Palm Haven Historic Streetscape Plan

Latest Update:

2011 - January - The last streetlamp poles and matching heads have finally arrived! The city hopes to install them in the coming weeks. The remaining Heritage-style street signs and poles have also arrived and installation will also be coordinated in coming weeks.

Background:
When developed in 1913, Palm Haven was formally designed to present pleasing avenues for its residents and guests. "Residence Park" was the term used in the early 1900s to describe these planned communities, referring to their incorporation of landscaping that unified the neighborhood. After all, why travel to a park when you can live in one?

The restoration of the historic pillars in Palm Haven required the old streetlamp located at Palm Haven & Clintonia Avenues to be moved across the street so pillar foundation work could be completed. The new location would take the place of an existing street sign. The Dept. of Transportation (DOT) agreed to attach the street signs to the new streetlamp pole. When the Palm Haven Restoration Committee (PHRC) realized that the DOT would just strap the old, faded street signs back on the new pole, it agreed to fund replacing the old signs with new ones that have a historic style. The photo at left is of the completed streetlamp with matching signage.

There are three other vintage streetlamps in Palm Haven that each have a street sign on a separate pole opposite the streetlamp. The DOT has agreed that moving these street signs onto the rest of the streetlamp poles would eliminate clutter and unnecessary maintenance. The remaining streetlamps will be replaced when their condition demands, so moving those street signs will happen according to the DOT replacement schedule.

Closer look results in inventory:
This development prompted PHRC to take a close look at the entire streetscape of Palm Haven resulting in a complete inventory of everything from signage to fire-hydrants, benches, trash cans, and of course the public trees. The DOT performed a complete walk-through of the neighborhood and identified problem areas where signs are now poorly placed. Some of these relate to the pillar restoration project since the signs currently crowd the pillars and are often not visible to approaching traffic.

PHRC concluded that the streetscape should reflect Palm Haven's heritage and uniqueness in San Jose. The unnecessary clutter of signage should be removed/combined where possible and the final signage should be consistent for all parts of Palm Haven while displaying a link to the area's past. The DOT agrees with this and is supporting plan implementation though it does not have funds for it at this time.

PHRC maintains its fundraising priority to be for the historic pillar restoration project. But there are grants that cannot be applied to the pillar project any more due to various grant limitations. Some of these grants, however, may be applied to the Streetscape Plan and so PHRC will pursue funding through these sources. It turns out moving the two projects in tandem will help both since the pillar restoration has signs and such that have to be relocated anyway. By performing the relocations once but also upgrading the signage at the same time, the costs are minimized.

Vision becomes reality!

After lengthy planning and working with the Department of Transportation, the Heritage Poles with new street signage to match the vintage streetlamps are getting installed!

Some examples are shown here. Funding is not complete for all of the signs

In what order are the signs being installed?
The Streetscape Project is set to first follow the pillar project. Following that, the remaining street signs and stop signs are a priority working eastward from Plaza Drive. After that, the speed limit signs and remaining will be replaced. PHRC will continue to pursue funding to realize the complete plan.

Your feedback
PHRC wants to hear your feedback on the Streetscape Plan. The committee is made up of Palm Haven residents who are spending considerable effort to preserve and restore Palm Haven and wants to be sure everyone is informed and heard.
Please take a moment to send your thoughts to the President by clicking HERE.

Project History:

2010 - May - The city finally replaces the streetlamp at Palm Haven & Hartford Avenues. The Palm Haven Residents Community (PHRC) paid for the restoration of the original "candy-cane" style arm and the vintage-style street signs to be installed when complete. The city installed a light head that is different from the first one installed at Clintonia Avenue - shade does not shield very high intensity bulb from shining into windows blocks away. PHRC now has funds necessary to place order for remaining streetlamp poles and heritage sign poles and will investigate correcting the mismatched light head.

2009 - August - After a long wait for grant funds due to administrative issues at the city, the Palm Haven Residents Committee receives funds from grants to install the remaining Heritage poles needed for signage at Coe & Clintonia, Riverside & Bird, and the replacement of the candy-cane style streetlamps located at Palm Haven & Plaza - N.

2008 - October - The Palm Haven Restoration Committee receives funds from grants to install the Heritage poles for speed limit signs at Coe & Clintonia and Riverside & Bird; street signs for Riverside & Bird, and the streetsigns to be installed on the replacement poles for the last three candy-cane style streetlamps in Palm Haven.

2008 - June - Palm Haven residents help install the Heritage street sign at Riverside & Hartford, the new stop sign for Riverside & Bird, and speed limit sign at Coe & Plaza.

2008 - March - After various delays, the Heritage street sign at Coe & Clintonia is installed. Residents came out to install new irrigation and sod around the sign.

2007 - April - Keep San Jose Beautiful awards a grant for a Heritage street sign at Riverside & Hartford and a stop sign at Riverside & Bird.

2006 - December - Ground problems removed for the street sign at Riverside & Clintonia and stop sign at Coe & Plaza. Installation begun.

2006 - October - Streetscape Project wins a grant from Keep San Jose Beautiful for a Heritage street sign at Coe & Clintonia.

2006 - March - Streetscape Project wins a grant from San Jose Beautiful to replace the broken street sign at Plaza Drive as well as funds to landscape the tip of the Palm Haven Plaza.

2005 - December - Tow truck breaks Heritage street sign for Plaza Drive at Coe Avenue. New custom design for a sign that "gives" when pushed is under consideration.

2005 - October - Streetscape Project wins a grant from San Jose Beautiful to add a Heritage Pole with matching street signs at Riverside Drive & Clintonia Avenue as part of the Streetscape Plan.

2005 - June - First Heritage Poles go up at Coe & Clintonia, Riverside & Plaza. Signs get attached to streetlamp at Palm Haven & Clintonia.

2005 - March - Streetscape Project wins a grant from San Jose Beautiful to add a Heritage Pole at Riverside & Plaza Drives.

2005 - January - The city trims the palm trees and removes the vines from the palms at 725 Coe Avenue. Palm Haven residents come out and remove concrete in the parkways at Clintonia & Coe to prepare for work in those locations.

2004 - December - Streetscape Project wins $1790 grant from SJ Beautiful to finish parkways around Clintonia pillars ("Heritage pole" and turf.)

2004 - November - City arborist signals a palm tree trimming cycle coming within a few months. They will include shaving down the dead vines on palm trees around 725 Coe Avenue. Also, braces will be installed on the California Nutmeg in the Plaza. This rare tree (the only one in San Jose according to city arborist) has a situation where bracing would help secure it against significant wind loads. It is a Heritage Tree.

2004 - August - SJ City Council adopts original trees of Palm Haven to the city's Heritage Tree register.

2004 - July - First order placed after many details were worked out to coordinate the signs with the city.

2004 - March - Streetscape Project wins $2510 grant from San Jose Beautiful toward project first phase at Plaza & Coe.

2004 - March - DOT plans to remove three "No Parking" signs at end of Palm Haven Avenue and replace with red curbs. They indicate drivers seem to pay more attention to red curbing and removing the signs will help reduce clutter.

2004 - March - Streetscape Plan reviewed with DOT