Issue date: October 07, 1998
By ROBYN ISRAEL
Look around Professorville and old Palo Alto, and you will easily spot evidence of the new wealth that has descended upon this city. Towering multi-story dwellings are dotted throughout the area, commanding attention from the street and arousing curiosity from passersby. These are dream homes complete with all the modern-day conveniences-- gourmet kitchens, huge bathrooms, walk-in closets, tons of living space.
But not all of the city's neighborhoods have embraced this real estate trend with open arms. In pockets of south Palo Alto, residents have banded together to oppose the building of two-story homes, preferring instead to preserve the character of their neighborhoods, which are dominated by one-story dwellings. Built in the 1950s, these neighborhoods are populated primarily by Eichlers: three-bedroom, two-bath homes characterized by floor-to-ceiling glass walls that bring the outdoors indoors.
Residents, many of them longtime homeowners, view two-story homes as a serious threat to the privacy and home comfort that they have valued over the years. In their view, these tall dwellings afford their new neighbors a vantage point from which they can peek into private worlds. Consequently, preserving both the look and the insular nature of the Eichler home is a battle that many south Palo Alto residents think is worth fighting.
"We have always been conscious of the fact that we have smaller lots," said Shirley Eaton, a 24-year resident of Greenmeadow neighborhood and vice president of the Greenmeadow Community Association. "The fear was if the neighbor put a second story up, you'd lose all privacy -- not only in your yard, but in your bedroom and living room."
The trend toward restrictions on second-story additions in some areas began in 1992, when Walnut Grove became the first neighborhood to qualify for the single-story overlay zone (city government's term for the ban on adding a second floor to a home). Greenmeadow neighborhood became the second protected district in 1993, followed four years later by Tracts 795 and 840 of the Charleston Meadows neighborhood and Tract 709 of the Blossom Park neighborhood. Protection has thus far been granted to 506 homes in the southern part of the city.
Two other districts are currently requesting a zoning change from the city's Planning Commission. These include 106 homes in the Meadow Park neighborhood and 20 homes on La Jennifer Way and Timlott Court in the Barron Park neighborhood.
Residents can ask for the single-story restriction if most dwellings in their neighborhood are single-story and characterized by moderate lot size (7,000-8,000 square feet), appropriate boundaries exist, and an "overwhelming" number of homeowners support it. (No clear percentage of support has been defined; however, in the previous five requests for overlays, 70 percent to 80 percent of homeowners expressed support.)
Knud Knudsen, a 2-1/2-year resident of Barron Park, got involved in the battle in May, after developer James Witt purchased a home on his cul-de-sac. Fearful of a massive house overpowering the street, Mr. Knudsen canvassed his area this past summer in order to recruit support for the single-story overlay restriction. Sixteen of the residents support the plan.
"We want to preserve the atmosphere of the neighborhood and the feeling of the Eichler," said Mr. Knudsen. "We've seen enough of big houses in other neighborhoods and knew it wouldn't fit in here."
Mr. Witt, a lifelong Barron Park resident, is opposed to the single-story overlay zone in Barron Park-- a tract of heterogeneous design. Larger lots can afford to spread out and lose more yard, he said, unlike other smaller lots in the vicinity that do not have the same luxury.
Mr. Witt offered several reasons for upgrading the aging Eichlers, saying that they were built for a quick profit, are energy inefficient and are not earthquake-safe. It costs 20 percent more to build a one-story home (since it requires twice as much foundation and twice as much roof) and also limits design creativity, he said.
Mr. Witt plans to tear down the house on his Barron Park property and build a one-story "spec" home.
Opposition has recently surfaced to the request for a single-story restriction in the Meadow Park neighborhood (for which the City Council is expected to make a final decision early this month). Owen Byrd, a member of the city's seven-member Planning Commission, admitted that the issue has become more controversial since the movement's beginning, when only a couple of neighbors would voice opposition.
"The tenor has changed," said Mr. Byrd. "This is not the mom and apple pie technique that it once was."
Mr. Byrd is fearful that the overlay might frustrate other goals that the city has, like keeping young families in the neighborhood, maintaining a greater amount of open green space and allowing for the natural evolution of neighborhoods over time.
"I think at some point the city's going to have to look at the contents of the code and see if this is the right tool to use to reach the city's goals," said Mr. Byrd.
Leannah Hunt, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker/Cornish & Carey, suggested that a task force be appointed to address the issue and gather input from the city's residents, instead of limiting decisions to small enclaves. She also emphasized the need for the Realtor community to educate the public on the building restrictions in the overlay districts. There are, she said, buyers who purchase a home without realizing that they are prohibited from building up.
"With more people aware of the single-story restrictions, it is a factor in the overall range of market price," Ms. Hunt said.
She also expressed concern that residents are voting to lock in the lifestyles of the 1950s and 1960s.
"I think the current residents who are making these decisions need to take a long look and realize that today's buyers have needs in terms of space that the homeowners of the 1950s didn't require -- computer rooms, individuals working at home, a family room," said Ms. Hunt.
The lure of modern amenities does not, however, seem to be deterring buyers from purchasing three-bedroom homes in Greenmeadow. In fact, said Ms. Hunt, there have been more sales in recent years in this neighborhood, where residents have access to a private park, swimming pool and community center.
"Greenmeadow Eichlers sell for more money than Eichlers in other parts of the city, because we have the protection of the single-story overlay zone and we have the community center," said Ms. Eaton. "That combination makes this a valued neighborhood."
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