By Linda Taaffe

Courtesy of the City of Los Altos

The drug store’s illuminated plastic letters are not consistent with the ‘village atmosphere,’ planning staff says of the conceptual plans for 2nd Street

algreen’s illuminated red trademark sign may be eliminated from the company’s new Los Altos drug store planned for Second Street if the Planning Commission decides it is incompatible with the village character.

A city zoning code expressly discourages internally lit plastic face signs, such as the one that Walgreen’s has traditionally displayed on its store fronts. In addition, the proposed sign facing the parking lot would exceed the city’s 18-inch height limit by three inches, Los Altos planning staff said in a report that recommends alternative signage for the project. The Planning Commission is scheduled to review the Walgreen’s site plans May 2.

“The main issue is that the sign approach is generic and not compatible with the character of the area. Staff finds that the proposed signs do not reflect the small-scale village character,” staff said in a report to the Architectural Site & Control Committee, which must review the design before the Planning Commission looks at it.

The national pharmacy chain plans to convert the defunct McWhorter’s stationery store site into a Walgreen’s pharmacy, add a one-hour photo lab and keep the adjacent flower shop intact, according to preliminary plans. The site would operate during the chain’s normal business hours, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Walgreen’s does not plan to sell alcoholic beverages at the Los Altos location.

The building space that Walgreen’s will occupy covers about 13,610 square feet and eliminates two of the current tenants, a restaurant and computer store, which the city required as part of the McWhorter’s site in 1993 to encourage pedestrian traffic and discourage the creation of a big-box retail store. The Walgreen’s plans will require a conditional use permit because of the store’s proposed size.

City staff has worked with Walgreen’s to reduce the bulk and size of the proposed building by varying the height of the store front.

In addition, the store entrance could move to the building’s second street corner to attract more pedestrians.

Plans also include a re configured parking lot. The city requires 74 parking spaces for the store. The lot currently includes 53 spaces. City staff said they would support a reduction in the current number of parking spaces “in the interest of improving the appearance of the parking lot.”

Walgreen’s purchased the site at 303 Second St. last July, along with four other McWhorter’s leases, after the stationery store chain declared bankruptcy.

Other McWhorter’s leases include stores in Menlo Park, Redwood City, Sunnyvale and Cupertino. The Los Altos site has been vacant since August.

Conceptual plans

Walgreen’s plans to convert the multi-retail building at 301 Second St. into a site for its chain pharmacy this year. Conceptual plans include:

Elimination of restaurant and computer retail space

3,610-square-foot store with pharmacy, 1-hour photo lab

Corner entrance facing Second Street

Reconfigured parking lot