Having a Safe Place to Stay
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THE HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER FOR MENLO PARK, ATHERTON, PORTOLA VALLEY AND WOODSIDE NOVEMBER 27, 2013 | VOL. 49 NO. 12 WWW.THEALMANACONLINE.COM Having a safe place to stay The Almanac Holiday Fund 2013 When you donate to the Holiday Fund you help families in need page 10 Holiday home tour in Atherton and Menlo Park | Page 14 FOR SALE FOR SALE FOR SALE WOODSIDE WOODSIDE MENLO PARK 888 -'$0/'$ 0$'&0. 888#00'4,'(45$5(0.(&0. 888 0.$3,(5$&0. ))(3('$5 ))(3('$5 ))(3('$5 ($65,)6--961'$5('+0.( $&3(4.$,/+0.( 42)5 6,-5/(8,/ %(' %$5+ 42)5 %' %$*$5(+064( %' %$*6(45+064( 42)5:0031-$/%(' %$5+ FOR SALE !" " ATHERTON ! ,453,&( ))(3('$5 ,453,&( %('.$,/+0.(1-64*6(45+064(00- EXCLUSIVE LISTING !#! !#! !#! ,453,&( $&3(48,5+1$/03$.,&7,(84 ,453,&( 6545$/',/*-0&$5,0/ %(' %$5+4 !#! !#! ! ,453,&( ,453,&( ,453,&( 67(9(*5$< 3HQLQVXOD6SHFLDOLVWFRPVJUD\#FEQRUFDOFRP%5( Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Buyer to verify all information to their satisfaction. 2NThe AlmanacNTheAlmanacOnline.comNNovember 27, 2013 UPFRONT We help you make sure insurance claims, payments, and questions are handled quickly. Serving the community for over 24 years! Charlie Porter Farmers® Agency License # 0773991 671-A Oak Grove Ave, Menlo Park Photo by Michelle Le/The Almanac A Surf Air employee pushes a bag cart after passengers boarded a flight at the San Carlos Airport. [email protected] Group to grapple with aircraft noise Join us for an evening of By Renee Batti N ATHERTON including keeping the aircraft’s fellowship and holiday merriment Almanac News Editor gear and wing flaps up, and fly- ing faster over the affected areas, uaranteed: The snappy Atherton Mayor Elizabeth Lew- but residents have reported that response to someone liv- is and councilman-elect Rick the change in noise level is indis- Ging close to San Fran- DeGolia, San Carlos Airport cernible. cisco International or any other Manager Gretchen Kelly, Surf major airport who complains Air officials, a representative Surf Air not alone about increased jet noise will of county Supervisor War- Surf Air launched its service be, “What did you expect when ren Slocum’s office, and resi- this summer with flights to Bur- you moved near an airport?” But dents mainly from Atherton bank and Santa Barbara, and should communities situated and North Fair Oaks will try to next month will add Hawthorne Menlo Park under the flight path of a rela- tackle that question in coming and Palm Springs to the service, tively tiny, public-use facility that months. according to Cory Cozzens, Surf Holiday Tree Lighting accommodates small aircraft be The Atherton City Council Air’s co-founder and senior vice expected to accept a significant directed staff to form the group president. But although Surf noise increase because of new at its Nov. 20 meeting after Air is taking the heat over the commercial use of the airport? hearing from about a dozen resi- increase in noise from its fleet of That’s a question under review dents affected by the rise in air- Pilatus PC-12 single-engine tur- by residents and public officials craft noise, which is certain to boprop aircraft, it’s not the only of Atherton and nearby com- become even more problematic service flying the planes in and munities, along with officials when Surf Air increases its daily out of San Carlos, he noted. from the San Carlos Airport flights into the airport from six Ms. Kelly, the airport’s man- and Surf Air, a new commercial to 10 early next month. ager, confirmed that both Jato flight service operating from Mayor Lewis and Mr. DeGo- Aviation and Diamond Aviation that facility. lia have already met twice with commercial flight services also Fremont Park But a more urgent question is: airport, Surf Air, and Federal fly the PC-12; all planes use the Can safe and efficient measures Aviation Administration (FAA) same flight path, which roughly Friday, December 6th be put in place to mitigate noise officials, along with representa- parallels El Camino Real from from daily flights by Surf Air, an tives of a residents’ group, to the south. She said the airport 5:00-7:30 PM “all-you-can-fly” membership address the problem. accommodates 15 to 20 PC-12 air service that began flying in As a result of the growing flights daily, including Surf Air’s and out of the county-owned number of noise complaints, six flights, with the heaviest airport in June? Surf Air officials have already A working group that includes put in place several measures, See AIRCRAFT NOISE, page 21 Holiday Attractions Include: Visit from Santa, Holiday treats, CALLING ON THE ALMANAC Music & Caroling, Holiday Movie Sing-Along THE ALMANAC (ISSN 1097-3095 and USPS 459370) and a Spectacular Tree Lighting! is published every Wednesday by Embarcadero Media, Newsroom: 223-6525 N E-mail news, information, obituaries 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025- Newsroom fax: 223-7525 and photos (with captions) to: 6558. Periodicals Postage Paid at Menlo Park, CA and [email protected] Advertising: 854-2626 at additional mailing offices. Adjudicated a newspaper of general circulation for San Mateo County, The Almanac is N E-mail letters to the editor to: Advertising fax: 223-7570 delivered free to homes in Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola [email protected] Classified ads: 854-0858 Valley and Woodside. Subscriptions for $60 per year or $100 per 2 years are welcome. