[San Mateo County] Palo Alto: Recreation and restoration eyed for Foothills Park addition

November 7, 2014

San Jose Mercury News

By Jason Green

Restoration and recreation are two themes that have surfaced as part of the discussion over what to do with a 7.7-acre parcel that was recently added to Foothills Park in Palo Alto.

On Monday, the City Council and the Parks and Recreation Commission are slated to hold a study session to mull those ideas, as well as a third that would see environmental nonprofit Acterra continue to operate a native plant nursery on part of the site, as it has since 2005.

"While it is exciting to add this new acreage to our parkland inventory, any future plans for the site must take into account current conditions and the potentially significant costs of restoration," the commission wrote.

The paper noted that the soil conditions of the parcel are poor due to its former use as a quarry.

Potential recreational uses identified by the commission include a campsite, picnic area and off-leash dog park. An open-sided structure could also be built on the parcel for special events.

Acterra's lease for roughly half an acre of the site expires in 2015 but it can be renewed, according to the paper.

The question of what to do with the parcel follows the council's decision in August to add it to Foothills Park.

The family of Palo Alto Medical Clinic founder Russel Lee granted the parcel to the city in 1981 with the condition that it be used for conservation, "including park and recreation purposes."

The city instead leased the land from 1996 to 2005 to developer and adjacent property owner John Arrillaga, who used it for "construction staging," according to a critical report released in June by the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury.

Arrillaga offered to purchase the parcel in 2012 for $175,000. Although city officials told the grand jury his bid was unexpected and unsolicited, an investigation revealed that they had commissioned their own appraisal.

The grand jury report blasted the council for meeting in a closed session to discuss the offer instead of following an established public process for selling surplus public property.

The council's decision to add the parcel to Foothills Park helped resolve the controversy and set the stage for the Parks and Recreation Commission to begin exploring potential uses.