Portola Valley is believed by those who live here as the best place on Earth. Some of us were born here, some have lived here for decades, and others have arrived more recently. We love our neighbors and strive to make the town a welcoming and wonderful environment for everyone.

We are incredibly fortunate to live in Portola Valley. It’s loved for its rural character, amazing location, strong public schools, and volunteer-run town government.

However, the world has changed since many of us first moved to Portola Valley. We at PV Strong acknowledge that there were many factors that made the creation of Portola Valley the way it is today possible, including decades-old property rights, financial and other privileges in an unlevel playing field, and fortuitous timing combined with hard work.

That raises a tricky question, “Should we be the only ones who are able to live in such a wonderful place?”

We rely heavily on peoples whose jobs bring them to Portola Valley every day. Yet, many are not able to afford to live here or anywhere near here. These people include our teachers, firefighters, town employees, store and restaurant staff, and those who take care of our houses, our yards, our relatives, and our children.

In addition, there are many who would like to follow in our footsteps and raise their families in such a beautiful place but are currently priced out of the opportunity in this economy.

Our mission at PV Strong is to help build the best future we can for everyone who is a stakeholder in Portola Valley. That includes everyone who lives here as well as those who work here. It includes those who drive, bicycle, take public transportation, or simply walk to and through this town.

We believe that a welcoming, friendly, and safe town is possible for everyone and that it is possible to build an inclusive community while preserving the founding principles of Portola Valley.

We are stewards of the environment, the town’s rural character, its fire safety and education, and of what makes ourtown a fantastic place to live.

We also value diversity of all kinds and think that inclusivity enhances a community and creates a more vibrant town.

None of us are paid to do this, and we don’t make money from it. So far, at least, the minimal budget to have a website is funded by us.

Portola Valley is, as judged by most of us who live here, one of the best places to live. Some of us were born here, some have lived here for decades, and some have arrived more recently. But the spirit of our town is to provide a wonderful, and welcoming, environment for everyone. Hopefully, that also extends to the many hundreds of people whose jobs bring them here every day — whether are teachers, firefighters, town employees, store and restaurant staff, or the many who help us take care of our houses, our yards, ourselves, and our relatives.

Our mission at PV Strong is to help build the best future we can for everyone who is a stakeholder in Portola Valley. That includes those who live here and those who work here. It includes those who drive, bicycle, take shared transportation, or simply walk. We believe that a safe town is possible for everyone.

It also includes many who would like to live here, or somewhere like here, and don’t currently have that option. We recognize that while all of us who own home here have property rights, and may have a specific vision of how they want Portola Valley to look, that we were fortunate in how we got here, and that the playing field wasn’t really level. So we need to think about the bigger picture and what it means to build an inclusive community. We also value diversity of all kinds, and think it is better for everyone, as well as creating a more vibrant town.

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