Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions
Apples and oranges Editor, During the last City Council meetings, several council members tried to justify their view(s) of not taking seriously the message of the November 2013 election rejecting Measure D. Some had the hubris to say they were elected with more votes than the votes defeating Measure D. Your election had nothing to do with Measure D. This is an insult to Palo Alto voters, comparing apples and oranges. No one disputed the legitimacy of their election nor denied their right to continue holding misguided views. Our system of government does not require citizens to vote. We and our neighbors from throughout the city went door to door leafleting and talking to fellow citizens. They understood this election was not about affordable senior housing, but developments increasing density in residential neighborhoods, declines in quality of life and safety for their children. This decline is reflected in ugly, oversized, under-parked projects with increased traffic and congestion. Council’s attempts to miscategorize and devalue citizen’s views is a reflection of their believing they are invincible and their inability to accept they may be wrong. This turns people off and leads to mistrust of the council. We urge council and all staff to seriously examine the election results and the implications it has for our city’s future. We hope the next project on the Maybell site will be guided by current zoning and consideration of people in the neighborhood along the Maybell corridor. Michael J. and Ruth Lowy Thain Way, Palo Alto
Transfer Maybell loan to Buena Vista Editor, I support reprogramming the $5.8 million City loan on the Maybell property to help the residents of the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park to purchase the property and become homeowners in the City we all love. This would show a good faith effort to preserve and maintain the current level of lowincome housing stock, by saving the largest low-income housing project in the city. Margaret Fruth El Camino Way, Palo Alto
Dangerous darkness Editor, Every year in December it gets dark quite early and I become very concerned while driving. Each year I see bikers (kids and adults) riding with dark clothes,
either no or woefully inadequate lights, no reflectors and riding like it was daylight. It is very difficult to see them with bright car lights, street lights, house lights and Christmas decorations all attracting your eyes’ attention. These riders are may be smart people, but they are doing a very stupid and dangerous thing. I don’t understand why they don’t spend a few dollars for reflective clothes and adequate lights and reflectors to protect themselves from serious injury. I don’t know what the city can do to rectify this situation but anything would be welcomed. Mike Murnane Metro Circle, Palo Alto
Eastside Prep props Editor, Hallelujah for the cover story on Eastside Prep. As one in an army of dedicated volunteers, I can attest to the virtues of the institution. It’s not just a school. It’s truly a community where mutual admiration and respect among students and adults fuel a rigorous, demanding level of college-preparatory learning. There is no praise high enough for its founders, Chris Bischof and Helen Kim, who have maintained a pure and steady focus on one singular goal — providing an environment where every Eastside student will be fully prepared and successful in graduating from college and launching him/herself into the world with a strong belief in his/her own capabilities. Where others may have been tempted to “franchise� their operation and expand to additional sites, Chris and Helen have instead painstakingly worked to remove all of the potential obstacles and cracks in the road that might waylay their students. The end product — Eastside Prep as it stands today — is breathtaking in its integrity. Every time I step foot onto the Eastside campus, I leave awash in a gentle euphoric flush, not unlike a runner’s endorphin-induced “high.� The teachers impress and inspire me, but it’s the students that make me smile. Although we struggle together with asymptotes and algebraic equations, they take full responsibility for their own understanding and mastery of learning, and are earnestly appreciative of the support that volunteers offer. If your readers are looking to give themselves a holiday gift, they should consider joining the ranks of Eastside supporters. Barbara Sih Klausner Salvatierra Street, Stanford
