Atherton is taking a gradual approach to going all-electric to curb the use of natural gas, offering exemptions for residents who don t want to give up their gas stoves. Meanwhile, Portola Valley s new rules have fewer loopholes.
Atherton is taking a gradual approach to going all-electric to curb the use of natural gas, offering exemptions for residents who don t want to give up their gas stoves. Meanwhile, Portola Valley s new rules have fewer loopholes.
Since the CZU fires, Cal Fire s San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties division, Cal Fire CZU, as well as other county groups have been working on various projects to protect against wildfires. Woodside and Portola Valley have both stepped up their fuel reduction efforts, said Denise Enea, former Woodside Fire Protection District fire marshal and president of Fire Safe San Mateo County, the organization dedicated to protecting property and the environment for county residents in the wildland/urban interface.
“It s not just going to be more engines, it’s not just going to be more hand crews, it’s not going to just be more vegetation management, it’s not just going to be prescribed burning, it’s going to be more of everything,” explained Jonathan Cox, deputy chief of Cal Fire CZU, during the April Cal Fire talk, speaking about how the county can prevent a catastrophic wildfire.
Typical proposed floor plans for homes at the Portola Terrace. Courtesy Stanford University.
Renderings of homes at the Portola Terrace project. Courtesy Stanford University.
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The homes would be painted in muted colors and be all-electric, zero net energy producing, according to a presentation prepared by Stanford for the meeting. The homes would include fire-resistive exterior materials: metal roofs, cement fiber siding and stucco.
There would be fire-resistant landscape materials, a fire-safe surface for a play area in the development and underground power lines. There would also be a 200-foot fire break buffer at the homes and a fire maintenance road would be built.