One more potential site for residential growth has been nixed from Atherton's eight-year housing plan, taking another option off the table as the town plans for the development of 348 new housing units under its state-mandated housing element update.
The Menlo Park Fire Protection District unanimously passed a resolution on April 18 to reiterate that its 0.9-acre property at 28 Almendral Ave. is intended for expansion of Fire Station 3, not other uses like housing, as the Atherton City Council has suggested it could be in the future. The town had put forward that the lot could accommodate four to six units of housing.
"(The) property isn't big enough for meaningful impact on their overall housing element," said fire board Vice President Gary Bloom during the April 18 meeting.
The fire district uses the site, which it purchased in 2017 for $4.6 million, for storage. Bloom noted that it did demolish a swimming pool on the property that had green algae growing in it, which was a concern brought up by the City Council.
At the Dec. 20 board meeting, the board approved a contract to construct an auxiliary building with parking located behind Fire Station 3 and on a portion of the 28 Almendral Ave. parcel, according to a fire district staff report.
After purchasing the property in 2017, district staff prepared several reports with suggestions on how to use the space. These included staff housing to reduce commutes and increase after-hours availability; the construction of an auxiliary building with expansion of parking; improving the existing residence and renting it out at fair market value; moving the CERT coordinator's office to the house as well as allowing the Atherton Disaster and Preparedness Team (ADAPT) to use the house for meetings; and allow for future expansion of Fire Station 3.
Watch the Menlo Park Fire District board meeting at youtube.com/MPFPD.
Next steps for Atherton housing element
The town's housing element, which has been rejected by the state twice, will next be discussed by the council at a May 17 meeting.
On April 19, the council provided feedback on a set of criteria that could be used by the City Council in determining whether a property could be included as an opportunity site in its housing element plan. The council narrowed the list of criteria to seven and required any potential opportunity site to meet at least six of seven items on the list.
The opportunity site criteria requires that the property:
• Is within a quarter-mile of El Camino Real.
• Is adjacent to, or across from, existing commercial or retail development (such as restaurants, stores, service industry and businesses).
• Is adjacent to or across the street from other existing residential multifamily housing.
• Has readily available access to infrastructure and utilities.
• Does not present a need to mitigate existing environmental hazards.
• Allows for privacy buffers between adjacent properties, such as setbacks, height limitations, landscape screening, fencing, and ingress/egress.
• Includes a letter of interest from the property owner in support of the proposed development.
"From a practical perspective, this narrowed potential sites to interested property owners along the west side of El Camino Real that are directly across from neighboring jurisdiction properties (i.e. Menlo Park, Redwood City or county)," according to an April newsletter from City Manager George Rodericks.
The council is set to consider the criteria again on May 17.
The Atherton Planning Department will discuss the state Department of Housing and Community Development's feedback letter to the town on its latest iteration of the plan, which relies heavily on backyard accessory dwelling units.
The town expects to adopt and certify its second iteration of the housing element for submission to the state sometime in early fall 2023, according to Rodericks.
Comments
Registered user
Menlo Park: Park Forest
on May 3, 2023 at 12:37 pm
Registered user
on May 3, 2023 at 12:37 pm
This was a wise decision by the Fire Board. Years ago the Fire District made a strategic investment in this property immediately adjacent to Station 3 just as it has with properties adjacent to Stations 2, 4 and 6 (all of which have already been utilized to expand those existing stations to meet the growing residential and employee populations in the Fire District) as well as property adjacent to Station 1 which will be used for another essential expansion. The Fire District's purchase of the property adjacent to Station 3 was a once in a lifetime opportunity and, since it was a competitive open market transaction, the Town had the opportunity to buy the property and choose not to do so. In fact, at the time the Town criticized the Fire District for this purchase by a public entity!
There are a number of vacant or unoccupied parcels that the Town could purchases and repurpose to meet its housing goals. Doing so requires an investment and a willingness to be bold - neither are easy things for an elected body but, as the Fire Board has demonstrated time and time again, it can be done.
Registered user
another community
on May 3, 2023 at 2:06 pm
Registered user
on May 3, 2023 at 2:06 pm
The Almanac article seems to infer that this was a viable “potential” site, when in fact it actually was not and should have never been included on the Towns list.
It’s not Atherton’s Fire Station, or even a Fire Department, as mentioned in the article. Station 3 is owned and operated by the Menlo Park Fire Protection District which has its own governing and elected Board.
The Fire District is older than the Town of Atherton and does not report to the Town Council. Which is why it’s not a Fire Department and the location should have never been on the “table”, because the Town put it there, not the Fire Board.
The existing fire station is undersized. I know this because I was involved in its replacement. The previous facility had a brick, unreinforced masonry apparatus room. So funds were secured from the State to help replace the Fire Station after the 1989 earthquake.
The Fire Chief and Board at the time felt this was a reasonable solution and cost saving outcome, so the facility was rebuilt.
When the property behind and next to the Station 3 came up for sale, the District actively engaged the property owner who graciously selected the Fire District, when she could have selected someone else.
Hers was both an act of community service and level of respect for the Fire District based upon years of the firefighters being good neighbors.
The land acquisition represented a strategic vision that involved planning ahead for the future replacement and needed expansion of this essential services facility.
If the Fire District did not acquire the property, it’s ability and future need to rebuild a modern emergency services facility would more than likely have taken it outside the Town limits.
The Town should have followed its own rule by asking the “property owner” for a letter of interest, rather than just erroneously adding this to their list.
So, one more potential site wasn’t “nixed”, because it should have never been on the “list”!