Who can blame neighbors of the Grant Road farm for trying to save at least a portion of the 15-acre site for a demonstration farm or park?
But the reality is that the neighbors, and others who would like to see a good piece of the farm survive as open space, have an uphill battle on their hands. The land in question is being purchased by Summerhill Homes, a Palo Alto company that plans to build 55 single-family residences there.
A spokesperson for Summerhill told the Voice last week that the company is inclined to stick with the city’s plan for the land when development plans are complete. And that plan, based on six housing units per acre, allots 30 percent of the land for streets and parks. In other words, Summerhill will have to provide some open space around its 55 homes that would be available to the entire neighborhood.
But there is no way this space would accommodate a five-acre demonstration farm or park, as some neighbors have hoped, which is based on the idea that the developer could build denser housing to make way for more open space. By doing so, the developer could preserve the same return on investment.
There is no doubt that the Pumpkin Patch neighbors would benefit greatly from a demonstration farm, and that it would become a favorite destination for hundreds, if not thousands, of users. Just look at the popular Hidden Villa, located in nearby Los Altos Hills.
But to make room for such a large park, Summerhill would have to build taller buildings that might not be compatible with the neighborhood. Such structures would create more traffic and other impacts, which some neighbors already have said is unacceptable. Instead, those neighbors are quite happy with the original plan: 55 single-family homes that do not obstruct their views of the nearby hills.
If local residents want to save a portion of the Pumpkin Patch, outright purchase is the only way to do it. No large property owner, such as Summerhill, is likely to donate valuable property for parks without getting something in return.
City council member Greg Perry, upset that the city is appropriating valuable land at Rengstorff Park for a child care center, has suggested that the city begin to salt money away now to acquire parkland in the future. He knows that it costs just as much for neighborhood parkland as it does for a neighborhood subdivision.
We sympathize with the Pumpkin Patch neighbors who see an opportunity to save a piece of the city’s history, but unless their plan includes the cash to purchase the land, it will be virtually impossible to change Summerhill Homes’ plan this late in the game.
