SAN JOSE (BCN) — Santa Clara County has a new landmark recognizable to many residents or visitors traveling around the Cambrian Park neighborhood in unincorporated San Jose.
The county’s Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to classify the Cambrian Park Plaza carousel sign at Union and Camden avenues as a county landmark.
One of the most distinguishable features of the sign is a merry-go-round at the top supported by a heavy square post, which has become a focal point for people giving directions in the area, said Supervisor Ken Yeager, whose district includes the new landmark.
The sign was erected in the 1950s a few years after an adjacent 17-acre shopping center was opened by the family of Paul Schaeffer, the original builder of the site. The shopping center was sold last year to Texas-based real estate investment trust Weingarten Realty Investors, according to Yeager.
The new owners have committed to keeping the carousel sign as is while moving forward with plans to redevelop the center, the supervisor said.
The sign met the requirements of being more than 50 years old and having historic integrity, according to Yeager.
The sign is also easily identifiable to any San Jose resident who has lived in the city since the 1950s, he said.