by Peter Gauvin
Tossing out a staff recommendation to enter a second lengthy process to determine a suitable use for the historic Williams House, the Palo Alto City Council on Monday opted instead for a plan that should allow it to choose an occupant for the million-dollar property by the time the leaves begin to fall. The Council, hoping to put an end to a three-year tenant search that saw two other proposals flop, rejected staff's recommendation to determine a tenant for the home through another Request for Proposal (RFP) process as too slow (up to 10 months) and unnecessary. The concept for the new RFP was to craft a weighting system based on the Council's desire to emphasize potential uses that would provide either historic preservation, public benefit or a balance of the two.
Rather, as Vice Mayor Joe Simitian put it, the Council "ought to cut to the chase" and make a political decision based on what Council members feel is the best use for the house. He said it's a given that any proposal would have to provide for historical preservation of the 1906 house, and be evaluated according to three other criteria: public benefit, financial viability and community impact.
The Council unanimously agreed and opted to reinvite bids from interested groups, including advocates for a "family resource center" and the Museum of American Heritage, two groups who came to lobby Monday for public benefit and historic preservation, respectively.
Bids will be accepted for a 60-day period, after which they will be reviewed by staff in August, while the Council is on vacation. The Council will then select its use of choice and grant an option to lease in September or early October.
The Williams property, inconspicuously located behind a giant hedge on Homer Avenue across from the Palo Alto Medical Clinic, was bequeathed to the city in 1989 by Rhona Williams, who stipulated in her will that it be used for park or cultural purposes. The property is in need of renovations totaling more than $200,000.
Originally, the Peninsula Conservation Center was going to move in, but it found another home. Then in December, the plug was pulled on the Lace Museum after its coalition with two other groups fell apart.
"Given the amount of time we've spent on this issue in the last three years, we're probably discouraging Palo Altans from including (the city) in their wills," joked Council member Gary Fazzino.
To maintain the house until autumn rolls around, the Council approved $23,000 for maintenance of the property by a residential caretaker and an additional $13,000 to $20,000 to remove fuel tanks on the property.
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