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Uploaded: Friday, November 14, 2008, 5:15 PM
VIDEO: Sea Scout building restoration begins
Environmental Volunteers conscious of endangered species at construction site
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 | The boat-shaped Sea Scout building that sits on the edge of the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve no longer sinks into the bay. Construction workers hired by the Environmental Volunteers began restoring the building on Friday.
The construction workers hoisted the building on steel beams and moved it 200 feet over. The building will be restored on top of a new foundation 3.5 feet above the bay, devoid of floodwater.
The building, constructed in 1941 and used by the Boy Scouts of America, was abandoned 17 years ago.
The Environmental Volunteers, which offer hands-on science to over 11,000 South Bay schoolchildren, will use the recycled building as their headquarters. The EcoCenter will provide the public with wildlife viewing programs, nature photography exhibits and class field trips.
The $4 million construction project will take a year to 18 months to complete, depending on whether the endangered Clapper Rail finds a breeding partner. If the bird finds a breeding partner, construction will stop and begin six months later after the breeding season.
The Environmental Volunteers are also conscious of other endangered species in the area such as the salt marsh harvest mouse and the burrowing owls. To make sure that the native creatures are undisturbed by the construction, the volunteers planted native vegetation along the edges of the building site for the creatures to dwell.— Emilie Doolittle Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by 57575757, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Nov 16, 2008 at 8:22 am Great, now rather than learning sailing skills and building camaraderie to last a lifetime, our youth will be indoctrinated into believing that the environment's falling apart, that man must ultimately extinguish himself for the good of the planet, and that 0.5degree changes in planetary temperatures are his/her personal fault.
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Posted by Walter_E_Wallis, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Nov 17, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Walter_E_Wallis is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online Perhaps they will learn that real work of fiction, the "Urban Heat Island Correction Factor" by Hansen, Gore & Moore.Few people today brag of their Klan membership - if justice and truth prevail, in 20 years Sierra Club will be a pejorative for their damage to the environment for profit.
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Posted by Extravagant Luxury, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Nov 18, 2008 at 7:07 am What the Weekly doesn't report is that much of the restoration is being paid for by the tax payers of Palo Alto. The building was designed by Birge Clarke in 1941 and is designated historic therefore it must be restored.
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Posted by Walter_E_Wallis, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Nov 19, 2008 at 11:29 am
Walter_E_Wallis is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online Palo Alto has never let gratitude stand in the way of progressive waves.
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Posted by J., a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Dec 24, 2008 at 1:05 pm What a bunch of grouches! We are fortunate to live in a city that recognizes what a beautiful building this is and that saving special places are what make Palo Alto so interesting.
FYI-- The Sea Scouts are alive and well with their 95-foot coast guard cutter at the Redwood City harbor -- a far more appropriate for them anyway.
I went kayaking in the bay the other day and the junk that was floating around was so sad to see. Maybe the next generation will care a little more about this place where we live.
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