By Linda Taaffe

Los Altos

Controversial entrance to remain at Second Street corner

The Walgreen’s project slated for downtown Los Altos is back on track after the proposed location of the pharmacy’s main entrance temporarily stalled the project last month.

The Los Altos City Council agreed June 23 to leave the corner entrance facing Second Street intact after a Walgreen’s representative made a convincing case about the benefits of such a design.

The council had sent the plans back to the Architectural Site & Control Committee last month requiring that the developers move the door’s location to the center of the building facing the parking lot to break up the building’s mass and provide easier access.

Walgreen’s spokesman Tom Souza said a change in the entrance location could negatively impact the store’s operations, result in increased costs and create “significant” project delays.

A side door would promote pedestrian traffic and reduce the need for more signs since the diagonal placement may be seen from both directions of travel.

A side entrance would also enable developers to place handicap parking stalls closer to the door.

The Architectural Committee is scheduled to fine-tune the building’s design elements and give the project final approval.

Developers first applied for a project permit last January that would allow the national pharmacy chain 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 the proposal.

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. This requirement was to encourage pedestrian traffic and discourage the creation of a big-box retail store.

Because of the store size, the city required developers to obtain a use permit.

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.

The site is scheduled to 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.