Loading...
HomeMy Public PortalAbout20200608plCC6701-32 DOCUMENTS IN THIS PACKET INCLUDE: LETTERS FROM CITIZENS TO THE MAYOR OR CITY COUNCIL RESPONSES FROM STAFF TO LETTERS FROM CITIZENS ITEMS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ITEMS FROM OTHER COMMITTEES AND AGENCIES ITEMS FROM CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND REGIONAL AGENCIES Prepared for: 06/08/2020 Document dates: 5/13/2020 – 5/20/2020 Set 6 of 10 Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction in a given week. 7 Baumb, Nelly From:Zinaida Good <zinaidagood@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 6:43 AM To:Council, City; Zinaida Good Subject:Support for closing University Avenue to traffic CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Council Members,     I am one of the residents living a few blocks from the city center in the 94301 zip code.    I'd like to support the ongoing initiatives to help our University Avenue restaurants by temporarily closing University  Avenue to traffic to allow the use of that space for 'socially distant' tables.    In the future, I think it would be great to close University Avenue 1‐2 days on weekends only for the farmers marker and  potentially other events / faire. This would also open up the current farmers market parking lots to build more housing  or offices.    All the best,  Zinaida Good  Palo Alto Resident at Forest & Cowper.      ‐‐  Zinaida Good   415‐290‐8944  8 Baumb, Nelly From:Jennifer Dell-Ernstrom <jdellern@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:27 AM To:Council, City Subject:Please create parklets for the survival of small Palo Alto restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello City Council,  I live at  in Palo Alto. I am concerned that our small  restaurants will not survive the pandemic and want QUICK action from  the City Council.    Please allow parklets so that our restaurants can provide outside seating  and hopefully remain afloat during the pandemic.    I would like to see this a permanent change since it would make our city  more walkable and pedestrian friendly.    Please do not delay action to help our restaurants!! The slow "Palo Alto  process" doesn't work now ‐ it's not business as usual ‐ and we need FAST  RESPONSE from our city.    Thank you,  Jennifer Dell‐Ernstrom  Redacted 9 Baumb, Nelly From:donna slade <skislade@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:28 AM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets... CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Please allow restaurants like Zola and others to offer social distancing dining through parklets. As a resident of Palo Alto, I feel capable of listening to the experts, protecting myself and still enjoying a meal. Thank you. Donna Slad   You can also call:  917.670.9609  10 Baumb, Nelly From:Robert Bergstrom <robertbergstrom@mac.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:34 AM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets for restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    I am reaching out to strongly encourage the city council to act to create a process for Palo Alto restaurants to create  parklets for outdoor dining. My wife and I work in Palo Alto and my wife is a physician at PAMF just a stones throw from  the University business district. Pre‐COvID we would dine out for lunch and dinner In Palo Alto several times a week but  as things reopen we along with many of our friends and heath care professionals would not dine out unless we could sit  outside. We want to support these restaurants and dine in a safer manner so we would hope to see parklets as an  option for the restaurants. If this is not done, we may dine over in Menlo where this is happening. Thank you for  considering this.  Best,  Robert and Recha Bergstrom  Robertbergstrom@mac.com    Sent from my iPhone  11 Baumb, Nelly From:JLG <jlg@gassee.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:34 AM To:Council, City Subject:Open Menlo Park Style parklets in front of restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Palo Alto City Council members,     The future of a vibrant, diverse, prosperous Palo Alto is at stake. Among other measures, this requires your allowing  restaurants to open parklets in front of restaurants similar to the ones we see in Menlo Park. This will allow restaurants  to combine responsible social distancing and economic viability.     Thanks for considering this improvement to the city we love.    Best regards,    Jean-Louis Gassée - living in Palo Alto for the past 31 years! Read the Monday Note - now in its 13th year. A weekly free (speech) and free (beer) look at the world of tech. @gassee on Twitter   12 Baumb, Nelly From:Kate Shrout <kate.shrout@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:35 AM To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Homeowner Support of Restaurant Outdoor Parklet Creation CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Palo Alto City Council Members,     I hope you are doing well during this crazy time.  I own 127 Rinconada Ave, Palo Alto.  I am writing in support of the  creation of parklets/increased outdoor dining space for our Palo Alto restaurants.  The incredible restaurants we have in  Palo Alto are a huge part of what makes our vibrant community so special.  It was a major factor my husband and I  considered when choosing to purchase a home here instead of a neighboring city.  I am concerned that without outdoor  seating to enable social distancing, that our restaurant community will be forced to shutter ‐‐ this will have a significant  adverse impact on the Palo Alto community.  Please enable restaurants to operate in a safe manner by giving them more  outdoor space to do so.    Regards,    Kate Shrout, Esq.  13 Baumb, Nelly From:Reed Stevens <trstevens@me.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:42 AM To:Council, City Subject:Support for Parklets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear city council, as someone who was born and raised in downtown Palo Alto and who has experienced the  transformations of downtown over the course of my life (For both better and worse) we need to be doing everything we  can to support community, and not just tech. Downtown has grown more culturally stale, distant and cold in the last  decade as it becomes more and more tech/success centric. Not so long ago it had a small town feel where people took  the time to be related to one another for purposes beyond just making money.    Restaurants and cafes are the epicenters of public human engagement in downtown, parklets bring that community  experience outside where it will positively impact all community participants across downtown. An ultimate version of  this that my family and many other Palo Alto families regularly agree on is transforming University Ave into a walking‐ only park. Parklets is a great first step ‐ if we loose our places of communing with each other then downtown will just  become a row of office buildings and lunch to‐go counters.    In Gratitude,    Reed Stevens    14 Baumb, Nelly From:Jillian Smillie <jilliansmillie@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:43 AM To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi there,     I've lived in Palo Alto now for almost 9 years and I absolutely love it. Growing up in the Bay Area, Palo Alto has always  had a wonderful unique charm, and a large part of that charm is Downtown, including the many businesses and  restaurants that make up downtown.     I'm writing in support of the creation of parklets/increased outdoor dining space for our Palo Alto restaurants. The  incredible restaurants we have in Palo Alto are a huge part of what makes our vibrant community so special. I'm  concerned that without outdoor seating to enable social distancing, that our restaurant community will be forced to  shutter ‐‐ this will have a significant adverse impact on the Palo Alto community.  Please enable restaurants to operate in  a safe manner by giving them more outdoor space to do so.    Thank you,  Jillian  15 Baumb, Nelly From:chienlan <chienlan@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:45 AM To:Council, City Subject:parklets for restaurants, and closing University Ave and California Ave to cars CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi,    I would like to voice my strong support for parklets for restaurants to ensure there is enough space for social distancing  outdoors and to enable them to survive.  These small businesses are the heartbeat of our community and enable us to  have that unique culture that makes Palo Alto such a wonderful place to live.  Giving them the space to open and be at  least slightly profitable is the least we could do as a community, given how much they do for us.    Along with this, I strongly urge you to close University and California Ave to cars.  Right now, traffic is down significantly,  so their closures will not be as problematic.  More importantly, this will allow for greater space for restaurants and  stores to bring things outdoors in a safe manner.  If we are serious about letting our small businesses open safely and  profitably, we need to give them much more space outdoors.  That is the only reasonable way to keep customers safe  and help them feel comfortable about going out again.      Thank you!  Chienlan  16 Baumb, Nelly From:Belinda Nivaggioli <belinda.nivaggioli@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:46 AM To:Council, City Cc:nivaggioli.thierry@gene.com Subject:Parklet in front of Zola CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  We have heard from Zola.  We believe that allowing parklets in front of restaurants to allow for more seating and social  distancing is a great idea.  We know that restaurants are hit hard.  It is difficult to allow sufficient seating considering  how small some of these establishments are.  We want to see this industry to bounce back.  We urgent the city council  to consider this proposal.  Regards  Belinda and Thierry Nivaggioli  17 Baumb, Nelly From:Don Jackson <dcj@clark-communications.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:08 AM To:Council, City Subject:I support helping our restaurants reopen safely via parklets and street closures CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Honorable Councilpeople,    I’m writing to urge you to support street/parking changes to enable our local restaurants to use these areas to provide  safe, outdoor, socially‐distanced dining.    