HomeMy Public PortalAbout20190826plCC3701-32
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: 08/26/2019
Document dates: 08/07/2019 – 08/14/2019
Set 3 of 3
Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet
reproduction in a given week.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Katherine Craig <kmcraig@pacbell.net>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 8:55 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:The Market at Edgewood
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 writing to you in support of the Market at Edgewood. My family and I go there at least three or four times each
week and it is wonderful to have a grocery store that we can walk our dog to (the dog loves it too–he gets tons of
attention there!). Please support the store and keep it here.
All my best,
Katherine
Katherine M. Craig
kmcraig@pacbell.net
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Caroline Peres <cperes@comcast.net>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 9:06 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please keep supporting The Market at Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council
My family has lived on Channing Avenue (close to Greer) the last 9 years. We moved in when our
son started Kindergarten. He is starting High School tomorrow! This is a great place to raise a family.
We are a dual income family, with relatives leaving far away. It is not always easy to juggle work and
family. One thing which is extremely helpful is having a grocery store walking distance from our house
(The Market). It makes it easy to get dinner and feed veggies and fruits to our kids.
In addition, the kids love going to the Market on minimal days or days of Summer to grab lunch with
their friends. And it is nice for us to know they are in a safe place.
With all that, my family is asking that the City Council does all in its power to keep The Market at
Edgewood.
Thank you very much
Caroline Peres
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Ken <lowdown1@comcast.net>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 9:51 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood shopping center
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Please consider retaining the requirement for the Market. The Shopping Center has benefited greatly as a
neighborhood hub and provides great employment. i frequent the center 3‐4 times per week. Having a local shopping
center decreases that otherwise traffic and pollution to go other stores 3 miles away
Also consider the ethics of the Realty Company. When originally designed, they were to retain 2 existing structures. One
"mistakenly" was torn done and I was amazed how rapidly the new structures were built, considering that there was not
sufficient time for plans to be drawn up and passed by the City.
I see no reason why they should not be held to the original agreement ans they have greatly profited in many ways.
Kenneth Low
Rhodes Drive
--
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Gary Hammer <garylhammer@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 10:01 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Support for requiring a grocery store at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
PLEASE retain the requirement of a functioning grocery store at Edgewood Plaza. This is an extremely important part of
life in this whole segment of Palo Alto (several neighborhoods), and was the most important public benefit of the deal
struck with the shopping center owner/developers.
Palo Alto has been way too lenient on its public benefit requirements in the past. Please do not do the same again here.
In this case, the store also happens to be a terrific part of the community: nice management & staff, who listen to
community input and respond with appropriate offerings.
Thank you,
Gary Hammer
Sharon Court
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Barbara Shufro <barbarashufro@hotmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 10:29 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:re: support for The Market at Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council Members,
This is to express our support for the Market at Edgewood, where I shop at least three times a week, and often
arrive by bicycle or walk. Having this market nearby is a great community resource and adds to the quality of
life here. I urge you to support it,
Thank you.
Barbara Shufro and David Steuer
Addison Ave.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Cecilia Willer <cecilia_willer@yahoo.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 7:56 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:The Market at Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
I am writing to beg you not to remove The Market at Edgewood. It is a great market and we shop
there several times a week. The employees there are amazing and the store is such a community
place. It is so much different from what had previously been there. It actually sells healthy quality
food versus the prior grocery store that sold mainly candy and junk.
I implore you not to remove this market. I bike there and converse with the staff. It is such a
welcoming store. We need this in our community. It's not a chain like Whole Foods/Amazon. It is a
caring and open market that caters to our community.
Thank you for keeping this in the neighborhood.
Cecilia Willer
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, CA 94301
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:elenac1128@yahoo.com
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 10:53 AM
To:planning.comission@cityofpaloalto.org; Council, City; French, Amy
Subject:Castilleja expansion
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear sirs/madams,
My family live two blocks from Castilleja(Casti) on 1570 Bryant St. Everyday my driving is tensed
because traffic is congested during their drop off and pick up times. The traffic conductors provided
by Casti during their busy times but it's like driving out of a concert everyday. I believe Casti
encourage their girls to bike. However majority of the girls don't live close by. Casti usually accept
one to two girls from our local elementary public schools and not that many of the local public school
girls applied. I would say it's less than 40% of their girls can bike or walk to school.
Also, Casti's location is right near the populated hubs/facilities: Paly, Stanford University, Stanford
hospital and Pamp hospital. So many cars, buses are driving both lanes on Embarcadero St, El
Camino Real and bikes on Bryant St already. I can't believe how's the traffic and the environment like
when there are big constructions and when school is expanded. Or any catastrophes
happened...........
Casti is a wonderful school BUT it needs to consider and respect the residential neighborhood. I
truly hope your committee will have a fair and honest review of their plans. Thank you
Sincerely,
Elena Chiu
{REDACTED}, Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Albert Henning <albertkhenning@yahoo.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 11:52 AM
To:Council, City
Cc:Fbmills; Kevin Mills; Caroline Hicks; Bert Fingerhut; Lee and Kathy Merkle-Raymond
Subject:Edgewood Shopping Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear members of the Palo Alto City Council,
I understand you had a closed meeting yesterday, August 12, to discuss whether to appeal the 2017
court ruling, stating an operating grocery store at Edgewood Plaza is not specified in the language of
the City's contract with the developer.
I hope you arrived at the correct conclusion: that the City should and must appeal; that the judge's
ruling is flawed, and that the Developer's assertion is incorrect.
This development has been fraught from the beginning. The City has made numerous mistakes,
especially with respect to the contract and its execution. Please do not add to the store of mistakes.
Please ensure that this resource -- so essential for the services and employment it provides, not only
to our neighborhood and our local community, but to many others in the City, to neighboring cities
(especially East Palo Alto), and to the values we as a City project -- is sustained viably.
Sincerely,
Al Henning
=======
Albert K. Henning, PhD
{REDACTED} Palo Alto, CA 94303
{REDACTED} (mobile)
albertkhenning@yahoo.com
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Catherine Crystal Foster <catherine.crystal.foster@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 12:15 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:Jon Foster; Eric Foster; David Foster
Subject:In support of the Market at Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
As a neighbor to the wonderful Market at Edgewood, I can say what an incredible benefit to our community it has been
to have this market here. The staff are friendly, the offerings are wonderful, and – most important – having this grocery
in the neighborhood means I don’t need to get into my car to get last‐minute items or produce. It helps Palo Alto as a
whole that cars that would be clogging the roads driving to midtown or Trader Joe’s are sitting in the driveway instead.
Edgewood brings neighbors together, and is a great place for local kids to meet up and get something to eat. Please,
please, please ensure that Edgewood always has a supermarket.
Thanks,
Catherine Crystal Foster
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Richard H Schwartz <rhslaw@mac.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 1:28 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Plaza Issue
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Dear Council Members,
As I have been out of town recently, I am just catching up with current Council events. I understand the Edgewood
Plaza/Grocery Store matter is being discussed in regards to the potential filing of an appeal from the Superior Court’s
prior unfavorable ruling. I strongly urge the Council to pursue an appeal of this poorly reasoned Superior Court ruling.
The developers are brazenly attempting to circumvent the negotiated tradeoffs made by weaseling out of their
commitments to the City of Palo Alto and it's residents. The developers are unfairly seeking to reap an undo economic
advantage both in walking away from the fines that were reasonably levied by the City and the developer’s commitment
to make sure that a viable grocery store operated in that space.
Please pursue this matter and fight for holding the developers to the terms of the deal that was struck and benefits the
entire City of Palo Alto.
Sincerely,
Rick Schwartz
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Sam Peck <speck123@comcast.net>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 1:31 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:The Market at Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
To the City Council:
I am pleading with you to do whatever is necessary to keep The Market at Edgewood. It is a true asset to the
neighborhood and one that many of us rely on. We went so long without a market and now that we finally have one, we
need to make sure we can keep it!
Sincerely,
Sara Peck
Wildwood Lane
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Catherine Bannon <catherine@bannons.org>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 3:49 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Grocery Store
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Dear City Council,
I love having a neighborhood grocery store at Edgewood Market! It’s easy to bike to and makes it easier to cook at
home. It’s such a hassle to drive across town to get to Safeway and even Whole Foods during certain times of the day. I
love the produce and meats that are available at The Market. I hope that the city can do everything in its power to
support this business!
Thank you so much,
Catherine Bannon
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Carole Mullowney <carolemull@comcast.net>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 3:51 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:The Market at Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
I cannot begin to express how important The Market is to the Crescent Park Community.
Having a neighborhood market is such a wonderful thing!
Sincerely,
Carole Mullowney
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, CA 94301
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Richard Almond <rjalmond@stanford.edu>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 5:36 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:grocery
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Unlike many, I do not feel extraordinary steps need to be taken to keep a grocery at Edgewood. The one there
has great produce, but a rather upscale offering otherwise, not the best for a store that should cater to EPA as
well as PA. I'm fine with Piazza's.
Richard Almond, MD
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Opinion pieces and other recommendations may not always be responded to quickly, due to time constraints, but they are appreciated.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Linda Henigin <linda@brail.org>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 9:01 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Appeal the 2017 Ruling regarding Sand Hill Properties
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear council members,
I am writing to express my strong support for our City to file a strong appeal to the 2017 ruling that allowed Sand Hill
Properties to stop paying their fines for not living up to their development agreement at Edgewood Plaza. I strongly
request that under no circumstances should you negotiate away requiring an operating grocery store at that site. The
Developer agreed to the condition when they redeveloped the property and built their 10 private homes, which they sold
for over $3 million each. They assured us at that time that they were "experts" and would have "no problem" filling the
space with an operating grocery store. They need to be held to their word, and they need to pay the back fines for the
time that they were out of compliance.
The independent administrative hearing official already ruled in the City's favor, so we have a good case. We need to
file the strongest possible appeal to force Sand Hill Properties to honor their agreements.
thank you,
Linda Henigin
{REDACTED}, Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Cathy Mathieu <cathymathieu@gmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday, August 14, 2019 11:20 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:A walkable Grocery Store
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
My husband & I are delighted with The Market at Edgewood. It took 2 years for this excellent market to arrive in our
neighborhood. We don’t want to lose it.
Regards,
Catherine Mathieu & John Hyde
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Nadia Naik <nadianaik@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 1:15 PM
To:Gaines, Chantal
Cc:Rice, Danille; Shikada, Ed; apexstr@pacbell.net; etty.mercurio@aecom.com;
millette.litzinger@aecom.com; Council, City
Subject:Clarifying questions for City Staff Report on RBRC
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hi Chantal,
I have several clarifying questions on the Staff Report related to the formation of the Rail Blue Ribbon
Committee being proposed:
Would Liz Kniss and Eric Filseth be able to appoint members to the RBRC given they're conflicted on
rail?
