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Commission continues review of specific plan By Sandy Brundage Almanac Staff Writer
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s the Menlo Park Planning Commission prepared to continue its review of the downtown/El Camino Real specific plan on Sept. 23, they had some added community input to consider. Commissioners took a series of straw votes on Sept. 10, the first day of their review, to evaluate what aspects of the specific plan merited further consideration for modification. The straw votes indicated that the commission does not want to throw the specific plan out, given the five years of analysis that led to its creation, but did identify several areas to tweak. Those include ways to give the city more control over proposed projects and the proportion of specific uses, such as housing versus office space, and possibly ways to incorporate funding mechanisms for desired infrastructure improvements. One project proposed under the new specific plan rules has highlighted the need to at least reconsider those aspects. Stanford University and developer John Arrillaga have indicated they want to build an eightacre mixed-use complex along 300 to 500 El Camino Real — a project that meets the baseline criteria of the specific plan without triggering public benefit requirements or review by the city beyond architectural features. The latest design for the
Check AlmanacNews.com for updates. This issue went to press before the Sept. 23 meeting.
Stanford Arrillaga complex consists of 199,500 square feet of office space, 10,000 square feet of retail, and up to 170 apartments. A public plaza to be designed in conjunction with the city at Middle Avenue would incorporate two car lanes, along with a pedestrian and bicycle path at Middle Avenue and El Camino Real leading to a future railroad track undercrossing.
Sierra Club, Save Menlo ask city to lower maximum building heights allowed by specific plan along southeast El Camino Real. The Sierra Club and Save Menlo, a grassroots coalition that has criticized the Stanford project, submitted a list of their desired revisions to the specific plan in advance of Monday’s Planning Commission meeting. Focused on El Camino Real and the area surrounding the Caltrain Station, the changes include capping the amount of general office space at 25 percent of the baseline floor area allowed in a project (10 percent for medical offices); dropping the maximum height allowed
in southeast El Camino Real to 48 feet with facades capped at 38 feet; and incorporating an infrastructure fee based on square footage. The groups also propose implementing a transportation demand management program along the length of El Camino Real. The Sierra Club and Save Menlo also suggest fine-tuning the specific plan’s definition of “open space” to ensure it refers to shared community areas and clarifying the process of determining public benefits if a developer wants to exceed baseline requirements. As far as height and density allowances go, however, during the straw votes on Sept. 10, five commissioners said they were “favorably disposed” toward the density and floor area ratios — the scale, in other words — of buildings allowed under the specific plan. Katherine Strehl and John Onken abstained since they are recused from voting on certain zones of the specific plan. The specific plan allows buildings up to 60 feet on the southeast portion of El Camino Real, to accommodate fourstory commercial or five-story residential buildings. All other building heights in the plan area are capped at 38 feet, or two-story commercial and three-story residential units. The Almanac went to press before the Sept. 23 meeting. Check our website at almanacnews.com for an update on what happened. Once the Planning Commission finishes evaluating the specific plan, which may take several meetings, it will send any recommendations to the City Council for review.
R EAL E STATE Q&A by Monica Corman
Showing Proof of Funds Dear Monica: I am about to make an offer on a property and my parents are gifting me the entire down payment. I am also getting a loan from a conventional lender. The seller is asking for me to show proof of funds for my down payment. Is it common to request this and should I have to do this? Owen C. Dear Owen: In this multiple offer market that we are currently in, sellers are asking for more proof of a buyer’s ability to perform. Sellers want to be sure and choose the right buyer among those making offers, and financial ability is key to determining this. Often a loan pre-approv-
al letter from a reputable lender is sufficient proof of funds, because presumably the lender has confirmed that the buyer’s down payment is real. But more and more I am seeing sellers request separate proof that the buyer has the down payment in ready funds. You can have your parents write a letter stating that they are making a gift to you of the down payment (your lender will require this as part of their underwriting) and your parents may also include a brokerage or bank statement showing that the funds are available. You should black out any private information and ask that the document be returned to you and not be copied or transmitted.
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
GREAT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Long time business in prime location for sale. Owner Retiring. Ample parking available. Private postal system with related services. Good Customer Base. Will provide training. Interested parties call 650-949-5891
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Former probation chief sentenced A former San Mateo County probation chief convicted of possessing child pornography was sentenced Sept. 20 to 10 months in county jail and was led away from court in handcuffs. Stuart James Forrest, 62, was also placed on three years’ probation and must register as a sex offender for life, visiting Judge Robert Atack ruled in San Mateo County Superior Court. A jury found him guilty on July 26 of two counts of possession of child pornography. He was arrested in December 2012 after being named in a complaint by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service that alleged that he possessed child pornography on his personal computer. He was placed on formal
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Health screening
administrative leave on Dec. 21 and retired 10 days later on Dec. 31. Mr. Forrest, who testified on his own behalf in his July trial, said he had collected the images and videos for the purpose of policy decisions and research into the rising onset of human trafficking. The case was prosecuted through the state attorney general’s office with Judge Atack presiding. The case was turned over to the state due to the close working relationships Mr. Forrest had with San Mateo County judges and the district attorney’s office during his 34-year career with the county. — Bay City News Service
Seniors are invited to a free health screening at the Menlo Park Senior Center at 100 Terminal Ave. on Thursday, Sept. 26. Seniors at least 60 years old are eligible. To receive the most accurate cholesterol and blood glucose results, the city recommends fasting for 12 hours prior to the check-up. After the screenings, participants receive snacks and a consultation with a nurse. The event is sponsored by Senior Focus, Mills Peninsula Health Services, the Peninsula Health Care District, San Mateo County Aging and Adult Services and the City of Menlo Park. Appointments are required. Call 330-2283 to sign up; the screening runs from 9 to 11 a.m. on Thursday. September 25, 2013 N TheAlmanacOnline.com N The Almanac N 7