Publication Date: Friday, June 03, 2005
Fairmeadow
Fairmeadow
(June 03, 2005) A tightknit Eichler community
by Carol Palinkas
Joseph Eichler probably had no inkling in the early 1950s that the "affordable homes" he envisioned for working families would develop a passionate following. Today Fairmeadow is Palo Alto's largest tract of Eichler homes -- an ideal neighborhood for the true Eichler afficianado.
The neighborhood, bordered by Mitchell Park, Alma Street, East Meadow Drive and East Charleston Road, was built between 1951 and 1953 from the ground up, replacing ranch land. It currently boasts four schools, public and private, as well as Mitchell Park and a Community Center to serve its 300 homes.
Nearby Charleston Center offers further places to gather, whether it's picking up dinner at the upscale Piazza's market, or indulging in ice cream at Rick's or a quick cup at the recently opened Peet's Coffee & Tea.
Residents are united in the idea that the neighborhood offers many plusses, including Mitchell Park and ready access to the bay lands, as well as proximity to mid-town Palo Alto. While people may come and go, the neighborhood feeling remains friendly and inviting.
Ruth Donnelly, a retired teacher, has lived in Fairmeadow since 1969, when she fell in love with and bought her Eichler. She still loves it and the neighborhood. She's seen many changes over the past 35 years, particularly the neighborhood mix.
"We're having a lot of young couples with little children -- it's wonderful to have those little voices around. We still have a few of the original people on the block, but we have a nice combination of retired people, working people and the very young," she said.
Thomas Vician, president of the Fairmeadow homeowner's association and a resident since 1962, notes that there is more ethnic diversity. He adds that according to the city of Palo Alto, rentals now make up approximately 43 percent of the neighborhood.
Jessica and Ken Kopper moved into the neighborhood eight years ago and also enjoy the diversity. "We love it," Jessica Kopper said. "It's very friendly, has a mix of older and younger people, and it's nice being close to the park."
Looking at a map of Palo Alto, it's easy to find the neighborhood -- just look for what appear to be crop circles, and you're in the right vicinity. Eichler's circular street pattern was designed to keep traffic at bay. It hasn't quite worked out that way.
Traffic problems are not new to the neighborhood. As far back as 1978 there were complaints about cars speeding through the neighborhood, despite Eichler's best efforts to prevent such a problem.
"Traffic is terrible," Donnelly said. "I go to Stanford three times a week, and I can hardly get out of my street. I have to wait and queue up."
Retired nurse Elsie Taboroff concurs. While she sees the influx of new families with children as a definite plus for the neighborhood, it has also increased traffic woes because parents drive their little ones to school. In 1957, when Taboroff arrived in the neighborhood, they walked.
"At Redwood and East Meadow, there's a stop sign, and I walk almost daily," said Taboroff. "People do not stop at that stop sign. I do not cross there because it's unsafe. Parents are very concerned about the safety of their children."
Attendance at neighborhood association meetings is low, however, garnering only about 25 residents per meeting, according to Taboroff.
"It's not that oriented to community activity or organizing," she said.
Vician said residents do become more active when it matters, and the last major activity for the association came during the Charleston Corridor study from 1998 to 2002. "We've got a lot of cut-through traffic -- that's why that was a big issue for us," he said.
The plan was to reconfigure East Charleston to move traffic more efficiently at a slower speed, he said.
"We thought we had achieved a very clear understanding of how they were going to attempt to get the traffic to keep moving, but nothing has come of the study for the last two years."
Vician said that Stanford is talking about a big increase in building through the Stanford Industrial Park, which may affect the neighborhood's traffic even more.
"We're sitting on that egg, wondering just how it's going to hatch."
Fairmeadow facts:
@facthead:FIRE STATION:
@fact:No. 4, 3600 Middlefield Road
@facthead:LIBRARY:
@fact:Mitchell Park branch, 3700 Middlefield Road
@facthead:PARK:
@fact:Mitchell Park, 600 East Meadow Drive
@facthead:POST OFFICE:
@fact:Main, 2085 E. Bayshore Road
@facthead:PUBLIC SCHOOLS:
@fact:Faimeadow Elementary School, Hoover Elementary School, J.L. Stanford Middle School, Gunn High School
@facthead:PRIVATE SCHOOL:
@fact:Challenger School, 3880 Middlefield Road
@fact:NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION:
@fact:Tom Vician, president, (650) 565-9014
@facthead:SHOPPING (NEARBY):
@fact:Charleston Center
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