As I know you are aware, our local resturants are facing financial ruin as a result of the COVID‐19 public health crisis, and  our restaurants are a very significant quality‐of‐life benefit to all Palo Altans.    When the City/County/State begins to allows restaurants to re‐open, it seems likely and prudent that returning to pre‐ pandemic restaurant table spacing/distancing will not be responsible nor desirable.    It seems obvious to me that allowing “parklets” in front (and adjacent) to our restaurants would significantly help our  local restaurants to provide safer dining, and also help restaurants get closer to their former seating capacity.    Given that we are well into Spring, and Summer is right around the corner, the weather will be the best that it can be to  make outdoor dining reasonable and comfortable.    As a more significant move, I would also encourage and support street closures (particularly in the evening) to provide  even more outdoor space for dining, shopping, etc.  I’d propose closing much of University Avenue, and the first block of  side streets like Emerson, Ramona, and Bryant for the Spring/Summer, (again, perhaps after 5:30pm).  California  Avenue, the first block of Birch Street off California, Emerson Street between Homer and University, and Hamilton  between Emerson and Ramona.    Given that traffic will likely not return to pre‐pandemic levels anytime soon, and the need to help our local restaurants  and shops, I can imagine that making this Summer a more relaxed, outdoor‐dining friendly experience would provide  financial help to our local restaurants, and be a safe and responsible respite for all Palo Altans.    Respectfully    Don Jackson        18 Baumb, Nelly From:Ann Kane <lexafk@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:11 AM To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    To whom it may concern,    I am a Palo Alto resident of 7+ years who cares deeply about the protection of public health at all costs. I also 100%  support the local government’s exploration of creating safe outdoor spaces for restaurant seating. Please move forward  with this so that our valued local restaurant owners can create the space necessary to keep their businesses alive and  keep us safely fed. I believe both objectives can me met through this option!    Thank you!    Ann Kane      Sent from my iPhone  Redacted 19 Baumb, Nelly From:Stephanie Seale <stephka@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:11 AM To:Council, City Subject:in support of parklets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Palo Alto City Council,     I am a 12‐year Palo Alto resident and fully support the idea of parklets downtown in order to help local restaurants  expand their seating options/footprint. Less parking and more dining seating, please! We have such amazing weather  and the ability to have a walking/biking culture, we should definitely take advantage of this space as a great way of  helping our restaurant/dining establishments in this very tough post‐pandemic economic climate.    I'd be happy to answer any additional questions if any come up.  warm regards,  Stephanie Seale  Everett Avenue  20 Baumb, Nelly From:David Klein <dlklein2@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:24 AM To:Council, City Subject:outdoor Dining CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  To Whom it May Concern      I believe there is a notion of outdoor dining, possibly including road closures, being considered as a mitigation as we go  into the next stage of re‐opening.      I want to let you know that, in my opinion, this is a brilliant idea. We should use the space we have and be creative and  flexible. Right now traffic and parking is very light. Restaurants are closed and losing money. We all know that social  distancing will be here for months or longer and this will limit seating. Restaurants and Bar's can re‐open sooner and  with more patrons sooner if we make outdoor dining available     As a resident of Palo Alto since 1997, and one who plans to be here for a time to come it is important to me that I don't  have a Palo Alto of 2021 that is not the one I've lived in for the last 23 years. I value the small restaurants and bars we  have and the only way to keep them is to let them do their job and serve the public.     Please take immediate action to plan for the coming days and weeks to enable outdoor dining both on sidewalks and  with potential street closures. Please be flexible and 'bend' the rules as much as you can in this emergency to support  outdoor alcohol service, seating and anything else that is needed to create a unique and joyful (and profitable) 2020 for  our restaurants and bars. We need this in the Summer of 2020 to recover as a city. The public will support this and it is  temporary. As the emergency subsides you can revoke the order and go back to the prior policies with no concerns of  long term problems. Action and flexibility today will create a short term solution to then let us go back to business as  usual in the long term. Inaction and rigid enforcement of the codes will result in a long term dessert and the undoing of  all the hard work the city has done to revitalize the University and California districts over the last 20 years and the  reasons I have stayed in Palo Alto    Best Regards  David Klein    (650) 906‐9252  Redacted 21 Baumb, Nelly From:Bill Onderdonk <bill@onderdonk.net> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:29 AM To:Council, City Subject:parklets in palo alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi. I am writing to let you know I am in favor of establishing "parklets" for outdoor seating in palo alto similar to what  menlo park has done with portions of santa cruz ave. Thanks for your consideration.   22 Baumb, Nelly From:Diana Krieg <ribbonsby@earthlink.net> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:34 AM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.    Please allow parklets in front of all Palo Alto eating establishments. An outdoor dining space, similar to what you see in Menlo Park, to create additional seating would make social distancing possible for our Palo Alto restaurants to operate at a greater capacity..   many thanks ,   Diana & Jan krieg     Sent from my iPhone  23 Baumb, Nelly From:Nanette Solvason <solvasonnanette@fhda.edu> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:39 AM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi.  Definitely would love parklets.   Being outside is a super way to decreases risk of infection with  coronavirus.   Emthusiastic to support our local restaurants.      Nanette Solvason  Palo Alto resident     Get Outlook for iOS  24 Baumb, Nelly From:James Varner <jv@varnerwine.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:03 AM To:Council, City Subject:The future of Palo Alto Restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear City Council‐members,    With the difficulties the Covid‐19 outbreak has brought, I am concerned for the future of restaurants in Palo Alto.  Their  presence helps make Palo Alto the cultural center of Silicon Valley and we need them to survive in order for us to  continue to have the city that we love.    I urge you to allow restaurants to have outdoor tables in parklets in front of their restaurant. This way, they can keep  customers socially distanced and yet serve the number of diners they need to earn a living.    There are always changes after natural catastrophes occur but sometimes the changes can be beneficial.  In this case,  reducing the number of cars (as many cities have, like Florence, Paris & Seattle to name a few) would make downtown  Palo Alto more pleasant.  Its an opportunity for change for the good.  Look to the 1989 Earthquake and the resulting  demolition of the Embarcadero Freeway to see the positive transformation that occurred when the Embarcadero  become less traffic dense and more pedestrian friendly.  San Francisco is better off today and I believe Palo Alto will be  also if we encourage more outdoor dining and fewer cars.    Please do give our restaurants a hand and give us customers an even friendlier and more inviting downtown.    Sincerely,  James Varner  A current Ladera resident, but a past resident who still considers Palo Alto his home.  650‐766‐0599        25 Baumb, Nelly From:Geraldine Gallet <geraldine@gallet.org> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:04 AM To:Council, City Subject:Pro Parklets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Good morning,    As a European I just wanted to say that I am greatly in favor of park lets in Palo Alto.  If we want to get our favorite restaurants back this could really help.    I am all for it.    Thanks,    Geraldine    26 Baumb, Nelly From:Joel Friedman <joelfriedman1@me.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:12 AM To:Council, City Subject:Outdoor dining spaces for restaurants! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear Liz and Amy,  When the City Council considers outdoor dining for restaurants like Zola and Evvia that are not on University Avenue, I  hope that you will support this endeavor. Restaurants and small businesses have been so hard hit by this essential  lockdown. We want to return to restaurants one day and enjoy dining out once more. Many thanks for your tireless  work during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Dr Joel and I appreciate your leadership.    Stay well, stay strong,  Carol  Carol C. Friedman    Sent from my iPad  27 Baumb, Nelly From:Jose Caldera <josercaldera@mac.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:14 AM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear City Council,    We greatly appreciate all the work you have been doing in making sure we get through these uncertain times.    I wanted to support our local restaurants by giving my support to the Parklets proposals that I have been hearing about.  Facilitating outdoor space for restaurants while restricting car traffic in certain areas of the city seems a reasonable  compromise while we go through this situation.    Thanks and happy to be contacted if more information were needed.    