Sand Hill Road issues on MP council's plate Sand Hill Road issues on MP council's plate (April 03, 2002)

By Pam Smith

Almanac Staff Writer

The Menlo Park City Council is set to discuss Stanford University's offer to pay for mitigations to Sand Hill Road and two nearby intersections, as well as related issues, at a council meeting Tuesday, April 2.

As a condition of approval to develop projects along the Sand Hill Road corridor, Palo Alto required Stanford University in 1997 to pay for certain roadway mitigations in Menlo Park and unincorporated San Mateo County, if those jurisdictions want the mitigations.

The package of mitigations, worth $11.8 million at the time but probably more now, includes the widening of the San Francisquito Creek bridge on Sand Hill Road, lane additions from the bridge to Santa Cruz Avenue, and modifications to the Sand Hill Road/Santa Cruz Avenue and Santa Cruz Avenue/Alpine Road/Junipero Serra Boulevard intersections, says a memo from city staff to the City Council.

Stanford's offer expires on December 31, 2007, the memo says.

But the city should decide well before that whether to accept the offer, because the university is only obligated to pay for work completed by the end of 2009, the memo cautions.

Two of Menlo Park's transportation staff, along with Mayor Steve Schmidt, have raised concerns about Stanford's design for the Sand Hill/Santa Cruz Avenue intersection in recent months.

A discussion of why they think that intersection is important, what they think is wrong with its design, as well as some counterarguments they heard from Stanford staff, is included in the memo, which is available to the public at City Hall. Call the city clerk at 858-3381.

The memo also gives traffic count data, charts, graphs and maps.

The council meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers.