This is great news! Many thanks to the hard work of the members of this community, including members of the committees and the Town Council and Town staff, for realizing that the Frog Pond is a treasure, One question and a comment though: the property still under consideration that is not at the town center ( the one on Los Trancos Rd) is NOT “in Blue Oaks,” but rather “near Blue Oaks.” The location is not any more or less easy to evacuate than 90% of the rest of the locations in Portola Valley (in the event of a fire.) Access to highways via Los Trancos Road is just the same as the routes that serve the community of Blue Oaks, residents of the areas near Old Spanish Trail, etc. The argument that there is a greater potential for wildfire is just preposterous—let’s be honest, it’s just that the residents of Blue Oaks don’t want to have the affordable housing near them. As point of fact, it is more difficult for residents of Upper Alpine to evacuate than Blue Oaks.

Thank you to the Town management team and active residents to preserve our precious open spaces for wildlife and plant life. We are a low population, low density community with a small tax base. Higher density housing places strains on infrastructure and schools for which there are no sources of additional funding. (It is curious what happens to all the tax and fee revenues that go to the state)

Please continue to maintain a very special and environmentally friendly community.

Great News! Merry X-Mas!

Uhhh you forgot the fact that a lot of people live up there beyond Blue Oaks. For the many people up in Vista Verde and Los Trancos Woods, Los Trancos Rd is the only road that could evacuate the area down to big Alpine Rd. One-lane upper upper Alpine wouldn't cut it.

LOL 90% of the rest of Portola Valley is not in the same situation. Multiple roads lead down from majestic Westridge and central Portola Valley. Take a drive around town.

Blue Oaks owns the LTR property, so that sort of makes it part of Blue Oaks. And if Blue Oaks owns it, then maybe it is "in" Blue Oaks...

Long live the frogs! Now let’s save the wedge! Let the council know we want a better plan than cascaded houses and apartment buildings. Say no to congestion, traffic and fire danger. Save the open space!

Ewok: My apologies, I meant Vista Verde and Los Trancos when I said "Old Spanish Trail" area (the names of the neighborhoods had temporarily escaped my senior mind). My point was that adding affordable housing for 10 families would have little impact on the evacuation of the areas served by Los Trancos Rd. When I think evacuation, I mean getting out of town via 280, not just down from the hills of PV. I can't blame residents of Blue Oaks for not wanting to look at a housing development. Who does?

I am confused about who actually owns the Los Trancos property that has been under consideration all this time, listed as "town owned property." I know that the town did originally own it, because it was originally allocated for affordable housing. I heard something about a deal made between the town and the Blue Oaks developers, but I have never known the details. Was it traded for something else? Or sold? Do you have that information? Thanks!