Barron Park considers new neighbor Barron Park considers new neighbor (March 10, 2004)

Synagogue seeks permanent home in former video store

by Jocelyn Dong

You'd think a traffic-wary, parking-space challenged neighborhood would rather have nine townhomes added to the area than a religious institution that draws up to 150 people each week.

But that's not the case in Barron Park, and the reason has everything to do with the religious group looking to move there.

Emek Beracha is a 27-year-old synagogue of the orthodox persuasion, and as part of its tradition, members don't drive their cars to worship service on Saturday morning. Instead, they walk -- causing no traffic problems.

The news of the pedestrian-oriented congregation was met with enthusiasm from a handful of Barron Park neighbors who attended a meeting between the neighborhood association and the synagogue last week.

Emek Beracha is proposing to buy the property at 4102 El Camino Real, at the corner of Vista Avenue, the former site of the Blockbuster Video that moved up the block about five years ago. After Blockbuster left, the space was also home to the dot-com PayCycle for about a year.

According to county records, the property is assessed at about $1.9 million.

The possibility of additional housing concerned neighbors, because the 28-space parking lot would have been reduced to the minimum required -- likely inviting on-street parking by new residents and their guests, said neighborhood leader Maryanne Welton.

Already, Vista suffers from speeding traffic and parking problems, according to neighbor Terry Andre.

The housing developers had rescinded their proposal to build million-dollar, 2,200-square-foot townhomes due to market concerns, according to property owner Mehmood Taqui.

Although Palo Alto is required to plan for a minimum quantity of housing citywide, the loss of potential units at the former Blockbuster site may not be a problem, said Amy French, Palo Alto's manager of current planning. Several projects have come up in recent months that propose turning commercial properties in other parts of the city into housing, likely compensating for the loss of the nine units.

French and her staff are working with the city attorney to determine exactly what affect accommodating the synagogue would have on the city's housing overall plan. The City Council may need to look at the zoning change required to allow the synagogue to replace housing. In the meantime, the synagogue is applying for its conditional-use permit.

The possibility of finding a permanent home is exciting to members of Emek Beracha, said Rabbi Yitzchok Feldman. Throughout its history, the nomadic congregation has met at a bank, a car repair shop and a Social-Security building. Currently they hold services and classes in a rented basement on Sheridan Avenue, near the California Avenue business district.

"We have searched for awhile for a permanent place," Feldman said. "I'd say, for five solid years."

The synagogue at first looked for property near California Avenue, because it wanted to be closer to its members. However, Feldman said, the opportunity to relocate to Barron Park, where many of Emek Beracha's members live, was too good to pass up.

If the synagogue succeeds in buying the property, it will move into the 5,700-square-foot blue and white building already on the lot. One synagogue leader said limited resources would allow them to make only minimal changes to the brown-shingled facility, including fixing the roof and making seismic upgrades.

Even though members walk on the Sabbath, they do drive during the week and will need to use the parking lot when they come for meetings. But Feldman said they would try to carpool when necessary so as not to spill out onto neighborhood streets.

Barron Park resident Paula Crow, who lives next to the site, was pleased with the synagogue's plans.

"I think it sounds like a very nice use for the location. Even having kids in the backyard -- that would be a happy sound," she said.

Additional public hearings are expected. The planning director's hearing to review the conditional-use permit is tentatively scheduled for April 1.

Assistant Editor Jocelyn Dong can be reached at jdong@paweekly.com.

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