If FPPC rules after the formation of RBRC that Liz and Eric are no longer conflicted, then would they be
able to make appointments?
What is legal conflict of interest zone - ie would it be a distance from the entire ROW or only
intersections that would be impacted? What about the station areas that could be recommended for
improvements?
And would the conflict of interest zone be 1000 feet or 500 feet?
Do the former electeds still need to live in PA?
What if former electeds currently serve in another elected position, does that make them ineligible?
Since the timeline for the RBRC could be lengthy, what if a former elected is appointed to RBRC and
then decides to run for council?
I'd like to request that you share the responses to these questions with all XCAP members in advance of the
CC meeting on Monday.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Nadia
On Sun, Aug 11, 2019 at 10:34 PM Gaines, Chantal <Chantal.Gaines@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote:
Hello XCAP Members,
2
I hope you are all well. I wanted to send a copy of a recent report that is going to City
Council on August 19, 2019. It is a report about the establishment of a Rail Blue Ribbon
Committee to advise the City Council on the Selection, Funding, and Support for Grade
Separation Projects. This recommendation is going to the City Council as a response to
the City Council's interest in additional engagement. Please see the links below for more
information and let me know if you have any questions.
Council
Agenda: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?t=43366.45&BlobID=72894
Staff
Report: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?t=59253.98&BlobID=72902
Thanks!
Chantal C. G.
Chantal C. Gaines | Assistant to the City Manager
250 Hamilton Avenue | Palo Alto, CA 94301
D: 650.329.2572 | E: Chantal.Gaines@cityofpaloalto.org
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Phil Burton <philip-b@comcast.net>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 1:44 PM
To:'Nadia Naik'; Gaines, Chantal
Cc:Rice, Danille; Shikada, Ed; apexstr@pacbell.net; etty.mercurio@aecom.com;
millette.litzinger@aecom.com; Council, City
Subject:RE: Clarifying questions for City Staff Report on RBRC
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
To Nadia’s list I would like to add the following:
How would the role of the xCAP change, once the RBRC is active?
Would xCAP members be permitted to attend public meetings of the RBRC? Would RBRC members be
permitted to attend xCAP meetings?
Is contact between RBRC members and xCAP members encouraged? Permitted? Not allowed?
What is the role of City staff in supporting the members of the RBRC?
How would the Council’s schedule for making final decisions on the grade crossing separation projects (Oct.
2019 ?) be affected by the operation of the RBRC?
What are the criteria for ending the operation of the RBRC?
Phil Burton
From: Nadia Naik [mailto:nadianaik@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, August 12, 2019 1:15 PM
To: Gaines, Chantal <Chantal.Gaines@cityofpaloalto.org>
Cc: Rice, Danille <Danille.Rice@cityofpaloalto.org>; Shikada, Ed <Ed.Shikada@cityofpaloalto.org>; apexstr@pacbell.net;
etty.mercurio@aecom.com; millette.litzinger@aecom.com; city.council@cityofpaloalto.org
Subject: Clarifying questions for City Staff Report on RBRC
Hi Chantal,
I have several clarifying questions on the Staff Report related to the formation of the Rail Blue
Ribbon Committee being proposed:
Would Liz Kniss and Eric Filseth be able to appoint members to the RBRC given they're
conflicted on rail?
If FPPC rules after the formation of RBRC that Liz and Eric are no longer conflicted, then would
they be able to make appointments?
2
What is legal conflict of interest zone - ie would it be a distance from the entire ROW or only
intersections that would be impacted? What about the station areas that could be
recommended for improvements?
And would the conflict of interest zone be 1000 feet or 500 feet?
Do the former electeds still need to live in PA?
What if former electeds currently serve in another elected position, does that make them
ineligible?
Since the timeline for the RBRC could be lengthy, what if a former elected is appointed to
RBRC and then decides to run for council?
I'd like to request that you share the responses to these questions with all XCAP members in advance
of the CC meeting on Monday.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Nadia
On Sun, Aug 11, 2019 at 10:34 PM Gaines, Chantal <Chantal.Gaines@cityofpaloalto.org> wrote:
Hello XCAP Members,
I hope you are all well. I wanted to send a copy of a recent report that is going to City
Council on August 19, 2019. It is a report about the establishment of a Rail Blue Ribbon
Committee to advise the City Council on the Selection, Funding, and Support for Grade
Separation Projects. This recommendation is going to the City Council as a response to
the City Council's interest in additional engagement. Please see the links below for more
information and let me know if you have any questions.
Council
Agenda: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?t=43366.45&BlobID=72894
Staff
Report: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?t=59253.98&BlobID=72902
Thanks!
Chantal C. G.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Nancy Madsen <nl.madsen@yahoo.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 8:08 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:ABAG
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
I am writing to comment on the 02 PBA50 Draft Growth Forecast Methodology.
The current methodology is driven by the assumption that aggressive job growth will occur in priority
development areas. This assumption should be eliminated. Instead the methodology should be based on a
range of more moderate and balanced projections of jobs and housing over a greater geographical area.
Finally, the technical discussion should be an open, public process that provides a clear opportunity for other
points of view to be heard.
Thanks for taking my point of view into account.
Regards,
Nancy Madsen
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Rebecca Sanders <rebsanders@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 2:05 PM
To:Planning Commission; Council, City
Cc:Furman, Sheri; Castilleja Expansion
Subject:Advocating for a Meaningful and Accurate EIR for Castilleja
Attachments:PAN Castilleja Letter.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
August 13, 2019
Dear City Council Members and Planning and Transportation Commissioners:
At the August meeting of Palo Alto Neighborhoods, our membership voted to request formally that the Final Castilleja
Environment Impact Report (FEIR) include — as required by law — the impacts of other significant developments as part
of the cumulative impact of Castilleja’s expansion plans. The Draft EIR excludes this important analysis.
Specifically, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that an EIR specifically include the cumulative
impacts of a project (see Section 15130 http://resources.ca.gov/ceqa/guidelines/art9.html; see also Section 15355.
http://resources.ca.gov/ceqa/guidelines/art20.html):
"When analyzing the cumulative impacts of a project under 15130 (b)(1)(A), the Lead Agency is required to
discuss not only approved projects under construction and approved related projects not yet under construction,
but also unapproved projects currently under environmental review with related impacts or which result in
significant cumulative impacts."
Of the many projects currently planned in and around Palo Alto, two will have particularly severe impacts:
1. The Stanford Medical Center project is nearing completion. Therefore, any traffic analysis must be adjusted by
projected increases from the Stanford Medical Center. As some of the increased traffic from the Stanford
Medical Center will travel along Embarcadero Road, a roadway also impacted by the Castilleja project, the
impacts of these projects are clearly and cumulatively quite considerable.
2. The new Stanford University General Use Permit (GUP) is currently under consideration by Santa Clara County.
This will increase traffic from Stanford University along Embarcadero Road as well. Again, the impacts of the
new GUP are clearly and cumulatively quite considerable. The DEIR and the analysis provided by the consultants
point to the projects' significant impacts on Palo Alto. Certainly, the GUP must be included in Castilleja’s EIR.
(See https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/63291; DEIR, page 47; and Hexagon
Transportation Consultants analysis of the DEIR, page 65.)
Oddly enough, Stanford is never mentioned in Castilleja’s DEIR. (Please see
http://cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/72444.) Castilleja is situated on Embarcadero just blocks from
Stanford, yet no impact will ensue? Is there no need to consider the possibly hundreds of extra car trips likely caused by
Stanford's expansion? Castilleja will be accommodating more cars than ever in its proposed new garage. Those cars will
have to arrive at and leave from campus somehow. As reported in the Weekly and elsewhere, the City is asking Stanford
to pay millions of dollars in fees to mitigate the impacts of the GUP. (Please see:
https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2019/02/05/palo‐alto‐seeks‐more‐influence‐on‐stanford‐expansion.)
2
What are the historical trends of traffic congestion on Embarcadero? If it has been getting more congested over past
decades, has the study projected what the congestion will be like in 10, 20, and 30 years, all of which are relatively short
compared to the lifetime of Castilleja and other traffic producers in this part of Palo Alto?
While we have specifically cited the traffic impacts, we request all cumulative impacts be considered for these three
projects taken together. If the Stanford GUP and the Stanford GUP FEIR are approved before the preparation of the
Castilleja FEIR, then the Castilleja FEIR can consider the approved Stanford University General Use Permit. Otherwise,
the Castilleja FEIR must consider the highest impacts of any of the alternatives considered in the Stanford DEIR, including
its recirculation.
Additionally, the CEQA analysis of the Castilleja project, as stipulated by law and affirmed by the courts, must not be
segmented. Please see section 15378(a) where “‘Project' means the whole of an action." So even if the Castilleja project
is constructed incrementally, it must be considered for purposes of CEQA as one project.
Which of the dozens of construction projects in the pipeline at any one time should be included in a DEIR? Again CEQA
offers guidance:
"This analysis should include a discussion of projects under review by the Lead Agency and projects under review
by other relevant public agencies, using reasonable efforts to discover, disclose, and discuss the other related
projects. The cumulative impact analysis requires a discussion of projects with related cumulative impacts which
required EIRs, Negative Declarations, or were exempt from CEQA. (See: San Franciscans for Reasonable Growth v.
City and County of San Francisco, (1984) 151 Cal. App. 3d 61.) The court in SFFRG took note of the problem of
where to draw the line on projects undergoing environmental review since application of new projects are
constantly being submitted. A reasonable point might be after the preparation of the draft EIR. Additional project
information could be included in the final EIR if cumulative impacts were originally analyzed in the draft EIR and if
the new project information doesn't warrant the preparation of a subsequent or supplemental EIR as required by
Section 15162 of the Guidelines."
Another concern we have is that the additional traffic on Embarcadero will rule out a major grade‐crossing option
currently being studied by the City, namely the possibility of partly closing Churchill at Alma. That closure could have a
significant benefit for the safety of students at Palo Alto High School. While no DEIR is yet available for the closure and
the City may not opt to pursue that option, we think it’s appropriate for the DEIR to address whether any additional
traffic will be diverted by a Churchill closure onto Embarcadero, including trips associated with the projected Castilleja
growth. The cumulative impacts would further contribute to traffic problems on Embarcadero and thus reduce or
remove the possibility to close Churchill. Again, that option is currently being analyzed by the CIty.
We believe it is vitally important that the inadequate and incomplete Castilleja DEIR include these additional projects
and address these additional concerns we have put before you.
As our elected leaders and public servants, we trust you and rely on you to uphold the laws which protect and guide us
and which must apply equally to all of us.
Thank you.
