By Energy pointers

Energy anyone?

Having exhausted all the energy-saving tips from Dave MacKenzie’s commentary of February 28, I would like to propose some more serious attempts at energy reduction.

First, pull the plug on all those electric hand driers. A few shakes of the hands are almost as effective.

Second, do we really need teeth-chattering cold water at our drinking fountains?

Third, for those well situated, walking to school is incredibly energy-saving compared to driving a Lincoln Navigator or such.

Finally, since we no longer utilize the sun to dry apricots, how about installing umbrella clotheslines for the serious energy savers.

Hopefully, Dave’s inventive mind can, in the near future, come up with even more energy- saving methods.

Keith M. McFarlandLos Altos Hills

Conflict of interest

Your page four lead articles last week (Feb. 21) were more connected than was obvious to the casual reader. Is it a coincidence, or is the M. Sandoval (architect and driver of the Milverton two-story home) the same Mark Sandoval that chairs the Los Altos Historic Commission?

As a participant in the Milverton appeal, I was then unaware that the M. Sandoval who designed and worked extensively with the Architectural and Site Control Committee for the approval of the Milverton two-story home was the same Mark Sandoval that is chairman of another official Los Altos architectural committee. It is suprising to me that it is acceptable to the City Council that a city official it appointed is actively promoting and working his professional designs through a sister committee. This privileged situation would go a long way to explain why an appeal by 21 neighbors, including all four immediately adjacent neighbors, was ignored by the Architectural and Site Council Committee as well as the City Council (aside from Mr. Becker). The approval of this home moves Milverton Road from a consistent character neighborhood to a transition neighborhood. The Milverton monster home, 6,000 square feet, was described by the Architectural and Site Control Committee as “a traditional eclectic design of the 1920 and 1930 revival period.” I guess Milverton will at least be getting a “historic” monster home on the block.

I think that it is wonderful when people dedicate their time to community service. This is particularly valid when their commercial business is not in direct conflict with the community service that they are providing. Since the city committees that review architectural proposals are responsible for protecting all citizens’ rights, any substantive conflict of interest is a fundamental problem. There are currently about 20 two-story proposals in front of the Architectural and Site Control Committee, and it seems essential thatthey be fairly reviewed in light of both the homeowners rights as well as the rights of the neighbors that will be impacted by the proposal. The City Council and City Attorney should immediately address and resolve any conflict of interest situations with appointed city personnel, and build assessment into the appointment approval process. Conflict of interest needs to be eliminated from Los Altos city decision making.

Of course, I am just a disappointed Los Altos and Milverton Road resident.

Roger HeyderLos Altos

Utility overtaxing

The city of Los Altos is abusing its citizens by keeping the utility tax at its present percentage.

Last year I was charged an average of $7 per month. This year it has jumped to an average of $22 per month thus far. That is over a 300 percent increase in the tax the city has piggy-backed from my utility bills.

I resent the city’s lack of concern for its citizens. This small town certainly appears to have the big government mentality of getting more money and funding more ways to spend it, regardless of how it affects those who are overtaxed.

The callousness of our city officials is truly incredible and I, for one, will be voting against them in the next election unless they revise the utility tax.

Meredith ReynoldsLos Altos

Back in the box

In a gust of metaphors, a Town Crier editorial has proposed that Los Altos should think outside the box and have its cake and eat it too by putting a hotel at First and Main and plopping a movie theater on the North Parking Plaza between Second and Third streets.

That way the “horrendous congestion” of theater traffic would not occur on First Street.

As a resident of Third Street, I imagine that we would share the “300 cars coming plus the 300 cars going” with our pals on Second Street.

If you have any more thoughts outside the box, stuff them back in.

William B. BlankenburgLos Altos

Theater survey was biased

The survey supporting a cinema was hopelessly biased. The question on the cinema, for example, included this preamble, “These uses will bring more people downtown during the evenings and weekends without adding to the peak weekday traffic. The theater will show a variety of first run films appealing to Los Altans of all ages.”

Aside from the fact that most of the nation’s art houses are in trouble, how can anyone predict what would be shown? Most “first run films” are directed at teenagers. We need more teen drivers in the village? And more police to monitor them?

The council needs to protect the villagelike atmosphere that makes Los Altos the quiet place it is.

William McCormack

Los Altos