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Nearly 100 local residents gathered in Portola Valley’s Community Hall on Tuesday evening, Oct. 8, to hear from the town’s four Town Council candidates Rebecca Flynn, Ellen Vernazza, Helen Wolter and Carter Warr.
Candidates addressed questions related to the state-mandated housing element, balancing the town budget, evacuation plans, fire safety and changes to government structure.
The League of Women Voters of South San Mateo County hosted the forum and its vice president, Lisa Conrad, moderated.
Housing element and developments
After the decertification of Portola Valley’s 2023-31 housing element, many residents are concerned about the following steps. Every jurisdiction in the state updates a housing element plan under the state’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation program every eight years.
Vernazza said the first step is to get the housing element recertified, otherwise not much can be done. Flynn suggested that the town move forward with programs within the housing element, certify and pre-approve additional dwelling unit plans, and identify areas where housing can be developed.
On the topic of the proposed housing developments at the Stanford Wedge site, Dorothy Ford Park and others, Warr and Wolter both expressed their support for the Portola Terrace project at the Stanford Wedge but did not support housing at Dorothy Ford Park.
“I think [Dorothy Ford Park] was purchased with open space in mind and needs to continue to be open space,” Warr said. “I think there are opportunities all over town for density increases that weren’t considered in the housing element at this time.”
Vernazza said she is against all high-density housing because of its potential impacts on traffic during evacuations in a fire.
When asked about their opinions on the housing element’s Opt-In Diversification Program all candidates expressed their support for the goal of the program. The program was created to increase multigenerational housing and diversify housing opportunities for different demographics.
“I absolutely support the Opt-In program. It is one of the innovative ways to spread our density throughout the town,” said Wolter.
Warr and Vernazza support the program’s intentions but disagree with the current language allowing unlimited lots to build dispersed housing units.
Town finances and budget
The town is facing a deficit and expects deficits to increase in the coming years. All candidates stated that securing financial stability was one of their top priorities as a candidate.
Vernazza proposed the town look into becoming a charter town, which would create another flow of revenue through property transfer taxes. Other candidates, including Warr and Wolter, discussed cutting costs, especially with consultants and focusing on the recruitment and retention of staff. Flynn called for a deep evaluation of the town’s finances.
Changes to government structure and Ladera annexation
The fact that Portola Valley is presently without a town manager led to the question of whether the town should move away from the town manager model.
Warr said he “would support improving the relationship between town staff and the council, principally by having the department directors report to the town manager and Town Council at the same time.”
He points out that when information is relayed from department heads to town managers who report back to the council, important information and details are lost. He believes it would be more efficient for department heads to report directly to the council.
Flynn shared similar thoughts on creating a model in which avenues of communication between department heads and the council are not “blocked by a town manager.”
Candidates also discussed their ideas on annexing the Ladera neighborhood and mixed opinions were expressed. Wolter and Vernazza disagreed with annexation while Flynn and Warr were open to exploring the idea.
“I don’t agree with annexing Ladera. I think we’re two different lifestyles,” said Vernazza.
Flynn explained that despite the two areas differing, Portola Valley would benefit from Ladera’s commercial district and retail taxes.
Wolter said annexation is expensive and said the town cannot afford to take on that process.
Fire safety and evacuation
Candidates were asked about how they can ensure that Alpine Road, “an essential artery,” is usable during an emergency evacuation.
Wolter proposed adding additional bike lanes along the edge of the road to serve as another evacuation route and creating roundabouts. Vernazza agreed on adding bike lanes but thought roundabouts would be unsafe.
Warr said that rather than evaluate the situation from the point of view of evacuation, the town needs to deal with the situation from a “density standpoint and control it from that point, rather than exacerbating it.”
Flynn recommended turning traffic on both lanes on Alpine Road toward the same direction and using volunteers to coordinate traffic. She also said one change they can start today is clearing the brush in the area to prevent further limitation during an evacuation.
For the full recording of the forum watch on tinyurl.com/pvcandidateforum.
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