By Clyde Noel

For weeks, the skeletal framing that once held an awning for the Home Consignment Center (HCC) at 400 Main St., remained untouched. This week, however, both officials of the store and the city of Los Altos expect something to be done about it.

The reason for the inaction amounts to a disagreement between the store and the city regarding who is supposed to make repairs. Store officials had asserted that the city, which owns the property, is the landlord, and therefore, is responsible for the repairs. But City Manager Phil Rose said the lease clearly states the store owners are responsible.

In late March, the store “bit the bullet,” said manager Kris Thurston, and decided to take down the structure themselves. The city issued a stop-work order on the effort, noting an encroachment permit was needed since the structure extended into the public right-of-way.

“It’s a concern to us and we would have liked it rectified a long time ago,” Thurston said. “We are trying to work with the landlord to rectify the problem, but they give us different directives all the time.”

Rose said the city was “clear from the very beginning what we wanted,” and that officials sent a letter to HCC a year ago indicating a need to remove the awning structure.

“From a building owner’s standpoint, we don’t want them to take down the awning structure unless they put something up that looks good,” Rose said.

“It’s not this way because HCC doesn’t care,” Thurston said. “We don’t want to have the community feel it’s something we don’t care about.”

City planners sent HCC officials a May 15 letter notifying them to resume work to remove the structure by Friday (May 26) or city crews would do the work. Rose said he wanted to see the work done this week, either by HCC or the city. The city would bill the tenant for the work.

City officials purchased the 6,375-square-foot Kentucky Fried Chicken property at 400 Main St. in June 1996, with the long-range goal of improving the appearance of the Main Street entrance to downtown Los Altos.

The original awning for KFC remained when that business closed and was torn later during a wind storm. HCC officials claim it was ripped before they leased the building. They said an awning expert told them the entire structure would have to be replaced.

Both HCC and city officials want complete removal of the awning fabric and support structure, and a restoration of the shingle roof. In addition, the city wants to review the plans of the new awning cover for approval by the planning department and a prompt installation by Friday (May 26).

HCC has another seven years on the lease which is tied to the Nielsen’s Martinizing Dry Cleaning lease located at 230 First St.

Two months ago, the Los Altos City Council discussed development of the Main Street gateway property, but any future projects are likely years away because of long-term lease options held by Nielsen’s and HCC.

“We’re seen as a glitch in the city’s plans,” Thurston said. “Our business is good here and the customers like us. We provide a needed service. We will do what the city wants because we want to stay here, but the directives from the city are confusing.”

Thurston indicated at least one level of agreement for the city and HCC.

“The bottom line is, it needs to be done.”