Rafael Garcia

Running for:

Council District 7

Campaign Website:

1) The Preservation Action Council of San Jose (PAC*SJ) was formed in 1990 with concern for the abandonment of Willis Polk's First Church of Christ, Scientist on St. James Square. The continued abandonment has vexed residents and City officials for years. As Councilmember, what actions would you take to hold the current owner accountable for the neglect and re-establish its presence in the St. James Square Historic District? What actions would you take to facilitate its urgently-needed rehabilitation? Do you have a vision for the adaptive reuse of the structure?

Are there other properties on PAC*SJ’s Endangered 8 list, or any other culturally important sites, that you would encourage San Jose to collaborate on revitalization?

I would need to further research the dynamics of what is needed at the facility and try and find ways to work with the property owner to make improvements. At this time, I do not have a game plan for the property. I would like to collaborate with others and work with individuals that can assist with ideas and suggestions.

2) 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 would hold property owners accountable? If so, what would those look like?

It’s unfortunate that a fire can damage and destroy so much. My take on reducing those incidents will be based on the geographic needs of the area. We must find ways to reduce the number of vacant properties. I would like to propose to start up groups that can assist with input to better utilize these vacant locations and also work with the owners in conjunction for possible improvements and changes

3) California Senate Bill SB 79 was recently signed into law by Governor Newsom, allowing by-right multistory new construction within a half-mile of qualifying transit stops, including 56 in San Jose. Many of these new TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) zones cover areas with high concentrations of historic buildings and pedestrian-scaled commercial corridors. SB 79 specifically allowed cities to exempt locally-designated historic resources from upzoning through the creation of local alternative plans, yet San Jose City Council recently voted not to do so. What do you think the role of the Council should be in exercising local control of planning decisions impacting historic resources?

I believe city council should work together in taking into consideration that these buildings do need upkeeps and should work together to enhance the safety and quality of our community. I do believe there are groups that would like to have part with their input to assist with the decision making process to ensure that the buildings are maintained and preserved properly. The idea of tearing down is not always the best option.

4) How would you motivate and incentivize the development community to view adaptive reuse of historic structures not as an obstacle, but as a design opportunity? What partnerships do you envision for stewardship of sites and buildings?

I would encourage that announcements are made publicly to reach out to individuals and investors that have an interest in preserving our history in this city. The best way to do this is through motivating our community to get involved.

5) How do you think that preserving historic buildings and districts might contribute to the economic vitality of San Jose by enhancing its distinctive qualities of place, drawing visitors and local residents alike?

This is a great interest to me, as I enjoy hearing and reading about history within San Jose. These topics of history are always great conversation starters and it brings people together with common interests. I will always encourage to preserve as much history as possible for or younger and future generations.