Communications Hill is a
neighborhood
A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...
located in the
San Juan Bautista Hills of
San Jose, California
San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...
.
History
![Rowhomes on Communications Hill 0113](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Rowhomes_on_Communications_Hill_0113.jpg)
Before the Spanish entrada, the
Tamyen people
The Tamien people (also spelled as ''Tamyen'', ''Thamien'') are one of eight linguistic divisions of the Ohlone (Costanoan) people groups of Native Americans who lived in Northern California. The Tamien traditionally lived throughout the Santa ...
mined the area for
chert
Chert () is a hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz, the mineral form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Chert is characteristically of biological origin, but may also occur inorganically as a prec ...
, which was typically used for debitage and arrow points.
On November 29, 1777,
Juan Bautista de Anza
Juan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto (July 6 or 7, 1736 – December 19, 1788) was an expeditionary leader, military officer, and politician primarily in California and New Mexico under the Spanish Empire. He is credited as one of the founding fa ...
selected the area to become the southernmost region in the first land tract of the
San Jose pueblo (the first pueblo-town in California not associated with a mission or a military post). Although similarly named, the
San Juan Bautista Hills were not part of the neighboring
Rancho San Juan Bautista
Rancho San Juan Bautista was a Mexican land grant in present-day Santa Clara County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to José Agustín Narvaez. The grant extended along the Guadalupe River from Los Gatos to San Jose ...
Mexican land grant
The Spanish and Mexican governments made many concessions and land grants in Alta California (now known as California) and Baja California from 1775 to 1846. The Spanish Concessions of land were made to retired soldiers as an inducement for ...
.
Located in the northern area of Communications Hill,
Oak Hill Memorial Park
Oak Hill Memorial Park is a cemetery in San Jose, California. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest secular cemetery in California. Oak Hill is the northernmost hill in the San Juan Bautista Hills of South San Jose.
History
The cemete ...
, the oldest secular cemetery operating in California, performed its first recorded burial in 1847.
Tyler Beach purchased the Dairy Hill area in the late 1860s and named it Beach Hill Farm, which was used to supply the former St. James Hotel.
On March 2, 1886,
Southern Pacific
The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...
incorporated the San Jose & Almaden Railroad (consolidated with the Southern Pacific on May 14, 1888) to build the Lick Branch from Hillsdale (now
Capitol Station) 7.7 miles to Almaden. The branch was opened on November 16, 1866, and ran for several years. However, the line was shortened due to an abandonment in 1937 (probably due to the
New Almaden
, settlement_type = Neighborhood of San Jose
, nickname =
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, image_flag =
, image_seal =
, image_map =
, mapsize =
, map_caption =
, image_map1 =
, mapsize1 =
, map_caption1 =
, pushpin_map = United States Sa ...
mine shutting down after the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
). The remainder of the Lick Branch was formally abandoned in January 1981.
Between 1887 and 1890, the San Jose Vineyard operated in the area.
![Jayhawkers Place looking West (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Jayhawkers_Place_looking_West_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In the late 1800s, José S. Azevedo (of the Azevedo-Machado-Vieira family, a prominent
Portuguese-American
Portuguese Americans ( pt, português-americanos), also known as Luso-Americans (''luso-americanos''), are citizens and residents of the United States who are connected to the country of Portugal by birth, ancestry, or citizenship.
Americans and ...
family of San Jose) emigrated from
São Jorge Island
São Jorge () is an island in the central group of the Azores archipelago and part of the autonomous region of Portugal. Separated from its nearest neighbours (Pico and Faial islands) by the Pico-São Jorge Channel, the central group is ofte ...
in the
Azores
)
, motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
. He purchased 96 acres of land in the area in 1896 and created a dairy farm known as the American Dairy Company.
In 1916 (after José S. Azevedo's passing in 1915), Manuel Azevedo and Manuel Lewis took over the dairy farm. Manuel Azevedo's nephew, Manuel Bettencourt managed the creamery after Manuel Azevedo died. After Manuel Bettencourt died, control of the dairy went to Bettencourt's nephew, Anthony Bettencourt. In the 1970s, control of the ranch passed to Anthony Bettencourt's son, Robert J. Bettencourt who continues own land in the area through a family trust known as Mta Land Corporation.
![Townhomes off of William Manly Park](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Townhomes_off_of_William_Manly_Park.jpg)
The Azevedo Quarry was actively mined by Raisch Products from 1971 to 2006 (reclamation activity continued until 2009). An aggregate recycling facility remains on the land, but it is also expected to shutdown in 2023 and be redeveloped into an office park when the county use permit expires.
