Headlines – Page 5 – Palo Alto Matters – Community voices for sustainable solutions

Palo Alto council splits over roof decks

by paloaltomattersNovember 28, 2017December 19, 2017Leave a comment

Palo Alto Weekly – by Gennady Sheyner / November 28, 2017

For some members, decks are a sign of vitality; for others, a waste of staff time

The council didn’t take any votes on the proposal, which is still in a conceptual phase and which has not yet been the subject of a formal application. The pre-screening session was a chance for the council to either nip the project in the bud and avoid unnecessary expenditures or signal its support and suggest ways to improve the project.

The council did both of these things and, in doing so, sent a mixed message to the prospective applicant, building owner Thoits Brothers Inc. But given that the more pro-growth faction enjoys a narrow council majority, the Monday discussion means the application is likely to move ahead.

Rising costs strain Palo Alto’s infrastructure goals

by paloaltomattersNovember 28, 2017December 19, 2017Leave a comment

Palo Alto Weekly – by Gennady Sheyner / November 28, 2017

City Council moves ahead with new fire station and bike bridge, despite major questions about latest cost estimates

Palo Alto’s ambitious plan to fix up the city’s aged infrastructure and build a new bike bridge over U.S. Highway 101 is being strained by a sizzling construction market, which is adding millions of dollars to the price of each project and forcing local officials to lower their expectations.

Despite the obstacle, two priority projects on the city’s infrastructure list moved forward Monday night, when the council voted to approve the construction contract to rebuild the 1948 fire station near Rinconada Park and to approve the environmental analysis for the new bike bridge at Adobe Creek.

In each case, council members voiced significant reservations about the cost increases. The budget for the fire station has gone up from $6.7 million, the amount in the city’s 2014 Infrastructure Plan, to about $8.6 million (or $9.5 million, if you factor in the cost of staff salary and benefits).

Board: Stanford growth could require new school

by paloaltomattersNovember 14, 2017December 19, 2017Leave a comment

Palo Alto Weekly – by Elena Kadvany / November 14, 2017

School trustees to discuss response to university’s proposed general use permit

Stanford University’s proposal to build hundreds of new housing units for graduate students, faculty and staff over the next 17 years represents a level of growth that a majority of Palo Alto school board members said will likely require a new school in the future.

We found which Bay Area cities aren’t pulling their weight on housing

by paloaltomattersNovember 8, 2017December 19, 2017Leave a comment

Curbed San Francisco – by Scott Lucas / October 12, 2017

An exclusive analysis of regional jobs and housing with surprising conclusions

When you look at the data, the cities that score the worst in building enough housing units for their workers aren’t Palo Alto and similar cities. It’s our biggest cities, like San Francisco and San Jose, that really drive the problem.

Here’s what we found.

Palo Alto may ease parking rules to spur housing

by paloaltomattersOctober 29, 2017December 19, 2017Leave a comment

Palo Alto Weekly – by Gennady Sheyner / October 29, 2017

Three council members propose eliminating off-street parking requirements for ‘car-light’ projects

In the latest effort to combat Palo Alto’s housing crisis, three council members are proposing significant revisions to the city’s parking regulations, including eliminating parking requirements altogether for “car-light” developments that offer transit amenities to their tenants.

The proposals in the memo target a wide range of disparate regulations — including ones relating to floor area ratio (FAR), building heights and expanded “pedestrian transit-oriented development” zones, which give developers near transit nodes more flexibility on density and parking. One recommendation would establish “housing minimums” for new developments in residential zones so that a project would be required to provide at least 80 percent of the units that its land use designation can accommodate.

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.