Note from Moderator: This is an example of the kind of thoughtful and
creative ideas for "re-imagining" the Atherton Library that our town
truly needs. We find these ideas worth sharing with the community, however,
for such ideas to have any impact on the process at this stage, they
MUST be submitted to Lisa
Costa Sanders specifically as comments on the
Draft EIR by May 7th. Luckily, comments on the Draft EIR may be
submitted by anyone in the broader community and need not be just from
current Atherton residents.
(To comment on this post, click the light colored "comments" link at the bottom, and write your comment into the box. Then to sign your comment, click on "Comment as" and scroll down to the "Name/URL" option. If you click that, you can enter your name in the Name dialog box.)
To: "lcostasanders@ci.atherton.ca.us"
Sent: Thursday, May 3, 2012 10:48 PM
Subject: New Site of Atherton Library
Dear Atherton Town Council and Whom It May Concern,
I believe the Town of Atherton is missing an opportunity to create a great public library if the Town decides to use Holbrook Palmer Park as the new home of the Atherton Library. The park does have space for library; it’s clear that this is the primary advantage of the park if it is to be used as the new home of the library. However, there are other locations that may be better mainly because such locations would not necessitate any transformation as significant as the one that has been currently proposed for Holbrook Palmer Park. The park will change drastically if a library is built there, and these changes will harm the park, not help it. The Town Council and the Atherton Library Building Steering Committee must not allow such unnecessary and avoidable changes to occur.
One location that is potentially better for a new library is the site of the current town administrative offices. The building that houses these offices could be demolished and replaced with a two or possibly three story library building (one level could be partly or completely underground). The administrative offices could in turn be moved to the current library building. If more space is needed for the administrative offices than the current library building can provide, an additional building and/or wing can be erected in the reading park that is adjacent to the current library building. This idea has some advantages over the current proposal of Holbrook Park as the site of the new library. First, it would not require demolishing the Main House currently on the grounds of Holbrook Palmer Park, which is of greater historic and architectural value than the building that houses the town’s administrative offices. Second, if the library is built where the town administrative offices currently stand, Holbrook Palmer Park’s tranquil ambience would be preserved. Third, it could be less expensive to demolish the town administrative offices than the Main House in Holbrook Palmer Park. Fourth, if the library is built on the site of the administrative offices, the Town of Atherton would have more buildings than if the Main House in the park were demolished and replaced with a library building: the town would still have the Main House in the park, an attractive, practical and well-used park facility; the current library building (which would be converted into offices); and a new library building. In contrast, in the current proposal, the town would lose the Main House at the park and have a library that would potentially be more difficult to get to than in another, more practical location. Fifth, if the new library building is erected on the current site of the town’s administrative offices, there would be far more parking available than in the park and the library would be more accessible because it would be built on a town street, rather than inside a public park. This location would completely eliminate the traffic problems associated with the proposed site.
I have been a library employee for over ten years. I care about public libraries. Like public parks, they are a priceless resource that must be preserved and cared for. Although I am no longer a resident of Atherton, I feel very loyal to the town because it is very much a part of my heritage. Holbrook Park and the library are both very important assets to Atherton. I urge the Town Council and the Atherton Library Building Steering Committee to take more time to consider other locations for the new library that are more accessible, more practical and that will preserve the character of the town.
Thank you for your time.
Respectfully,
Nick Dellaporta
Former Resident of Atherton
Library Support Specialist, College of San Mateo Library
I also have a problem with the salami-slicing that is going on with Holbrook Palmer Park. If the library is built in the park I think that it will be inevitable that the already tight parking will lead to arguments that we have to convert more park space into parking spaces. A park has room for many things. It is, after all, open
ReplyDeletespace. While each of the spaces that have been carved out of the park in the last 10-12 years may, by themselves be for a desirable use, my
view is that we continue to salami-slice the park we will reach the point where the park is no longer a park. I have another concern. I strongly believe that the Town must retain independent outside counsel to review the terms of the donors gift and to obtain a formal opinion
of counsel that carving space out of the park for a library and for any future parking needs meets both the specific terms of the gift as well as the spirit in which the land for the park was donated.
Ray Girouard
Irving Avenue
Atheron
A joint venture with Menlo College needs to be considered.
ReplyDeleteJust for starters this is the most sensible idea we have had. ( Making sense )
ReplyDeleteIn addition unbiased.
Sandy Ferrando
I am hand delivering the attached letter to each member of the city council today.
ReplyDeleteJohn L. Worthing
Worthing Capital
845 Oak Grove Ave. Suite 105
Menlo Park, CA 94025
(650)327-6677 fax (650) 327-6699
Peggy and John Worthing
98 Euclid Ave.—Atherton, CA 94027—(650) 369-0707
May 7, 2012
Council Member Jim Dobbie
Town of Atherton
91 Ashfield Rd.
Atherton, CA 94027
Dear Honorable Council Member Dobbie:
Peggy and I want to express our extreme displeasure on the idea of relocating the library to Holbrook-Palmer School.
We believe all activities of the town should be centered in and around the existing town center. Located off Atherton Avenue with a stop light at El Camino makes access to this area much easier than the Holbrook Palmer site.
We further don’t think that the existing site has been thoroughly researched. The current permanent “temporary” town office building along with the Corporation yard plus the Caltrain parking lot and the city parking lot appears to have enough space to adequately house a new library.
Has there ever been any thought of rerouting Dinkelspiel Lane and moving it closer to the railroad and providing a larger town campus? Can we move the corporate yard to another location that is less valuable real estate? There are other possibilities.
We urge you to go back to the drawing board. Holbrook Palmer without traffic signals on El Camino Real and Middlefield is too dangerous a location for a library. The existing location keeps our town services within walking distance and maintains the charm of our town.
Sincerely,
John L. Worthing