Safeway rebuilding project OK'd Safeway rebuilding project OK'd (October 05, 2005)

** Neighbors show full support for the plan.

By Rory Brown

Almanac Staff Writer

After a six month span in which two car dealerships closed and Kepler's Books and Magazines abruptly shut its doors, there are signs of life on El Camino Real: Safeway is putting more than $10 million into constructing a new store.

The City Council unanimously approved the proposal for a new Safeway market at 625 El Camino Real in Menlo Park on September 27, green-lighting plans to construct a store of approximately 65,017 square feet, with an additional 11,500 square feet of retail and service space on the site.

"This is a huge vote of confidence for Menlo Park," Mayor Mickie Winkler said. "It makes coming to Menlo Park very attractive. It's a big deal for Safeway and big deal for Menlo Park."

The new triangle-shaped store will replace the existing 85,662-square-foot building.

Construction on the store is set to begin by spring 2006, and will take about 11 months, depending on weather conditions, said Safeway consultant Candace Hathaway. The store will stay open during construction.

Ms. Hathaway facilitated meetings with a working group of eight neighborhood representatives -- two from each street near the current store: Middle and Roble avenues, and Kenwood and Morey drives. The group and Ms. Hathaway addressed noise and traffic concerns residents had with the initial plans, presented in 2000.

Neighbors and Safeway representatives worked together to develop the store's triangular design. At the recent council meeting, members of the working group and other Menlo Park residents had nothing but praise for the project.

Mary Kenney, a working group member who lives on Morey Drive, read a letter by David Alfano of Kenwood Drive, who often serves as spokesperson for the group.

"When this project was first considered, we hoped for at best a compromise," Mr. Alfano wrote. "Now we have something that's good for Safeway, good for the neighborhood and good for Menlo Park."

By phasing construction to keep the store operational, the complete project -- both the Safeway store and retail space -- should be complete in just over two years, according to Steven Berndt, Safeway's real estate director for Northern California.

Mr. Berndt also issued an open letter to Safeway's neighbors and the people of Menlo Park, pledging to fulfill agreements made with the working group, including the maintenance of parking lot landscaping and trees between Safeway and the adjacent Kenwood Drive and Roble Avenue properties.

The council included the promises of the open letter in the conditions of the proposal.

Before the vote, council members Kelly Fergusson and Andrew Cohen expressed concern over what type of tenants would occupy the retail space adjacent to the store.

Efforts should be made to find retail outlets, rather than offices, to fill the space, said Councilman Cohen.

"When office space competes with retail, it drives up rates," said Councilwoman Fergusson. "We need to guarantee the uses that go into that building are neighborhood serving."

Ms. Fergusson added that similar restrictions are what may allow the community to bring Kepler's back.

Mayor Winkler and council members Nicholas Jellins and Lee Duboc said the details of the C-4 general commercial, conditional development permit are specific enough, and there was no need to make further restrictions.

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