Los Altos Community Center Master Plan - New Pics, New Confusion

Los Altos Community Center rendering of driveway from Edith into the complex

A view back towards Edith from wherre the big oak and current police tower are

Phase 2 Pools with a relocated baseball field, both along Hillview Ave.

Aerial view of the Phase 4 completed complex - note History House, relocated apricot orchard

Here is what the street level rendering and Phase 1,2,3,4 maps look like on the printed page

View of the completed "footprints" of buildings, roads, parking... on the site

Starting with phase 2 there is a parking lot where the apricot orchard is to be located

Still in phase 3 there is a parking lot where the apricot orchard is to be located

Still in phase 4 there is a parking lot where the apricot orchard is to be located

CLICK ON ANY PHOTO FOR A LARGER IMAGE, A CLOSER LOOK

INTRODUCTION – At Last, Street Level Renderings

As of March 15, 2012 a new Los Altos Community Center Master Plan Brochure for the civic center is being circulated at Los Altos Commission and Committee meetings, as well as, at other gatherings. This is the first time, we are seeing street level renderings of what certain parts of the complex might look like when you are on foot or in your car.

THE LOOKS – Crafstmanesque?

But the renderings are a sort of tease. They are tiny – the size of a note card – and mostly one sees trees and hardscape, not the buildings. So we can’t really judge which kind of “skin” is likely for the buildings. The glimpses suggest a sort of bastardized praire style — kind of rustic with stone and wood, kind of new, kind of old.

The original input from the community was for something craftsman-like, or something mission-style with red barrel tiles like Santa Barbara and Carmel. On the other hand the main community center building is supposed to be “striking.” Also early input was for something “not rectilinear.”

The glimpses of the building plus the layout are definitely rectilinear. The style could conceivably be considered Craftsmanesque. Hard to tell from the tiny renderings.

THE PLAN IN THE SAND – Aspects Not Etched in Stone

Hearsay is that Val Carpenter has suggested that after the $65 billion ( $35 per 100,000 assessed value tax/lien ) bond issue for first phase passes, elements of the plan can still be “adjusted” by the public.

EDITORIAL COMMENT:
VOTER MYSTIFICATION – Voting to be Taxed $65M for an Indefinite Design

Does plan fluidity after the Bond Measure mean that at the whim of any contingent that wants to harass/lobby council at meetings, in email, by phone, at their church… changes could occur? That neighbors of the site will need to remain hyper-vigilant?

The reason the skin of the buildings is not really shown could be that Council doesn’t want to offend any voters with whatever style choices may have been made but not disclosed. And it appears the the location, size and existence of many elements are still fluid. Witness in the attached photos the wavering on what’s going to be installed on the plot which is the currently the softball field – an orchard and green space OR a parking lot? The neighboring residents on Edith and Cielito better watch this one. What is certain is that the historic “Heritage Orchard” will be displaced in Phase 1 and perhaps partially restored on the current baseball field lot, or perhaps not.

See the Parking Lot, and Now you Don’t

The “Summary” document of planning process ( by the Andersen-Brulee architect) discusses a lot of flip flopping about parking requirements once the theatre is added. There is discussion of the additional cost of underground parking or multi-story parking. As far as we know, the Phase 4 parking was left unresolved. Of course, by the time Phase 4 rolls around ( if ever, given likely voter fatigue over still more taxes) the city could change its own zoning to require less parking, just as it will change the historic designation of the heritage apricot orchard.

What’s certain is that the “Heritage Orchard” will be displace in Phase 1

RELATED MATERIAL:

http://blog.sfgate.com/inthepeninsula/2011/03/01/los-altos-officials-seek-voter-approval-for-up-to-170-million-to-upgrade-to-its-civic-center/

http://peninsulapress.com/2011/03/01/los-altos-officials-seek-voter-approval-for-170-million-upgrade-to-its-civic-center/

Link to an excellent video by Kelsy Williams about the the hiring of the civic center master plan consultant. The video was a project of Stanford graduate program in journalism, article dated Mar 1 2011, Penisula Press.