Cheers,    ‐ jose  28 Baumb, Nelly From:Edward Murray <ermurray@pacbell.net> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:14 AM To:Council, City Cc:Zola; Susan Hathaway Subject:Parklets Enable Restaurant Survival in Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Please support immediate approval of restaurant parklets so restaurants can take advantage of the outdoor summer  season.    Parklets will expand restaurant capacity which can partially mitigate the negative financial impact of social  distancing.  By your timely action, many of our cherished restaurants can be saved.    As a frequent diner, I and many friends will be happy to adhere to additional social distancing regulations required to  make this work.    Be Well,    Ed Murray    Sent from Mail for Windows 10    29 Baumb, Nelly From:Dayton Misfeldt <dayton@misfeldtimages.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:24 AM To:Council, City Subject:NOLA CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Please allow outside seating.  Fitting ambiance for PA.  Thanks    Dayton S Misfeldt    Palo Alto, CA 94301  H: 650‐327‐6069  C: 408‐807‐8343      Redacted 30 Baumb, Nelly From:Rachel Thomas <rachelthomasesq@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:24 AM To:Council, City Subject:Restaurants re-opening and use of streets/parking spots downtown CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council Members,     I am a resident of Palo Alto and I live downtown. As the City approaches phased re‐opening of certain downtown  businesses after the shut down as a result of COVID‐19, I hope that the City will consider taking measures that meet the  twin goals of protecting the health of the people in our community as well as the health of the businesses in our  community. It appears, based on reports, that restaurants have faced extreme hardship as a result of the COVID‐19  restrictions and may continue to struggle under various proposed re‐opening plans. One action the City could take to  ease the burden on restaurants while promoting the health of residents and guests in Palo Alto is to permit the use of  parking spaces for "parklets" or other similar seating areas.     I strongly support the use of parking spaces near restaurants for this purpose.      Another action the City could take is to close certain streets or portions of streets to vehicular traffic for the same  purpose ‐ to encourage social distancing, outside dining, walking/riding bikes, and safe practices for restaurants.     I strongly support the closure of certain streets or portions of streets for these purposes.     I recognize that the details are often tricky and finding the right balance of interests can be challenging but I feel  confident that this Council can meet the various needs of the community and be a leader to other communities in this  regard. I encourage Council to act quickly, considering of course the County and State orders and guidelines.     Kindly,    Rachel Thomas  31 Baumb, Nelly From:GORDON BRODY <gabrodymd@mac.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:27 AM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets are needed to insure the vibrancy off our downtown CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear Palo Alto City Council members,    The future of a vibrant, diverse, prosperous Palo Alto is at stake. Among other measures, this requires your allowing  restaurants to open parklets in front of restaurants similar to the ones we see in Menlo Park. This will allow restaurants  to combine responsible social distancing and economic viability. This has been a successful strategy in many modern  cities and is an ideal solution given our climate. We need this more than we need the street parking spaces. We can have  the ambience of Paris here in Palo Alto!  It will insure the survival of our unique restaurants and cafes and enhance  property and rental values which will suffer greatly if we lose our cafe culture. Thank you for your service and leadership  during these difficult times.    Gordon A. Brody, MD    Palo Alto    Thanks for considering this improvement to the city we love.    Best regards,    Sent from my iPad  Redacted 32 Baumb, Nelly From:Amy Keohane <amykeohane@hotmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:28 AM To:Council, City Subject:Open up the streets or at least some CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi I think we need to see how we can help our DT restaurants by closing some of the streets down.  I think the  city can at least move forward to shut down the streets, either Ramona and Byant or even parts of University  ave.  Let the restaurants how to figure out how to decorate their area.  I know we have a few restaurants not  opening at all.  If the ABC can quickly turn around the off sales liquor license, Palo Alto can figure out how to  help our DT to flourish again at least if it is only for the summer.  Please Please Please help them out.  There  are other cities doing this for the restaurants.   amy    Amy Keohane  650‐346‐5306     33 Baumb, Nelly From:Judy Aptekar <judyaptekar@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:45 AM To:Council, City Subject:Outside Dining CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    I am in favor of creating an environment for additional outdoor dining so more restaurants will have a better chance of  surviving.  Judy Aptekar  34 Baumb, Nelly From:Karl Ronn <kpronn@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 12:02 PM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets for Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    I read about the plans in Berkeley to close streets to allow the restaurants to expand.  This is a wonderful idea. It would  create the added space so our restaurants can re‐open and serve enough people to be economically viable.  We in  particular miss Zola and want to see them survive.  A little parklet would really help.  I know traffic and parking issues  would be a risk, but work‐from‐home should be encouraged and that could help us with the vibrancy while limiting the  traffic issues.    Please make this happen quickly so we can help our local restaurants.    Thanks,    Karl Ronn    Palo Alto, CA 94301  650‐391‐9396  Redacted 35 Baumb, Nelly From:Ladan Miranz <ladan@miranz.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 12:19 PM To:Council, City Subject:Restaurants in Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello,       We are residents of Crescent Park Palo Alto we are writing to request that our restaurants in downtown Palo Alto be  allowed to seat people on outside terraces just like in Menlo Park. This has been a long time tradition in European cities  not sure why the US does no duplicates a successful model?? It brings great ambience to the city and with our wonderful  weather it should be implemented here more than anywhere else in the world.   Please let us know your thoughts?  Kindly,   Ladan and Tony Miranz  Crescent Park area.  (Writen by voice) 36 Baumb, Nelly From:Valérie Zeller <valeriezeller@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 12:19 PM To:Council, City Subject:In favor of Parklets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello,   I am a Palo Alto resident and I am in favor of parklets in front of restaurants to enable them to expand their outdoor  dining space.   This will save our Palo Alto restaurants but also will provide patrons with a nice outdoor experience.  Thank you for your consideration   Valerie Zeller  , Palo Alto, CA 94303 Redacted 37 Baumb, Nelly From:Libby Russo <libbypaca@aol.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 12:36 PM To:Council, City Subject:Saving downtown Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    As we begin to recover from the effects of the shutdown, we would like to ask the City Council to allow the restaurants  to open soon and with the addition of outdoor seating using the sidewalk and any other reasonable space. Social  distancing can be better maintained with this configuration while helping the restaurants with their bottom line.  Thank you,  Libby and Joseph Russo    Palo Alto, 94304    Sent from my iPad  Redacted 38 Baumb, Nelly From:Waldek Kaczmarski <waldus@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 12:38 PM To:Council, City Subject:Closing University Ave CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.      I thing it is excellent idea and long overdue. University Ave is just for Tourists Drivers ‐ and they would be better off  walking ‐ it is healthier for them, less pollution for us and who knows , if they walking ,they might actually stop at those  businesses that are so concern that they will loos costumers. I support it with all my hearth.  ‐‐     Waldek Kaczmarski  39 Baumb, Nelly From:virginia weiss <vaweiss2010@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:12 PM To:Council, City Subject:Zola and other restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  In support of Zola and other downtown restaurants, I hope that the council will consider and allow the creation of  parklets for dining in future.       Virginia Weiss  40 Baumb, Nelly From:Laurel Lipsick <laurellipsick524@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:14 PM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets close University Ave CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    I am hoping that you will close University Ave for outside dining as well as adding Parklets on side streets so we can  support Palo Alto restaurants. I will not eat inside so please add additional outside seating ASAP!  Laurel Lipsick    Sent from my iPhone  41 Baumb, Nelly From:Stewart Hindley <stewarthindley@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:16 PM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi,     I'm just writing to let you know I would be supportive of Palo Alto allowing parklets in front of restaurants to support  them during shelter in place / COVID.     Best,  Stewart Hindley    Palo Alto Property owner and resident  , Palo Alto, CA 94301 Redacted 42 Baumb, Nelly From:Ken Wilk <bigkltla@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:17 PM To:Council, City Subject:Restaurant accommodations. CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Please assist restaurants in any way possible to reopen in a way that they can safely serve the public. Outdoor dining— including side road closures of streets branching from university should be carefully considered.    Thank you—Ken Wilk , PA.    