Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Editorials

Mitigation consensus was important step

Although the effort to find common ground in the battle over the proposed PG&E substation left some parties frustrated because PG&E never moved from its position that the Vasona site was the best location for its proposed substation, it would be a mistake to conclude that nothing was accomplished by the process.

There was consensus in several important areas: that the substation should not be located adjacent to residences; that no homes would be demolished without the consent of the owners; and that wherever the substation is located, PG&E will submit a mitigation plan to the town.

That's certainly something.

And it's a long way from where things started.

When PG&E first proposed the substation, the company didn't ask for permission, it simply let town officials know of its intentions. The town assumed that PG&E, like anyone who wanted to build in town, would have to go through the town's planning process.

Officials soon learned, however, that it was the State Public Utilities Commission, which had the power to decide whether the utility could build at the Vasona site.

Town officials assumed since they could not say yea or nay that they had no voice in the process at all. When it became clear, however, that the substation was becoming a contentious issue, pitting residents in one neighborhood against those in other neighborhoods, town officials asked the PUC for a stay in the evidentiary hearing.

The PUC agreed to the stay. What's more, the agency responded positively to the town's request that PG&E be required to pay a professional to facilitate a process aimed at working out as many problems as possible with neighbors before the hearing.

With consensus on a number of mitigation measures, the town is in a good position to ensure that community standards will prevail when the substation is built.

And that's important, because in all likelihood, the substation will be built. It's hard to argue that Los Gatos does not need more dependable power, and PG&E claims the substation is how to make that happen.

Sweat Equity

No developer would be interested in a puny little piece of land shaped like a sliver of pizza--even if it is in pricey Los Gatos. So the town approached a developer with a reputation for making its buyers sweat to put a roof over their heads.

Habitat for Humanity calls it "sweat equity," and the sweat a family sheds helping to build their future home is the required down payment.

It's a small step in helping the town meet its goals for low-cost housing. And it's much more. It's a great way, as Community Service Director Regina Falkner notes, to build community. It's also a great way to build a house.

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