By 10 reasons why we need a cinema
1. It creates synergy. It does not compete with other businesses; it complements them.
2.It helps establish and enhance a sense of community.
3. The hours of operation promote more nightlife and weekend enjoyment.The hours of operation complement rather than compete with parking requirements of other businesses. With the proposed underground parking, no parking spaces are actually lost.
5. The proposed cinema location allows convenient vehicular access from San Antonio Road without increasing downtown traffic. This same location gives convenient pedestrian access from Third Street to downtown.
6. The proposed project is on city-owned property and will enhance revenues for the City.
7.The proposed location was chosen by six of seven community groups at the downtown design seminar hosted by the City.
8.The proposed location also complements the master plan project promoted by the Los Altos Commons.
9.Multiple theater and cinema groups have expressed interest confirming that the demographics show we can support a cinema complex.
10. Our kids don’t have to go to another town to see a movie.
William and Kristin MastonLos Altos
School performances differ
In the Sept. 17 Palo Alto Daily News, there is an article concerning the terrible test scores at the Atherton Selby Lane Elementary School. The school is now such a low performer that Sandy Ferrando of the Atherton Civic Interest League proclaims in exasperation, “We can’t let them go on in the condition they’re being taught in.” Apparently the academic problem stems from the fact that “most of the students at the school are bused from other areas,” according to Ferrando.
Now, many experts maintain that there is a direct link between school performance and real estate values. This is especially a favorite argument by the proponents of the outrageous 126 percent Los Altos school parcel tax increase coming up for voters’ approval. If this theory is true, then I am afraid the poor performance at Selby Lane means there will be a devastating drop in the Atherton real estate market.
However, I have a solution. Our Los Altos school district also has problems, namely severe financial shortages leading to staff layoffs and increased class size.
My solution is a win-win for both districts. For a payment from Atherton to Los Altos of $1 million a year, Los Altos will bus 200 of our students to Atherton. The test scores at Selby Lane will immediately improve, thereby saving a collapse in Atherton real estate values. At the same time, the Los Altos district will get needed financial support along with automatic class size reductions.
I call on Marge Gratiot to present this bold, “out of the box” initiative at the Oct. 24 Atherton Civic Interest League meeting. We are proud of the top performance of our Los Altos students, and it’s about time we made some money from their superiority.
Alex MarshLos Altos
Is half of $2,000 really $600?
I read with great interest Bruce Barton’s article of Sept.11 about an opposition group’s “alternative design”for the new LAH Town Hall. The article showed a picture of a structure presented to the Town Council for their consideration, and Mr. Brier’s estimate of a cost of $2.5 million, half the estimated cost of the current plan. Are there working drawings and engineering specifications for this design? If not, it is difficult to see how any sort of a reasonable estimate can be made. Has this group made a considerable investment of time, effort and money to develop working drawings, or did they present an artist’s rendering? Just how did they come up with the figure of $2.5 million?
The math is confusing to say the least. A cost of $600 per resident vs $2,000 is not consistent with cutting the price in half. If the construction cost was cut in half, wouldn’t it be $1000 per resident and not $600? But these costs are not accurate anyway. The town has 8,000 residents. A cost of $600 per resident would yield $4.8 million for this alternative design and a cost of $1,000 would yield $8 million, not $2.5 million.
Furthermore, in the article, moving Town Hall operations into trailers was stated to be $600,000 whereas estimates on file are $84,000.
Marge MuellerLos Altos Hills
Hotel developer surprised by city action
Like many people, we were surprised by the Los Altos City Council’s recent announcement that they might ask for proposals to build a high-density housing and retail mixed-use on this corner.
We were especially surprised since we have spent hundreds of hours and tens of thousands of dollars over the last four years in our earnest efforts to build a quality small hotel, The Apricot Inn, on the site.
We understood that our latest financial proposal (in response to city requests for a land lease and participation in hotel profits) was to be discussed in closed session that night. Instead we were to learn about a possible change of direction.
When first invited to submit a proposal for the site we evaluated several use alternatives based on city policy, concluding that our team could build a high-quality local inn that offered the best downtown and community-wide benefits, including:
A logical use with low traffic impacts at this busy intersection.
A beautifully designed and executed building, street improvements and entrance features to anchor this important corner.
Meeting space, a sidewalk-oriented cafe and small-scale retail.
Parking dedicated to the downtown peak parking demand.
Other than what we read in the paper we know little about the alternative, but wonder - How would a mix of high-density housing and retail work?
Is this a logical housing location?
Can the city expect the land to be worth $2.7 million more than our $3 million cash offer? Other offers valued the land at $1 million to $1.5 million.
Can the city replace the existing parking, provide parking for 30 housing units and retail and add parking for downtown on an acre parcel?
How will traffic work?
Despite the bumps in the process we are still dedicated to the project and to the community. We look forward to a time when we can work with Los Altos citizens, downtown interests, staff and council to finalize the design and move ahead with the Apricot Inn.
We sincerely believe that it will be a valued and valuable Los Altos asset.
Roxy RappBrad LymanBill HurwickKen Alsman
Measure H a reasonable, compromise solution
Tish and I moved to Los Altos in the 1950s and raised our three children here. Los Altos was a great place to raise our family, in part because of its excellent schools. Our business, Russell-Houston Mens Wear, succeeded because of the great young people we were able to hire over the years.
It is no accident that the Los Altos School District is the top-rated district in California, with its excellent teachers and supportive community. Thirteen years of citizen financial oversight and community involvement have helped our district flourish. These excellent schools are a big reason why families love our community.
Measure H will prevent serious budget cuts which threaten the quality of education in our schools. Without Measure H, teachers will be laid off and science, computer classes and library hours will be greatly reduced. Class size will increase and school consolidation will have to be considered. Over the long run, local teacher salaries wont stay competitive with surrounding districts.
Measure H is a reasonable, compromise solution to protect the high quality of education in our schools. Please support Measure H and help ensure that this excellent education continues.
Billy RussellLos Altos
Citizens’ open space initiative supported
When I first heard of the discussion to sell some of the land next to the Byrne Preserve I was taken aback. I negotiated the original transaction for the Byrne Preserve, and wrote what is now a very well known editorial in the San Jose Mercury News expressing grave concern with the discussion to sell the Westwind Barn Land. Because of the overwhelming response to the column, I expanded a project called Defense of Place to stand up for permanence of our nation’s heritage lands.
Defense of Place strongly supports of the citizen’s Los Altos Hills Open Space Initiative. Elements of the city council’s initiative are fundamentally flawed. The measure bars future councils from conveying conservation easements without a vote, even if the town wishes to strengthen the protection of open space. Further, because the initiative uses outdated zoning designations, existing open space could be threatened.
Huey Johnson
Founder, Defense of Place
