We've heard many people say that one of the reasons they like living in the Old Quad is the history...but how much do you really know?
You can check back here for occasional posts to learn about the history of Santa Clara! If you have any interesting facts you would like to share contact us!
Thank you Second Harvest Volunteers!
Thank you to everyone who participated at Second Harvest last month! We had a great time sorting food and getting to know each other better. Because of volunteers, 95 cents of every $1 donated to the Food Bank goes directly to programs providing food to over 243,000 people each month. Hopefully we can do it again soon in the future!
Media Statement re: "Up" House
As a neighborhood organization, the Old Quad Residents' Association has no opinion on the paint colors at 1091 Harrison. We have some members who like the paint colors and also some who do not. Our role is to facilitate an open dialog among all neighbors and the city, so that individuals can come to their own opinion and engage themselves in the proper channels (city council, public meetings, etc.) if they desire. In addition, political action is only one of several aspects of OQRA, also including camaraderie and socialization between neighbors to promote a happy, sincere, safe community in which to live.
More importantly, the controversy with 1091 Harrison has nothing to do with paint colors. There are two reasons this house is a sensitive subject for the neighborhood:
The first is a long story that involves what some feel was inappropriate and/or unauthorized issuance of permits by the city that allowed major alterations to this historic resource. Select individuals have sued the City of Santa Clara over this issue; OQRA is not a party to that suit.
Second, the process of construction created a severe lead-based paint hazard to the nearby properties, which prompted a second lawsuit from select individuals; OQRA is not a party to that suit either.
We hope the media can start to get to the real issues, and not focus on paint colors.
Please use the "contact us" feature if you have any other questions.
Santa Clara Downtown Post Office to Stay Open!
At the city council meeting on March 18, 2014, the new postmaster announced that our beloved downtown post office is no longer on plan to be shut down. The Postmaster's announcement was met with a standing ovation by people at the meeting. Congressman Mike Honda was influential in keeping the post office open. Read all about it on the Santa Clara website.
Call for Photos
Thank you for visiting our new site! We want to improve the site by adding pictures relevant to the Old Quad. However, we don't just want to steal those pictures from the internet. So, if you have good quality images (that you own the rights to) and would like to share them with our site, please contact the site admin.
Suggested pictures:
- Historic structures
- Architectural elements
- Parks
- Old Quad residents doing fun things
OQRA is BACK!
On February 5, 2014 dozens of Old Quad residents and business owners met up in Locatelli Center at Santa Clara University for an Old Quad Residents' Association meeting. Here is a meeting summary:
- OQRA has been a tight-knit and active group of residents and business owners within the Old Quad. It is now our goal to bring back that sense of community and get more neighbors involved in the group.
- Some of the important goals for OQRA are:
- Encouraging a sense of community between neighbors by facilitating special events and reaching out to welcome new residents.
- Preserving the integrity and enjoyment of the many historic resources located in the Old Quad.
- Coming together to have a voice in city government when important decisions are made.
- Managing university-neighborhood relations.
- OQRA needs help from the community to get things going. Membership dues ($10-$20 per household, $50 per business) are necessary to cover the legal processes associated with having a non-profit association. Also, we need neighbors to volunteer to participate on the various committees, discussed below.
- OQRA is organizing committees to help accomplish its goals. Some of those committees are:
- Steering Committee: to help administer the group, plan quarterly meetings, keep an eye on other committees, etc.
- Social Committee: to plan occasional events (such as an ice cream social, park party, or block party), to plan ongoing events (such as a walking/hiking club), and to greet new Old Quad neighbors.
- "This Old House" Committee: to pool our knowledge of old homes and assist our neighbors with construction and restoration projects.
- University Relations Committee: to represent the Old Quad in discussions with the Santa Clara University regarding such issues as university expansion and student rental houses.
- Political Action Committee: to keep an eye on city agenda items concerning the Old Quad, attend meetings, and report on important information.
- Together we will make OQRA awesome again!