N E W S
Sobrato development moves ahead By Sandy Brundage Almanac Staff Writer
M
enlo Park’s M2 industrial district on the east side of town probably ranks second on the list of areas the city would most like to see revived, with the empty car lots on El Camino Real claiming the top spot. A cautious council took steps during its Dec. 11 meeting to help that happen. The Sobrato Organization submitted a proposal in March to redevelop 151 Commonwealth Drive and 164 Jefferson Drive. The company bought the site about 18 months ago from alcohol producer Diageo. Sobrato wants to build two four-story research and development buildings totaling 259,919 square feet on 13.3 acres after demolishing structures currently on the site. Since the height of the buildings would exceed 35 feet, the developer needs a conditional development permit. What the developer doesn’t need is a development agreement — a contract between an applicant and Menlo Park for community benefits in exchange for project approvals. The city can’t require developers to apply for such a contract, and the Planning Commission had noted in its review of Sobrato’s proposal that the applicant hadn’t asked for one. Representatives from Sobrato met with several council mem-
bers individually in the weeks prior to the Dec. 11 meeting. When asked if she had done so, Councilwoman Catherine Carlton said, “Yes, I believe that the city manager suggested that we meet with them individually, so that we would fully understand what they want to build in Menlo Park.� Colleague Ray Mueller also met with Sobrato, as did Councilman Peter Ohtaki, who said, “I meet both with applicants and opponents, if any, to make sure I’ve learned about both
Menlo Park council greenlights environmental review. sides on larger projects.� But Councilman Rich Cline said he declined the invitation. “I typically avoid meeting developers. I get all the plans and all the info I need and I try to spend time preparing by talking with impacted community members. Menlo Gateway was the one exception.� Project representatives told the council during the Tuesday night meeting that they’re concerned about potentially paying $3.8 million for traffic impacts that they estimate should be mitigated by a fair share contribution of $300,000 to $500,000. Sobrato Development Direc-
tor Richard Truempler said a preliminary estimate showed the project could yield $100,000 in annual benefits for Menlo Park, plus $163,000 for the fire district and $135,000 for the Sequoia Union High School District. A fiscal analysis will be conducted as part of the environmental impact review approved by the council. Mr. Truempler did not respond to the Almanac’s request for comment on the possibility of a development agreement and why the company chose to meet individually with council members prior to the public meeting. Community members praised the Sobrato Family Foundation’s philanthropy. Peter Fortenbaugh of the Peninsula Boys and Girls Club highlighted “its incredibly generous support� of more than $1 million to the nonprofit. Councilman Cline commented that he was worried about what sort of tenants would lease the office space. “I get starry eyed, then projects come out filled with lawyers ... which don’t produce sales tax.� Overall, though, the council appeared excited about new development in the industrial district, and voted 5-0 to move the proposal forward for environmental review. Go to tinyurl.com/MP-Common to review reports associated with the project on the city’s website. A
R EAL E STATE Q&A by Monica Corman
Should I Pre-pay My Property Taxes? Dear Monica: I just paid the first installment of my property tax bill for fiscal year 2012-2013. For tax reasons should I pay the second installment before the end of the year and take the deduction? Maureen G. Dear Maureen: It is generally a good idea to prepay your property taxes for your residence and any income property you own. You should check with your accountant to see if you are subject to AMT (Alternative Minimum Tax) in which case you may not be able
to deduct property taxes paid on your residence. You should also consider prepaying January mortgage interest installments, if you want to reduce your income tax liability. You should prepay rental property repairs if possible. This is the time of year to do this planning. It is not clear what the tax rates will be next year and if they are higher in 2013 than they are now, you will be looking for more ways to reduce your liability. Ask your accountant what strategies would work best for you.
For answers to any questions you may have on real estate, you may e-mail me at mcorman@apr.com or call 462-1111, Alain Pinel Realtors. I also offer a free market analysis of your property. www.MonicaCorman.com
t .BLF QVSDIBTFT The online guide t 8SJUF BOE SFBE SFWJFXT t 'JOE EFBMT BOE DPVQPOT to Menlo Park t #VZ HJGU DFSUJGJDBUFT businesses t %JTDPWFS MPDBM CVTJOFTTFT
Good for Business. Good for You. Good for the Community. Visit ShopMenloPark.com today
Lawsuit alleges Menlo Park dog attack By Sandy Brundage Almanac Staff Writer
A
woman who said she was maimed during a dog attack at Nealon Park in Menlo Park filed a lawsuit Dec. 4 against the owner of a German shepherd that she said bit her. A recue organization that adopted out the dog was also named as a defendant. Angela Otero’s lawsuit alleges that while her dog Ollie, a Golden Retriever-poodle mix, was playing in the park on Nov. 6, another woman — defendant Laurie Furman — dropped off the German shepherd and then walked outside the fence to talk on a cellphone. The German shepherd then attacked Ollie, according to the court filing, biting the smaller dog around the throat. Ms. Otero said she was bitten on her right hand as she tried to separate the dogs, the com-
plaint states, and lost part of her middle finger. Peninsula Humane Society spokesman Scott Delucchi told the Almanac the shepherd was ordered quarantined at home for 10 days as a standard procedure to rule out rabies; the dog was current on vaccinations and neutered. Neither Ms. Furman nor the rescue organization were immediately available for comment. According to Ms. Otero’s complaint, during the attack Ms. Furman remained outside the fence in violation of posted dog park rules that require owners to supervise and maintain control at all times. Ms. Otero said other people at the park reportedly tried and failed to get the owner’s attention. The complaint also names German Shepherd Rescue of Northern California. Ms. Furman allegedly adopted her dog through the organization in
October. The lawsuit states that the organization as well as the owner should have known the dog was dangerous, and therefore acted negligently by failing to make sure the German shepherd would be kept in a safe manner. According to documents posted on the rescue organization’s website, prospective owners must complete a questionaire, interview and home visit before being allowed to adopt a dog. The website notes that many of the dogs come from unknown backgrounds and “cannot warrant or guarantee any dog’s future behavior� as a result. The lawsuit asks for damages, including punitive, and court costs. The Lanier Law Firm of Palo Alto is representing the plaintiff. The defendants have not yet retained attorneys. A case conference has been scheduled for May 10 in San Mateo County Superior Court.
AUTHENTIC ITALIAN RESTAURANT
<]e =^S\ 0S\dS\cb] Complimentary appetizer and no corkage fee for the holidays (mention this ad)
Catering and Private Events
$# AcWbS 6 =OY 5`]dS /dS U ;S\Z] >O`Y U $# ! $ ! " Open 5-10 pm Mon-Sat
A
December 19, 2012 N TheAlmanacOnline.com N The Almanac N 7