Sent from my iPhone  Redacted 43 Baumb, Nelly From:Art Liberman <art_liberman@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:26 PM To:Council, City Subject:Create outdoor dining spaces for restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Council members - My wife and I are members of the vulnerable group to the Covid-19 virus. We are well and appreciate the efforts of the County Health Department and you, Council members, in aiding to provide advice and guidance to insure we stay well. One thing we miss is going out to restaurants. We are hesitant and I think you understand why. I'm not sure we will be willing to return to any restaurants in the near future unless you provide outdoor areas for restaurants to have tables. Seating outdoors is much safer for everyone and the incomparable weather we have in Palo Alto allows for that. It is a win-win. So, I urge you to consider immediately making some streets pedestrian only (University Ave, and Cal Ave) and to create ''parklets" in front of restaurant establishments on some of the side streets. An outdoor dining space creates seating areas that would allow us to maintain social distancing while allowing many of the fine restaurants in Palo Alto to resume operating at an increased level. I know that many issues confront the city now and you are busy, but bringing life back to our city by creating outdoor dining spaces is something you should do, and you should do soon before many of the wonderful smaller restaurants in Palo Alto are forced to close their doors forever. Arthur Liberman Chimalus Drive, Palo Alto 44 Baumb, Nelly From:Jim Goddard <JGoddard@sapcenter.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:29 PM To:Council, City Subject:Restaurant Parklets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Allow them and do it right like Menlo Park.    Sent from my iPad  45 Baumb, Nelly From:Lynn Brown <lynnhyattbrown@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:34 PM To:Council, City Subject:Outdoor seating at Palo Alto restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello, Just a quick note to communicate that we are in favor of increased outdoor seating at town restaurants. Yes, that includes taking over some parking slots. Many thanks, Lynn Brown and Family 46 Baumb, Nelly From:Yvonne Powell <ypowell19@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:45 PM To:Council, City Subject:In favor of parklets PA CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear City council,    We anticipate our transition to safe gathering in downtown Palo Alto. There are several of our favorite small individually  owned restaurants which do not have the optimal space for “safe” dining. These businesses are barely hanging on, trying  to avoid a permanent close, which would affect downtown immensely. We propose and support the idea of creating  more outdoor seating space for many of these business as we negotiate our new landscape together.  Kindest regards,  Yvonne Powell  47 Baumb, Nelly From:Beth Mayo <bethmayo@sbcglobal.net> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:46 PM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets for Palo Alto Importance:High CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Palo Alto City Council Members,    While we are not residents of Palo Alto, all of our favorite dining spots are in Palo Alto.  The pandemic has been a dreary  time for those of us who are foodies and dine out multiple evenings a week.  As the restrictions of sheltering in place  begin to be lifted, many of us worry about the fate of particularly the small restaurants that we so enjoy.  Adhering to  the social distancing is going to cut the occupancy of many of the places to less than a sustainable level to keep their  doors open.  The addition of parklets in front of a number of the restaurants would allow for more customers to be  served and might well be the key to allowing those restaurants to remain open.    You no doubt are hearing from others on this same topic.  Please add our names to the list of those  supporting/suggesting parklets, even though it will take away parking spaces which are already a difficult commodity for  those of us who live too far away to be able to think of walking.    Thank you for your consideration of this solution,    Beth and Wayne Mayo  Los Altos, CA      48 Baumb, Nelly From:SwooperNet <swoopernet@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:48 PM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets - Needed ASAP for Businesses to Thrive CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hello,  I’m writing to request the city council urgently examine the idea of parklets for a number of the restaurants in Palo Alto.   Without this outdoor space, many of our small businesses won’t be able to thrive and Palo Alto will suffer greatly.   Menlo Park has created a number of these parklets along Santa Cruz Avenue and they are a wonderful addition.  Yes,  some parking will be eliminated but hopefully that compels people to walk or bike.  New times with COVID‐19. I do hope  the city council is examining all options and getting creative with their ideas and implementing changes fast.    I would like to encourage a parklet be considered and implemented ASAP for Zola. It’s an incredible restaurant and I’d  be said to see it go.    Thank you for listening.  Leslie H.  1 Baumb, Nelly From:Karin Meyer <karin@karinmeyer.org> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:56 PM To:Council, City Subject:Outdoor dining downtown? CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Esteemed City Council Members,    In the age of distance eating, walking and communing, would it not make sense to increase the amount of sidewalk or street  closures allowing people to better occupy the downtown areas? It would certainly allow for the retailers and restaurants to  serve more people, especially during the warmer months. Menlo Park has been able to expand its outdoor seating capacity.  Has Palo Alto considered doing the same?    Thank you,    Karin Meyer   Redacted 2 Baumb, Nelly From:Rawnsley, Kathi A. <KRawnsley@lowenstein.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 2:27 PM To:Council, City Subject:Dining in Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  As a resident and business owner here in Palo Alto, I want to express my whole‐hearted support for opening up our  streets/parking area to seating for our Downtown Palo Alto and California Avenue area restaurants. This outdoor space  will make all the difference for these vital businesses once we can actually open doors and get out into our community.  Please act on this option as soon as possible to save our city and it’s small businesses.      Thank you,  Kathi    Kathi A. Rawnsley Partner Palo Alto Managing Partner Lowenstein Sandler LLP T: 650.433.5596 M: 650.400.3610 The linked image cannot be displayed. The file may have been mov ed, ren amed, or deleted. Verify that the li nk points to the correct file and location. The linked image cannot b   This message contains confidential information, intended only for the person(s) named above, which may also be privileged. Any use, distribution, copying or disclosure by any other person is strictly prohibited. In such case, you should delete this message and kindly notify the sender via reply e-mail. Please advise immediately if you or your employer does not consent to Internet e-mail for messages of this kind.  3 Baumb, Nelly From:Richard Dewey <rrd@deweyland.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 2:30 PM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Honorable Members of the City Council of Palo Alto:  I’m writing to ask that you consider the creation of parklets in and  around the downtown core that will allow restaurants to place seating outside.  This will help with the challenges of  spacing within the restaurants and further add a bit of interest to the streetscape.  Yes, parking availability will be  impacted.  On balance, the parklets will be a benefit to the restaurants and I’ll accept some parking inconveniences in  this exchange.     Thank you for your consideration, and for all of the time and care you give to the residents and businesses of Palo Alto.     Regards,    Rich  ‐‐   Richard R. Dewey, Jr.  President/CEO  Dewey Land Company, Inc.    4th Floor  Burlingame CA 94010  650.571.1010 ‐ voice    Redacted 4 Baumb, Nelly From:Zimran <zimran_ahmed@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 2:49 PM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets for Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hi    It’s the summer and I would love if we could support our local restaurants through parklets.    The weather is warm, we can be sensible, and these businesses are a critical part of our community.    Thank you!    ‐Zimran  5 Baumb, Nelly From:Amy Kacher <amyewardwell@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:14 PM To:Council, City Subject:Outdoor Seating for restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello, I'm writing to ask the city to allow restaurants to install parklettes similar to what I've seen in Menlo Park. I'm hoping that by expanding capacity, the restaurants can serve more diners in a safe distance and stay in business. I hope you'll consider this. The vibe and heartbeat of our downtown relies on a thriving restaurant scene. Thank you Amy Kacher 6 Baumb, Nelly From:Maria Rutenburg <Maria@peninsulacompany.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:16 PM To:Council, City Subject:close University for traffic CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi,    I work in downtown Palo Alto. Please close down University to allow more space for people to dine and shop to help our  businesses. with new guidelines, restaurants are hard pressed to close, this will help them  lot.  There is no problem using other streets given the layout of Palo Alto.   Thank you,    Maria Rutenburg  attorney at law  managing broker  DRE # 1311300  CA BAR # 250186  www.peninsulacompany.com  (650) 7434915‐ direct  (650) 5395639‐ office  (650) 6463122‐ fax  7 Baumb, Nelly From:Michele Wang <meeshwang@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:06 PM To:Council, City Cc:Ted Wang Subject:HELP For our Restauratnts - PLEASE ALLOW PARKING SPOTS FOR OUTDOOR SEATING FOR OUR LOCAL RESTAURANTS CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear Palo Alto City Council,    I am reaching out to ask for your help with our local restaurants.  