The Emerald Hills Blog

Fowl is Foul?

It’s hard for me to believe this, but according to this article in the Daily Journal, it’s actually illegal to own chickens in unincorporated parts of San Mateo County, which by definition includes Emerald Hills.  It’s difficult to fathom such a counter-intuitive ordinance, because Emerald Hills basically evolved from “horse country” just a few decades ago.  When I grew up in this area, it was not only common to see chickens, but folks also raised sheep, goats, cows, and yes…chickens.   Lots of them.

Now, I get the rub with roosters.    There’s a myth that roosters only crow first thing in the morning — wrong.  They crow first thing in the morning, and usually all day.  Not the most relaxing sound if you happen to be in close proximity to your neighbor.  But chickens?

OK in Adjacent Communities.

According to the article, both Woodside and Redwood City (Emerald Hills’ adjacent neighbors) have passed ordinances which allow neighbors to own chickens.   Add to that list San Carlos, which recently passed a similar ordinance solely due to the work of a very persistent fourth grader.   And trust me, homes in San Carlos are generally in much closer proximity than they are in Emerald Hills.

Great Pets.

Chickens (hens) actually make great pets — we have anywhere from 2-4 of them at any given time.  Hey, you can’t fault a pet that provides you with breakfast every morning (no McNugget jokes, please!)   But like any pet, even dogs and cats, they can be a nuisance to neighbors if the pen area is not kept clean.

So, I hope in the end some sort of compromise is struck which will allow owners to keep at least a few hens with sensible limits and restrictions.   After all, pets and animals are part of the DNA of Emerald Hills.  I’d really hate to see that change.

Romeo and Juliet:  The Struggle to Keep Shakespeare in our Schools

We’ve been hearing about budget problems causing drastic cutbacks in many schools. Many schools are determined to make sure the art programs that support such classics as Romeo and Juliet remain in place. North Star Academy, in Redwood City, is one such school. Each fall they put on a Shakespeare play to preserve the awareness of classic literature amongst the area residents. Yes, they still put on a spring musical which brings in much higher crowds, but the Director, Neva Hutchinson, the administration and school district officials are determined to keep Shakespeare a part of their program. As Ms. Hutchinson says, “Shakespeare is timeless with his themes of love and hope. In today’s economy, these themes are especially important.”

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” William Shakespeare was a miracle worker with words. Our schools are determined to offer this to the community in a way that benefits the students and the community alike. The play is edited to appeal to all ages and yet it still portrays the classic struggle between feuding families and its effect on true love. Sword fighting! Romance! Dancing! Street fighting. This performance has it all.

To keep ticket prices low, the schools apply for grants and donations. Numerous hours are spent by volunteers to make the plays come to life. In Romeo and Juliet the period sets will reflect the beauty of Verona and the sumptuous costumes have been individually made by talented volunteers. As Stephanie Finander says (she personally put over 200 hours into the intricate costumes), “When the audience sees the fancy costumes and the beautiful set, it helps them to get ready to hear the beautiful language of Shakespeare.”

As the principal Wendy Kelly says, “Shakespeare’s plays are classics. I am thrilled that students at North Star are able to learn about these stories and show their outstanding acting abilities to all ages.”

Dates and Times

The play will occur on October 15, 16, 17 at 7:00 PM, and October 18th at 2:00PM. The North Star Academy students will be performing in the McKinley Auditorium at 400 Duane Street in Redwood City. Fee: $10, $12 premium seating (first 10 rows), Friday night free for Seniors. For more information, see http://romeoandjuliet-northstaracademy.blogspot.com/ or call the message line at (650)482-5980. See northstartix.com for ticket purchase.

As Shakespeare so eloquently said, “Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.” Don’t pass up an opportunity to enjoy this classic with your entire family.

Thanks to Martha Traynor for providing the background information for this post…

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(this is not the cat that was spotted today)

Another Sighting.

