LETTERS LETTERS (July 14, 2004)

Council applauded for fire-sprinkler decision

Editor:

Late last month, the Menlo Park City Council heard the fourth and final effort by the local fire district to make fire sprinklers a requirement for new and significantly remodeled homes, above and beyond existing, stringent state codes. It is to the credit of our council that all but one member came to understand what was going on and said "No" to a burden that the citizens just don't want. The issue was made cloudy with "facts" provided by an industry conglomerate (complete with video), and we owe thanks to two local architects, Sam Sinnot and particularly Mike Lambert, who, understanding the issues in full as part of their profession, stepped forward to set the record straight with hard data. In spite of the good intentions of our fire district, fire sprinklers are a poor safety value in conventional residences, and we hope the district will turn its efforts to encouraging simple, logical efforts that could save lives like those lost in East Palo Alto in recent years.

And through all this, a significant point was still lost on some, including one council member: This debate was about requiring a $10,000-plus added cost to home remodeling in the most expensive construction climate in history. The threshold for mandating any new cost on our homes ought to be pretty darn high. Our neighboring communities never fully debated this before accepting it in full. They should have.

Henry Riggs
Callie Lane, Menlo Park

Unanswered question about planned Town Center

Editor:

Portola Valley's $100,000-plus "charrette" is slowing to an end. During this speeded-up design process for a new Town Center, approximately 75 conscientious residents tried to position locations for new buildings in the areas where the Town Council said they have to be. The result is several plans, even the best of which embody serious "trade-offs," a euphemism for insurmountable disadvantages. Almost all the plans show reduced building space, a two-story building with an elevator, and cramped recreational facilities. Unfortunately, none of the various plans equals the existing Town Center in ambience and utility.

It is interesting that the estimated $13 million to $15 million cost of these plans received scant if any discussion. Completely unanswered was the question as to whether or not the residents of Portola Valley want to pay $15 million for a new Town Center.

Robert V. Brown
Former mayor, Portola Valley

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