The restaurants are a vital part of our community and  one of the reasons why I loving living close to downtown Palo Alto.  I am VERY concerned about the ability for our  restaurants to weather this pandemic.  In talking with some of the local restaurant operators, I understand that they are  looking for ways to expand their seating while keeping the necessary social distancing requirements.  One way is if they  were able to use some of the parking spaces for outdoor seating.  As a resident of Palo Alto, I would LOVE to see that  happen.  It feels like an easy way for us to help our restaurants try to weather this period of time.    As a long time resident of Palo Alto (~20 years), I thank you for your help.      Michele Wang  .  Palo Alto      Redacted 8 Baumb, Nelly From:Ken Joye <kmjoye@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:16 PM To:Council, City Subject:close University Ave CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    I understand that a number of residents have started a discussion about closing University Ave to automobile traffic.   That sounds like a splendid idea.    I find that walking downtown is *so* much more pleasant when that roadway is closed to automobile traffic (for  example, the art fair or the street music festival).    I highly encourage you to support this idea, very much like the idea of dining outdoors this summer if the shelter‐in‐ place order were to permit that.    thank you very much for your consideration, Ken Joye Ventura neighborhood      9 Baumb, Nelly From:Carlos Ramón <carlos@compas.global> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:17 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please, close University! Have the courage to explore this option! I come from Europe and the best streets are made for pedestrians - tons of shoppers, families, etc. PLEASE! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.        ‐‐   Carlos Ramon, Founder & CEO   cell +1 650 815 1464  www.compas.global  10 Baumb, Nelly From:Lauren Rivera <lauren.rivera@comcast.net> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:17 PM To:Council, City Subject:University CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  We envision a promenade similar to that of Santana Row where children, and all, can enjoy the outdoors without the fear of and pollution from cars. We envision an outdoor dining space, similar to what you see in Menlo Park that creates additional seating that would make social distancing possible, while allowing all restaurants to continue operating at greater capacity.     Lauren Rivera   510‐282‐0210          11 Baumb, Nelly From:Nathan Fahrenthold <nfahrenthold@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:18 PM To:Council, City Subject:University Avenue Shut Down CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  City Council,     I think it is a great idea to shut down University Avenue, even if only on the weekends to create a promenade area.     It would help stimulate the downtown economy and allow for more social distancing because of the increased space.    Thanks,      ‐‐   Nathan Fahrenthold   Palo Alto, CA 94303          Redacted 12 Baumb, Nelly From:Cindy Axe <cindyaxe@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:20 PM To:Council, City Subject:university ave in palo alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello. We are in full support of closing University Street in downtown Palo Alto to allow more spaced out seating so our restaurants and cafe can accommodate more customers. We have seen great success with this model in Austin, Texas as well as Munich, Germany. Please support our community and let us be together. Best, Cindy Axe Portola Valley 13 Baumb, Nelly From:Abhaya Parthy <abhayap@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:22 PM To:Council, City Subject:Expand outdoor seating area on University Ave and close it to cars CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hi,    Could you please expand the outdoor seating for restaurants and cafes on University Ave and close it to cars so we don’t  have to breathe in pollution while sitting outside?    Thanks!    Abhaya    Sent from my iPhone  14 Baumb, Nelly From:Ann James <gardenandfeathers@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:22 PM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets by restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Please do follow the requests of all our favorite restaurants and allow parklets by restaurants in Palo Alto. We all need  these restaurants to return and give us joy again. We aren’t ready to be inside with others yet, but outside is a different  story. So, please add parklets!!  15 Baumb, Nelly From:Alex Siegel <a.siegel0595@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:23 PM To:Council, City Subject:Pedestrian University Ave. CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello,    My name is Alex Siegel and I’ve learned of the efforts by local businesses to urge a move towards a pedestrian University  Avenue. I am in great support of this. I don’t live in Palo Alto, but I work in Palo Alto and believe that if the streets were  closed to support pedestrian movement over vehicular movement, the street would take on an entirely new and vibrant  life. The street is so well equipped with the residential zone at one end, public transportation at the other, adjacency to  Stanford University and wonderful number of inviting storefronts.     I would love stay in tune with this effort if it gains traction and hope for a day where we can all safely walk down  university in the streets!    Best,    Alex       ‐‐   Alex Siegel, AIAS  Designer, B.ARCH  Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Alum  16 Baumb, Nelly From:Maura Carta <mauracarta@googlemail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:25 PM To:Council, City Subject:Close down University Avenue CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hello wonderful City of Palo Alto,    I am thrilled you have closed down Bryant Street from Forest to Embarcadero.  People are still racing down it, so please  make it permanent by putting in barriers similar to Bryant at Lowell.    Please consider closing down part of University Ave.   It would be such an asset to the town and bring people in for the  day.  It would make Palo Alto an even more wonderful town to live and shop and eat.    Thank you for reading this, and be well, Maura Carta      17 Baumb, Nelly From:Zia Yusuf <toziayusuf@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:26 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please close down University Ave. CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello Palo Alto Council     I have never written to any city council before ‐ but felt I should now.     I would strongly encourage you to close down University Ave and create an environment for us to enjoy the restaurants  etc. it would really turn this negative environment into something different and positive.     I hope you do so and soon     Zia   ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐  Zia Yusuf   Senior Partner & Managing Director  Boston Consulting Group ‐ Silicon Valley     Executive Assistant: Briana Wood  Email: wood.briana@bcg.com  18 Baumb, Nelly From:nimmolo@fastmail.fm Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:27 PM To:Council, City Subject:University Plaza CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Writing to express my support for shutting University to cars to help the restaurants (and humans). There is no doubt  this will help it come back to life and benefit the city and people economically, psychologically and socially.  19 Baumb, Nelly From:Dena Seki <denaseki@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:28 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please close down University Ave for the foreseeable future CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Please close down University Ave for the foreseeable future. There could be a promenade similar to that of Santana Row  where children, and all, can enjoy the outdoors without the fear of and pollution from cars. With an outdoor dining  space, similar to what you see in Menlo Park, restaurants can creates additional seating that would make social  distancing possible, while allowing all restaurants to continue operating at greater capacity.    Thank you,    Dena Seki  20 Baumb, Nelly From:Mike Conley <conley@littledog2.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:28 PM To:Council, City Subject:Opening University Avenue CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I think it's vitally important to keep the many businesses along University Avenue alive and part of that probably means  using University as a means of allowing sufficient physical distancing‐‐ especially for smaller restaurants and shops.     21 Baumb, Nelly From:Meghann Tovar <meghann.tovar@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:30 PM To:Council, City Subject:closing University Ave. to traffic CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  To Whom it May Concern,     We are experiencing the economic carnage of COVID‐19 all around us. Our fellow neighbors are losing their jobs and  businesses all around Palo Alto are struggling to keep their doors open. Several businesses on University Ave., primarily  restaurants, have written notes to their patrons and Palo Alto residents asking us to write on their behalf to request the  closing of University Ave. to car traffic to allow outdoor dining.     As long‐time Palo Alto residents, we completely support this idea and would have supported it even without the  upending of our economy by COVID‐19 policies. It seems beneficial to shops and restaurants on University Ave. as well  as to our city as a whole. We are strong supporters of biking in our city too, and this would encourage more bikes and  walkers to enjoy University Ave. in this way.     Please consider keeping this road closed to traffic.    Meghann Tovar  (PA resident, Greenwood Ave.)  22 Baumb, Nelly From:Reuven Shelef <reuven@ootb-c.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:31 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please keep downtown Palo Alto alive. CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Palo Alto City Council,    I care about keeping Cafe Venetia and other restaurants in downtown Palo Alto alive.   