Atherton to pilot battery landscaping at Holbrook‑Palmer Park; committee debates how to scale uptake

Town staff reported that council authorized exploration of a battery‑powered landscaping trial at Holbrook‑Palmer Park and that BrightView—the town's landscaping contractor—has equipment that can operate on batteries.

"We are moving forward with BrightView using all battery powered equipment for town operations," staff member S5 said during a staff update on the electric landscaping trial. S5 added that town‑owned gas equipment will be phased out "when feasible" as units reach end of life or funds become available, and that Peninsula Clean Energy rebates and grant funding may help cover electrification costs.

Why it matters: committee members framed the pilot as a visible example intended to influence residents, contractors and landscapers by demonstrating electric alternatives to gas-powered blowers and mowers. One member (S3) said Holbrook‑Palmer Park represents a small share of the town's landscaped acreage — "about 0.7%" in the discussion — and asked how the program could scale to the remaining privately maintained properties.

Committee proposals included hosting live demonstrations, tabling during BrightView operations, featuring contractor case studies in local publications and exploring a robotic lawnmower demo. Members also proposed using the town's communications channels and neighborhood groups to publicize equipment benefits and available rebates.

On equipment cost there was not a single figure in the meeting record: one attendee described a town electric lift as "a $50,000 piece of equipment," and other participants referenced $65,000 in the same exchange; staff said the lift was procured with grant funding but did not provide a definitive total during the meeting.

Next steps: staff will return with proposals and data on scaling outreach, and the committee agreed to make electrification and communications a fuller agenda item at a future meeting.