Becky Sanders
Sheri Furman
Co‐Chairs
Palo Alto Neighborhoods
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Shikada, Ed
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 8:35 PM
To:Ryan Globus
Cc:Council, City
Subject:RE: Caltrain Trespasser near Churchill - Are Cameras Working?
Thank you Mr. Globus, we will look into this.
Best,
‐‐Ed
Ed Shikada
City Manager
250 Hamilton Avenue | Palo Alto, CA 94301
Ph: (650) 329-2280
ed.shikada@cityofpaloalto.org
From: Ryan Globus <ryanglobus@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 10, 2019 8:30:10 PM
To: Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>
Subject: Caltrain Trespasser near Churchill ‐ Are Cameras Working?
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
To the Palo Alto City Council,
This morning I was biking to Town & Country along the bike trail parallel to Caltrain, near Churchill, when I saw a man
enter the tracks around 9:55. He looked like he was going for a run. I was trying to figure out what to do when, about 10‐
30 seconds after he entered the track area, the crossing guards began to sound and a northbound Caltrain passed.
Luckily, the man was not injured. He casually retrieved a soccer ball and ran back to Churchill.
I know that Palo Alto recently installed cameras to monitor trespassing, and I was alarmed that they may have done
nothing. The City says they have loudspeakers to direct trespassers, yet they were not used. Caltrain usually announces
when it enables emergency braking on its Twitter account, yet did not do so, which leads me to worry that the engineer
had no idea there was a trespasser. Would someone from the city please investigate this incident?
There appears to be a strong possibly the camera system did nothing. Given the number of fatal incidents near Caltrain
crossings, this is very concerning.
I believe the train was a Giants special train #607. I have included a picture of the man and a map showing roughly
where the incident occurred (maybe a couple hundred feet north of the pin).
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
2
Ryan Globus
Midtown Resident
3
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:John Bender <bender@stanford.edu>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 4:13 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Castilleja
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Dear Council,
As a property owner and long‐time resident of Palo Alto,
I support the proposed expansion of Castilleja School
Yours truly,
John Bender
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Pria Graves <priag@birketthouse.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 3:06 PM
To:Planning Commission
Cc:Council, City; Castilleja Expansion
Subject:Castilleja DEIR
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links.
________________________________
Dear Planning Commissioners,
I have many concerns about Castilleja’s proposed expansion.
First, as a cyclist who regularly uses the Bryant Street bike boulevard, the expected increase in traffic in that area is
unacceptable and will increase risks to cyclists. I’m particularly concerned about the traffic turning off Embarcadero to
enter the proposed underground garage. Many drivers seem to feel that it’s ok to make a right on red regardless of
whether there is cross traffic, especially if that traffic happens to be a cyclist. Adding a major garage entrance just
around the corner is likely to exacerbate this problem.
In addition, the construction process itself will make the bike boulevard essentially unusable for years. There is simply no
way to manage an excavation of that scale without impacting the surrounding area. Even if the City intends to impose
special rules on where the trucks and equipment necessary may travel/park/etc., such regulations have been
demonstrated repeatedly to be ineffective. Enforcement is always inadequate. The hazard to cyclists attempting to
pass the site will be enormous.
Second, the idea of allowing the removal of protected mature oaks and redwoods is absurd. Apart from the damage to
the aesthetics of the neighborhood, in a time of looming climate change, we need to keep all the trees we have. Please
do not support the idea that there are sufficient “overriding benefits” to justify their removal.
Finally, apart from these two specific concerns of mine, there is the whole issue of how much growth is enough. As
economist Kenneth Boulding said, "Anyone who believes exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either
a madman or an economist.” It’s time for us to wake up and realize that we need to learn to live sustainably and that
doesn’t mean build, build, build!
Thank you.
Regards,
Pria Graves
{REDACTED}
650.493.2153
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:William F Fearon <wfearon@stanford.edu>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 8:02 PM
To:Planning Commission; Council, City; Castilleja Expansion
Subject:Castilleja School Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)
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attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Planning and Transportation Commission,
I am writing to express my full support of Castilleja School’s Draft Environmental Impact Report. It appears that they
have addressed the requirements of the City and have done their best to meet the demands of the neighborhood.
Thank you for your consideration,
Bill Fearon
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Joseph Rolfe <joerolfe@comcast.net>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 11:32 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Castilleja Expansion
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attachments and clicking on links.
Planning & Transportation Commission
Comments for the Regular Meeting
August 14, 2019
Castilleja School expansion is the Action Item on the Agenda for this meeting. We fear that in the
discussion of what stays and what gets demolished, etc., one great and overarching question is not
receiving attention. Castilleja has very ambitious plans for expansion. The school facility that would
result does not even belong in this neighborhood.
There are several major considerations:
Castilleja is on a path of consistent growth and would wind up with the greatest student density of any
public or private school in Palo Alto. The traffic and congestion impact on the neighborhood would
inevitably be horrendous. The great majority of pedagogical theory recommends separating the
middle and high schools for many reasons. However, any discussions about plans to separate the
middle and high school campuses have been summarily (and in our minds arrogantly) rejected.
The plans indicate that Castilleja would change the entire nature of the neighborhood. Is this what we
want for a very old residential neighborhood? We believe that there are far better ways for Castilleja
to realize their ambitions. The best solution is to move the campus completely to a new location.
Have solutions to building a new campus such as a land swap with Stanford been explored? Stanford
would welcome the chance to built faculty and staff housing on 6+ acres five blocks from campus.
Possibly, a third-party developer might be interested. Also, Castilleja has shown that they are able to
raise any amount of money for any project they would like to do. Castilleja has summarily (and in our
minds arrogantly) rejected any discussion of building a new campus or splitting the campus.
Finally, for this letter, the Castilleja girls would be poorly served by the required temporary buildings
and facilities needed during the demolition and reconstruction of the current campus. We do not
believe that the neighbors would tolerate five years of demolition work.
We certainly believe in educating girls and young women, but this is a disruptive proposal that would
change the neighborhood totally. There are far better ways for Castilleja to achieve its goals.
Joe Rolfe
Diane Rolfe
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:James Poppy <jamespoppy@comcast.net>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 9:30 AM
To:French, Amy; Planning Commission; Council, City; Castilleja Expansion
Subject:Castilleja garage ingress/egress needs to be studied by EIR
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links.
________________________________
Ms. French,
Why would the planning department allow Castilleja to even consider a single garage entrance on the Bryant Bike
Boulevard, with egress back onto Bryant? Safe Routes to school told me that you are supposed to protect cyclists, but
you appear to only be concerned with getting Castilleja’s plans approved.
Please explain how the traffic flow would work. This must be studied carefully by the EIR. Currently it merely states that
the DAILY volume of traffic is OK for a Bike Boulevard and does not mention the additional 100+ cars that would
converge on the single entrance at peak times (or be avoided, leading to dangerous drop‐offs on side streets).
Sincerely,
Jim Poppy
Melville Ave.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Sydney Larson <sydney.a.larson@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 6:32 PM
To:Planning Commission; Council, City; Castilleja Expansion
Subject:Castilleja project
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Hi,
I am writing to express my strong support for Castilleja's proposed development project. Castilleja is an integral member
of the Palo Alto and our broader Silicon Valley community and has been for over 100 years. The education it provides
young women is unparalleled and it would be such an incredible opportunity for more women to experience.
I hope that you will support this project.
Best,
Sydney Larson
‐‐
_____________________________________
Sydney Larson
sydney.a.larson@gmail.com
408.802.3694
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Hamilton Hitchings <hitchingsh@yahoo.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 3:16 PM
To:Planning Commission; Castilleja Expansion
Cc:Council, City
Subject:Castilleja Expansion DEIR Public Comments
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Dear PTC,
The following are my comments to the Castilleja Expansion DEIR.
Please limit the growth of the Castilleja Expansion to a maximum student body size of 500
students. Also please do not approve of the underground parking garage.
For 12 years Castilleja exceeded its conditional use permit for student size and should not be now let
off the hook on fully mitigating its impacts. Furthermore, only 25% of the student body comes from
Palo Alto. The current student body size is more than large enough to handle all current and future
Palo Altans students. Thus the expansion is for the sole benefit of out of town commuting
students. Yet the DEIR admits there are significant unavoidable traffic impacts to Embarcadero,
Alma and neighborhood streets, which will continue to compound over time. The best way to mitigate
this is to limit the size of the expansion to 500 students and do all the proposed traffic
mitigation. There is no reason Castilleja should not maintain or shrink their traffic footprint.
Adding a garage with its only entrance into and out of it, onto Bryant Street, which is a bicycle
boulevard is not only unsafe, but shows a serious lack of commitment to bicycle usage in the
city. Bryant street bicycle boulevard is a direct feeder into downtown Palo Alto and with so many cars
entering and exiting the garage each day, will be a major set back for bicycle commuting in the city.
We also need to protect our urban canopy and this project's plan to remove mature oak trees is an
environmental step backwards.
Thank you.
Hamilton Hitchings
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Melissa Beville Kepner <mkepner@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 7:17 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Castilleja School Proposal - Please Pass
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Dear City of Palo Alto City Council,
As a long time supporter of girls education in a world where educating girls to be strong, confident citizens is all the
more important, I am writing to express my support for Castilleja School.
The school needs to modernize and it's new plan will help bring women's education to the next generation.
Please pass their proposal.
Thank you.
Regards,
Melissa Kepner‐‐
Melissa B. Kepner
(650) 851‐4499 H
(415) 846‐6161 C
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Bob Kocher <bobkocher37@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, August 9, 2019 7:06 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Support for Castilleja
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attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council of Palo Alto,
Our family is an Old Palo Alto neighbor to Castilleja, living on Emerson Street for the past 9 years, and we are supportive of Castilleja’s new
campus. Having an exceptional school in our community is an asset – attracting talented girls and families, increasing engagement and volunteer
work in our community, and adding vibrancy to our neighborhood.
We have been impressed by Castilleja’s sensitivity to the neighborhood. Castilleja makes a great effort to minimize traffic, on‐street parking, and
adapting their redevelopment plans to minimize impact on our community. Castilleja has done a good job at meaningfully reducing traffic by
creating car pools, using of CalTrain and buses, and by encouraging biking.
Our community is benefitting from the investments in our community. We appreciate our neighbors rebuilding and improving their homes, Palo
Alto investing in infrastructure, school, and parks, the growth of local businesses, and Stanford’s success attracting world class students and
faculty. We should be thrilled that Castilleja is proposing to invest millions in our neighborhood to enhance one of the best girls school in the
country. This is good for our property values, tax revenues for Palo Alto, and makes Palo Alto more attractive for families and businesses.
When one reviews the plans, the thoughtfulness is impressive. The proposal is environmentally awesome, reduces noise and blends
more gracefully into the neighborhood, and creates underground parking which reduces cars on the streets. I am confident that Castilleja
will continue to be a good neighbor and enrich our community.
