Jul 18, 2008

Time to improve plaza - but how?

Board criticizes plans for diagonal paving, corner fountain at Lytton Plaza

By Kristina Peterson / Daily News Staff Writer

Members of the Palo Alto Architectural Review Board agreed Thursday morning that just about anything would improve Lytton Plaza.

But reaching a consensus on how the park specifically should be renovated was a different matter.

Board members criticized plans calling for diagonal paving, a corner fountain and a central grove of trees. Even so, they were relieved that the dilapidated park would soon receive a facelift.

"I've been waiting for this day for a very long time - probably ever since I moved to Palo Alto 17 years ago," Board Member David Solnick said.

The Palo Alto Downtown Business Improvement District last spring spearheaded an effort to renovate Lytton Plaza Park, which had fallen into community disfavor. Since then, Friends of Palo Alto Parks and the city have signed on to raise funds for the public-private partnership renovation work, estimated to cost between $500,000 and $600,000.

Under plans outlined Thursday by project architect Gary Laymon of the Guzzardo Partnership, the new 8,500-square-foot plaza at the corner of University Avenue and Emerson Street will be enhanced with diagonal paving that alternates with bands of concrete to encourage pedestrians to cut through the plaza, a circular fountain installed in the busiest corner, and new flower boxes, lighting, shade trees and moveable furniture.

Sounding as though he were describing an athlete in training, Laymon said the changes are meant to improve the plaza's flexibility and performance.

"We want to improve the way the plaza performs, making it more accessible and more inviting to use," he said.

But several board members questioned the diagonal orientation of the pavement and whether streams of crossing pedestrians would enhance the plaza's ambiance.

"The sidewalk's the motion. The plaza is the eddy in the current," Solnick said in describing his objection. "The plaza is where you pause."

Board Member Judith Wasserman said while she agrees with Laymon's desire to have people walking through the plaza, she worries that the plaza's tables might be usurped by the adjacent Pizza My Heart restaurant.

"I really think it would be horrible if that appeared to be the 'pizza plaza,'" she said, stressing that a variety of chairs, benches and other seating options is critical.

The board emphasized that in order to improve the plaza's less-than-sparkling condition, the group should establish a formal maintenance program to keep the furniture and pavement clean. Laymon said his clients are still negotiating maintenance issues with city staff.

Less vehemently, other board members suggested that the proposed circular fountain is the wrong shape for a corner installation and that 15-foot, theater-style pole lights aren't attractive enough for the plaza.

Board Member Grace Lee weighed in against re-shuffling the controversial "Digital DNA" sculpture to a spot near the parking lot.

While "not my favorite," the sculpture should perhaps "have a more special location," she said.

More detailed plans for Lytton Plaza will return to the board before heading to the city council for final approval.



E-mail Kristina Peterson at kpeterson@dailynewsgroup.com.