paloaltomatters

Plan to boost renter protections fizzles

by paloaltomattersOctober 17, 2017December 19, 2017Leave a comment

Palo Alto Weekly – by Gennady Sheyner / October 17, 2017

Palo Alto officials opt not to explore rent stabilization measures

Palo Alto’s foray into rent stabilization blew up at the starting line Monday night after the City Council majority struck down a proposal from three council members to strengthen the city’s tenant-protection laws.

After a marathon discussion that featured philosophical clashes, procedural disagreements, personal attacks and testimony from nearly 70 public speakers, the council voted 6-3 to reject a recommendation from council members Tom DuBois, Karen Holman and Lydia Kou to consider rent-protection measures such as limitations on rent increases and restrictions on no-cause eviction. The vote means that the proposals in the memo will not be studied.

‘Behind the Headlines’: Palo Alto’s pension problem

by paloaltomattersOctober 13, 2017December 19, 2017Leave a comment

Palo Alto Weekly – by Palo Alto Weekly staff / October 13, 2017

Transcript of City Councilman Eric Filseth’s conversation with Weekly journalists

Ever wonder what the real deal is with Palo Alto’s unfunded pension and retiree medical liabilities (from $550 million to maybe even $1 billion)? How is the city going to pay for it?

This interview with City Council Finance Committee Chair Eric Filseth breaks down the problem in a refreshingly clear way. Hear his conversation with Palo Alto Weekly Editor Jocelyn Dong and city hall reporter Gennady Sheyner in this “Behind the Headlines” podcast, or click on the headline to read the transcription.

Cottage clusters becoming a thing of the past?

by paloaltomattersOctober 13, 2017December 19, 2017Leave a comment

Palo Alto Weekly – by Sue Dremann / October 13, 2017

Advocates: Lacking city protection, eight bungalows could be razed

Palo Alto could soon lose two more cottage clusters, small groupings of bungalows built between the 1930s and 1950s that some people say are a vital part of the city’s diverse housing stock.

According to City Councilmember Karen Holman, “Cottage clusters provide housing for many who otherwise would not be able to live in Palo Alto due not only to their size typically being smaller, and thus somewhat less expensive, but also because they expand the types of housing opportunities that exist.”

Commission pans parking meter plan

by paloaltomattersOctober 12, 2017December 19, 2017Leave a comment

Palo Alto Weekly – by Gennady Sheyner / October 12, 2017

Proposal to overhaul downtown’s parking scheme criticized as premature

Downtown Palo Alto’s move toward parking meters hit an unexpected turn Wednesday night when the city’s Planning and Transportation Commission voted against implementation.

By a unanimous vote, the commission rejected all four options that were presented by transportation staff for overhauling downtown’s parking system. Citing uncertainty about the impacts of parking meters on downtown retail, the commission recommended that the council hold off on approving any plans, pending more outreach to area businesses.

Palo Alto looks to firm up renter protections

by paloaltomattersOctober 10, 2017December 19, 2017Leave a comment

Palo Alto Weekly – by Gennady Sheyner / October 10, 2017

Three City Council members propose limits on rent increases, restrictions on tenant evictions

As rising rents continue to drive longtime residents out of Palo Alto, city officials are preparing to adopt regulations that would offer renters greater protection.

The regulations are the latest attempt by the City Council to address the city’s shortage of affordable housing, a problem that council members identified as a top priority this year. The proposals include an annual cap on rent increases for apartment buildings and measures to protect tenants from eviction without just cause, according to a memo submitted by council members Tom DuBois, Karen Holman and Lydia Kou.

Beset by cars, East Palo Alto to develop ‘mobility’ plan

by paloaltomattersOctober 9, 2017December 19, 2017Leave a comment

Palo Alto Weekly – by Sue Dremann / October 9, 2017

Commuter traffic, parking issues disproportionately affect residents, officials say

Surrounded by U.S. Highway 101, Willow Road, Bayfront Expressway and Embarcadero Road, East Palo Alto is a gateway to Silicon Valley jobs. But the city’s residents bear a disproportionate burden of commuter traffic while receiving little or no benefit, residents said.

Since traffic is mostly due to Stanford University, Facebook and tech companies, the city should find ways to have them fund some of the infrastructure for traffic calming and street repairs, the residents said. The city could find a way to charge motorists using University Avenue as a through street.

Fire Department to cut positions as it deals with falling revenue

by paloaltomattersOctober 9, 2017December 19, 2017Leave a comment

Palo Alto Weekly – by Gennady Sheyner / October 9, 2017

With reimbursement from Stanford decreasing, Palo Alto seeks leaner service model

The Palo Alto Fire Department plans to eliminate 11 positions — roughly 10 percent of its workforce — to deal with falling revenues from its contract with Stanford University.

The staffing reduction, which the City Council is set to approve on Oct. 16, would eliminate seven firefighter positions and four apparatus-operator positions. Fire Chief Eric Nickel said the change is expected to save about $1.5 million annually, while maintaining service levels that will allow the department to meet its performance standards.

New housing laws pose planning challenges for city

by paloaltomattersOctober 5, 2017December 19, 2017Leave a comment

Palo Alto Weekly – by Gennady Sheyner / October 5, 2017

City had opposed SB 35, which creates ‘streamlined’ approval process for multi-family housing

The housing crunch may be an official Palo Alto priority, but City Hall wasn’t cheering last week when Gov. Jerry Brown signed 15 bills that aim to encourage residential development.

State Senate Bill 35, which was sponsored by Scott Weiner, D-San Francisco, is among the most significant components in a package of housing bills that the Legislature approved in late September and that Brown subsequently signed into law on Sept. 29. The bill creates a “streamlined” approval process for housing developers whose projects meet “objective” planning standards and include below-market-rate housing.

It is also the only housing bill that Palo Alto formally opposed.

What’s all the fuss about code enforcement?

by paloaltomattersOctober 1, 2017December 19, 2017Leave a comment

Palo Alto Matters – October 10, 2017

Public trust and damaged community life.

Ask a typical Palo Altan what code enforcement is all about and odds are the first thing they’ll mention is gas-powered leaf blowers. But it also encompasses zoning and building compliance, Use and Occupancy permits, parking, signage, construction noise and more – complex, wonky, and sometimes seemingly nitpicky, issues that have both immediate and cumulative impacts on land use and quality of life. While most residents may not know a specific code violation when they see one, they experience the impacts of noncompliance and it feels unfair.

Immediate neighbors suffer from unabated violations. Worse, Palo Altans city-wide endure a double loss: they suffer lasting changes in the character of their neighborhoods and they feel abandoned, or even duped, by their city government. Supposedly protected retail converts to other uses; burdens on public parking increase unnecessarily; traffic safety in neighborhoods deteriorates; and businesses freely flout rules designed to protect residential quality of life. Rumblings rise about city bias favoring non-resident interests.

Guest Opinion: Exploring creative options for underground train tracks

by paloaltomattersOctober 1, 2017December 19, 2017Leave a comment

Palo Alto Weekly – Guest Opinion by Tom DuBois / October 1, 2017

City holding next grade separation workshop on Oct. 21

Palo Alto is planning perhaps the most critical infrastructure in its history: the separation of our roads from the rail line that bisects the city.

The desire from the community is clear. We need to exhaustively investigate creative approaches to put the train underground and evaluate whether it is possible to do it across town or across a portion of it. Past councils, past rail committees, past community groups and our current community engagement process have all shown a preference for this approach. We need to get serious about how to underground the train and how to pay for it.