Thank you for carefully overseeing the project on all of our behalf.
Sincerely,
Bob Kocher
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, CA 94301
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:James Poppy <jpoppy55@icloud.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 10:45 AM
To:Planning Commission; Council, City; Castilleja Expansion
Cc:gsheyner@paweekly.com
Subject:Castilleja DEIR ignores bicycle safety on Bryant, re-routed traffic flow
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Castilleja DEIR ignores bicycle safety on Bryant and re-routed traffic to a
single garage entrance.
Hello PTC,
Please refer to the Castilleja DEIR Appendix E Traffic Impacts Analysis.
The document does not address or measure the number of cyclists at peak times
of the day, at Embarcadero and Bryant, Bryant and Kellogg, or Bryant and
Churchill (which is already a dangerous intersection at peak school times with
Paly).
The document does not address the issue of traffic being re-routed from the
current flow (surface level dropoffs on Bryant and on Kellogg) to a single
subterranean entrance on Bryant, requiring a left-hand turn by motorists traveling
south on Bryant who would have normally dropped off students on Kellogg.
CURRENT TRAFFIC FLOW - 2 SURFACE-LEVEL DROPOFFS
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
With traffic re-routed to a single entrance, traffic will be allowed to converge from
both directions on Kellogg -- west from Waverly, and east from Emerson/Alma.
Currently, traffic can only approach the Kellogg dropoff point from the westbound
direction. If cars approach the garage from eastbound Kellogg, they will have to
2
negotiate a lefthand turn onto Bryant, into oncoming bikes and cars on Bryant,
and from eastbound cars on Kellogg trying to turn right onto Bryant.
PROPOSED TRAFFIC FLOW - 1 ENTRANCE FOR 5 APPROACHES
To help prprivacy, Mprevented download from the In
Therefore, the single garage entrance would be the destination for all cars from 5
different directions. How can that be safe for cyclists?
The document only refers to the number of seconds (14) needed to avoid queuing
on Bryant, but the document does not specify where the queuing occurs. Queuing
could easily happen on both sides of Bryant, because cyclists also need to get
through that area. Cyclists include commuters and students to high school and
middle school.
It is very easy to imagine how motorists would be discouraged from having to
negotiate a street crowded with cars waiting to turn left across traffic and cyclists
trying to get to their destination, and simply choose to drop off students on side
streets.
The Appendix only refers to daily volumes of cars on Bryant, stating that it would
remain under the 2,000 threshold of DAILY car trips. There will be at least 200
additional car trips per day with the proposed plan, and they would be
concentrated during peak times.
Bicycle traffic should be measured at peak commute and school times in
order to accurately evaluate how the flow of cars into a single entrance
would be impacted. Bicycle safety must be a priority.
A revised traffic study must be done to evaluate the impact of re-routing
traffic from 2 dropoffs, and how that will impact queuing on Bryant, and on
Kellogg, as there will certainly be more cars traveling in all directions.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:just sayin <send.kin.mail@gmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday, August 7, 2019 11:56 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Charleston Arastradero corridor
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Dear Council Members,
I'm a home owner on Maybell Ave.
My daily commute takes me pass by the unbelievably senseless Charleston Arastradero corridor twice a day.
I couldn't help but wonder the danger the jetting dividers/barriers jet pose
to drivers young and old, and someday maybe myself.
For the good of all the people who relies on Arastradero daily, please remove the barriers ASAP!
Sincerely,
‐kin
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Elke MacGregor <bemacgregor@earthlink.net>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 7:12 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Charleston Arastraswro rrow
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links.
________________________________
Esteemed Council members
I just biked along Charleston Arastradero end to end and Love, love, love the improvements.
Our children bicycle from our house to Gunn Highschool daily and I really appreciate the improved safety measures. My
husband and I bicycle along this road two to three times per week as well. We thank you for your continued support of
this bicycle friendly connection between Palo Alto residences, the foothills and multiple schools.
With appreciation,
Elke MacGregor and Family
55 Roosevelt Circle
Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Kate Shrout <kate.shrout@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 12:23 PM
To:Planning Commission; Council, City; Castilleja Expansion
Subject:Comment in Support of Castilleja
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To whom it may concern:
I own a home on the 100 block of Rinconada in Old Palo Alto, and have lived there for 3 years. I'm writing in support of
Casti's proposed plans. I do not have children and do not have any relatives who attend Casti. Even though I don't have
a tie to the school, I strongly support its mission and goals to provide top‐tier education to the next generation of
women leaders.
Regards,
Kate Shrout
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Nelson Ng <lofujai@ymail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 5:41 PM
To:Planning Commission; Lait, Jonathan
Cc:Council, City
Subject:Comment on traffic study for Castilleja DEIR
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To the Planning Director and Planning and Transportation Commission,
My name is Nelson Ng. I live at 1260 Emerson Street directly across from the 1263 Emerson Street known as
the Lockey House that is owned by Castilleja School.
I found that the DEIR published for Castilleja’s Expansion is incomplete and the basis for analysis is fatally
flawed. The baseline traffic study was based on only three days – January 26, 2017; May 16, 2017 and April 10,
2019. These days were mid‐week and the data was based on Castilleja’s self survey and vehicle counts. To
provide a more accurate understanding of the project and its impacts, what should be evaluated in the traffic
study for Castilleja’s proposed project are:
Current traffic counts for the full neighborhood (including nearby Palo Alto High School) for a full week while
Castilleja and Palo Alto High is in session. The traffic count should include vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.
This traffic count should be signed off by a Castilleja official certifying that the count is accurate. Bicyclists, both
adult commuters and school children make up the majority of traffic on the Bryant street bike boulevard and
should be included.
Traffic should be counted (car and bike/pedestrians/other) for the full neighborhood for a full week while
o Castilleja and Palo Alto High are in session.
o Castilleja is not in session while Palo Alto High is in session.
o Palo Alto High School is not in session while Castilleja is in session
All intersections within a half‐mile to a mile radius, especially those with traffic signals need to be
included. Critical intersections missing are: Embarcadero/Waverley; Embarcadero/Pedestrian crossing at Palo
Alto High School; and Embarcadero Road/Town & Country/Palo Alto High School Driveways.
In addition, the traffic study needs to address the construction traffic for the three‐five years of
construction. The information in the report puts the responsibility on the future contractor for construction
routes, construction staging, and construction parking. The volume of vehicles and the duration of the project
warrant that a complete study, recommendations, and mitigations for this work be presented in the EIR
instead.
2
The traffic study also needs to include proposed projects such as the CalTrain rail crossing project, the City of
Palo Alto’s modifications to Embarcadero Road for bicyclists, etc.
From this baseline, the traffic report should be rewritten/resubmitted for review.
1. The following 3 Alternatives are listed in the DEIR:
1: Staying with 415 students and no construction
2: 73% enrollment increase to 506 students and demolish two Single Family Home to build an
underground garage
3: 73% enrollment increase to 506 students and demolish one Single Family Home to build an
underground garage
This DEIR is incomplete because the Chapter 7 Transportation section did not analyze impact of any
enrollment increase option without an underground garage. This report focuses on how to make the
garage achievable by various means to mitigate the three Significant but Unavoidable impacts. Instead,
it should study other alternatives that allows for a moderate enrollment increase (20% to 30%) without
an underground garage to address the traffic impacts such as satellite parking areas and splitting the
campus to provide a truly unbiased solutions for the community.
I am requesting this DEIR to provide the current impact of Castilleja comparing to other streets listed to
be included in item 3 below and to study the impact of an alternative without an underground garage
but using satellite parking for all students being driven in with school shuttles running between the
satellite parking lot and the campus.
2. In page 7‐12,
The peak hour is determined based on the actual traffic volume
data; it is defined by the City and Caltrans guidance as the 60-
minute period during which the highest traffic volumes were
observed. The peak period for morning commute traffic is from 7:00
AM to 9:00AM; … The school afternoon peak period occurs between
2:00 PM and 4:00 PM … The evening peak period, between 4:00 PM
and 6:00 PM, …
The commute traffic has increased significantly in recent years. The peak period has
expanded. Therefore, the peak period study should be expanded to the following:
morning commute traffic 7:00AM to 10:00AM
evening commute traffic to 4:00pm to 7:30PM.
3. The following is stated in page 7‐13,
At the time of the existing conditions traffic counts in January
2017, enrollment at Castilleja School was 438 students. Site-
specific trip generation rates for the AM, School PM, and PM peak
3
hours were developed based on driveway counts and adjusted based
on results from a student travel pattern survey. It is estimated
that the school site currently generates 352 vehicle trips during
the AM peak hour, 274 vehicle trips during the School PM peak
hour, and 176 vehicle trips during the PM peak hour,
Site specific trip generation rates based on driveway counts and adjusted based on results from a student
travel pattern survey is problematic and will not yield accurate results. Students are routinely dropped
off one to two blocks away from the campus. For example, Castilleja students are routinely dropped off at
the cul‐de‐sac on Melville between Bryant and Waverley. Those traffic counts are not included in
Castilleja’s count of cars entering their parking lot. Student travel pattern survey is conjecture at best.
During the March 2017 scoping letter input for the DEIR, I suggested the following study criteria to
establish a baseline. The data should be compared with traffic of “what is allowable” for the Single Family
R‐1 neighborhood and not the existing condition. This determines the TRUE impact of Castilleja traffic to
its surrounding neighborhood. Some surrounding neighbors have observed a 90% traffic reduction on
days when Castilleja is not in session while Palo Alto schools are still in session. Therefore, the study must
measure traffic impact with and without Castilleja in session. In addition, missing from the study are the
impacts of a hundred of Castilleja school events per school year including evening and weekend events
and the two summer camp sessions per year. The following are a list of items the Traffic study must
include
- Castilleja in session while Palo Alto school in session
- Castilleja school is out on holiday with no activities while Palo Alto school in session
- Palo Alto school holiday while Castilleja school in session
- The days that Castilleja have evening and weekday events
- During the summer, with and without Castilleja Summer School in session.
All studies should be done on a weekly basis of 24x7 period and not just one day in week to avoid
missing significant traffic pattern changes for different days of the week. Please see item #6 for the
complete set of streets and intersections to be studied.
4. Projects such as Grade Separation at Churchill and Alma, Stanford GUP expansion and bike lane on
Embarcadero Road will have major traffic impacts to this neighborhood. This study must include the cumulative
impact of Castilleja expansion along with these projects. This study should show the impact of Castilleja
expansion with the additional impact from each project.
5. The 3 to 5 years construction for this expansion project must be studied. We need to understand what is
the feasible for this neighborhood to handle with increase in traffic created by the construction related
machinery and staging.