I would love to see University Ave be a promenade similar to that of Santana Row where children, and all, can enjoy the  outdoors without the fear of and pollution from cars.   An outdoor dining space, similar to what you see in Menlo Park that creates additional seating that would make social  distancing possible, while allowing all restaurants to continue operating at greater capacity.     Please make this vision a reality, for the foreseen future.     Thank you,    Reuven.    ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐  Reuven Shelef  President & CEO, OUT OF THE BOX Consulting  ~Untangling Complex Challenges ~ Creating Clarity and Workability~  Email: Reuven@ootb‐c.com | Connect with me on LinkedIn   Web: www.ootb‐c.com | Phone: +1(415)359‐7062 | Skype: reuvensh   ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐    “NetTel Partners sees 200% increase in productivity after OUT OF THE BOX Consulting implements Salesforce.com for  NetTel, adapting it to serve as an ERP system, too!”  ‐ Learn more here         23 Baumb, Nelly From:Ravrita <ravrita@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:34 PM To:Council, City Subject:University Ave and California Ave in Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hello    I am writing to ask you to strongly consider closing University Ave and California Ave in Palo Alto to Vehicle traffic.  University Avenue and California Avenue businesses in Palo Alto have suffered greatly in the past couple years during  construction and now they are suffering with SIP during COVID‐19. There are many restaurants and businesses on those  two streets ‐ local businesses, businesses that are owned by hard‐working residents and employ hard‐working residents  at those businesses. The city of Palo Alto is way overdue in doing this. Business owners have been asking for a program  which closes those streets similar to the way Santana Row is closed and other promenades around the world are closed.  This time during this international crisis really shows that we need to change the way we do business and take care of  each other.    For decades people in Palo Alto have been asking for those streets to be closed and allow businesses to prosper on  University and California Avenues. The only way those restaurants can survive with social distancing in place, is to have  those streets closed.    Thank you for your consideration of this pressing issue.      Rita Comes Whitney  Past member of the Palo Alto Downtown Business Association    24 Baumb, Nelly From:Maurizio Gianola <maurizio.gianola@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:34 PM To:Council, City Cc:A0 Maurizio Gianola Subject:Consider to close down University Ave for the foreseeable future. CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello,  I have been a Palo Alto resident for the last 33 years.  To help downtown business recover from the COVID‐19 Shelter In Place lock down PLEASE consider to close down  University Ave for the foreseeable future.    I envision a promenade similar to that of Santana Row or many European cities where children, and all, can enjoy the  outdoors without the fear of and pollution from cars.   I envision an outdoor dining space, similar to what you see in Menlo Park that creates additional seating that would  make social distancing possible, while allowing all restaurants to continue operating at greater capacity.     Thank you.    Maurizio A. Gianola  email: maurizio.gianola@gmail.com  ________________________________________________    This email may contain confidential and privileged material  for the sole use of the intended recipient.  Any review or distribution by others is strictly prohibited.  If you are not the intended recipient please contact the  sender and delete all copies.    Questo messaggio puo' contenere informazioni di carattere  estremamente riservato e confidenziale.  Qualora non foste i destinatari, vogliate immediatamente  informarmi con lo stesso mezzo ed eliminare il messaggio,  con gli eventuali allegati, senza trattenerne copia.  Qualsivoglia utilizzo non autorizzato del contenuto di  questo messaggio costituisce violazione dell'obbligo di non  prendere cognizione della corrispondenza tra altri soggetti,  salvo piu' grave illecito, ed espone il responsabile alle relative  conseguenze civili e penali.  ________________________________________________  25 Baumb, Nelly From:Ryan Kalember <ryan.kalember@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:35 PM To:Council, City Subject:University Avenue closure to traffic CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi,  As a Palo Alto resident (Southgate specifically), I wanted to express my support for reconfiguring University Avenue to  be pedestrian only. I’d even be in favor of reconfiguring it permanently, as I have tried to limit my car trips there and  usually go by bike with my family.     Regards,  Ryan  26 Baumb, Nelly From:Robert Valenti <valentir@mac.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:37 PM To:Council, City Subject:Closing University Ave CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    I strongly urge you to consider closing University Ave allowing restaurants to and businesses to remain in viable while  providing a promenade where families and children can enjoy coffees, pastries and dining in the outdoors.    We have been to so many European cities that have made their main street (or even streets) pedestrian only.    Doing this would add charm to an otherwise plain downtown across from one of most beautiful universities in the world. From High to Cowper could be the limits and Hamilton and Lytton could be one way streets for traffic.  Thank you for your consideration.    Robert and Verónica Valenti    (415) 519‐5456  Redacted 27 Baumb, Nelly From:Hikari Farms <tatsukimobile@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:37 PM To:Council, City Subject:Close down University avenue to make it pedestrians only CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear Palo Alto City Council members,    I work in downtown near University ave on Ramona.  I heard recently that there is a discussion about closing down University ave for car traffic.  I would wholeheartedly support that brilliant idea to make the already beautiful community better and more livable.    Kind regards,  Tatsuki Tomita  28 Baumb, Nelly From:Anne Bain <annegbain@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:38 PM To:Council, City Subject:Pedestrian only for University Ave CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    I would like to add my voice to the petition to have University Ave converted to pedestrian only.    Anne Bain  Louis Rd  Palo Alto    Sent from my iPhone  29 Baumb, Nelly From:Olexiy <olexiyo@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:37 PM To:Council, City Subject:Proposal for closing downtown University Avenue CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Good day,    Hope you are safe!    Today I've learned about a proposal to turn University Avenue between Middlefield and High into a pedestrian‐only  street. I am writing to express my and my family's full support for this idea.    University Avenue is one of our favorite places in the Bay Area. We love having shops, restaurants, cafes, and a few  parks within a walking distance. Sidewalks cooked barely fit all the pedestrians during precovid days, and we would need  even more space to follow  social distancing guidelines. Turning the street into pedestrian‐only would provide extra safe  space for kids, attract more people, and would allow the restaurants to open while being safe.    Please make University pedestrian‐only!    Have a great day!  Olexiy Oryeshko  30 Baumb, Nelly From:Shayak Banerjee <shayakbanerj@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:41 PM To:Council, City Subject:Requesting making University Avenue pedestrian only CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi,  I work at Houzz, a company headquartered in Palo Alto (Hamilton and Bryant). I am a patron of many of the businesses  on and around University Avenue. Cafe Venetia, a cafe I love and frequent, has suggested that the City of Palo Alto close  down University Ave for the foreseeable future. They envision a promenade similar to that of Santana Row where  children, and all, can enjoy the outdoors without the fear of and pollution from cars. They envision an outdoor dining  space, similar to what you see in Menlo Park that creates additional seating that would make social distancing possible,  while allowing all restaurants to continue operating at greater capacity.     I think this is a great idea and a great way to support the businesses in and around University Avenue, while also giving  the community entertainment options within the constraints imposed by the pandemic. I know University Avenue is a  major thoroughfare but given the prevalence of work from home for the foreseeable future, I don't anticipate that to be  a problem.    I appreciate your consideration of my request.    Best Regards,  Shayak Banerjee,  Employee at Houzz  31 Baumb, Nelly From:Barry M Katz <bkatz@stanford.edu> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:42 PM To:Council, City Subject:Closing University Ave CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I’m writing to add my voice to the growing number of citizens and businesses who support closing University Avenue to  automobile traffic. This would be a bold, human‐centered, and future‐looking move.      As a city and a nation we have a rare opportunity to retreat from the worst of our practices and orient ourselves instead  toward a post‐pandemic future. In the past the City has invested in multi‐million dollar parking garages. Looking to the  future, we should be investing in strategies that will reduce our dependence on private automobiles, rather than  encourage it.     