According to this article in the San Jose Mercury News, there was a mountain lion this morning in Emerald Hills, this time in the back yard of a residence on California Way (my old street!)    Here’s the alert that was posted on the San Mateo County Emergency Services site:

“At 9:45 this morning a mountain lion was seen in the vicinity of Redwood City/Emerald Hills behind 575 California Way. If you see a mountain lion DO NOT APPROACH IT, especially one that is feeding or with kittens. Most mountain lions will try to avoid confrontation. CALL 9-1-1. Here’s a few tips.

• Avoid hiking or jogging when mountain lions are most active—dawn, dusk, and at night.

• Keep a close watch on small children.

• If you encounter a mountain lion, do not run; instead, face the animal, make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms; throw rocks or other objects.

• Pick up small children.

• For more information about mountain lions click here www.keepmewild.org “

Let’s be careful out there….

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Measure E Defeated

As reported this morning in the Mercury News,   Redwood City’s Measure E did not garner the necessary 2/3 votes to pass in yesterday’s special election.   The $91 per parcel proposed tax only received 62.1% of the yes votes required for passage, with all precincts reporting their results.   This is an especially tough defeat for the Redwood City School District — not only will they not get the estimated $2.2M influx of annual funds that the parcel tax would have generated, but they’re now stuck with footing the bill for the pre-election consultants, as well as the entire cost of running the election since there were no other issues on this ballot.   Ouch….

Here’s the article in today’s Mercury — >  Measure E Fails at the Polls.

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Parcel Tax for Education.

Like many other communities on the Peninsula, the Redwood City School District is feeling the pinch of the tough economy.   Decreasing sales and property tax revenues combined with cuts in state funding has forced the District to make some painful cuts in their budget, which has resulted in programs being eliminated and some teachers getting lay-off notices.   And like many other communities on the Peninsula, Redwood City is pinning its hopes on its residents to approve a $91 parcel tax to make up a portion of these losses.

Sound Familiar?

It should.   This is the third time in the past 17 years that the district has tried to get a school parcel tax approved by the voters.   Previous Measures A and V failed to garner the necessary 2/3 votes required for passage.   Supporters hope this time will be different.

Redwood City’s neighbor San Carlos recently faced a similar situation, holding a special mail-only election on Measure B which called for a $78 per parcel tax to go directly to the San Carlos School District.   This measure was also the second try for San Carlos, after the similar Measure S failed less than a year ago.   This time around the Measure got the necessary votes for passage.

More info on Measure E…

For more information on Measure E, here are some informative links:

San Mateo County Times Article

Redwood City School District:  Yes on E

San Mateo County Official Election Site

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A Sign of the Times…

Redwood City is facing the same dilemma that virtually every community on the Peninsula is trying to solve:  how to balance their budget in tough economic times.  Redwood City is facing a deficit of nearly $5.8M for the current fiscal year which ends on June 30 of this year.  The gap for next fiscal year is anticipated to swell to nearly $8.2M.   Declining sales and property taxes have forced many communities into drastic cost cutting measures, and Redwood City is no different.

Letter from the Mayor.

Yesterday, Mayor Rosanne Foust broadcasted and email that outlined the budget crisis, and outlined a solution to close the gap.  The near-term fix is to freeze the salaries of City employees, and to dip into the City’s cash reserves.   Here’s her email in it’s entirety:

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Managing Redwood City’s Budget Issues
It will come as no surprise to you that the economic downturn is continuing to take an increasingly severe toll on Redwood City’s two largest sources of revenue. The decline in sales tax revenue and markedly weakening property tax revenue are largely responsible for the current fiscal year’s deficit of $5.8 million and the estimated $8.2 million deficit for next fiscal year.

Despite the bleak financial situation which is affecting all of us, I want to assure you that I have great confidence in our ability to address the City’s ongoing budget deficit. I can report with real optimism that the entire City organization, through a combination of programmatic reductions, salary freezes, and use of reserve funds, is working diligently toward bringing our finances back in balance over the next three-to-four years.

