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Publication Date: Wednesday, October 24, 2001

Voter Guide 2001: Housing, Town Center top issues in Portola Valley council race

By Sharon Driscoll
Almanac Staff Writer

Portola Valley's five-member Town Council is being reshuffled this year with three of its seats up for election November 6.

Mayor Kirke Comstock and Vice Mayor Ed Davis endorsed all four candidates. "We're in the fortunate position of having four very well-qualified, if different, candidates," said Mr. Davis.

The candidates _ Doug Aikins, George Comstock, Ted Driscoll and Richard Merk _ are running for three, four-year terms.

A big issue facing the council will be housing: How will the town meet state-mandated requirements for more housing? How can the town build below-market-rate housing for teachers, firefighters, shop clerks and town staff who can't afford to live in the community they serve? Should the small business district on Alpine Road, Nathhorst Triangle, be rezoned for residential use and transformed into a townhouse development?

Another issue is rebuilding Town Hall. The council voted last spring to spend $4 million to rebuild Town Hall and the corporation yard, and was on track to start construction next spring. That plan came to a halt in September, when earthquake-safety concerns about the site were raised, and the council voted to dig trenches to look for earthquake faults and determine the risks of building there.

Also before the new council will be proposed creek-side corridor regulations, which could establish building setbacks and standards for creek stabilization. This proposal is currently the subject of public workshops conducted by the Planning Commission.

As the issues are debated, it is to a changing population that the council speaks. The face of the average resident in Portola Valley is younger than it was 10 years ago. The town is a popular destination for young people, and many are choosing to raise families here. And while the overall population count has remained virtually unchanged, the population under 18 has increased 28 percent over the last 10 years, according to census data. Issues important to parents and children, such as bicycle restrictions on town trails and the quality of local schools, are being debated.

The following are views of the candidates, in alphabetical order.

  Doug Aikins

Mr. Aikins, a member of the town's Geological Safety Committee with 25 years of municipal government, land use and environmental law under his belt, said he would not bring a list of ready-made solutions to the council, but would listen and learn before formulating an opinion.

Town Hall rebuild: "It's becoming evident that the current site may be unsafe," said Mr. Aikins. As the Town Center land has at least one trace from the San Andreas Fault running through it, he supports the council's decision to commission trench digging to investigate safety questions and establish safe setbacks from the fault if Town Hall remains there. He said that because the cost of building an earthquake-safe Town Hall at the current site would be high, it might be both safer and more cost-effective to find another location for the town's administrative and emergency service buildings.

Housing and Nathhorst Triangle rezoning: "Any high-density concentration, whether commercial or residential, does not belong in Portola Valley," said Mr. Aikins.

He said that the town's housing goals could be met with the dispersion of units throughout town in the form of guest houses and apartments in residents' homes. He said that concentrating below-market-rate housing in one area, such as the town's small business district Nathhorst Triangle, is the wrong way forward.

Mr. Aikins said he would support a mixed-use development at Nathhorst Triangle, with medium-density housing, retail and commercial buildings.

Mr. Aikins is the attorney for a Nathhorst Triangle property owner, and has represented his client at at least one public hearing on a subsequently approved ordinance that limits the floor space of commercial businesses in town. He said he will terminate that client-attorney relationship before the election.

Creek-side regulations: Mr. Aikins said that he has met with creek-side homeowners who are not happy about the proposals before the Planning Commission, and that he would be as sensitive to their needs as he would be to protecting the creeks and riparian corridor. He said that preserving habitat in the town's creeks is a good goal, but the town needs to be flexible in its approach to regulation and take into account individual property owner's issues.

Bicycles on town trails: Mr. Aikins said many trails are more suitable to horse riders and hikers than to mountain biking.

  George Comstock

(No relation to Mayor Kirk Comstock.)

A retired businessman and eight-year member of the town's Architectural & Site Control Committee, Mr. Comstock said that his main goal as a councilman would be to maintain the rural character of the community.

Town Hall rebuild: "I fully support the steps being taken by the current Town Council to investigate geologic safety issues at Town Center," said Mr. Comstock said he supports the council's decision to study the safety of the current site, and added that the town needs to be prepared for the possibility that Town Center is unsafe, and that Town Hall might have to be relocated to another location.

Housing and Nathhorst Triangle rezoning: Mr. Comstock said that he would support a mixed-use development at Nathhorst Triangle with retail stores and medium-density townhouses or condominiums, provided they were constructed in a style that was in keeping with the look and feel of Portola Valley. He said he would seek to restrict access to any below-market-rate housing built in town to people who work there. He said that Portola Valley might find itself unable to recruit qualified workers in the future if affordable housing is not addressed.

