Editor,
The Depot Cafe has been a family business owned by Mary Noviscky for 34 years. Located in the historic San Carlos train depot, it is a quaint throwback to earlier days when folks would stop in for a quick meal or just a cup of coffee. For me and my wife, it is our go-to destination for breakfast omelettes.
Train photos decorate the walls, and train alarm clocks whistle on the hour. The atmosphere is warm and the food is satisfying.
But now Caltrain is driving Noviscky out of business. They have just begun a two-year project to build a massive Transit Village (retail and residential) that will dwarf the original depot buildings.
During construction, you have to walk around barricades and dodge heavy equipment to get into the cafe. You can barely even see the Depot from the street. And forget about parking there. Caltrain grudgingly allocated the depot six parking spots (half of what she used to have) about a block away.
But the real hangup is that Caltrain won’t give Noviscky a lease, and without it, she has no assurance that she can keep the depot’s doors open.
Caltrain could have been way more considerate when planning the construction. They could have avoided virtually wiping out access to the restaurant, and they now have a moral and civic obligation to work with Noviscky to enable her to continue to operate this hidden gem in San Carlos.
Bill Korbholz
Emerald Hills
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(1) comment
The San Carlos train depot is one of the most beautiful on the Peninsula. What does Caltrain plan to do with it?
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