Alpine Inn found a parking solution for its employees, but overflow of cars on Arastradero are still a hazard

After years of struggling to find enough space for its patrons to park, leading to frustrated neighbors as cars spilled out into surrounding streets, the Alpine Inn in Portola Valley is starting to make headway in freeing up some space in its parking lot by having its employees park in a nearby town-owned lot.

But even with this solution in place, it appears there’s still not room for everyone: More than 70 cars were parked along the shoulder of Arastradero Road leading up to the Alpine Inn when this news organization observed the road on Thursday, Aug. 3. Some were encroaching on the traffic lane, with half of their vehicle over the white road striping, which public safety officials say is creating a hazard.

Ever since the Alpine Inn underwent major renovations in 2019, the already popular restaurant has seen a surge in customers, especially on warm summer days.

Neighbors first made their voices heard about parking issues in 2021, when they told The Almanac that cars were parking along the shoulder of Golden Oak Drive across from the Alpine Inn when the restaurant’s lot was full.

According to neighbors at the time, the situation presented major safety issues, as cars coming down the road were forced to cross the double yellow line to pass parked cars. Those living nearby said motorists were also making dangerous U-turns on the Golden Oak Drive hill in order to park, as well as walking across busy Alpine Road to get to the restaurant, which doesn’t have any crosswalks or pedestrian lights.

Now, a few years later, Woodside Fire Protection District Fire Marshal Don Bullard said there’s an even bigger safety concern happening on nearby Arastradero Road.

“I’ve gotten several complaints from residents that live in Portola Valley that drive Arastradero Road when they’re coming home from work,” Bullard said. “They run into these obstacles where people are parking on Arastradero Road (and) they’re not inside the white line on the shoulder. They’ll park there and then they’ll just open up their doors into the traffic. It can become a big safety issue.”

A little over 70 cars line Arastradero Road right before it intersects with Alpine Road on Aug. 3, 2023. Pedestrians are also seen walking on the side of the road toward Alpine Inn. Video by Magali Gauthier.

Alleviating the issue

Alpine Inn owner Lori Hunter said that in order to free up more room in its parking lot for customers, the restaurant is working with the town of Portola Valley to have its employees park in the lot at Ford Field, which is about three-quarters of a mile away on Alpine Road. Employees will then be shuttled up the road to the Inn.

Though a formal agreement is still in the works with the town, Hunter said her employees are already starting to use the lot and “it seems to be working.”

“We’ve done everything we can to encourage (our staff) to carpool as much as possible,” Hunter added. “We’re making some progress on that, too. All in all, we’re really happy with where we are with it.”

Interim Town Manager Howard Young said Portola Valley staffers are currently reviewing the Alpine Inn’s application to rent spaces in the lot, which will cost the restaurant $100 per day. In the meantime, the town has granted Alpine Inn employees temporary access so that parking overflow can begin to be alleviated as soon as possible. Young added that the Inn’s employees will only take up a portion of the lot, so those accessing Ford Field will still have plenty of spaces.

But the parking issue along Arastradero Road isn’t solved yet. Resident Jean Paul Coupal, who lives on Golden Oak Drive and was part of the contingent of neighbors who first spoke out about parking issues in 2021, said the Ford Field lot “is not enough to cover the overflow that goes on Arastradero, and (those) who go ahead and park on our street.”

Coupal said he doesn’t blame Alpine Inn for the situation. He would like to see the town do more to address the issue by putting up signs to at least deter people from parking on his street, Golden Oak Drive.

Coupal opined that, given how much tax revenue Alpine Inn generates for the town, the parking issues “should demand fast action, for the benefit of everybody.”

Town Manager Young said that adding signage on Golden Oak is “something that we’re analyzing,” adding that the area “is a public right of way.”

As far as managing the precarious parking on Arastradero’s shoulder, Fire Marshal Bullard said that part of the road is technically in Santa Clara County’s jurisdiction, meaning that addressing the issue will likely require some cross-jurisdictional collaboration.

“Midway across that bridge on Arastradero, it changes county line(s) into Santa Clara County,” Bullard said. “That’s where everybody’s parking.”

Bullard said he plans to set up a meeting with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office to talk about the situation.

Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Deputy Felicia Segura said in an Aug. 8 email that the office’s West Valley Division had not been made aware of the issue.

“Now knowing that there are public concerns in this area, we will ensure to monitor the area and ensure drivers and pedestrians remain safer while on or near the roadway,” Segura said. “I highly encourage anyone from within the community to come forward regarding any related issue so that the Sheriff’s Office can address it immediately.”

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