It was the Rolling Stones who maintained “You can’t always get what you want.”
If only Mick Jagger weren’t so negative! He could have just as easily called the song “Sometimes you do get what you want” — and Shelley Hebert is living proof of that.
The executive director of Palo Alto’s Taube-Koret Campus for Jewish Life got everything she wanted — everything — at a late-night city council meeting on Monday, Sept. 11. In a town where an errantly placed garden flamingo could result in several rounds of legislative meetings, Hebert was shocked by an 8-0 vote approving the campus’ building plans at the relatively sane hour of 11 p.m. — after being specifically and repeatedly told no vote would be taken until Sept. 25.
“It’s an amazing day,” said Hebert, still in a giddy mood half a day after the vote (which was taken, quite simply, because the meeting moved along more efficiently than expected). “This is definitely one for the miracle list.”
In short, the council gave the backers of the massive Jewish campus — which will house a JCC, federation offices and senior living facility — permission to start construction whenever they please; there are no more major procedural hurdles.
And if a Hollywood studio ever opts to release a movie about a Jewish community’s struggles to build a community center, then hopefully a scriptwriter was taking notes at the Sept. 11 meeting.
More than 100 members of the Jewish community — easily identifiable by the day-glo “I support the Oshman Family JCC” stickers on their lapels — showed up for the public comment segment. And while even noisy leaf-blowers are the fodder for impassioned speeches before the Palo Alto City Council, only three or four citizens deigned to complain about the traffic, parking, noise and height issues the campus may pose.
Former Santa Clara County Supervisor Geri Steinberg pushed hard for the campus during the public comment period, then brought down the house by concluding, “I’m not just saying this because my son is the architect.”
JCC preschool parent Lori Meyers closed the public comments with an emotional speech about the meaning of a Jewish community center. On the fifth anniversary of 9/11, she noted that her husband was traveling on the day of the attacks and she was new in town and knew no one. So she went to the JCC, and found herself surrounded by “family.”
After Meyers’ comments, almost all of the campus supporters went home; after all, there wasn’t going to be a vote, right? Hebert and her staff stuck around, however, and were shocked when the council not only voted, but gave the campus a ringing, unanimous go-ahead.
Palo Alto Mayor Judy Kleinberg joked that she’s tired of Foster City politicos lording it over her because they have a newly built JCC and she doesn’t, and she can’t wait to get the Palo Alto JCC up and running.
In an ideal world, Hebert hopes to break ground on the 8.5-acre campus in July 2007 for a two-year project. Architect Rob Steinberg (you know, Geri’s son) has been authorized to produce the final drawings.
Construction will commence when the campus’ capital campaign hits $150 million (it’s currently at $93 million). Also, state regulations require 70 percent of the units in the Jewish Home to be reserved before the project can be started. Currently, 38 of the 193 units, or 20 percent, are spoken for.
Hebert believes the sweeping victory at the city council meeting will both bring in more money and lead more seniors to reserve units.
With millions of dollars and thousands of work hours invested in the campus project, a total, crushing rejection at the hands of Palo Alto’s City Council was never really a possibility. But even minor tweaks and additions to the plan would have taken more time, more money and more effort — all of which Hebert will be happy to apply elsewhere.
For instance, she has to think a bit about what beverage to serve at a brunch Sunday, Sept. 17 for campus and JCC donors — but she doesn’t have to think too hard.
“It’s time to pass the champagne,” she said with a laugh.