BK Barry M. Katz, Ph.D. Palo Alto, CA. 94306 m: 650.644-8697                         Redacted 32 Baumb, Nelly From:Andrea Davis <mlledavis@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:47 PM To:Council, City Subject:Close down University Ave CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hi, I live in San Mateo, and some of my favorite restaurants are in downtown Palo Alto. Please close down University Ave, so that restaurants can have an outdoor dining space while maintaining social distancing, and so that pedestrians can enjoy the outdoors without worrying about cars. Thank you! Andréa 33 Baumb, Nelly From:Jessica Luo <jesandluo@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:55 PM To:Council, City Subject:Support for University Avenue closure to vehicular traffic CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  To whom it may concern:     My name is Jessica Luo. I grew up in the Adobe Meadows neighborhood and am about to graduate from Stanford  University. I’d like to express my support for the proposal to close University Avenue to vehicular traffic from both those  perspectives. As both a student and a resident, I frequent University Avenue for its cafes and restaurants on a regular  basis, and support any policies that allow them to get the continued and sustained support they need to stay open.  Furthermore, as a commuter, my impression is that of the north‐south arterials in the city, University is already  extremely inefficient due to the timing of its traffic lights. Those lights support pedestrian traffic but with an uneasy  effect on vehicular traffic, and it seems to me that in light of the need to provide flexibility and further options for  restaurants and cafes on University, making University pedestrian‐only would be a logical extension of this existing  priority. In sum, I think closing University to vehicular traffic is a good way to support both the commercial and  residential community with minimal costs.     All best,  Jessica  34 Baumb, Nelly From:Joan Semeria <jsemeria@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:57 PM To:Council, City Subject:Pedestrian only University Ave. CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hi it has come to my attention that there is a possibility that University Ave could be closed to cars. What a great idea  especially in light of the pandemic. More people would be willing to go out if there was more space. Please consider this.  It’s hard to park on the street anyway.    Jon Semeria  35 Baumb, Nelly From:Cristina Kinney <CKinney@hewlett.org> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:59 PM To:Council, City Subject:University Avenue closure to cars CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council members,    I write to you today in the  hopes that you will consider closing University Avenue (downtown area), to traffic and make  it  pedestrian only. This will help maintaining social distancing, promoting outdoor dining and helping businesses get  back to operating levels. I come from Europe and can attest how beneficial it is to have pedestrian only areas.    Thank you for your consideration,    Cristina Kinney  (Menlo Park resident but living next to the border of Palo alto and often walking to downtown using pedestrian bridge). 36 Baumb, Nelly From:Michael Santullo <michaelp@santullo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:03 PM To:Council, City Subject:Assistance For Restaurants, Expand Outdoor Seating CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear City Council    Please assist our local restaurants and cafes by allowing them to expand seating into outdoor areas such as sidewalks,  street parking, and streets.  This will allow restaurants to maintain social distancing and also be able to accommodate  enough customers to stay in business.  If this causes an inconvenience related to parking and driving around the  downtown areas, it is a worthwhile tradeoff to help our restaurants get back on their feet.  Please work with the  restaurants themselves to understand their needs and be flexible as we all learn as we go along.    Thank you,     Mike Santullo          37 Baumb, Nelly From:Alyssa Haught <alyssarhaught@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:05 PM To:Council, City Subject:Closing University to Cars CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hello,    Our family of 5 adults (all long time Palo Alto and Menlo Park residents) are in favor of closing University Avenue to all  cars.    Thank you,  Alyssa  38 Baumb, Nelly From:Lilia Tsalenko <liliamt@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:14 PM To:Council, City Subject:Strong support for walkable areas in Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Council, I and my friends and family strongly support walkable areas in Palo Alto, especially on California and University avenues. It will not only help the businesses to thrive now and improve the budget deficit, but will attract more businesses in the nearest future and will make our city much more like a 21st century one! We love our markets, street fairs etc! Lilia 39 Baumb, Nelly From:lorenza0 <lorenza0@aol.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:16 PM To:Council, City Subject:STREET CLOSURE CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I am a citizen of PaloAlto.  I support the closure of few Palo Alto street to allow easy distance walking and restaurant and coffee external sitting. I recommend closure of California Avenue and University Avenue. The result is going to be a pleasant experience for everyone worth to consider even outside the crisis time. Regards,  Lorenza        Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone    40 Baumb, Nelly From:lorenza0 <lorenza0@aol.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:18 PM To:Council, City Subject:STREET CLOSURE CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.            I am a citizen of PaloAlto.  I support the closure of few Palo Alto street to allow easy distance walking and restaurant and coffee external sitting. I recommend closure of California Avenue and University Avenue. The result is going to be a pleasant experience for everyone worth to consider even outside the crisis time. Regards, Lorenza Moro   Palo Alto CA 94306        Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone    Redacted 41 Baumb, Nelly From:Erik Meijer <erik.meijer@meijcrosoft.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:19 PM To:Council, City Subject:Downtown University Ave Pedestrian zone CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    L.S.    I hear that several business such as Cafe Venetia are lobbying to turn downtown Palo Alto University Ave into a  pedestrian zone.  This would be amazing and would improve the appeal of downtown palo alto by many orders of magnitude and  undoubtedly be a big boost for businesses.  Dare to be bold. Just do it.    Erik Meijer  Webster St  Palo Alto  42 Baumb, Nelly From:rgamburd <rgamburd@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:23 PM To:Council, City Subject:Park let’s CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear council members,    I am strongly in favor of establishing “parklets” in our business districts, downtown, California Ave etc, to allow  merchants and restaurants to have out door space to social distance and reopen.  I’m afraid we will loose many local  business if customers are not comfortable with spacing, and outdoors is much safer.    Thank you,    Robert Gamburd, M.D.      43 Baumb, Nelly From:David Espar <davidespar@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:26 PM To:Council, City Subject:Traffic-free University Ave! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Yes!  This would be great!!  ‐‐   David Espar  617‐388‐4899 (M)  44 Baumb, Nelly From:Dennis Ruby <todmruby@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:26 PM To:Council, City Subject:The closing of University Avenue CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Greetings,    I am in favor of closing University Avenue to traffic, or at least part of it.  Many of the streets in European cities are  closed to traffic and as a result they them seem to be so much more alive cities than our own which are dominated by  vehicles.  Outside dining, la dolce vita.    I would think P.A. would have enough parking capacity to handle the parking space that would be eliminated.  We need  to encourage people to NOT drive if for no other reason than for the health of our planted.    Sincerely,    Dennis Ruby  45 Baumb, Nelly From:Jeff Welser <welser@stanfordalumni.org> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:26 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please allow "parklets" in Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Councilors ‐‐    As we're all aware, the pandemic has disproportionately hit many small businesses in our city, and in particular  restaurants.  I've been doing everything I can to support them through take‐out and delivery, and as we being to open  back up, I look forward to enjoying eating out again ‐‐ but now of course with the proper social distancing.  The  challenge of course will be those necessary precautions will impact capacity, and this is going to make it even harder for  restaurants to survive.    One thing that can help:  if the City Council could approve the establishment of "parklets" to allow expanded outdoor  seating in Palo Alto, it could greatly increase that capacity, while maintaining social distancing.  As you're aware, Menlo  Park already has these, and I always found the "vibe" these bring to the downtown there is really fantastic.   Introducing  them in PA would be a great improvement to the already vibrant scene there ‐‐ and is even more critical given the  aftermath of this crisis.    I realize these things always come with tradeoffs ‐‐ and obvious one being somewhat reduced parking in this case.  But  the great work you've done in expanding the number of multi‐story lots downtown has helped quite a bit already, and I  think the small impact parklets would have are well worth it to insure PA maintains the fantastic array of eating options  we all took for granted before COVID‐19.    Thanks for your support in advance!  Sincerely,  Jeff Welser    46 Baumb, Nelly From:Ali Alasti <ali.alasti@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:31 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please support downtown small businesses CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear council members,  I support any measures to help our downtown small businesses and restaurants.    Please consider rerouting traffic in the commercial section of  university Ave and  California Ave , even if just for a few months, to support our local restaurants. Let  pedestrians walk down the streets rather then the sidewalks so restaurants might turn  several more tables every lunch and dinner. This would hopefully help them get their  footing back.      