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Committee urges MidPen to limit Hawthorne’s grading and parking, forms subcommittee to explore town acquisition
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Summary
Members urged MidPen to avoid heavy hillside grading and locate any Hawthorne's parking on previously developed land, passed a motion to remind MidPen of conditional-use requirements, and created a subcommittee to explore whether the town should pursue acquisition or other arrangements.
The Portola Valley Open Space Committee urged MidPen (Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District) to avoid large-scale grading and parking in the undeveloped hillside portions of the 79-acre Hawthorne’s parcel and approved a motion asking the town to remind the Open Space District of conditional-use permit requirements. The committee also voted to form a subcommittee to explore whether the town should pursue acquisition or other arrangements to manage the property.
Presenter Betsy summarized MidPen’s timetable: MidPen staff advanced options 9 and 10 to their full board and staff indicated the full board could act at a mid-May meeting. If the board affirms an option, MidPen staff expect to begin CEQA in early July, a roughly one-year CEQA process, and then final design, permitting and implementation steps that could extend into 2027–2028.
Committee members expressed concern about the scale of earthwork required by the proposed options. “It’s a monstrous project,” Carter said after reviewing contours, retaining walls and section diagrams that showed substantial cut-and-fill, berming above Alpine Trail and tall retaining walls. Nona noted that a conservation easement on parts of the parcel would likely prohibit tree removal and extensive grading in unimproved portions, which could make certain options infeasible.
The committee discussed alternatives including siting parking on already developed or historically used flat areas (the so-called racetrack loop), adding parking capacity at Triangle Park by converting parallel stalls to pull-in stalls on town-owned road remnant, and investigating whether privately owned parking behind Roberts Market is a feasible option (noting legal and private-property constraints).
On a motion approved by voice vote, the committee asked town council and staff to remind the Open Space District in writing about the conditional-use‑permit process required before the district opens the property to the public and recommended that any necessary parking be placed on previously developed lands rather than on newly graded hillside. The committee also approved creating a subcommittee (members discussed include Jackie Mongeau, Carter and Nona) to further explore options for acquisition, legal strategy and potential fundraising. The committee agreed to meet May 7 to prepare input for MidPen’s May 13 board meeting.
Next steps: The committee will send the motion to the town council and proceed with the new subcommittee’s work; no formal acquisition decision was made and committee members emphasized that further legal and financial analysis is required before pursuing acquisition.