6. A number of streets and intersections that were submitted to be studied as part of the March 2017 EIR
Scoping comment are omitted in the DEIR study listed in page 7‐5 to 7‐7. Please see attached update to Figure
7‐1 and Figure 7‐2. Please include them into the study for the final EIR.
7. In Page 7‐30, Table 7‐10 shows the following Daily Trips count for different number of enrolled student
scenarios. This yields 2.74 Daily Trips per student for all 4 scenarios.
4
Condition # of Students Daily Trips
Existing CUP 415 1,135
2017 Enrollment 438 1,198
2018 Enrollment 434 1,187
Proposed Project 540 1,477
In page 7‐19, it stated “The existing ADT was determined based on 24‐hour machine counts conducted
in January 2017 and September/October 2018”. Is the Daily Trips number for 2018 Enrollment Condition
measured from Sept/Oct 2018 study or just calculated using the rate for 2017 Enrollment. If it is
measured, please explain how the rates 2017 and 2018 are exactly the same? If it is calculated, please
provide the actual measured daily trip.
8. In Table 7‐4 of page 7‐14, the following is car trips exiting the garage
- AM Peak(7am to 9am): 199 (This works out to be 18.1sec per car)
- School Peak PM(2pm to 4pm): 187 (This works out to be 19.3sec per car)
- PM Peak(4pm to 6pm): 124 (This works out to be 29sec per car)
In table 7‐12 of page 7‐40, it estimates the following Delay time with this project at Emerson right turn
onto Embarcadero
- AM Peak(7am to 9am): 24.7 sec (145.7 cars/hr)
- School Peak PM(2pm to 4pm): 24 sec (150 cars/hr)
- PM Peak(4pm to 6pm): 20.1 sec (179 cars/hr)
Majority of the morning drop‐off traffic and afternoon pickup traffic will not be evenly spread out during
the 60 minutes period. Most traffic will appear within the 15 minutes before and after the
bell. Therefore, the study should provide a the study of the same traffic volume of within a 30 minutes
window to calculate how many cars will back up through the proposed garage onto Embarcadero from
Bryant entrance due to the delay of cars making a right turn from Emerson onto Embarcadero.
9. The following claim regarding Castilleja expansion impact on bike safety is on page 7‐29.
The project includes a reduction in total curb cut driveways from
eleven driveways … to six driveways … The reduction in driveway
curb cuts will improve bicycle safety.
However, I am unable to find any traffic study data and analysis in the report to substantiate this claim
that significant traffic increases to the Bryant Street Bike Boulevard by combining all incoming Castilleja
traffic entering the proposed garage by making a left turn from Embarcadero onto Bryant Street and
then a right turn from Bryant to enter the garage will not put Bike Boulevard users at risk. Bryant Street
Bike Safety Boulevard is one of the most used commute routes by PAUSD students biking to
school. Castilleja auto traffic will be competing with the PAUSD students and other adult commuters
for the right of way to use this busy section of the Bike Boulevard during the commute hour. This study
5
must include data and analysis on the potential risk increase to PAUSD students and other bicyclists due
to significant traffic increase during student commute hour. The study should include all previous traffic
accidents including bicyclists and use the data to project the potential of increase accidents by the
increased traffic. Please refer to item 8, on the volume of Castilleja traffic should not be averaged on a
60 minutes basis but rather concentrating on the 15 minutes before and after the school session bell
time.
The study should also include scenarios when cars are backed onto Bryant and Embarcadero from the
garage per study of item #8, the increase risk to the bicyclists when cars are blocking the intersection of
Bryant and Embarcadero or abandoning entering the garage and competing with bicyclists to travel
south on Bryant Street.
6
Waverley Street from:
‐ Churchill Ave to Coleridge
‐ Coleridge to Lowell
Bryant Street from:
‐ Churchill to Coleridge
‐ Coleridge to Lowell
7
Emerson Street from:
‐ Churchill to Coleridge
‐ Coleridge to Lowell
Churchill Avenue from:
‐ Embarcadero to Cowper
‐ Cowper to Waverley
Alma Street from
‐ Churchill to Coleridge
‐ Coleridge to Lowell
Lincoln Avenue from:
‐ Cowper to Waverley
Kingsley Avenue from:
‐ Cowper to Waverley
Melville Avenue from
‐ Cowper to Waverley
‐ Waverley to Embarcadero (cul‐de‐sac)
Embarcadero Road from
‐ Middlefield to Bryon
‐ Bryon to Webster
‐ Webster to Tasso
8
‐ Tasso to Cowper
‐ Cowper to Waverley
‐ Waverley to Bryant
‐ Bryant to Emerson
‐ Emerson to El Camino
Kellogg Avenue from:
‐ Alma to Emerson
‐ Emerson to Bryant
‐ Bryant to Waverley
Coleridge Avenue from:
‐ Alma to Emerson
‐ Emerson to Bryant
‐ Bryant to Waverley
‐ Waverley to Cowper
Lowell Avenue from:
‐ Alma to Emerson
‐ Emerson to Bryant
‐ Bryant to Waverley
‐ Waverley to Cowper
Cowper Street from
‐ Lincoln to Kingsley
9
‐ Kingsley to Melville
‐ Melville to Kellogg
‐ Kellogg to Embarcadero
‐ Embarcadero to Churchill
‐ Churchill to Coleridge
‐ Coleridge to Lowell
Sincerely
Nelson Ng
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Susmita Ramani <susmitaramani@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 12:47 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Fwd: Complaint
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
I am forwarding this to you at the suggestion of a neighbor on Nextdoor. Thank you.
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Susmita Ramani <susmitaramani@gmail.com>
Date: August 11, 2019 at 9:00:45 PM PDT
To: pwps@cityofpaloalto.org
Subject: Complaint
Re {REDACTED} Palo Alto 94303
We had a gorgeous, shade-giving tree in our front yard. In the past four days when we
happened to be out of town, the City's tree trimming people came and butchered it,
rendering it skeletal. There's now almost no shade. It's quite an absence.
As background, some months ago, a man came out from the City to look at the tree and
advised a "conservative end weight trim" of the branches. He said this would be
scheduled by the City's tree trimming team.
Instead, with no notice it would happen, we've come home to find about 1/4 of the lovely
tree we had. :(
We've lived here for seven years, and this is the first time such a thing has happened.
It's too late to bring back now, and I know it'll grow back eventually, but we don't want
this to happen again. Any thoughts for future reference are appreciated. Thank you.
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:ree_duff@comcast.net
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 8:58 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Concrete Abutments on Arastradero Dangers!
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Members of the City Council of Palo Alto,
Before Those DANGEROUS ABUTMENTS were put in permanently, I along with other Intelligent residents of Palo Alto, objected
to having them put in. It was obvious to me that they would do more harm than good!
As Staff apparently carries more weight in how my Tax dollars are spent, our opinions opposing these structural monstrosities abutting
out of the normal lane markers, etc. were ignored.
I would ask the Council to weigh the collateral damage & risks to Automobiles, Bikers & Pedestrians, from “sideswiping” or
bouncing off of these blocks of Concrete.
Although I was aware of the danger they posed. I didn’t fully appreciate how easily a driver could miss allowing for that concrete, as
it isn’t a normal lane width.
I wasn’t prepared for the damage caused to the front wheel well, etc. on the side of my car. How do I make a claim for the damage to
my car when it bounced off of one of the abutments that sticks too far out into the street, and inappropriately narrowed the lane at the
intersection of Arastradero & Coulombe.
Why is it that STAFF carries more weight with a Computer generated model for altering our streets, than those of us who are in our
cars and driving these roads every day?
Sincerely,
Ree Dufresne
2
Ree Campaña Dufresne, R.N. (Ret)
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Cell: 650‐224‐8845
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:jeffrey lipkin <repjal@att.net>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 10:56 PM
To:lydiakou@lydiakou.emailnb.com; Council, City
Subject:Fwd: [GA2] Fwd: Congratulations Lunkheads, the City Will Now Get Sued Over the Corridor Project
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Betty Thana bthana@att.net [greenacres2]" <greenacres2‐noreply@yahoogroups.com>
Date: August 13, 2019 at 10:31:05 PM PDT
To: ree_duff@comcast.net
Cc: Sheryl Keller <kellersheryl@gmail.com>, "Sheryl Keller kellersheryl@gmail.com [greenacres2]"
<greenacres2‐noreply@yahoogroups.com>, Ron Baker <bakerra@pacbell.net>, Greenacres2
<greenacres2@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: [GA2] Fwd: Congratulations Lunkheads, the City Will Now Get Sued Over the Corridor
Project
Reply‐To: Betty Thana <bthana@att.net>
Hi Neighbors,
I was returning home tonight, around 7:15 PM, turning onto Arastradero from El Camino, then turning
right onto Coulombe, and I noticed how dangerous the newly constructed cement barriers are on
Arastradero, for that 0.3 miles. It is as if someone has constructed an obstacle course for us:
1) midway on Arastradero, between El Camino and Columbe, the new cement barriers directly cut off
the right lane, by being constructed straight across the road, ie perpendicular to the curb, and stretching
out one lane’s length, directly into the lane where people are driving their cars.
I was only alerted to its existence, because there were a few orange flags on top of the cement barrier,
otherwise, I probably would have driven my car straight into the concrete barriers, that is directly in
front crossing my lane.
This was in the day light, and accidents may happen after dark, when the drivers who are not familiar
with this road, and not anticipating a concrete barrier crossing their entire lane, would crash into the
concrete barrier, causing severe injuries to passengers and kids.
2) to make the right turn into Coulombe, there are the concrete barriers butting out as a big triangle,
way into the middle of the road, and if one is not familiar with this road, it may cause an accident,
2
It is a bit ironic that here we are, living in the heart of the Silicon Valley, supposedly full of the smartest
people on earth, making all these innovations, and we have in our own neighborhood these concrete
barriers that do seem in need some help from some smarter road safety designers and legislators..
Regards,
Betty
On Aug 10, 2019, at 1:04 PM, ree_duff@comcast.net [greenacres2] <greenacres2‐
noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Before I send this to City Council, do I have my facts straight & does it make sense to the rest of
you? Ree Dufresne
Members of the City Council of Palo Alto
Before Those DANGEROUS ABUTMENTS were put in permanently, I
along with other Intelligent residents of Palo Alto, objected to having
them put in. It was obvious to me that they pmwould do more harm
than good!
As Staff apparently carries more weight in how my Tax dollars are spent,
our opinions opposing these structural monstrosities abutting out of the
normal lane markers, etc. were ignored.
I would ask the Council to weigh the collateral damage & risks to
Automobiles, Bikers & Pedestrians, from “sideswiping” or bouncing off
of these blocks of Concrete.
Although I was aware of the danger they posed. I didn’t fully appreciate
how easily a driver could miss allowing for that concrete, as it isn’t a
normal lane width.
