San Jose

‘Inconvenient' and ‘Unsafe': Horse-Themed Show Causing Traffic, Safety Woes in San Jose

The soaring, white tent with bright lights perched next to Highway 87 in San Jose will finally be home to some action Wednesday night.

Odysseo, a horse-themed production put on by Cavalia, will be showing off in front of crowds, but at least one neighbor next to the temporary display has been upset ever since the tents were installed in August.

San Jose resident George Antenucci says that his car has almost been hit several times by trucks transporting equipment to and from the venue, which currently sits in a vacant lot.

"It's inconvenient, but certainly unsafe when you have to go to work in the morning," he said.

Antenucci speculated that Cavalia leaders are thinking, "Hey, it’s an empty lot near an apartment building. They’re just renters, they won’t care.”

Peter Sobczyk, a marketing director for Cavalia, says that during the buildup to the shows, the company distributed community meeting invitations and encouraged neighbors to voice concerns at those open discussions.

"We invited as many neighbors in the area, about 1,000 feet, and those who attended that meeting, we explained how we're going to do it, what we're going to do, the times, the dates, the kinds of constraints we had," Sobczyk said.

To make the chaos a little less hectic for nearby residents, Sobczyk added that show-goers will be shuttled to the show from a Julian Street parking garage and speaking within the tent will be pointed away from residences.

"We're a little surprised, caught off guard," he said of the backlash.

Odysseo opens Wednesday night and will continue through the end of October.

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