LETTERS LETTERS (December 03, 2003)

No need for service station art

Editor:

The unconscionable arm-twisting of John Conway to provide a work of art at the Chevron station he is rebuilding at the corner of Oak Grove Avenue and El Camino Real sends a chill to the business community and to every citizen who values American emphasis on respect for private property.

Mr. Conway is being held hostage to the draconian demands of Menlo Park's Arts Commission to include a work of "art" on his property. Mr. Conway is operating a gas station, not the Palace of the Legion of Honor. To placate the audacity of the commission, he asked permission to instead pay a fee. Rejected.

So Mr. Conway's mandate is clear. He is to edify us with a work of "art" as we pass his pumps. And what "art" may we expect?

I have a grand idea. Just up the street on Oak Grove is the historic Nativity Church. How about a complementary mural on the service bay wall of the Holy Family? Perhaps in the style of trompe l'oeil? Why, our artsy neighbors from Palo Alto will be green with envy as they gaze and gape at Menlo's splendid example of Gas Station Genre.

Bunny and Don Smith

Greenoaks Drive, Atherton

Art would enhance station's image

Editor:

With disappointment, I have followed John Conway's public obstruction of Menlo Park's public art ordinance as his Chevron station rises from the corner of Oak Grove Avenue and El Camino Real.

As reported in a September 17 Almanac article, Mr. Conway said that after realizing Menlo Park's support of public art would require him to set aside 1 percent of his expansion project for a work of art, he would scale back his project. Again in last week's Almanac, Mr. Conway's dissatisfaction with the ordinance was made abundantly clear.

I encourage Mr. Conway to look at the ordinance through a new prism. Dedicating only 1 percent of his project to benefit the many Menlo Park residents who have made it worth his while to do business in Menlo Park seems like a bargain. After all, the art will simply enhance the beauty of our town and improve the image of his gas station.

I hope Mr. Conway will not appeal the decision of the Art Commission to deny him permission to pay an in-lieu fee, and instead will comply with the ordinance with a spirit of generosity and civic-mindedness. If he does so, I expect he will realize substantial personal benefits in increased recognition and positive public regard for his business.

I applaud the City Council for its resolve and continued support of the public art ordinance. We are fortunate to live in a special community that demonstrates a commitment to the greater good.

Leigh Slavik

Creek Drive, Menlo Park

No need for coastside annexation plan

Editor:

I want to thank a recent writer to the San Mateo County Times who reminded us that the agricultural lands of the San Mateo coastside are already protected from wholesale development by zoning and oceans of red tape.

The proposed annexation of the coast by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) is redundant. Part of the problem, it seems to me, is our taxation system.

It is financially better to undersell property to a tax-exempt organization, which promises to "preserve" it, and receive a tax write-off, than to sell it at market rate to another agricultural interest, thereby having the seller pay capital gains taxes and the buyer pay elevated property taxes.

If the state of California handled its financial resources better, MROSD would never have been needed and the state park system would have been able to accept lands donated for open space preservation.

Yet, there is surprising financial gain to MROSD for the annexation. Even if they do not actually expand their holdings into the new area, they could receive a larger portion of our existing property taxes at the expense of other county services.

As probably the only public entity not affected by our state's budget crisis, this is pure greed. I wonder if, in light of the fact that their funding is secure and all other public services' budgets have been drastically affected, MROSD is re-prioritizing its spending to hire and train more rangers to make up for the cutbacks in fire and police/sheriff protection. Carrie German

Skyline Boulevard, Woodside

Dark and stormy night in Atherton

Editor:

Finally a story to go with Charles Schultz's famous opening line, "It was a dark and stormy night," by Snoopy.

Last November as a severe storm knocked out power to Atherton, the Planning Commission was reviewing the driveway requirement for Sacred Heart High School. Back in 1994 a consulting firm had presented four options for traffic flow.

Along with several other residents who live close to the school, I spoke in favor of a solution different from the one chosen by the Planning Commission. It was "stormy" both inside and out. Although I preferred a different option than the one taken by the commission, I admired the research, and the commitment the members had to Atherton and to studying the situation.

When power went out during the meeting, I am sure they thought about the safety of their families. Yet they stayed to resolve the matter. In a short time our town staff had been called out and had a generator powering the council chambers. The next morning the same staff members were quickly coordinating efforts to clear streets and return power to Atherton.

A year has gone by and the plan chosen by the Planning Commission has been very successfully implemented by Sacred Heart. The track, tennis courts, expansion of the Sister's Facility, and demolition of the old theater have been done with barely a sound being heard. Traffic congestion has been greatly reduced and Sacred Heart has made other facilities available to the town for public meetings.

It was rewarding to see the spirit of community during the recent dedication. I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to Sacred Heart for their contribution to our town, and wish them many victories on these new fields.

Charles Marsala

Atherton council member

Is there another chance for Park Theatre?

Editor:

I was saddened when the old Park Theatre closed in Menlo Park last summer, and I did a slow burn when the owner, Howard Crittenden, acted like "The Grinch" by disregarding city objections when he took down the "Park" sign.

Now, it seems the Park Theatre owner has become kinder and gentler, by soliciting public comments about doing something different with the Park.

If there is any chance of getting Landmark back in at the Park, I'm all for it. For years Landmark has shown provocative foreign and independent films here. In the last months alone they have run documentaries on the American gun culture, bird migration, Tibet and the Dalai Lama, and (soon) a movie about McNamara and our drift into the Vietnam War. The Menlo Park community has "thinking" people who want more than what the multiplex theaters have to offer.

The owner of the Park Theatre seems to be trying to clean up his act. He is seeking public comment on doing something different with the Park. One outfit wants to show second-run movies and serve pizza, an idea that doesn't interest me much. Another idea: Landmark wants to remodel the Park into two smaller theaters, like the Aquarius in downtown Palo Alto.

Personally, I feel a remodeled twin-screen Park with films from Landmark would be a boon to the community, and I hope the downtown merchants, city government, and the Park owner will find a way to make it happen.

If you feel this way too, tell the owner, Howard Crittenden. His e-mail address is Howard@ParkTheater.info. You might copy your e-mail to Menlo Park Mayor Nicholas Jellins: npjellins@menlopark.org. Clint McClintic Palo Alto

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