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Almanac, 3525 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA 94025-6558. Copyright ©2012 To request free delivery, or stop delivery, of The Almanac in zip code 94025, 94027, by Embarcadero Media, All rights reserved. Reproduction 94028 and the Woodside portion of 94062, call 854-2626. without permission is strictly prohibited. November 27, 2013NTheAlmanacOnline.comNThe AlmanacN3 my '(&()) SERGIO SALINAS GAS CREW FOREMAN PG&E is investing $4.5 billion every year to strengthen our energy infrastructure and enhance pipeline safety. Let me tell you about our work right here in San Mateo County. .&-&("()%,validated the maximum Safety is my job for our community. operating pressure &%##)' '# %) constructed three .%$ )( &# %)# , %%*&&+%*. miles of brand new transmission pipeline; installed 16 %2,-&("*&(.() new automated safety valves; % hydrostatically tested 2,%,(%'(*&%.* %$&( $'&(*%**%* 41.3 miles of gas transmission pipeline*&%)+() -&("2$& %%&-.&-&("()()*(%**)* % &'(* %'())+()&%,(.)' '# % %*&+%*. $ #)&' '%-2,#(.&$'#*#.('# ($" %'(&()),(.. %%*&&+%*.*& $ #)&' '0-##&%&+(-.*&*&#&('# % %%*)*.&&+()).)*$ $ #)&&#(' '# %2(+) % %%&,* ,)** &*(**%&#&.*&$"&+(%* ()).)*$)( *2)''% %##&,(&(*(%%%*(## &(% See our progress in San Mateo County: +*$.!& )( *( %%*&&+%*.%-&+# '(&+*&)&- **&.&+ " % ! & ' # & &+%*"#&&"&(.&+()#*www.pge.com/ # %& SeeOurProgress. )$+'&'&'## "$ #! %"" & % 0%2#&,*&)&-.&+$.'(&()) %'(&** % & &+(&$$+% * )1 ! %& $! ! & Sergio Salinas / www.pge.com/SeeOurProgress # $ % !! 4NThe AlmanacNTheAlmanacOnline.comNNovember 27, 2013 Local News M ENLO PARK | ATHERTON | WOODSIDE | PORTOLA V ALLEY Specific plan review culminates in minor tweaks By Sandy Brundage new regulations started coming N MENLO PARK comments, several made by real tion would pursue a lawsuit or Almanac Staff Writer in to the city. estate agents and developers, the referendum now that the first Stanford University and devel- majority urged the council to specific plan review is finished, enlo Park’s downtown/ oper John Arrillaga want to build leave the specific plan alone. Save Menlo spokeswoman Perla El Camino Real specif- a mixed-use project that would The council did put Others said that wasn’t good Ni said, “We are planning to send Mic plan emerged in one replace mostly vacant car lots a cap on medical office enough. Save Menlo, a grassroots a very clear message to the devel- piece following its first review: on 8.43 acres along 300 to 500 El coalition organized to oppose opers who plan to cash in at the The council decided to cap Camino Real. The project would space along Stanford’s project, demanded expense of the environment and medical office space develop- involve 199,500 square feet of El Camino Real. the council cap office space at quality of life in Menlo Park.” ment along El Camino Real and office space, 10,000 square feet of 25 percent of a building’s floor Sierra Club member and adopted several minor tweaks, retail, and up to 170 apartments. at Oak Grove Avenue. area; limit building height to a architect Gita Dev said modi- but otherwise seemed content A second project, designed Given the criticism voiced maximum of 48 feet; and add a fications were needed to ensure to leave the plan in place after by Greenheart LLC, would put — sometimes shouted — dur- development impact infrastruc- new development would create concluding its review. 210,000 square feet of office ing the past year, the Nov. 19 ture fee for new projects. These a balance between housing, jobs Six years in the making, the space and 210,000 square feet of council meeting was something changes would reduce traffic and traffic. specific plan garnered criticism apartments, with 13,000 square of a rarity as residents showed and improve safety and quality Mayor Peter Ohtaki indicated during its first year post-approv- feet of retail included, on 7 acres up to voice support, rather than of life, according to the group. al as projects designed under the located at 1300 El Camino Real dissent. Of about 30 public When asked whether the coali- See MINOR CHANGES, page 8 Vehicle-camping ban OK’d by Atherton City Council By Renee Batti Almanac News Editor nalizes homelessness. On Oct. 16, the Atherton coun- therton’s ordinance ban- cil had given preliminary approv- ning overnight camping al of the town’s ordinance, which Ain vehicles was finalized bans sleeping or camping in vehi- on Nov. 20 by a unanimous cles on public property and on vote of the City Council. The private property when the owner ordinance, the town’s attorney isn’t present. With Mr. Conners’ insisted, “is a safety thing, not a assurances that the content and homeless issue.” intent of the ordinance are differ- City Attorney Bill Conners’ ent from that of Palo Alto’s, the characterization of the ban was council approved it.