Palo Alto Matters - Community voices for sustainable solutions
News, data, commentary and connections to help Palo Alto residents get informed, get involved, and speak up about community concerns.
Palo Alto Weekly – by Gennady Sheyner / June 27, 2017
Palo Alto fired a salvo Tuesday night in its war against traffic congestion when it approved a budget that dramatically increases the cost of parking in downtown and around California Avenue and invests nearly $500,000 in a new nonprofit charged with shifting drivers to other modes of transportation.
Palo Alto Weekly – by Gennady Sheyner / June 23, 2017
The start of a new fiscal year rarely causes a stir in Palo Alto, where a healthy economy has helped the City Council invest in new bike boulevards, fire stations and garages without cutting any services.
But while residents are unlikely to see earth-shattering changes on July 1, when fiscal year 2018 begins, commuters to downtown and California Avenue could be in for an eye-popping shock.
Palo Alto Weekly – by Gennady Sheyner / June 19, 2017
Few projects epitomize the hopes of Palo Alto’s housing advocates and the anxieties of the city’s land-use watchdogs as clearly as 2755 El Camino Real, a four-story housing project proposed for the busy intersection of Page Mill Road and El Camino Real.
Palo Alto Weekly – by Gennady Sheyner / June 13, 2017
Palo Alto rolled out the welcome mat on Monday night to two new Marriott hotels, which won the City Council’s approval despite heated opposition from the surrounding neighborhood.
By an 8-1 vote, with Councilwoman Lydia Kou dissenting, the council approved a proposal by T2 development for two hotels — a sleek and urban AC Hotels by Marriott and the more traditional Courtyard by Marriott — for a site at 744 and 748 San Antonio Road, near the Mountain View city border.
Palo Alto Daily Post – by Jen Nowell / June 13, 2017
Palo Alto City Council approved a proposal last night (June 12) to build two new five-story hotels, despite stringent opposition from neighbors over fears that they would aggravate traffic problems.
Residents told council last night that the traffic on San Antonio Road is already a nightmare. Warren Storkman said his 90th birthday is next month, and he pleaded with council to give him a present by not approving the hotels planned for 744-748 San Antonio Road.
But council voted 8-1, with Councilwoman Lydia Kou dissenting, to approve the project.
Palo Alto Weekly – by Gennady Sheyner / June 2, 2017
Despite a swell of neighborhood opposition, a proposal to build two five-story Marriott hotels on San Antonio Road scored a big victory Thursday morning when Palo Alto’s Architectural Review Board voted to endorse the project.
Palo Alto Weekly – by Gennady Sheyner / May 19, 2017
The most recent National Citizens Survey, which came out in January, shows only 52 percent of the city’s residents rating code enforcement as “good or excellent” — though most respondents also noted that they had not personally observed any code violation.
Palo Alto Weekly – by Sue Dremann / May 9, 2017
Residents who oppose Castilleja School’s proposed expansion and even some who support the school told Castilleja officials during a Tuesday night neighborhood meeting to hit the reset button on their plans. But in an email to the Weekly on Wednesday, school officials said they won’t go back to the drawing board.
Palo Alto Weekly – by Gennady Sheyner/ May 9, 2017
From expanded shuttles and transit subsidies to new garages and improved grade crossings at the rail tracks, Palo Alto has no shortage of projects on its transportation wish list.
But on Monday night, the City Council abruptly backed away from one proposal that would have paid for some of these projects: a business license tax that the council has been contemplating for well over a year.
Palo Alto Weekly – by Gennady Sheyner / April 12, 2017
Seeking to bring some order to downtown’s chaotic parking scene, Palo Alto officials signaled on Tuesday night their intent to abolish the existing system of color zones and to bring back paid parking.
The details of downtown’s new parking program are yet to be hashed out, but members of the City Council indicated Tuesday that they generally support the recommendations of a newly released study, which surveyed downtown’s parking landscape and urged a switch to paid parking.