opinion (Dec. 13) are supporting a campaign against permit parking. Why? They own a building on Alma between Lincoln and Addison, bordered on two sides by residential and the other by my antique store. The original house facing Alma is leased to a designer; the concrete addition opening onto the alley was his family’s upholstery shop, later leased to the Pacific Art League who used it a few hours a week as a studio/ classroom. The property is “nonconforming� with only four or five unmarked spaces, about a third of the actual need for this building. But, because of the restrained intensity of the former uses parking was never an issue. When the art use left, city staff handed the brothers a golden egg — they approved an office use and remodeling along the alley but no parking or limits on workers. The owners increased the rent and a start-up with 16 employees moved in. Clearly the brothers enjoy and want to defend the financial subsidy they receive (over $500,000), letting their neighbors, sometimes parking for my store, provide their parking needs. Why not? All of the other downtown developer/ owners are subsidized, why not Cintz? So, they are defending what they feel is their right to destroy the character of the surrounding residential neighborhoods and maintain their subsidy. Why did the city approve the intensification of a clearly nonconforming use? Other cities don’t. Go figure. Ken Alsman Addison Avenue, Palo Alto
No need to upgrade Editor, We have used California Avenue for a significant portion of our weekly shopping and easy access to convenience stores and eating places for the past 55 years. It is quietly the way much of small town California main streets used to be. There is nothing wrong with it. It does not need to be “upgraded� into another El Camino or University Avenue. It is and has been essentially down town for much of Palo Alto and Stanford University student and faculty housing. It has convenient on-street parking and parking facilities. Just because it may look old-fashioned to some is no reason to change a good working community resource. Check it out for yourself. Marvin and Alison Lee Harker Avenue, Palo Alto
Go figure
City for sale
Editor, The Cintz brothers mentioned in Mr. Thorwaldson’s Weekly guest
Editor, Thanks to Karen Holman, Greg Schmid and Gail Price for stand-
ing up against the humongous Grocery Outlet sign. Perhaps council members should take a class in negotiating so they won’t fold to every threat against city regulations. But maybe it’s too late. By this time, every developer — and now every business owner — knows that the city is a pushover and its laws are made to be broken. Resident Tom DuBois had photos showing that nowhere else in the Bay Area does Grocery Outlet have a sign more than 1/4 the size of the one that Palo Alto approved. Even that didn’t sway the council to a sane decision. Palo Alto: A city for sale where the council can’t say no to developers and can’t say yes to residents. Pat Marriott Oakhurst Avenue, Los Altos
No trees on golf course Editor, In response to Ed Lauing’s comments as chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission (Palo Alto Weekly, Dec. 13), in reference to the tree replacement plan at the Municipal Golf Course: Mr. Lauing has incorrectly stated that “Trees ‘R Us� is a fitting guiding principle for full replacement of the trees at the Municipal Golf Course at the Baylands. The golf course sits on land that was historically salt marsh, and unfortunately, this plant community does not include trees. With an eye towards eventual sea level rise as predicted by climate change models, the better course would be to adopt a hybrid plan that includes both tress and salt marsh habitat restoration. In the long run, salt marsh at the Bay’s edge, not trees, will mitigate somewhat the rising tides. This means Palo Alto spends less on disaster recovery from flood damage. The benefits don’t end there — the increased wildlife viewing opportunities will be enjoyed by the large numbers of people who walk and bike and birdwatch in the Baylands every week. Plus
the superior oxygen-producing ability of a salt marsh to a forest is well-documented. Yes, we are a city of trees, but the trees have their place on the uplands and in our neighborhoods, but not at the Bay’s edge on the golf course. Jane Moss Ferne Avenue, Palo Alto
R.I.P. University Art Editor, I grew up in Palo Alto but moved to the east coast 30 years ago for school and then work. I return a couple of times a year to see family. Palo Alto was a wonderful place to grow up in — great schools, interesting people, fantastic weather, entrepreneurship. Much of that is now gone, replaced by a techie/hipster vacuum. I agree with those who say that Mountain View, Menlo Park and Redwood City have more vital downtowns. Palo Alto city planning has been poor. Other similar cities, like Boulder, Colo., have figured out how to preserve vital downtown space with a diversity of shops. University Avenue could be a pedestrian mall with parking offline. Shuttles, trolleys and other public transport would help. Extending BART or light rail down the peninsula to San Jose (and looping up to the East Bay, and further south) would reduce traffic. But Palo Altans/Peninsula residents are partly to blame for this. Complaining about lots of traffic? The NIMBY opposition to public transport/light rail is foolish and short-sighted. Palo Alto has the money, ingenuity and ideological commitment to progressive politics. So who’s going to step up and take the lead? RIP Varsity Theatre, Megabooks, Swensen’s, Rapp’s shoes, Stapleton’s, University Arts, Shady Lane, City Feet, House of Today, Swain’s House of Music and everything else that served real people with real needs. Lisa Jadwin Rochester, New York
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