'Miniature' Safeway project on display 'Miniature' Safeway project on display (May 18, 2005)

By Rebecca Wallace

Almanac Staff Writer

The plan to demolish and rebuild the 83,292-square-foot Safeway grocery store at 525 El Camino Real in Menlo Park may be immense, but the public can now view the project in miniature.

A model of the proposed new Safeway, complete with tiny trees, is now on display on the first floor of City Hall at 701 Laurel St., near the planning department's counter.

Plans to replace the store with a triangle-shaped, 65,748-square-foot store with architecture inspired by the Allied Arts Guild are moving ahead, and drew some positive comments and suggestions from the City Council during a study session on May 10. A more detailed plan will come before the Planning Commission later.

Mayor Mickie Winkler said she likes the project's leafy landscaping, which includes adding about 125 trees. "It (the store) is somewhat hidden by the trees," she said.

Nearby residents who have been working with Safeway officials for five years to help shape the project are also pleased with the plan, resident David Alfaro told the council, calling it "a solid design."

Several components were developed to create less impact on the neighbors, such as moving the truck-loading area away from residences, he said.

The plan also includes having a wing of other storefronts near the Safeway, and Councilwoman Kelly Fergusson said she would like to see "local-serving" retail businesses that could bring in sales tax revenue for the city, rather than offices.

Safeway is envisioning "errand-type tenants" such as dry-cleaning and hair-cutting businesses, Steven Berndt, Safeway's real estate director for Northern California, told the council.

Ms. Fergusson said the high-visibility project has the potential to be "a real cornerstone for Menlo Park," and urged Safeway to use quality building materials such as real tile on the roof and wood trim.

Councilman Andy Cohen wondered whether a public art project would still be included in the project, now that the city no longer has a public art ordinance requiring larger commercial projects to devote a percentage of construction costs to artwork on the site. A divided council repealed the law last year.

Mr. Berndt said a neighborhood group had suggested several art projects, but that Safeway had dropped the idea once the law was repealed. He said Safeway generally only puts in art if an ordinance requires it to do so -- although that could change if there's "an outpouring of support" from the community or council direction for art. No such direction came from the council May 9.

Neighbors' art ideas had included a metal oak tree that would serve as a symbol of the city, and an arbor on Middle Avenue, said neighbor Elizabeth Houck.
INFORMATION

For a staff report on the Safeway project, go to menlopark.org, click on "City Council" and go to the May 9 meeting agenda.

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