LETTERS LETTERS (December 07, 2005)

Supervisors urged to stop Alpine Road trail

Editor:

The following letter is addressed to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors:

On behalf of Acterra's board of directors, I strongly urge you not to approve Stanford University's proposed trail along Alpine Road (alignment C1-C). Instead, we encourage you to endorse the C1-B trail alignment that, unlike the C1-C alignment, is actually located on the university's property.

As you know, in the year 2000, in return for Santa Clara County granting Stanford the right to develop five million square feet of buildings, the university agreed to meet a number of conditions, including constructing and maintaining two recreational trails across Stanford land that would connect with other trails in the hills.

Now, five years later, Stanford has yet to build either trail. Furthermore, the university is proposing trail alignments that are not consistent with the spirit or intent of its original general use permit agreement with the county.

The proposed C1-C alignment is unacceptable for several reasons: * It is not a recreational hiking trail -- the intent of the agreement. * It is largely on public right-of-way and not on Stanford land. * It is not even in Santa Clara County. * It is unsafe, with dangerous driveway, roadway and freeway ramp crossings. * It is in a riparian area, too close to San Francisquito Creek. * It would require the removal of beautiful trees and add impervious surface, thereby increasing creek runoff.

We know that supervisors are tired of dealing with this issue that has dragged on for so many years due to Stanford's unwillingness to meet its obligations. However, fatigue is no justification for approving a bad project. There are excellent > alternative routes for this trail that are supported by large numbers of ordinary citizens.

We respectfully request that you require Stanford to comply with the original agreement and do the right thing -- build a recreational hiking trail across its own land.

Michael Closson

executive director, Acterra

(Acterra is a Palo Alto-based environmental organization. )

Impact report for Linfield housing a travesty

Editor:

On December 1, the City of Menlo Park released a so-called final environmental impact report regarding a proposal to build 56 homes at 110 - 175 Linfield Drive. The author must have studied his trade via correspondence school. This report is remarkable for what it omits. I find it difficult to believe that the top officials of Menlo Park would permit such an incomplete, inadequate and phony report to be evaluated at the December 12 Planning Commission meeting.

If this proposal is passed by the City Council, the result will be 56, three-story houses on undersized lots averaging about 3,500 sq. ft. per lot. Our building regulations consider a standard single-family lot as being 7,000 sq.ft.

Worse, the developer is entitled to create his own "design standards," ignoring the height limits, set-back requirements, parking requirements for owner, visitor and guests, as well as removing 50 heritage trees.

The proposal requires amendments to the city's general plan, which will not permit such development on these parcels, and ignores the master plan for the entire area between San Francisquito Creek and Ravenswood Avenue, and bordered by Alma Street and Middlefield Road.

Christmas is coming early this year if the council passes this travesty of rezoning. The enrichment of a few at the expense of many should not be tolerated.

D.J. Brawner

Waverly Street, Menlo Park

Confusion over rules on Woodside trees

Editor:

Trees are important to Woodside folks and are protected by law in Woodside.

About three years ago, on Oct. 8, 2002, the Woodside Town Council voted five to two to defeat a motion to exempt eucalyptus trees from the protection of that law. I emphasize, five to two against.

On Oct. 25, 2005, at a meeting of the Town Council, a number of concerned citizens of Woodside spoke passionately and clearly and objected to the clear-cutting of a great many heritage, 100-plus-year-old eucalyptus trees on a grand, 45-acre estate.

At that point a council member asked the town's manager, Susan George, why the five-to-two vote against that kind of tree-cutting had not been honored. The manager told the council that they really meant to vote unanimously for the 2002 motion rather than five to two against.

And each of those seven town council persons accepted that. They did not rise up as one, shouting, "No, we meant what we voted for. "We are the duly elected governing body of this town."

Does Woodside need a new Town Council?

Edward Nelson

Grandview Drive, Woodside

Thanks to the Lanes for quake booklet

Editor:

As a resident of Portola Valley, and living close to the San Andreas Fault, I was pleased to receive by mail, courtesy of Bill and Jean Lane, the U.S. Geological Survey publication titled "Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country."

It is excellent. If you need a copy, check at Town Hall for extras. I sent a note of thanks to the Lanes for providing this resource to the town's residents and reflected at the same time about a greater debt of gratitude that we owe to the Lanes and to many of our public spirited citizens and town staff who serve us so selflessly.

I especially appreciate their modeling of good citizenship, dedication to the future of our community, and their civility in public discourse. A significant earthquake is expected before 2032 (62 percent probability) and we will be relying on each other. That spirit of neighborliness will be more important than we can imagine.

Anne Galli

Acorn, Portola Valley

Resident compliments Tripp Road paving project

Editor:

Most letters referring to government complain about them. I wanted to give credit where it is due, and publicly acknowledge the Town of Woodside for a recent project.

I live on Tripp Road; recently it was repaved. The repaving was done within a few days, with a minimum of inconvenience to the many users of the road: automobile and truck drivers, equestrians, joggers, bicyclists, dog walkers, and others. I think my longest wait was 30 seconds, which is astonishing, given that old asphalt was removed, a base material and then a base layer of asphalt put down, and then a sealing coat.

The construction crews working were clean, courteous, and quick. Crews sometimes leave behind old road debris, food wrappers, and so on. Nothing of that sort has been observed. The new pavement is smooth and crowned nicely.

Kudos to the Town of Woodside for a job done very well, and very efficiently. John Novitsky Tripp Road, Woodside

Look out for cronyism on SamTrans board

Editor:

Patricia Gray's recent letter reminded us that former Supervisor Mike Nevin retained a seat on the SamTrans board after he was forced by term limits from the seat he had occupied for12 years. Mr. Nevin retained a seat on the SamTrans board, with a little help from his friends, by slipping in as a "public" member without any public notice of a vacancy. This is thievery of a public seat.

Let's not forget Shirley Harris from Daly City who, with a little help from her friends, has been on the board as a public member since 1994. Her public seat is again due for appointment in December. Will we even get an announcement this time before an appointment is made?

Thanks to Ms. Gray for pointing out the rampant cronyism of our local politicians. Arlen & Jean Comfort Lorelei Lane, Menlo Park

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