By Bruce Barton

Members of a resident group opposed to a new town hall building design for Los Altos Hills presented the city council last week with their own proposal, one that they say has the same square footage but at half the cost and height of the current plan.

Mark Brier, who presented the plan before the city council last Thursday, said the wood-based structure his LAH Outrage group proposes is more in keeping with the rural setting of the town than the stucco-covered, mission-style design of the council-approved plan.

While the same square footage, 7,188, as the current plan, Brier noted his group’s design has the town hall no higher than 18 feet 9 inches, while the town’s plan includes a 35-foot tower.

Brier estimated his group’s proposed town hall plan would cost $2.5 million to build, as opposed to the $5 million estimated in the current town hall plan.

“We’re excited about this,” Brier said.

“At our own cost, we developed this. We want to get this out to the town for input.”

Mayor Robert Fenwick said the council remains “100 percent” behind the mission-style design.

“The architect is under contract to do the final construction drawing,” he said. “It’s hard to see how the process would be changed.”

In addressing Brier’s cost assertions, Fenwick noted, “Stucco is cheaper than wood,” and added the council is committed to spending no more than $3.5 million of town money.

The remaining funds needed would come from donations.

“This brings up the bigger picture of what character of town hall should you have? What level is appropriate?” Fenwick said.

The current plan calls for the existing building to be demolished. Town hall operations would move into trailers that would cost the town $600,000.

But Brier said the current town hall could remain during construction under his group’s plan.

Brier said his group intends to mail their proposed design to town residents this week to get feedback.

He suggested putting the designs up to a vote of the town’s residents.

“I don’t think anything of it,” Fenwick said of that suggestion. “I don’t think this thing rises to that level.”

Brier said the council is “its own worst enemy” for continuing to back the original plan.

He estimated 19 out of every 20 residents he’s talked with oppose the current designs. Brier also noted his plan would cost $600 per resident as opposed to $2,000 per resident under the current concept.