Westwind compromise worth it

A long-running, divisive situation over control of historic Westwind Barn in Los Altos Hills has come to the best possible ending - with a compromise, of course.

The town council and the non-profit Friends of West-

wind, longtime managers of the barn, have agreed to change the 10-year lease to a yearly operating agreement with more town control. The action culminates months of power struggle, precipitated in part by assertions that barn control was being dictated by a majority of individuals living outside Los Altos Hills. Exacerbating the conflict was a revelation of substandard housing conditions for barn employees.

The compromise agreement calls for non-horse-boarding, town residents to make up a majority of seats on the Friends board and for only residents to vote in board elections. In exchange, existing programs will be preserved, current board members can serve out their terms and the town plans to use public funding to renovate the barn. There’s also talk of creating a new or covered arena.

Friends members might argue that the agreement was made under the threat of a town lawsuit. But it makes sense that a barn owned by the town should be managed by the town. And the agreement allows those expert at horse upkeep to continue doing what they’re doing without town officials stepping into duties they may or may not be equipped to handle.

The overall goal is to open the barn to town recreational use so that the facilities are less like a private club serving primarily out-of-town residents. This agreement goes a long way to accomplishing that goal while accommodating those who have already used and continue to use the barn.

As with any compromise, no one is 100 percent satisfied. But no one is shut out either. And that’s a good thing.