Creek side regulations: "I understand that there is quite a bit of opposition to the plan being prepared by the Planning Commission, and I look forward to delving into this topic more deeply," said Mr. Comstock.

Bicycles on town trails: Mr. Comstock said he supports establishing certain trails for bicycling and certain trails for horse riding and walking. He noted that combining all uses on all of the town's trails would be difficult, and potentially dangerous.

  Ted Driscoll

(No relation to Almanac writer Sharon Driscoll.)

The only incumbent candidate, Councilman Driscoll will be the longest-serving member on the council if re-elected.

Town Hall rebuild: Mr. Driscoll said that it was absolutely necessary to commission trenching at the Town Center site to locate earthquake faults, so that safe building setbacks could be established. He said he recognizes that the council might need to find a different location if the current site is found to be unsafe.

Housing and Nathhorst Triangle rezoning: "I'm not opposed to housing at Nathhorst Triangle, but I am uncomfortable telling Ed Jelich and the other property owners what to do with their land," said Councilman Driscoll. He said that he is against high-density housing anywhere in town. And while there is a need for some below-market-rate housing in Portola Valley, he is uncomfortable with the state forcing Portola Valley to build housing, as that goal might in time conflict with the town's other goals of acquiring open-space land and maintaining the town's rural nature.

He said he can see good sense in some housing at Nathhorst, but he wants to hear from the public. He prefers a mixed-use development, with medium- or low-density residential units, offices, and retail services, he said.

Creek-side regulations: "I am in favor of some improved regulations or guidelines for land use along creeks because it will benefit land owners and this town, and those further along the creek," said Mr. Driscoll. "We will hear the public, we will have public meetings, and we will try to address everyone's concerns in a very public way."

Bicycles on town trails: Mr. Driscoll said that trail use is a safety issue, and that the town needs to look at each trail individually to determine use. He said that a balance needs to be found between equestrian and bicyclist needs, and that the council should look at each request as it arises.

  Richard Merk

A veteran of the Portola Valley political scene, Mr. Merk was a member of the Town Council from 1993 to 1999, when he resigned for family reasons.

Town Hall rebuild: "I like the way it looks now," said Mr. Merk. "I felt all along that there were some people who wanted more than I think is appropriate for this town."

Mr. Merk said that with staff offices overcrowded and the site's geological safety uncertain, the town is in a difficult situation. He said he believes the priority should be to have a safe administrative building for town staff and a corporation yard for the town's heavy equipment and emergency supplies. He would advocate scaling back any plan that went beyond rebuilding those two structures.

Housing and Nathhorst Triangle rezoning: Mr. Merk said that, pending council approval of the design and a thorough public debate, he would support higher-density housing than is normally zoned in Portola Valley for Nathhorst Triangle. He said that something needs to be done to provide below-market-rate housing for teachers and other workers in Portola Valley who can't afford to live in town.

Creek-side regulations: Mr. Merk, who lives on Madera Creek, said the town must "do something to protect ourselves from the creek and the creek from us." He said that the town should set a standard for creek stabilization so that one neighbor's solution doesn't adversely affect another neighbor's property.

Bicycles on town trails: "I'm in favor of multiple-use trails, and there should be free and open access to them," said Mr. Merk.

Doug Aikins
Civic service : Member: Geologic Safety Committee. Past member: U.S. Naval Reserve (retired 1988), JAG Corps; lecturer before legal and industry groups.
Profession : Attorney in private practice with an expertise in municipal, environmental, and land use law.
Education : B.A. political philosophy, University of Oklahoma; M.A. human relations/social psychology, University of Oklahoma; J.D. University of San Francisco School of Law.
Years in Portola Valley : 2

George Comstock
Civic service : Member: Architectural and Site Control Commission; pro-bono consultant for Habitat for Humanity, YMCA, Stanford's Office of Technology Licensing, the Land Institute; board member, the Land Institute and American Electronics Association.
Profession : Retired businessman, founder and CEO, Diablo Systems and Durango Systems, Inc.
Education : Graduate School of Business, Stanford University; Cal Tech and Worcester Polytechnic.
Years in Portola Valley : 11

  Richard T. Merk
Civic service : Member: Public Works Committee, Committee for Green Foothills board, Sierra Club. Past member: Town Council (former mayor), Schoolhouse Renovation Committee, Planning Commission, San Mateo County Regional Planning Committee, Conservation Committee, and other town committees.
Profession : Retired businessman with experience in residential construction, professional association management and property management.
Education : Canada College, University of Hawaii, and San Francisco State University.
Years in Portola Valley : 40