By Town Crier Staff Report
An anonymous donor’s offer to give the city of Los Altos $1 million to discard a hotel proposal and instead move forward with plans to build a theater on the city-owned lot at the corner of First and Main streets spurred a critical backlash against theater proponents last week.
Concerns about whether the $1 million donation raised ethical questions for the city council prompted Community Foundation Executive Director Roy Lave to consider asking the anonymous donor to go public with his or her intentions. The Community Foundation is representing the donor, but is not a theater proponent, Lave said.
“(The Foundation) has not taken a position on the development and is not lobbying for any position. Any advocacy by supporters of LACF are acting as citizens, a right they don’t forfeit by contribution to the foundation,” Lave said. The foundation sponsored a survey earlier this year that indicated that four out of five residents supported a theater.
Lave said he didn’t think it unusual that donors offer large sums of money for completion of a project for the public good.
“It’s done all the time - the historical museum is one of the best examples,” Lave said, referring to the $3.3 million project built entirely with community-raised funds.
“They’re paying the city, not the council,” he added. “I am more worried about the ethics of the media, which will quote someone on one side of an ethical question and not find a credible representative with an opposing view.”
Chuck Geschke, retired co-founder of Adobe Systems, lives near the Main Street site.
“I find it disturbing that the city is considering accepting a $1 million anonymous gift conditioned on placing a theater there unless the payment is part of a competitive bid for the project. In that case, I assume the source of the money would be part of the public record,” Geschke said. “Contributions of that size are usually made to a charity or a not-for-profit project.”
Geschke and his wife Nan contributed $500,000 to the new History Museum that opened last week.
Bill Goss, a member of the American Legion Post 558 in Los Altos, is concerned about the parking impact a theater will have at the Legion hall on First Street.
“Let’s go to the people for a vote,” he said. “That ($1 million offer) seems like a bribe to me rather than the will of the people.”
Mayor King Lear said, “I applaud the private party that feels strongly enough about improving their downtown for the general community benefit to make this generous offer.”
The city purchased the First and Main street property in 1995 with the long-term goal of improving the appearance of Main Street and creating more downtown parking. The council was scheduled to choose one of four proposals currently on the table by March 13, but delayed action until consulting firm Keyser Marsion Associates completes an economic analysis of the projects. City staff has recommended a hotel for the site.
“The final decision needs to be totally unbiased and directed to what will be best for Los Altos in general. Economic issues are not the only factors to be considered,” Councilman Lou Becker said.
