Can an outside facilitator end the battle over the fate of historic objects in Atherton’s Lindenwood neighborhood?
The Atherton City Council is willing to give it a try, to the tune of $25,000.
At its Feb. 20 meeting, the council authorized the consulting firm PMC of Rancho Cordova to run a public outreach campaign in an attempt to find a compromise version of the town’s contentious historic preservation ordinance.
PMC consultants plan to hold private meetings with small groups of people on both sides of the historic preservation issue in an attempt to build consensus, before bringing a proposal for the whole town to consider.
Atherton’s historic preservation ordinance is intended to preserve a variety of artifacts believed to date back to the estate of silver magnate James Flood. The Lindenwood neighborhood that resulted from the estate’s subdivision is dotted with walls, benches, urns and street lamps.
There’ve been a number of contentious City Council meetings, and while most residents have told the council that they value Atherton’s unique heritage, opinions are sharply divided over whether the town’s ordinance is an intolerable infringement on private property rights or a necessity to preserve the few historic objects that survive.
The Lindenwood Homes Association supports the law, but not all Lindenwood residents agree.
Last year, residents Randy and Lisa Lamb sued Atherton after the council denied their request to move two large urns to their new home in another part of town after they sold their home in Lindenwood. A San Mateo County Superior Court judge sided with the Lambs, forcing Atherton to revisit its ordinance.
Until the council revises — or throws out — the ordinance, the Lambs’ urns are sitting in the backyard of their former house, now occupied by its new owner.
Councilman Jerry Carlson estimates that the town has spent at least $200,000 on the ordinance, a combination of legal fees, hiring a historical preservation consultant, and town staff time.
PMC originally estimated that the consulting work could cost as much as $35,000, but that proved too steep for the council. On a 2-1 vote, with Charles Marsala opposed and Kathy McKeithen absent, the council authorized the work, as long as it doesn’t exceed $25,000.
Mr. Marsala said he would rather have a town-wide vote to decide whether to have a historic preservation ordinance at all. He said the money to pay PMC would be better spent if the city put it into a preservation fund to buy artifacts from private owners.
Mayor Jim Janz said he was surprised by the high price tag for PMC, but added, “If this (gets us) something we can agree on, then it’s worth every penny.”
