Denying the Feb. 12 report by The San Jose Mercury News, University officials maintain that there is no hostility between the city of Palo Alto and Stanford over the construction of an emergency water reservoir on University property. The two are currently deliberating over the specific location, officials said.

The city hopes to build the underground reservoir as a backup in the event that the Hetch Hetchy pipes shut down in a natural disaster. City officials cited El Camino Ball Park as their top choice due to its closeness to the water main.

The Mercury, which likened it to the previous controversy over trail construction through the University hills. While it reported that Stanford had gotten its way over public demand for the trails, that is not at all what is at stake in the reservoir debate.

Emily Harrison, assistant city manager, noted that using this Stanford land seemed the most plausible option for the site and that the University has been supportive.

"We really don't want to take down any buildings," she said. "First you have to look at open land and look at where there are connections to the water. You have to narrow down what makes sense. For the emergency water supply project, we're looking at a series of wells and a two million gallon reservoir for fire protection."

According to Palo Alto officials, the purpose of the reservoir is to beef up safety precautions for the northern region, which is currently under-equipped for disaster.

"The proposal is to build a large underground tank to provide an emergency source of water for a situation like a major earthquake," said University Director of Community Relations Jean McCown. "The areas to be served by it are residential neighborhoods in the north part of Palo Alto, the commercial area around University Avenue and some Stanford land in the city like the Shopping Center and the Medical Center area."

While the use of the ball park as the final location remains uncertain, the University has agreed with the city that using Stanford land is a definite possibility.

"Stanford agreed with the city that [the Ball Park] would be a suitable location," McCown said. "Precisely where in El Camino Ball Park it might be built has not been determined, although the city and Stanford have made different preliminary suggestions. These will be studied in detail in the environmental impact report that the City is preparing. Once all the technical issues are understood and the pros and cons of the different options are laid out, we are confident that Stanford and the city can reach agreement on a good location."

Both parties are currently debating where to locate the reservoir if the park is selected, McCown explained.

"The city's initial suggestion was to put it in the middle of the park," she said. "Stanford suggested that the city look at pushing it more towards one end in order for both Stanford and the city to have flexibility over the long term for other potential uses. For example, in the past the city has thought about improvements to the transit center, or possibly transit-oriented housing near the station.

According to McCown, an environmental impact report (EIR) will analyze the environmental effects of all the location options and help solidify the best choice.

Although the city clearly prefers the El Camino Ball Park site, it is still exploring alternative options with the University, such as parking lots at the Stanford Shopping Center, land at Palo Alto High School and the Town & Country Shopping Center.

"There are several possibilities and all have pros and cons," Harrison said. "The attractive part about the Ball Park is because it's next to the connection to the Hetch Hetchy water line. From a cost perspective that's a minimum amount of piping. The disadvantage from Stanford's perspective is that it will limit development potential for that site, but they've been incredibly supportive of discussions."

Officials said that the project will remain on hold until the EIR is completed.

"The EIR is going to take anywhere from 8 to 12 months," Harrison said. "We don't really know at this point. The ball park is our most attractive site right now, but we don't even know where the water table is beneath the park."

McCown said that the University and the city expect an agreeable solution for the reservoir location.

"The City has been keeping Stanford informed as they move along and I expect that will continue," McCown said. "We are optimistic that a good location can be identified and an agreement worked out between Stanford and the City."