At last: The trees are coming to the Alameda At last: The trees are coming to the Alameda (September 22, 2004)

By Marion Softky
Almanac Staff Writer

By Christmas, 43 new young plane trees should be shading the new sidewalks and fresh pavement along the Alameda de las Pulgas in West Menlo Park.

The good news hit the e-mail circuit two days after the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on September 14 received ballots supporting and protesting formation of a maintenance district to allow property owners in the area to pay for planting and maintaining the trees.

Sixty-nine percent of the weighted ballots supported the trees, county Public Works Director Neil Cullen reported by e-mail Thursday.

Of 1,007 ballots mailed out in July, 643 were returned; there were 438 yes votes, and 205 protests. The votes were then weighted to reflect the value of the property to be assessed.

"Commercial votes count more," Mr. Cullen noted.

Joyous e-mails were soon zipping among the stalwarts who have worked for six years to beautify the Alameda.

"We did it! We got the trees!" exulted architect Leslie Wambach, a leader in the long struggle. "This is a victory for the long-term quality of life for a huge number of people in the West Menlo neighborhood."

The street improvements along the Alameda already look better and are more friendly, added Supervisor Rich Gordon, who has pushed the project at the county level. "The trees are going to be the icing on the cake."

The supervisors are due to give final approval to the ballot count at their September 28 meeting. The trees should be in by mid-December.

"We'll time it so they pick up on the winter rains," Mr. Cullen said.

The London plane trees will be planted in the grates already installed in the sidewalks on both sides of the Alameda between Harkins and Ashton avenues. The district will also pay for maintaining four trees already planted in the 3500 block.

Assessments will appear every year on the owners' property tax bills, with residents paying 95 percent and business owners, 5 percent.

Homeowners will pay a total of $164.40 per parcel over 20 years -- or $11.40 per year for the first five years, and $7.16 for the next 15.

The maximum assessment for commercial properties is a total of $642.90 per parcel over 20 years -- or $45 a year per parcel for the first five years, and $27.86 a year for 15 years.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.