Redwood City workers are pulling together to reduce costs at every level while working to maintain crucial City services for the community.  All five of the City’s bargaining units and the Executive Group have agreed to a one-year salary freeze that will save the city nearly $4.5 million through the next two fiscal years. I want to say with sincere gratitude that this agreement really speaks to the remarkable group of people we have working here on behalf of the community.

The Council has already directed that the entire deficit for this fiscal year (ending June 30, 2009) will be covered through the use of the City’s reserve funds – and I want to commend my Council colleagues and their predecessors for their foresight and prudence over the years in ensuring our reserves are maintained at a substantial level. The Council has also directed that two-thirds of next fiscal year’s deficit will be addressed with reductions throughout all City departments (including the salary freeze savings), complemented by use of reserves to cover the remaining one-third. In the two fiscal years after that, reserves are anticipated to cover 25% and 10% of expected deficits, respectively, with no further use of reserves planned after that point. This will allow us to maintain reserves at a minimum of 15% of annual revenues thereafter, for future needs.

Please be assured that every member of the Redwood City organization is redoubling their efforts to ensure efficiency and accountability, and are directly addressing both the reality of the financial situation and the need to provide the services on which our community depends. The fiscal year 2009/2010 proposed budget will be available at www.redwoodcity.org on June 5, and will be presented to the Council and the community during public meetings on June 15 and June 22. Please plan on attending one or both to learn more as the budget is finalized.

Thank you,

Rosanne Foust, Mayor

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On Auto-Pilot.

Are you so conditioned to shopping at the Redwood City Costco that you could almost get there with your eyes closed?   Considering that the store has been in that location almost 26 years, that ’s understandable.   I can’t even fathom how much money I have spent at that store over the years, and I probably don’t want to know.   But starting tomorrow, you will have to break your routine and get your Costco fix elsewhere.

Major Renovation Planned…

On Saturday April 11, the Redwood City Costco will close its doors and begin a total renovation of this facility.   Employees at Costco are informing customers that this store will be closed at least 6 months (gulp.)    The store will be rebuilt from the ground up, resulting in an entirely different warehouse than the one you’re used to.  The most notable difference will be the addition of Costco’s very popular gas station.

Surprised?

We sure were.  Had it not been for the fact that we were shopping there yesterday, or the email tip I got from EH blog reader Julie S., we would have never known.  It’s hard to find an article or announcement anywhere about this project.   Consequently, I think many long-time shoppers are going to find out the hard way when they make the trek to Middlefield Road, only to find that the building is no longer there.  That will be a shocker…

Shopping at Costco is going to be a bit more difficult during this time.   The nearest warehouses outside of Redwood City are Foster City to the north, or Mountain View to the south.  You can bet both stores will be much more crowded from now on.

Support the local businesses…

There are several local businesses who make their living off of Costco’s traffic flow, especially Signona’s Family Market.   This is our favorite place to shop for fresh produce, and they will definitely feel the impact of this closure.    Be sure to support your favorite local business in this area by continuing to shop there during the closure — they’ll definitely appreciate it.

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What is Woodhill Estates?

Back in the 1980’s, a transformation began to take place at the top of Farm Hill Boulevard.  Up until that time, the last thing you passed on the way to Highway 280 was Canada College.     But the vacant land right across the road from the college was destined to be developed — it was a huge, level plot of land that bordered Woodside to the west, and offered spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay to the east.  That was the beginning of Woodhill Estates.


View Larger Map

Unlike many large multi-residence developments that you see today where the homes seem to be piled up on top of each other, Woodhill Estates was planned intelligently.  The developer wisely chose to build fewer homes and situate them on larger lots, rather than vice versa.   The result is a aura of Atherton-like elegance right when you drive through the gateway.  The layout of the roads offers different loops and cul-de-sacs that give the area a feeling of privacy and seclusion, as you might expect from a top-end development.

