St. Paul’s building plans approved
A two-story rectory and one-story duplex residence for teachers will be built on the property of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 101 El Monte Ave., despite some neighbors’ concerns about introducing multifamily housing into the neighborhood.
Each building will cover an area of approximately 3,000 square feet. The duplex must be leased to employees of the church or its school. The property cannot be subdivided, and the duplex would not be allowed if the property is sold.
The parking lot on the property must be restriped before the city issues the final permit.
Whipple Wing planned for main library
The pleasant if exacting task of spending the $2.8 million bequest from longtime Los Altos Hills resident and enthusiastic Friends of the Los Altos Libraries volunteer Virginia Whipple is in the hands of the Whipple Committee. The Los Altos City Council gave 4-0 approval March 28 to a proposal to add a wing named in her honor to the main library.
The committee of representatives of several community groups, including the city councils of Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, will plan the 4,000-square-foot Whipple Wing and other improvements to the main library at 13 S. San Antonio Road. The proposal is to add quiet study areas and study rooms; more shelf space for the library’s collection, which is nearing capacity; and space for the Friends.
The committee will seek input from the public as it develops its plans. A preliminary timeline has commitments from pertinent agencies and an architect by this summer, and construction completed by fall 2007.
Subdivision plan moves ahead
Los Altos city staff will execute a plan approved by the city council in January 2004 to subdivide the 1.2-acre lot at 450 Covington Road into two parcels. The subdivision will include a right-of-way for a 20-foot half street on Covington Road, a 30-foot half street on Campbell Avenue and a 20-foot radius return at the corner of Covington and Campbell. The Covington Road property will have a 50-foot setback, and access to the lot on the Campbell Avenue side will be from Campbell Avenue only.
Prevented from expanding their lower campus onto the property, Pinewood School directors plan to sell the two parcels.
“Some people have already approached us,” Pinewood President Scott Riches said last week.
Riches is interviewing contractors for the recently approved lower campus replacement project. The next hurdle for Pinewood is to find a suitable offsite facility for the kindergartners and first- and second-graders who will be displaced by the rebuilding project.
Play equipment vendor for city parks chosen
All Los Altos parks eventually will have play equipment from the same vendor that supplied the play structures for the Los Altos School District, Menlo Park and most of the new playgrounds in San Jose.
Landscape Structures, which makes aluminum-post structural components that resemble wood but come with a 100-year warranty, will supply the equipment. First on the renovation list are Marymeade and McKenzie parks. City staff plan to begin the design process immediately.
LAH to sponsor Hidden Villa concerts
The community relations committee of Los Altos Hills unanimously agreed March 22 to grant $5,000 to co-sponsor a series of four summer concerts at Hidden Villa. The city council specified that the funding would not come from the $50,000 community services fund and that they may develop a separate town arts budget item.
Diane Hunt, director of development at Hidden Villa, said she was submitting proposals for additional grants to Los Altos businesses and the Los Altos Community Foundation.
“These are family-friendly, bring-your-kids, high-energy events,” Hunt said. “It’s a way to get the community coming to Hidden Villa in the summer, when it’s generally closed to the public during the day because of summer camp.
The concerts, scheduled for four consecutive Sundays starting July 16, will be held on the new 10,000-square-foot lawn adjacent to the Visitor’s Welcome Center. They will feature a variety of musical genres, ranging from big band to zydeco. The bluegrass band Hot Buttered Rum is booked for the final concert Aug. 6.