A pedestrian only center will also create a warmer and more inviting downtown and  hopefully help undo the feeling of “extended business park” our downtown is becoming  .    The cost seems low and the potential benefits not only to restaurants but to our sense  of community is significant.      Please consider these ideas to help support our community and small businesses.    Ali Alasti    Palo Alto, 94301  Redacted 47 Baumb, Nelly From:Adriana Vascan (avascan) <avascan@cisco.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:32 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please make University Street pedestrian only CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  In order for businesses to have outdoor seating and stay alive..! This will benefit everyone’s mental health as well..    Thank you!  Adriana Vascan      48 Baumb, Nelly From:Edward Swenson (swenson) <swenson@cisco.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:32 PM To:Council, City Subject:Close California Avenue and University Avenue to Cars... we need Pedestrian Malls CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  The coronavirus has upended daily life in the United States. Tens of thousands have died, hundreds of thousands have confirmed infections. Social distancing and lockdowns have prevented worse health outcomes, but produced their own devastating economic effects, as business closed and laid off workers. While much of Palo Alto has escaped some of the worst of these effects, with a high tech workforce that can continue to work remotely, our business districts now resemble ghost towns. Only a few establishments are open for take out, or selling essential items like food or medicine or hardware.    The lockdown has not been without some bright spots. The air is cleaner. Traffic and noise are noticeably less than usual, although the light traffic has caused some concerns about speeding. People are spending more time together as families and finding things to do. Palo Alto is particularly fortunate with many parks, quiet residential neighborhoods, and excellent weather, making simply walking around an essential, pleasurable lockdown activity.   We all would like to get back to “normal” as soon as possible, but without a vaccine or cure it is likely that social distancing of some sort will be required for an extended period of time. Ideas such as wearing masks, setting tables farther apart in restaurants, etc. have been proposed to reduce the health risk while allowing some more economic activity.    Implementing and maintaining social distancing, while better than being completely closed, will still hamper the recovery of our treasured small businesses in our commercial districts. A restaurant with half the number of tables will likely still struggle. The US Chamber of Commerce estimates 40% of small businesses could close permanently due to the effects of the economic depression we are facing. What can be done to improve those odds locally ? Buying takeout and gift certificates are nice ideas, but we can do better.    University Avenue and California Avenue host dozens of businesses, many of which serve food and drinks. Even in normal times, the streets are no longer indispensable for traffic flow or parking, there are many alternative routes and places to park. Why not close the street to traffic on some blocks to become pedestrian malls, like Santa Monica’s Third Street or the center of almost every European city ? This is a widely used model to turn a shopping street into a destination.    Closing the streets to traffic allows the space to be used both by the businesses for outdoor tables, or lines, and their customers. Both are urgently needed in our initial reopening phase coming out of shelter in place orders. Businesses need the space to maintain capacity while providing the required separation. Customers need the space while walking down the street to maintain their distance. A simple plan might be parking spots for the businesses, while the streets become wide sidewalks. As things improve, new vendors may be allowed to set up in the streets, similar to the way farmers markets and art/wine festivals operate. Plenty of room could be used for bike parking to encourage local residents to visit.    The benefits of car-free business districts are many. The businesses will have a greater chance to survive and perhaps thrive with the extra space. People will enjoy their experience, and be more likely to come and linger. Encouraging residents to shop, eat, and drink in town will help our city close the predicted budget deficit, maintaining the services we enjoy. And of course, to the extent we can encourage biking and walking to these 49 districts, it reduces our carbon footprint. Traffic and pollution reduction has been the silver lining of this pandemic.    Thank you, we need to support our local businesses.   Edward D Swenson   Palo Alto CA 94306    650 353 6429  Redacted 50 Baumb, Nelly From:Ajay Juneja <ajayjuneja@me.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:35 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please close the downtown streets for additional seating! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Dear City of Palo Alto,    I would greatly appreciate it if, the streets of downtown palo alto were closed to help support the restaurants and coffee  shops with additional seating during this time of social distancing.  It would help Palo Alto businesses get back on their feet financially, faster.    Thank you,    Ajay  51 Baumb, Nelly From:Jeanine Kuczik <jekpharma@icloud.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:39 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please approve university ave to close to traffic and allow outdoor dining and strolling for the next few months. CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hello  We live on homer ave and totally support this initiative. What can we do to help make it happen soon?  Thank you!  Jeanine savello      Sent from my iPhone  52 Baumb, Nelly From:Lauralyn Curry-Leech <lauralyn.cl@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:49 PM To:Council, City Subject:Make University Ave a Pedestrian Zone CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hi there City Council,    I am writing today to urge you to shut down University Ave for the foreseeable future! Not only does it make sense right  now in this era of social distancing, it also makes sense for a more livable downtown area. Right now social distancing is  incredibly important, and to allow restaurants (who have already been struggling during shelter in place) a chance to  continue operating, if university Ave were made into a promenade with additional outdoor seating for restaurants in an  outdoor dining space, this would be beneficial for both concerns. Additionally, it would make the downtown area a  space that is free from the pollution and the dangers of cars. It would be a draw for families and  those wishing to visit  the retail and restaurants of downtown!    I hope you will consider making this change as soon as possible!    Thanks and all the best,  Lauralyn  53 Baumb, Nelly From:Pierre Fontarensky <pierrefontarensky@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:51 PM To:Council, City Subject:Close down University Ave CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    We envision a promenade similar to that of Santana Row where children, and all, can enjoy the outdoors without the  fear of and pollution from cars. We envision an outdoor dining space, similar to what you see in Menlo Park that creates  additional seating that would make social distancing possible, while allowing all restaurants to continue operating at  greater capacity.    Thanks,    Pierre Fontarensky  54 Baumb, Nelly From:mdesbard@accession.com Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:54 PM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets deployment CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  I am in favor of parklet deployment   This will avoid me to go to Menlo Park for DINER   Thanks for promoting and deploying ASAP  Best regards   M    Get Outlook for iOS  55 Baumb, Nelly From:Sabrina Corvo <sabrina.corvo@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:56 PM To:Council, City Subject:Consider to close down University Ave for the foreseeable future CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Hello,  I have been a Palo Alto resident for the last 33 years.  To help downtown business recover from the COVID‐19 Shelter In Place lock down PLEASE consider to close down  University Ave for the foreseeable future.    I envision a promenade similar to that of Santana Row or many European cities where children, and all, can enjoy the  outdoors without the fear of and pollution from cars.   I envision an outdoor dining space, similar to what you see in Menlo Park that creates additional seating that would  make social distancing possible, while allowing all restaurants to continue operating at greater capacity.     Thank you.        ‐‐     Sabrina Corvo  sabrina.corvo@gmail.com  56 Baumb, Nelly From:Clancy, Rory <Rory.Clancy@dolby.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:57 PM To:Council, City Subject:city st closures to save bars and restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on  links.  ________________________________    Hi  Your prompt action is needed to save these businesses.    Please close Cal Ave and University Ave to traffic and allow socially distant dining to proceed on these streets asap.    Thanks  Rory  Mid‐town resident  57 Baumb, Nelly From:Craig Persiko <craigpersiko@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 5:02 PM To:Council, City Cc:Betto Subject:Please close University Ave to cars CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.  Dear Palo Alto City Council,     I'm writing to ask you to open up University Avenue for outdoor dining and walking with social distancing. If you block  automobile access to University Ave, it will make the strip of restaurants and shops much more enjoyable and safe with  social distancing. I often go there by bicycle, to eat out, have ice cream, coffee, go shopping etc. but even car drivers will  be able to get around fine on the surrounding streets.    Thanks,  Craig Persiko