The development was clearly targeted for executive buyers, so the homes are generally large and quite stately.   There are a variety of home styles that were built, but they’re all pretty unique in their own respect and quite impressive.

What’s for Sale…

If you’re looking for a well-designed community that’s just seconds from your I-280 commute, you should really take a drive through Woodhill Estates.   Currently, there are two homes for sale in the neighborhood — Click the address or the photo for more details on either home:

10 Woodhill Drive (pictured above) is a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath 3,170 square foot home that is situated on a 12,070 lot.  It is being offered at $1,849,000 under MLS #80913238 by Gregory Giardot, Broker.

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37 Woodhill Drive (pictured above) is a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath 2,690 square foot home on a 12,700 lot.  It is being offered at $1,795,000 under MLS #80914518 by Jami Arami of Alain Pinel Realtors.

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Reducing Your Property Tax

I have written articles about the process of applying for a reduction in your property taxes.  The County of San Mateo actually makes the process very easy, with a single online form that you’ll find at the their website:  San Mateo County Office of Assessor, Recorder, and Elections.   The “Decline in Assessed Value” button is on the left side.

Applying for a reduction is easy.  But is getting the actual reduction is another story entirely.   Some homeowners I have spoken with have been denied a reduction, even as they have watched the value of their homes drop significantly over the past 6 months.   But the attitude at the The Assessor’s office appears to be changing, as they have been inundated with requests for tax reductions.  Look at this telltale statement from their site:

“We are currently conducting a countywide Decline in Value review of 45,000 properties  that were purchased after Jan. 1, 2002.  If you bought a property during this period, the assessed value of your property will be automatically reviewed and, if eligible, the assessed value will be reduced. Please don’t pay for this free service.”

What does this mean?  According to this article in the Daily Journal, the County has already reviewed over 9,000 of these 45,000 homes,  and over half qualify for some sort of reduction.   This is a glimmer of good news for Emerald Hills homeowners, who have taken a larger than average hit on property values in this recession.

So if you applied for a reduction more than 3-6 months ago and were denied, it looks like they are reviewing everything again.   If you’re the proactive type, I wouldn’t hesitate to fill out another form and send it in.

Feeback?

What kind of response have you gotten from the Assessor’s office?  Accepted or Denied?  How recent?   Share your experience with your Emerald Hills neighbors in the Comment link below.

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One of the unfortunate downsides of the economy being in the tank is that burglaries and thefts are on the rise.   People are simply becoming more desperate for quick cash, so they are helping themselves to anything of value.   One way to combat this type of crime is to organize your neighbors into a Neighborhood Watch Program.  The Redwood City Police already has the support and infrastructure in place to support these types of programs and they have scheduled a special seminar to h

San Carlos recently had a rash of vehicle vandalism, and now residents in the White Oaks neighborhood are seriously thinking about forming the City’s first Neighborhood Watch — so it’s clear the idea is spreading into neighboring communities.  There simply aren’t enough police in any community to keep tabs on this type of activity.

If you’re interested in starting a Watch in your neighborhood, The City of Redwood City just announced that they will be holding a meeting on how to start your own program.  Here’s a copy of the email the came from the City:

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Here’s a great way to build community right in your neighborhood – consider starting a neighborhood watch!  It’s easy and Redwood City’s Neighborhood Liaison program will help. Check out this great workshop that will provide you with…

The Simple Steps of Starting a Neighborhood Watch

Saturday, March 14th ~ 10 – 11:30 am
Community Activities Building
1400 Roosevelt Avenue in Redwood City

To RSVP or for more information contact Erica Spacher, Redwood City Neighborhood Liaison Coordinator, at 780-5905 or espacher@redwoodcity.org

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So the message here is simple…

Get involved, and make your neighborhood safer!