The cloistered Poor Clare nuns plan to add a new building to their Los Altos Hills monastery by winter. This will be the first building constructed at the Immaculate Heart Monastery of the Poor Clares in about 50 years.
The new building will replace several existing structures that are in considerable disrepair, according to a report by City Planning Director Carl Cahill.
“Part was built in the 1920s, one section in 1950 and the rest of the monastery also in the 1950s,” said Mother Colette, vicaress of the Poor Clares of Los Altos Hills.
The architect for the Poor Clare nuns has worked with Los Altos Hills city staff for the past six months to secure the site development permit needed to begin construction.
The necessary conditions for final approval were that a pathway be constructed along Natoma Road and that an automatic residential fire sprinkler system, approved by the Santa Clara Fire Department, be included in the new addition.
The Poor Clares are dependent on donations, so their Santa Clara architect Sal Caruso initially requested the planning commission recommend vacating the pathway because he believed construction of the 1,600-foot-long pathway would be too costly, as much as $150,000. The commissioners believed the on-road pathway, while not required by the Pathway Element of the General Plan, was needed as the pathway on the opposite side of the street was too dangerous for pedestrians and equestrians because of traffic. The planning commission compromised by recommending that the Poor Clares pay for the cost of pathway materials, about $15,000, and that the pathways committee help recruit volunteers to construct the path.
The city council deferred approving the site development permit at its Feb. 21 meeting, preferring to wait until volunteers were available. Matthew Weiden, a Los Altos High School student met with Pathway Committee co-chairwoman Nancy Ewald and appeared before the council March 7 to volunteer to undertake the pathway’s construction as his Eagle Scout project. “I can expect 15-20 Boy Scouts to help,” Weiden said.
Caruso appeared before the council that same evening, and requested an extension on submitting plans for a sprinkler system for approval to the county fire department so that construction could begin by April 1.
“If the fire department will take complete responsibility for ensuring the sprinkler system and leave the town out of it, I would agree,” Cahill said.
“If the architect hands me a letter from the fire department tomorrow, that’s all I need to approve the plans.”
The council voted to approve the site development permit, on the condition that Cahill receive a letter from the fire department before approving the plans. Cahill told the Town Crier he had received the letter March 12.
“We allow (exceptions) in very unique circumstances, and this was one of those circumstances,” he said.
Caruso noted in a telephone interview last week, “Our general contractor Bill Portman will volunteer his time to assist (Weiss).”
