|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A study session with Stanford University officials on the topic of adding housing to the university’s 89 acres of open space known as the “Stanford Wedge” is on the agenda of the Portola Valley Town Council on Wednesday, March 27.
The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the Historic Schoolhouse at 765 Portola Road.
The Stanford property is along Alpine Road, mostly between Westridge and Golden Oak drives, with approximately 14 acres across Alpine near the Glenoaks Equestrian Center. Since the early 1990s it has been designated to allow multi-family housing for employees or staff affiliated with the university. Such affiliated housing is also allowed at the Priory school and the Sequoias, and the Priory is currently adding additional housing that will bring its total on-site housing to 27 units.
Also on the agenda is final approval of an ordinance that will add more flexibility to the rules allowing accessory dwelling units in town. The item is on the consent agenda, which means that unless it is removed by someone it can be approved along with other consent agenda items without any discussion.
A raise for Town Manager Jeremy Dennis, from a base annual salary of $203,000 to $215,000, is also on the agenda. The report on Dennis’ raise also says that the council may later consider giving him a housing allowance if he requests it.
Town Manager Jeremy Dennis gets $215,000 and they want to give him a housing allowance?
WTF!
I’d be way more supportive of utilizing the acreage bordered by Alpine rd and the west side of Junipero Serra blvd that the golf course now inhabits.
Leave the wedge alone, consolidate the golfers at the driving range and all greens east of Junipero Serra blvd.
This is will not happen for a couple of reasons, mainly the steep topography and environmental impact. It is a heavily wooded area with many creekes running through is. We can’t allow it.
I agree with the commenter above. There is much more (flat) land available near the golf course over in Menlo Park. That would be a much more suitable place to add housing. The town of PV needs to bring this up to prevent development on our ecologically sensitive side of the freeway.
No disrespect Mr. Dennis, but if you are making $213,000. I’ll bet there is also retirement & health included in your package. If you can not make ends meet on that salary – try living paycheck to paycheck. Portola Valley probably does not need to give you a housing allowance.
Jeremy Dennis’ salary is higher than my husband’s who is an engineer at Google. To say he needs a raise or affordable housing is ridiculous. We can barely afford to keep our house in Portola Valley with property taxes above 20K and we live in a small ranch home in one of the older neighborhoods. The Town is SO out of touch it’s unbelievable.
Jeremy Dennis does an excellent job, from what I can tell, and he is well compensated for it. I don’t begrudge him that salary; it is on par with the job (in spite of this town being markedly smaller than all other comps). However, to be perfectly honest, I don’t understand the reasoning behind everyone who works in the town must live in the town. It’s not true for Woodside, Menlo Park, Los Altos, or many other communities. PV is small, small, small. I know I’ve always commuted for work, my whole life. It’s unfortunate that the Bay Area has crappy public transit—this is actually the solution to the housing crisis. Good public transit (trains) would allow people to commute the same way they do from outer boroughs, as well as New Jersey, Connecticut and Westchester, into Manhattan.
It’s really unfortunate that this article was posted the day of the meeting; I would have liked to have been there.
As for the other topic, I have no opposition to affordable-type housing, and an area on the long straightaway of Alpine Road (like the portion of the Stanford Wedge that is flat and abuts Alpine Road—horses currently living there) would be a nice spot for it. Shady, flat, and sheltered by nice trees. I could see putting smaller homes in there, rather than the really poor idea of abutting the Frog Pond (an ecologically sensitive area, a green view zone and green belt, an area looked upon by many neighbors and loved and walked past by many townspeople—as well as the fact that it is just really inaccessible, and inappropriate in general). It would be really nice if the Town Council would be forthright about the plans for any housing—as in, who will actually get to live there. 10 or 12 homes—that doesn’t seem to be able to cover what they described as the target audience. So, really—is it for town employees? Because that topic has certainly come up multiple times. If so, just say that, but also explain the plan for what happens when an employee leaves the PV employ for another town. It’s the dodging and weaving that makes people mistrustful. Say what you mean, and let the citizens of this town decide what they feel is the right thing. Lots of smart people here in town, and you represent us. So please be painfully blunt.