Starting in 1984, the
Government of San Jose began preparing Communications Hill, then largely barren, for development into a
mixed-use
Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to some ...
, high density, urban neighborhood. This was formalized with the creation of the ''Communications Hill Specific Plan'' in 1992. Mta Land Corporation, a family trust managed by the Bettencourt family, began the process of residential development in 2002.
Annexation of parcels to the city of San Jose has occurred as recently as December 9, 2014.
The area is currently undergoing significant construction, which has been divided into four phases.
A "village center" is planned, which will include shops and restaurants positioned to have a view of the
downtown San Jose
Downtown San Jose is the central business district of San Jose, California. Downtown is one of the largest tech clusters in Silicon Valley, as well as the cultural and political center of San Jose.
History
The town was first settled in 1777. T ...
skyline.
Long Lines Tower
The
brutalist
Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by Minimalism (art), minimalist constructions th ...
tower located prominently on the hill was part of the
AT&T Long Lines
AT&T Communications, Inc., was a division of the AT&T Corporation that, through 23 subsidiaries, provided interexchange carrier and long-distance calling, long-distance telephone services.
History
AT&T Long Lines
The American Telephone & ...
telecommunications network. Known as the "Oak Hills" tower and constructed in 1972, it was designed to hold
KS-15676 horn antennas to relay data between the San Jose long lines tower (located at Almaden Blvd and West San Fernando St.) and the long lines tower on Hogsback Ridge (near East Dunne Ave). The tower has several levels of underground facilities (such as offices, bathrooms, a lunch room, and storage areas).
Geography
![Communications Hill, aerial view](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Communications_Hill%2C_aerial_view.jpg)
The Communications Hill neighborhood is located east of
California State Route 87
State Route 87 (SR 87), known as the Guadalupe Freeway or referred to by the locals as Highway 87, is a north–south state highway in San Jose, California, United States. Before being upgraded to a freeway, it was Guadalupe Parkway (and some ...
, west of
Monterey Road
Monterey Road is a major Silicon Valley thoroughfare that runs from Gilroy north to San Jose, California, in Santa Clara County. It follows the historic route of El Camino Real and is an old alignment of U.S. Route 101.
Route description
Mon ...
, north of
Capitol Expressway and south of Curtner Avenue.
Parks and trails
![William Manly Park on Communications Hill](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/William_Manly_Park_on_Communications_Hill.jpg)
The neighborhood has multiple scenic overlooks of the
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central and Northern California, United States. They form a ridge down the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco. They separate the Pacific Ocean from ...
,
Diablo Range
The Diablo Range is a mountain range in the California Coast Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Coast Ranges in northern California, United States. It stretches from the eastern San Francisco Bay area at its northern end to the Salinas Valley are ...
, and the surrounding
Santa Clara Valley
The Santa Clara Valley is a geologic trough in Northern California that extends 90 miles (145 km) south–southeast from San Francisco to Hollister. The longitudinal valley is bordered on the west by the Santa Cruz Mountains and on the east ...
.
Communications Hill is home to the following parks and trails:
*
Vieira Park
*Communications Hill Trail
*Elaine Richardson Park
*Communications Hill Grand Staircase
*Hillcrest Open Space
*Hillsdale Fitness Park
*Kurte Park
*Margaret Kell Park
*Rancho San Juan Bautista Park
*Waterford Park
*William Lewis Manly Park
Transportation
Nearby public transportation options include:
*
Capitol station (VTA)
Capitol station is a light rail station operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). Capitol station is served by the Blue Line of the VTA Light Rail system. The Capitol is located in the median of State Route 87, near the in ...
for
light rail.
*
Capitol station (Caltrain)
Capitol station is a Caltrain station located off Monterey Road near the Capitol Expressway, after which the station is named, in southern San Jose, California. The station is only served during weekday peak hours, with northbound trains in the ...
for
commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
.
*
Curtner station for
light rail.
A pedestrian bridge and trail are planned to allow easier access to the Capitol Caltrain station.
San Jose 2040 Plan Proposed Amendments
/ref>
Public services
Communications Hill is home to Engine House 33 of the San José Fire Department.
The hill is also home to the Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring Sa ...
Communications Dispatch center (which handles 9-1-1
, usually written 911, is an emergency telephone number for the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Palau, Argentina, Philippines, Jordan, as well as the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), one of eight N11 codes. Like other emergency nu ...
calls for the county).
References
{{Neighborhoods of San Jose
Neighborhoods in San Jose, California