The Evolution of Los Altos Hills Town Hall

(The New Town Hall - Built 2005-2006)

 

By the Fall of 2004, the asbestos mitigation and subsequent demolition of the old Town Hall was completed, and the grounds successfully cleared of debris.

Construction of the new Town Hall became evident to passing observers by the start of November, the start of a gestation process that would culminate in completion by the middle of the next year.

 

 

1)   Here is an aerial view of what the landscape looked like before the town was incorprated in 2020 courtesy of Google Maps.

The land at the corner of West Fremont and Concepcion Road which used to be all orchard fields with the occasional farmer's house, is now completely transformed into the checkerboard of an upscale suburban neighborhood and home to some of the world's leading technical innovators and captains of industry.

 

1)   After the demolition of the original Town Hall had been completed and the debris cleared away, construction started with the pouring of concrete foundations and erecting the first walls. The Liquidamber trees between the main building and Fremont Road (one can be seen in its Fall colors here)were carefully protected as well as the large Oak Tree that used to provide shade in the former parking lot next to the Heritage House

 

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3)   The skeleton of the future Council Chambers starts to take shape.

 

4)   The barebones outline of the main Administration and Office building also becomes apparent.

 

5)   View from approximately (what is now) the far end of the lobby, looking towards Council Chambers.

 

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7)   As soon as the roof structure is on, the outlines of the new Town Hall become more apparent.

 

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9)   View of the Council Chambers as seen from the direction of the Heritage House.

 

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11) Fall has passed into Winter and the leaves are off the Liquidamber tree, and the Oak tree seems to be surviving well.

The small structure with "Danger" scrawled on it is the temporary main switch and distribution panel where the electrical utilities come in.

 

12)   Things are taking shape nicely.

 

13)   The concrete forms for (what will be) the serpentine "Tile Wall" have been prepared and are in place for conctrete to be poured.

 

14)   The end of the "Adminstrative Offices" wing as seen from the roundabout.

 

15)   The inside of the "Council Chambers" is being finished.

 

16)   View of the Lobby as seen through the Oak Tree from the back of Council Chambers.

 

17)   The concrete froms for the end of the serpentine "Tile Wall" (front) and semi-circular retaining wall (back) are in place

 

18)   Meanwhile, Duffy Price has been contacted by the Construction Foreman. The workmen were moving some dirt and came across a corroded metal box. On opening the box, it was found to be the remains of a time-capsule, buried some time in the past - but nodody could recall by who or when this occurred.

 

19)   One of the items in the box was an old banner dating back to the Town's 25th Anniversary which was celebrated in January of 1981. The Time Capsule was "found" in February 2005. It had lain buried and forgotten for 24 years. Luckily the Banner was constructed of some plastic material which allowed it to survive the moisture that had entered the capsule.

 

20)   Moisture in the capsule had destroyed most everything else. The old documents were unreadable. Other left-overs included the metal parts of a three-ring binder and a bottle of unidentified hooch. The label of the latter was also illegible - it could have been a fine bottle of whisky or some cheap rot-gut. The metal box itself was also the worse for wear - a few more years and it would have corroded away completely.

 

21)   Meanwhile the finishing touches are being applied to the buildings and the grounds are being tidied up in preparation for landscape plantings. Spring has sprung, the Liquidamber trees have survived, and are now showing their leaves again.

 

22)   The Oak Tree in the courtyard has also survived and is now identified by the plaque at its foot as "Heritage Tree No 1.".

 

23)   Still some dirt to be moved before handing over to the landscape people...

 

24)   ...but the Tile Wall has worked out nicely - still room for more tiles!

 

25)   Sample of the Tile Wall

 

26) At last - everything is ship-shape and ready for the occupants to move in.

 

27)   On May 3rd, 2005, the early birds arrive for the first Council meeting in the new Council Chambers

 

28)   The Council Members are starting to gather outside before the meeting starts.

Right foreground (with the camera) is "Joe" (further name unknown) reporter for The Town Crier. Then moving left - Council members Dean Warchawsky, Jean Modo, and Mike O'Malley (Mayor), and an unknown. All the way to the left is Dot Schreiner, a resident volunteer who played a large role in Town planning over the years.

 

29) The first meeting in the new Council Chambers is in progress. For this occasion, both Council Members and Staff are sitting up front at the side tables and the Dais itself.

 

30) Seated at the dais are the Council Members (Left to Right) Jean Mordo, Craig Jones, DeanWarshawsky, Breene Kerr, and Mike O'Malley (Mayor).

At the side-table on the right is City Clerk Karen Jost, and at the extreme left of the image is City Manager Maureen Cassingham.

 

31)   Afew days later, on June 16th 2005, The official Reception for the opening of the new facilities was held.

 

32) A memorial plaque had been prepared and mounted on the wall of Council Chambers near the back door, and a stained-glass window (saved from the old Town Hall) was built into the wall next to the Lobby main entrance.

(The iconic Cupola was also saved from the roof of the old Town Hall, but it was set aside near the back of the property where it lay quietly deteriorating for many years before it was rediscovered and restored to a position of glory a decade later.)

 

34) Duffy Price (who had a major hand in establishing and managing the donations for the Tile Wall) and the Fire Chief were at the opening ceremony.

 

35)   Mayor Mike O'Malley was serving behind the bar, seen here greeting the Fire Chief.

 

36)   Mayor Mike O'Malley and Vice Mayor Breene Kerr orated briefly at the microphone

 

37)   ...while the crowd waited for the hors d'oeuvres to be served...

 

38)   ... which were being prepared by the the workers in the kitchen - all prominent residents of the town (Duffy Price, Chef Chu, and Sharon O'Malley, the Mayor's wife). The team prepared and assembled the Hors d'oeuvres in preparation for onslaught by the famished hordes outside.

 

39)   The crowd listened attentively and patiently until the speakers were done.

Then the formalities were over, The New Town Hall assumed its official status, and the social part of the gathering could begin.

 

 

And thus it came to pass, in June of 2005, that the Mayor and Town Councillors of Los Altos Hills officialy commissioned The New Town Hall in the presence of the residents of Los Altos Hills.

 

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