BY ELAINE GOODMAN
Daily Post Correspondent
Los Altos City Council tomorrow is scheduled to settle a dispute that pits plans for a new library courtyard against advocates for the adjacent historic apricot orchard.
The city’s Historical Commission and Planning Commission both approved the library courtyard project during a joint meeting Feb. 6.
But those approvals were challenged in three appeals from the Preservation Action League Los Altos. The appeals send the courtyard project to council for a final decision.
The Los Altos Library is one piece of the civic center complex along San Antonio Road. The 28,050-square-foot library is part of the Santa Clara County Library District. Its space includes an indoor community room with a 100-person capacity.
The proposed courtyard project would encompass 8,265 square feet on the north side of the library, of which about a third would be improvements to civic center pathways.
The remaining 5,518 square feet would feature an outdoor classroom that can hold about 100 people, which would allow the library to expand its programs.
When the classroom isn’t hosting an event, it could be configured with tables and chairs for library patrons to use.
The proposal also includes outdoor reading nooks along the side of the building.
Family donates $500,000 for courtyard
The project price tag as of 2023 was $2 million. The project will be paid for by the Los Altos Library Endowment. The funding includes a $500,000 donation from long-time residents Hsun and Aiko Chou.
The library is next to the Los Altos Heritage Orchard, also known as the civic center orchard, which was planted in 1901 and is a city historic landmark.
Part of the courtyard project would be within the boundaries of the heritage orchard. No apricot trees would be removed, but the project would eliminate seven potential planting sites.
The loss of the planting sites “will not affect the orchard’s historic significance or integrity, as these sites do not individually convey the orchard’s function or historical value,” according to a report for the commissions’ Feb. 6 meeting. “The remaining orchard trees continue to represent the orchard’s historic character.”
‘Irreversible dent’
The three appeals by the Preservation Action League question the city’s determination that the courtyard project is exempt from California environmental laws. The appeal said an environmental report is needed to evaluate cumulative impacts to the orchard of the courtyard and other past and future projects that might affect the orchard.
During the Feb. 6 meeting, one resident said the courtyard project would put an “irreversible dent” in the orchard. Another resident argued that an orchard is not just trees, but rather trees and space, and the project would be taking space away from the historic orchard.
A symbol of Los Altos
Longtime resident Roberta Phillips said the orchard is an irreplaceable gem.
“Just like San Francisco is synonymous with cable cars, Los Altos is synonymous with the apricot orchard,” Phillips said. “People just think it’s really, really special.”
But Freddie Wheeler, president of the Los Altos Library Endowment, said library patrons would be able to look out at the orchard from the new courtyard and come to appreciate it. The library could work with the Los Altos History Museum to offer classes about the orchard, she said.
“The concern should be, I believe, how can we get residents of Los Altos to actually look at, enjoy and learn about the orchard?” Wheeler said. “And this is an opportunity to do so.”
According to the city, the heritage orchard does not have a specific number of planting sites, and the number of trees there has varied. New apricot saplings were planted in early 2024 and drip irrigation was added.
After the courtyard project is completed, 17 planting sites will be available for additional apricot trees, city officials said.
They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot.