Fix process before San Antonio roadwork
City transportation manager Marisa Lee claims the confusing changes on Jardin Drive are working well and safety will improve once drivers and pedestrians get used to them (“Residents still agitated over new street design near Los Altos High School,” Oct. 25).
Having worked in the software industry for 30 years, the worst thing you can say about a user interface is “you’ll get used to it.” It means you didn’t consult your customers up front, didn’t pay attention to their needs, and defensively blame them for your failure.
As resident David Sauerhaft commented, “You can blame the user or you can make a design where the user doesn’t make mistakes.”
It’s too late to discuss the topic and solicit feedback at an upcoming Complete Streets Commission, as Lee promises. Residents have been loud and clear in their opinions since the changes were implemented.
A better topic of discussion is how to fix the process that has wasted millions of taxpayer dollars on “safety” features like those on Jardin and the multiple failed iterations of speed bumps on Cuesta Drive.
The time for that discussion is now – before we start tinkering with San Antonio Road and cause even more problems.
Pat Marriott
Los Altos
Find site-compatible use for Sunset parcel
Saddened to read Robin Chapman’s report on demise of Sunset magazine’s historical headquarters building (“Iconic Sunset magazine headquarters may face finale of its storied history,” Oct. 25).
Would urge concerned citizens to insist the city of Menlo Park conduct thorough environmental evaluation of site soils before the showplace is removed. The parcel is on an erosion-prone reach of San Francisquito Creek that used to be a breakaway spot where the creek jumped banks and regularly flooded hayfields of the Roman Catholic Diocese across Middlefield Road.
The San Mateo County western banks of San Francisquito Creek are at higher elevation than the Santa Clara County banks and so suffer severe erosion in high-water events. In a 1998 February storm, some residents lost entire backyards and the Soil Conservation Service was the only recourse for advice and permits to shore up crumbling banks.
Recent storm Babet in Scotland dropped over 26 inches of rain in three days. This is three times as much rain as caused San Francisquito Creek to flood in 1998. These intense global warming storms are becoming an ominous threat. I believe this highly exposed Sunset magazine site demands buildings be sited at least with a 300-foot setback from the top of the bank. Not sure if this leaves sufficient land for housing design. Also it seems unwise to unnecessarily put residential housing in a hazardous flood zone.
I suggest a more sensitive and site-compatible use such as an art gallery.
E.B. Lucas
Los Altos
Vote ‘yes’ on Measure A
I support Measure A and invite the residents of our community to do the same. Measure A renews a modest parcel tax that will provide critical revenue to compensate teachers. Our fine public schools are what brought me to Los Altos. My two children have attended Oak, Blach and Mountain View High School.
The Los Altos School District currently ranks near the bottom in Santa Clara County for teacher compensation, while our housing and other costs of living are at the top. This is personal for me. My father left before I was born, and my mother raised me by herself on a public-school teacher’s salary (without spousal or child support). I know what it is like to be told by my mother, “I’m sorry we are out of cereal and lunch meat, son. You’ll have make do until I get paid and then we’ll get groceries.” I can only imagine the things teachers must do today to make ends meet. We expect teachers to care for our kids, but we don’t pay them enough for them to meet the needs of their own families.
We all benefit from our excellent schools, whether we have kids in school or not. Our property values are enhanced by our quality schools when families like mine move here specifically for the schools. More importantly to me, our schools are where the citizens of tomorrow are shaped. The better our schools, the better our society. There is no better return on investment than what our schools deliver.
It is in our interest to have good schools, and we have a moral obligation to pay our teachers a more competitive wage. That obligation transcends personal interest in property values or other social benefits. It is the right thing to do. Support Measure A.
Pete Dailey
Los Altos City Council member