I wasn’t prepared for the damage caused to the front left wheel well,
etc. on the side of my car when I bounced off of one. Is the City of Palo
Alto going to pay for the damages to cars that bounce off of these
abutments?
Why is it that STAFF carries more weight with a Computer generated
model for altering our streets, than those of us who are in our cars and
driving these roads every day?Ree Dufresne
3
On August 7, 2019 at 9:18 PM "Sheryl Keller kellersheryl@gmail.com
[greenacres2]" <greenacres2‐noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Agree with Ron Baker. Where is the city employee who designed this
mess. Let's find him and have him drive on our "improved" corridor at
8AM and at 5PM. Same with the city council members who approved
this. Let them drive this stretch for a week. See what happens.
On Wed, Aug 7, 2019 at 8:58 PM Ron Baker bakerra@pacbell.net
[greenacres2] < greenacres2‐noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Forwarding because they bounced my
new email address. See my message
below.
From: Ron Baker
<rabaker.pa@gmail.com>
Subject: Congratulations Lunkheads,
the City Will Now Get Sued Over the
Corridor Project
Date: August 7, 2019 at 8:48:03 PM PDT
To: city.council@cityofpaloalto.org
Cc: Greenacres2
<greenacres2@yahoogroups.com>,
webmaster@paloaltoonline.com
I went to a council session, my wife and
I went to department meetings or
hearings, my neighbors went to
planning meetings, I talked to and
emailed council and staff on the
absolute stupidity of the “traffic
calming” project on Charleston
Arastradero corridor. ABSOLUTELY
NOBODY WAS LISTENING. Let me tell
you, there was NO material problem
that a few citations/police speed
patrols and better use of rapid transit
funds wouldn’t solve. Traffic accidents
were largely due to Gunn kids reading
4
their phones and rear ending people in
stop and go traffic at rush hour. I know,
as my home fronts Arastradero,and I
work from home most days.
Anyway, today TWO cars just ran into
those stupid new traffic calming forms
today, just in the stretch of
Arastradero between Coulombe and
Cherry Oaks.
This was the first day without the
orange warning blocks. I only saw what
happened in one of these “accidents",
fortunately the second driver, whose
car will have to be extracted from the
form, was okay, though her expensive
car may need some work.. The prior
accident reportedly involved a double
blowout when the vehicle hit the
form. My neighbors on and near
Arastradero, some of whom also tried
to complain, were out in force to greet
the fire truck that responded, and all
agreed this was totally predictable, so
from a legal standpoint, that will be a
problem for Palo Alto. As one
firefighter said, wait til the schools are
in session, and rush hour traffic has
gone to zero. I’m guessing that
residents now ! take longer getting to
the local freeways then actually
traveling on them.
Meanwhile, wait til a bicyclist who
doesn’t understand the design runs into
a form. This is just pathetically
stupid.
The city is going to get sued for this
project, and the the hazards it
presents. This city is run by a part time
council that leaves decisions in the
hands of staff who couldn’t figure out
best practices if their lives depended on
it, but fortunately for them, they collect
great pensions, no matter how bad
their recommendations. Clearly, the
incentives here are all wrong. At least
half the council is funded by
developers, or depend on incomes in
real estate or property development,
5
the other half move on to higher office
with the support of the public
employee unions. Few members of the
council are willing to challenge the
reports and proposals prepared by the
bureaucrats, or challenge the
assumptions on which they are based.
The council and departments run
interminable meetings where many of
the people with something real to say
have to leave because the council is
running way too far behind. When the
citizens on rare occasions rebel, as with
the original Maybell housing project,
council members seem to have no clue
because they almost never go door to
door to canvas residents in the affected
area, and the bureaucrats are even less
inclined to do that. The process here is
a total failure.
Ron Baker
Greenacres 2
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1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Ron Baker <bakerra@pacbell.net>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 10:39 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Fwd: [GA2] Fwd: Congratulations Lunkheads, the City Will Now Get Sued Over the Corridor Project
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
FYI, I’m seeing lots of these types of comments. Please note that there are black tire marks on many of these forms,
indicating vehicles have hit them but not necessarily run over them. The city will be exposed until it fixes this
problem. Just a terrible design. Plenty of blame to go around, but foremost, the council needs to stop accepting a staff
solution as having any validity until that has been thoroughly demonstrated.
Begin forwarded message:
From: Betty Thana <bthana@att.net>
Subject: Re: [GA2] Fwd: Congratulations Lunkheads, the City Will Now Get Sued Over
the Corridor Project
Date: August 13, 2019 at 10:31:05 PM PDT
To: ree_duff@comcast.net
Cc: Sheryl Keller <kellersheryl@gmail.com>, "Sheryl Keller kellersheryl@gmail.com
[greenacres2]" <greenacres2-noreply@yahoogroups.com>, Ron Baker <bakerra@pacbell.net>,
Greenacres2 <greenacres2@yahoogroups.com>
Hi Neighbors,
I was returning home tonight, around 7:15 PM, turning onto Arastradero from El Camino, then turning
right onto Coulombe, and I noticed how dangerous the newly constructed cement barriers are on
Arastradero, for that 0.3 miles. It is as if someone has constructed an obstacle course for us:
1) midway on Arastradero, between El Camino and Columbe, the new cement barriers directly cut off
the right lane, by being constructed straight across the road, ie perpendicular to the curb, and stretching
out one lane’s length, directly into the lane where people are driving their cars.
I was only alerted to its existence, because there were a few orange flags on top of the cement barrier,
otherwise, I probably would have driven my car straight into the concrete barriers, that is directly in
front crossing my lane.
This was in the day light, and accidents may happen after dark, when the drivers who are not familiar
with this road, and not anticipating a concrete barrier crossing their entire lane, would crash into the
concrete barrier, causing severe injuries to passengers and kids.
2) to make the right turn into Coulombe, there are the concrete barriers butting out as a big triangle,
way into the middle of the road, and if one is not familiar with this road, it may cause an accident,
It is a bit ironic that here we are, living in the heart of the Silicon Valley, supposedly full of the smartest
people on earth, making all these innovations, and we have in our own neighborhood these concrete
barriers that do seem in need some help from some smarter road safety designers and legislators.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:joe urbassik <joeu1218@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 7:44 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:arastradero corridor
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
I live in Green Acres 2 neighborhood. I am very disturbed by the traffic islands and barriers that have been installed
recently between El Camino Real and Gunn High School. Recently a neighbor posted information about a couple of cars
that encountered barriers, causing serious auto damage. Many of us who live in this neighborhood were not surprised
by this turn of events, and we expect there will be more issues with this new configuration.
It is unclear that the ‘solution’ is better than the problem the city is trying to solve. Arastradero is a main traffic corridor,
and trying to force it to become something else is unlikely to work. The result most certainly will be more people cutting
into the side streets and traveling on Maybell Ave, a residential street with few sidewalks and intense student bike and
pedestrian traffic. It seems obvious, to me anyway, that this is a much more dangerous situation than whatever the city
is currently trying to resolve by putting up unnecessary cement curbs, barriers, and islands on Arastradero. This is not to
mention the extreme cost involved, money that could certainly be better used elsewhere to deal with housing and
traffic issues.
I am disappointed in this project. These are costly and disruptive changes, trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.
The city’s salaried traffic manager should be fired.
Sincerely,
Joe Urbassik
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Kimberley Wong <sheepgirl1@yahoo.com>
Sent:Wednesday, August 14, 2019 9:45 AM
To:Planning Commission
Cc:Council, City; French, Amy
Subject:Fwd: DEIR Comments: 1263 Emerson Lockey house and 1235 home
Attachments:Lockey House.png; Front Door and Plaque of Lockey Alumnae House.jpg; Screen Shot 2017-02-17 at
4.26.01 PM.png
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear PTC Board,
My name is Kimberley Wong. My family has lived in Palo Alto for a long time starting with my grandfather who
moved her in 1900. I currently live at {REDACTED} opposite the Lockey house, the 100+ year old home
dedicated to Castilleja's founder Mary Lockey a beloved educator who was encouraged by her mentor David
Starr Jordan to open an all girls prep school in 1907.
In Chapter 6 of the DEIR Cultural Resources study the architects were named for every building on campus
except for the Lockey house and the nextoor home that are planned to be demolished. I believe that it should
be determined who the architect is of the Lockey house is before they decide against recommending the home
is not historic. They were were only few architects at the time so there is a high probability that a notable
architect such as Gustave Laumeister, involved in designing the Administration Building and many
Professorville homes may have designed the Lockey home. This would satisfy one of the National Historic
Registry criteria.
It already should satisfy Criteria #2 which states that the property is "associated with lives of persons important
to the nation or California's past". Ms Mary Lockey founded the longest lasting Non-sectarian preparatory girl's
school in the country. This home also "retains enough of the historic character with lead glass in the decorative
archway between the entry and living room, crown moldings in the upstairs bedrooms and gracious dining
room. Other additions were made but the main house upstairs and downstairs retain their original style and
charm. Only one of these criteria plus keeping the integrity of the house is actually required for the house to be
on the National registry.
2
3
I also would like the Dudek staff to explain how they came to the conclusion that removing 2 story homes with
mature landscaping (minus the 100 foot tree which was already removed already) can be deemed
"Insignificant"? And how can a long wall punctuated by a underground garage exit from which cars emerge be
an insignificant impact to the aesthetics of the residential streetscape of Emerson?
Lastly, I would ask again as I did in March of 2016 during the last PTC hearing to consider alternatives to
demolishing 2 homes when there is such a great need for housing:
1. Reduce traffic to the Embarcadero corridor through shuttling all students, staff and students to the
campus without building a garage and taking down 2 homes
2.Turn part of the Lockey house into a historical museum to showcase 100+ years of Castilleja history and
retain housing for out of town visitors.
4
I find that removing the Lockey house is historically significant when retains its historic character, is associated
with the founder of Castilleja, and could possibly be designed by a notable architect. No amount of fencing and
greenery can mask the loss of two homes and the opening of a garage.
In fact, introducing a garage with only one way onto the Bryant street bike boulevard introduces
significant impact to traffic flow and bike safety on an already busy intersection which cars and
cyclists, many of which are schoolchildren, cross daily. Many accidents and near accidents have
occurred on that intersection. And as recently as Feb 13, 2018 there was a serious injury to 2
commuters, one a Castilleja teacher who was on his scooter and sent to the hospital for several days.
These dangers can be reduced and CAN be avoidable if we don’t build the garage and require all
drivers to park offsite and shuttle everyone onto campus.
Thank you,
Kimberley Wong
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Steve Rock <rock_js@sbcglobal.net>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 10:07 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Downtown Banners
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Folks,
I was just in downtown San Jose for the Jazz Festival. There are
colorful cloth banners hanging from various lamp posts (similar to those
in downtown PA).
