and architectural value, is important to San José’s cultural identity. Increasing density in these areas can also intensify traffic, parking problems, and infrastructure strain, further eroding the quality of life for existing residents.
Simply put, SB9-type development on historic properties and in older R2 neighborhoods doesn’t make sense for the quality of life of the residents. We can still achieve housing goals by encouraging higher-density projects in places where it’s appropriate—around transit, job centers, and existing urban cores—without placing an undue burden on the unique historic and environmental elements of our established neighborhoods. As such, I would not support expanding SB9 to historic properties or R2 districts.
5) What role do you believe that historic places should play in building a vibrant and culturally diverse future for District 3 and San José? Is there a particular project or effort you have undertaken or would propose to undertake, either professionally or personally, that best embodies your vision for sustaining these places in San José?
Historic buildings are vital to San José’s unique identity—an identity we should celebrate and protect. Too often, we compare ourselves to “hipper” cities to the north, but if we look closer to home, we find a rich history of innovation and achievement that literally shaped the modern world. Many of our historic sites were built by the very people who laid the groundwork for what would become Silicon Valley—visionaries whose work and ideas had global impact.
These sites aren’t just links to our past; they’re anchors for a culturally diverse future. They can serve as vibrant gathering places for the community, educational hubs for local schools, and storytelling venues for the pioneers of San José—whether orchard farmers, tech entrepreneurs, civil rights leaders, or everyday families. Celebrating our history sparks civic pride, drives creativity, and fosters community engagement.
One idea I’m passionate about is creating a citywide “Heritage Trail,” expanding on the historic walking trail and markers installed by the former Redevelopment Agency. This would be a linked walking-and-biking route connecting key historic sites—from downtown’s Victorian homes and agricultural remnants to cultural landmarks like Japantown and the old Chinatown site near the Fairmont. Along the trail, we’d include enhanced signage and digital features—such as a free, smartphone-friendly audio tour—to share each site’s story. We could also partner with local schools so that students and families can explore on field trips or weekend outings, experiencing our history in an engaging, hands-on way.
By embracing and showcasing the history we have right here in San José, we lay the foundation for a future rooted in pride and understanding—one that truly belongs to us. The Adobe on San Pedro Square and the Fallon House are perfect examples of how existing historic assets in District 3 can become destination points and attractions that enrich our city and serve our community.