However, the SJ banners proclaim: LEARN, LOVE, THRIVE, ENJOY, BELONG,
CREATE.
The PA banners: EAT, SHOP, DRINK (If I remember correctly).
This is a very big difference in outlook and what life is about and what
the city thinks that we should strive for. I hope that the PA banners are
not a real reflection of our city, but merely what the local businesses
would like us to be.
-Steve
Stephen Rock
{REDACTED} Palo Alto CA 94303
ser84@columbia.edu
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Sent:Wednesday, August 7, 2019 1:51 PM
To:Loran Harding; Chris Field; diffenbaugh@stanford.edu; Mayor; esmeralda.soria@fresno.gov;
paul.caprioglio; Mark Kreutzer; Mark Standriff; margaret-sasaki@live.com; Dan Richard; David
Balakian; dennisbalakian; huidentalsanmateo; Cathy Lewis; Council, City; terry; Joel Stiner; beachrides;
nick yovino; kfsndesk; newsdesk; kwalsh@kmaxtv.com
Subject:Fwd: DW documentary- FSC, greenwashing global logging. Yikes!
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Date: Wed, Aug 7, 2019 at 1:34 PM
Subject: Fwd: DW documentary‐ FSC, greenwashing global logging. Yikes!
To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Date: Wed, Aug 7, 2019 at 2:44 AM
Subject: Fwd: DW documentary‐ FSC, greenwashing global logging. Yikes!
To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Date: Tue, Aug 6, 2019 at 4:56 PM
Subject: Fwd: DW documentary‐ FSC, greenwashing global logging. Yikes!
To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Date: Wed, Jul 31, 2019 at 1:25 AM
Subject: Fwd: DW documentary‐ FSC, greenwashing global logging. Yikes!
To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
2
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Date: Mon, Jul 29, 2019 at 4:06 PM
Subject: Fwd: DW documentary‐ FSC, greenwashing global logging. Yikes!
To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>
Date: Sun, Jul 28, 2019 at 3:29 AM
Subject: DW documentary‐ FSC, greenwashing global logging. Yikes!
To: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
To all‐
Here is a good piece on DW re the conceivably and occasionally, and, no doubt, inadvertently, fraudulent FSC, or
at least the sometimes less than perfectly effective FSC, the Forest Stewardship Council. Forest products companies
from wood floor makers to TT makers to other paper makers, to cardboard makers for packaging, all put the FSC logo on
products. See how effective the FSC really is in protecting old‐growth forests and tropical rain forests which serve as the
lungs of the planet. Peru to Brazil to Congo to Russia to British Columbia. Look out for the word "mix" by the logo. Some
of that wood came from properly managed forests, and some probably did not. This video leaves the impression that
the falsifying of documents, deception and fraud are common in logging and beyond the power of the FSC to prevent.
See especially comments by Simon Counsell, Executive Director of the Rainforest Foundation in the UK, at 7:19
and at 14:03. He is not a big fan of the FSC. He discusses what the word "mix" means on a wood product and what the
term "controlled wood" usually means. (It means uncontrolled).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMp0IFAV41Q
See how logging companies can cheat, not that any would actually do so, certainly not just to make more money.
This is an eye‐opener. Please take a look. I'm sending this to climate change experts Chris Field and Noah Diffenbaugh at
Stanford. Trees take in CO2 and release O2, so cutting them down does damage to efforts to reduce climate change. The
trees shown here don't get burned, releasing CO2, but instead get turned into paper and o. wood products. BUT trees
take in the CO2 produced when hydrocarbons are burned‐ oil, gas, even wood, and so in reducing their number we lose
the mechanism which absorbs the CO2 which we do release into the atmosphere.
Hydrocarbons in wood: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/question43.html
The number of trees felled annually may not exacerbate climate change a lot now as some trees do indeed then
grow to replace them, but what happens when we go from 7.5 billion people to 10 billion and 15 billion people? Those
extra people will need wood‐sourced products too, and so the number of trees logged seems likely to rise. As population
rises, it will be harder and harder to keep the number of trees constant by growing new ones. We may have reached
that point already. The video above does not address that.
And, of course, people cut down forests in Central and South America to make space to raise cattle. Those forests
do not get replaced.
3
Climate change‐ drought, drier, warmer conditions‐ have killed 129 million trees just in the Sierras. That and a bark
beetle infestation. These trees are orange instead of green, so they are fairly easy to count. Then, as dead trees, they are
more likely to burn. SO, when they die they are no longer absorbing CO2, and then, catching both barrels of the shotgun,
they are more prone to burning which puts CO2 into the atmosphere. So this mechanism represents climate change
feeding on itself. It helps kill trees, they stop taking in CO2, and then they are more likely to burn, producing more CO2,
which causes climate change which kills more trees.
Trump and his backers want those extra tens of billions of people since they enable the top 1% to get even richer.
The public be damned, humanity be damned, science be damned.
L. William Harding
Fresno
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Albert Henning <albertkhenning@yahoo.com>
Sent:Friday, August 9, 2019 1:54 PM
To:Police; Council, City; City Mgr
Subject:I disapprove of PAPD police behavior related to the incident of 17 February 2018
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
To the Administrative, Elected, and Public Safety leadership of the City of Palo Alto,
The video of the 17 February 2018 events, which has only emerged publicly in the last several weeks,
appalls me. It should appall you. The recorded behaviors (some actually illegal, some 'merely' flouting
the norms of reasonable human behavior) of at least four sworn officers, combined with their
dishonest and disingenuous reporting of the incident, combined with the ongoing 'management' of the
incident by city leadership -- has in an instant caused all the trust and respect I have had for the
police in our community (developed over my 25 years here) to evaporate.
Why did officers make untruthful statements surrounding the issue of Mr Alvarez's suspended
license? Why did officers lie about not needing a warrant to enter his home (there were no exigent
circumstances; and, an arrest was not yet performed [Mr Alvarez was never told he was under
arrest], so that entry incidental to lawful arrest did not apply)? Why did officers threaten a violent,
illegal act (to break down the door)? Why did officers unholster weapons, and threaten with lethal
force an unarmed, unthreatening individual? Why did officers use force excessively, causing physical
harm to Alvarez? Why did officers escalate, rather than de-escalate, the tensions on-scene? Why did
the officers present dissemble and/or make untruthful statements about the events in their report?
Why do other officers, including the Chief of Police, support the officers in their untruthful narrative, in
nearly complete contradiction to the unambiguous video evidence? Who designed the policies and
training programs which undergird the self-evident threatening, harmful, unreasonable, and illegal
behaviors?
What point is there in calling upon our police for help or assistance, if this is the manner in which they
treat a citizen whom they apparently don't like? Even if Mr Alvarez numbers among 'the least of us',
should he not still be accorded the respect and deference due every human being?
After seeing this video, I will want nothing to do with our police. I will avoid them. Except under
duress, I will not render assistance or support. I no longer feel safe in their care and keeping. My tax
money helps to pay for their salaries and benefits, their policy-making, their training, and equipment
to secure the peace while preserving their personal safety; but clearly it is money poorly spent.
And, I have a small fear -- borne of anxiety and not entirely unreasonable -- that making my critical
reactions known to you all, will lead to trouble for me: if Mr Alvarez is on some sort of list maintained
among sworn officers (a list whose members are treated unlawfully and with unnecessary
aggression), perhaps there are other lists -- for instance of citizens who criticize public safety,
administrative, and/or elected officials -- of those who will be treated similarly?
One of our biggest problems as a society, both local and national, centers on safety and security in
general, and specifically on the effect of fear for their personal safety on our police forces. This
2
problem is compounded by the ongoing controversies surrounding the Second Amendment, and our
political inability to enact the sort of legislative controls outlined by Justice Scalia (in his landmark DC
v Heller opinion), which would be both Constitutional, and reduce the risks of gun violence for both
the general population and for our law enforcement officers.
This video of this incident shows Palo Alto police officers are not immune to the degradation in
professional behavior, caused by the seduction of their not-unreasonable fear for personal safety. As
a society, we must do our part. In particular, we must force our legislators to enact Constitutional gun
controls. And, we must force our legislators to fund research and development of policing tools, which
at once protect the public, ensure rights of the arrested and accused (especially their right to life), and
secure the safety of the law enforcement professionals whom we enlist to act on our behalf. I believe
deeply we can accomplish all these goals simultaneously. I do not accept that we must sacrifice any
one of these three goals for the other two.
Absent such actions: the behaviors evident in this incident instead invite paranoia and anxiety and
distrust of police. They invite more barriers between police and the community. They invite citizens to
obtain more weapons, not fewer, toward the goal of self-protection arising out of distrust of police.
These invitations increase risks of gun violence for the police, and create an out-of-control feedback
loop, of escalating violence: more 'bad' police behavior, then more private guns and less community;
more private guns and less community, then more police isolation and fear; more police isolation and
fear, then more 'bad' behavior; and so on.
And, covering this incident up for a year-and-a-half, amplifies the paranoia and anxiety and distrust:
because transparency and honesty and self-regulation and -criticism are essential to trust. Complicit
actions by City management and government, further erode trust in elected government.
As I said, for me, all the good, done by the Department over all the years, is now for naught. Perhaps
the Chief and other officers, the Mayor, and the City Manager, speaking up against this behavior,
rather than hiding and dissembling, could overcome and reverse the loss. But, in the absence of our
leadership speaking up, no amount of deflection, of 'waiting for the furor to die out', will erase the
indelible impressions of this video.
I am left with questions such as: If this behavior is normative today (and has been for some time),
then how long has it been going on, hidden similarly from view? What other citizens have been
subjected to this kind of behavior? Why does the Department, through its policies and training,
tolerate and even promulgate this type of behavior?
Michael Gennaco is a former college roommate. Mr Gennaco has evaluated and reported upon many
police departments in the State, including in the past Palo Alto. I respect Michael's expertise and
knowledge in these matters. I don't believe my criticisms are out of line. But if they are, I trust
Michael's review of this incident -- if it is requested, and when it is made public -- will set me straight.
Most sincerely,
Al Henning
=======
Albert K. Henning, PhD
199 Heather Lane Palo Alto, CA 94303
650-380-5309 (mobile)
albertkhenning@yahoo.com
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Anna Verwillow <averwillow@gmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday, August 14, 2019 12:42 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:I Support Castilleja
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello,
I grew up a few blocks from Castilleja and attending the school for seven years. I stayed in the area, just graduating from
Stanford this past June, and come home frequently enough. I ended up missing most of the struggle between the school
and the neighbors by graduating in 2015, only having a few years at the end of high school with increased parking
restrictions. That meant I then mainly learned of the extent of the issue when yard signs saying "Block Castilleja
Expansion" or "Put Your Project On Hold and Start a Conversation with the Neighbors" (seemingly more moderate but in
the same font as the former) cropped up over the last few years. And they cropped up not just in the surrounding area
but literally all over Palo Alto; I don't see what impact this issue would have with residents in the extended Palo Alto
area.
Castilleja has listened to every one of the concerns voiced by the neighborhood (immediate and beyond) and
incorporated all of the feedback into a thoughtful and well‐laid out proposal. It has been so many years of making
changes in plans and including delays to accumulate more feedback. We park on the grass field during school events
instead of in the neighborhood—that to me is such a clear demonstration of thought and effort from the entire
community. I almost start to worry that it's an issue of sexism, that the women's school is being kind but that people
continue push around the girls' school. Paly increased enrollment to no comment and Stanford has huge housing
projects proposed that the county is worried about but the neighbors are not. Why have they singled out Castilleja?
I meant to write a couple sentences, show support, but this topic is unfortunately divisive. My response has been
brewing for years because I now feel alienated from my community, like they are targeting me or like they don't see
value in what I learned and how that shaped the person I have become. Ultimately, I support Castilleja's plan to bring
their world‐class education to more women. I will forever be shaped by the caring and long‐lasting community, brilliant
and compassionate peers, insightful and invested teachers, and wide‐reaching and particular lessons I've gained because
of Castilleja.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best,
Anna Verwillow
Palo Alto resident (all 22 years)
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Elizabeth Upton <elzupton@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, August 9, 2019 9:35 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:In Support of Women
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello,
I wanted to email to show my support for Castilleja and their expansion efforts. Educating women should be a priority
whenever possible. Palo Alto has the opportunity to be a role model for other cities, let's make sure we take ownership
for the success of future generations of women.
Regards,
‐Elizabeth Upton
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Bill Schmarzo <schmarzo@yahoo.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 6:44 AM
To:Castilleja Expansion; Planning Commission; Council, City; William Schmarzo
Subject:Learnings from Crystal Springs with respect to Castilleja expansion demands
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Crystal Springs (CSUS) and the Belmont City Council found a way for Crystal Springs to
be a net contributor (versus a net debtor) to the community. In particular, you might
find the following paragraph relevant to the Castilleja expansion demands.
CSUS agreed to give the city a one-time $1 million payment, $250,000 a year in-lieu
of property taxes increased for inflation, have a robust as well as enforceable traffic
demand management plan, install a traffic signal at South Road and Ralston Avenue
and stagger its start times so as not to align with other local schools.
I'd hope that the Palo Alto City Council is as effective as the Belmont City Council in
holding Castilleja likewise accountable.
Private school seeks loan for expansion: Crystal Springs Uplands wants to develop
property in Belmont
Private school seeks loan for expansion: Crystal
Springs Uplands wants t...
Bill Silverfarb Daily Journal Staff
Crystal Springs Uplands School is seeking a $32 million tax-
exempt loan to pay for the new middle school campus ...
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:annette <annette_g@att.net>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 9:14 PM
To:Planning Commission
Cc:Council, City; Clerk, City; French, Amy
Subject:Letter on Castilleja
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Palo Alto Planning Commission,
I strongly oppose the proposed plans for the major expansion of Castilleja in a single-family neighborhood for many
reasons. While I support the excellent education that young women receive, the desired addition of 125 students should
be on another campus. This is a benefit of $7.25 million per year to a school that has violated their CUP for years
with few to no repercussions.
Why is the city bending over backward to approve a project that violates multiple zoning codes and setbacks and
will deteriorate our quality of life, causing much chaos with such little to no benefit for the city?
How many Palo Altans will this benefit? Palo Alto has a long history of supporting public schools which are rated as
some of the best in the country. Only 25% of the Castilleja attendees are from Palo Alto --- about 100 young Palo Alto
women benefit from this education. The school states it gives scholarships. How many -- geographically, number of
students and financial amounts?
SHORT TERM IMPACTS
Embarcadero at El Camino is the worst intersection in Palo Alto. Major construction on this corridor as well as the
opening of Stanford Hospital and the potential closure of Churchill are a recipe for even more traffic disasters and
backups creating difficult to impossible driving conditions. Furthermore, Embarcadero is not meant for trucks with
heavy loads and the construction/excavation will result in major damage to the roads themselves.
I oppose having a single entrance garage on Bryant. This will require all cars to enter on Bryant -- our first bike
boulevard. The city is justifiably proud of the bike usage as the predominate bike boulevard in our fair city. Palo
Alto has already paid a significant amount to facilitate bike traffic along Bryant Street, including closing the
southbound intersection at Bryant on Embarcadero.
3-5 years of construction and future car traffic into the garage at all times of day will surely result in accidents, as
this is a major route for students to Paly, Greene and Addison…not to mention other city workers and/or
commuters passing through Palo Alto. Bike usage of this stretch will diminish with resulting confusion and
overflow to other residential streets.
Emerson Street as an egress will also be impacted by the construction.
LONG TERM IMPACTS
Our nearby neighbor Stanford University offers significant benefits and events for the community. What does this
private school offer?
This project will severely impact the quality of life and ambiance of the neighborhood as well as affecting all of us
with impossible to mitigate traffic jams and hazards on Embarcadero and elsewhere.
A dedicated lane for private school traffic on Embarcadero is unacceptable. There are far most pressing needs for
traffic mitigation throughout Palo Alto that benefit more than a single entity.
ADDITIONAL ISSUES
2
Others will mention the removal of mature trees and loss of canopy, increased noise due to many more evening/weekend
events, significant ground water removal for the garage, particularly because Castilleja -- as a non-profit – pays no taxes
and all of these impacts have long-term effects on the city with few, if any, direct benefits.
Annette Glanckopf
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Lee Christel <lee_xtel@pacbell.net>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 11:29 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:MTC/ABAG Growth Projection Model
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council,
I am very concerned about the impact of Priority Development Areas (PDA) being proposed for Palo
Alto’s residential neighborhoods.
We cannot have 50 ft high apartment buildings taking over our neighborhoods just a few blocks from
El Camino Real.
Please urge MTC/ABAG to eliminate their model assumption that planning be driven by aggressive
job-growth in priority development areas.
This should be replaced with a requirement that the process will include a range of more moderate
and balanced projections of jobs and housing that explore a greater geographical dispersion of jobs.
In addition, please demand that they make the technical discussions an open, public process with a
clear opportunity to hear other points of view.
Sincerely,
Lee A Christel
La Donna Ave
Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Ken Poulton <ken@poulton.net>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 12:15 AM
To:Zero Waste; pacustomerservice@greenwaste.com; UAC; Council, City
Cc:Ken Poulton.
Subject:New Clean Up Days way too infrequent
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Having two fixed dates a year for bulky item pickup is a terrible plan. Forcing everyone to align to just two days a year is
ludicrous. Do you think we want to organize our yard cleanup to your schedule? Should we only purchase furniture in
September and March? This also defeats the intention for reuse ‐ I don’t have space in the house to store an old sofa, so
it will have to go outside for up to six months.
Please rethink this.
Ken Poulton
Los Robles Ave
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Eva Gal <evahgal@gmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday, August 14, 2019 9:43 AM
To:Council, City
Cc:Reply to group
Subject:Nightmare on Arastradero corridor
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Members of the City Council of Palo Alto:
I have read the many notes written about the disastrous Charleston/Arastradero corridor, and I agree with the details and
sentiments expressed in them.
We were away from home for almost five weeks this summer. As we were driving home last week, I thought I was
prepared for the worst, but of course I was wrong. Driving on Charleston and then Arastradero, I had a sense of what it
must be like to to be hallucinating-roads curving in odd directions, abutments sticking out in unexpected places, roads so
narrow that an SUV touches both sides of the markings, insufficient turning radius for cars due to unnecessary bump-
outs, green boxes, green lines, jagged lines, red markings, white stripes, etc. One does wonder about the state of mind of
City Council who directed these changes, and City Staff, who interpreted and implemented these directions in a truly
nightmarish way. As a person who gets sick on roller coasters, and stays away from Ferris wheels and bumper cars for the
same reason, Arastradero and Charleston feels equally nauseating and dangerous-yet unfortunately unavoidable. Shame
on you City Council and City Staff for wasting millions of dollars on a project that has caused so much grief for residents
and created possibly the most unsafe corridor in Palo Alto or any area in the Bay Area.
On a different note, this Morning, I went to observe the traffic at 7:45 am at the corner of Donald and Arastradero. Here
are some thoughts and observations:
Good News:
- No one got hurt this morning. - On the whole, the students and the crossing guard did a good job observing the traffic rules.
Bad news:
-There is a significant increase in traffic on side streets as a consequence of traffic on Arastradero. Thank you, Council
Member Kniss !!!!!
-As the students stack on bikes in the green slime box waiting to cross Arastradero, and as the students stack on bikes on
the green stripes on Arastradero waiting to either cross to Fletcher or to go to Gunn, there is no space for cars to make a
right turn to Donald even at the slowest speed-without jutting into the bike box or the waiting students. What.
A. Nightmare!!! We warned staff about this, to no avail.
-With all the so called planning that has gone into this realignment, the City has not bothered to activate/place a "no turn
on red when students are present” sign at the four corners. (There is one well hidden at one corner, which is ignored by all) Safety concerns, City Staff??????
-The four corners at Donald/Arastradero and Terman Drive/Arastradero are still not painted red. Therefore, parents are
stopping and dropping kids off at the corners; parking at the corner (I almost hit a car as as I turned right on to Donald
from Arastradero going West)-all legally. Safety concerns, City Staff????
-The traffic inside Fletcher is equally problematic: cars are going in four different patterns, no turning areas for cars to
drive by, and Bowman pre-school drop-off has not even started!
-Parents making u-turns on Donald right into oncoming walkers, parked cars, double yellow lines, bicycling kids, etc. is a
major hazard-no police presence at all to help with traffic!!!!
These are but a few observations from one morning. City Council and Staff, you have managed to endanger lives and create a traffic snarl that benefits no one. I do not know what base you are catering to or whose interests you are
accommodating. It is certainly not the residents of Green Acres ll.
2
Eva Gal
Green Acres ll
-------- Original message --------
From: "'A.J.' ajlumsdaine@gmail.com [greenacres2]" <greenacres2-noreply@yahoogroups.com>
Date: 8/14/19 3:38 PM (GMT+08:00)
To: Betty Thana <bthana@att.net>
Cc: Ree Dufresne <ree_duff@comcast.net>, Sheryl Keller <kellersheryl@gmail.com>, "Sheryl
Keller kellersheryl@gmail.com[greenacres2]" <greenacres2-noreply@yahoogroups.com>, Ron Baker
<bakerra@pacbell.net>, Greenacres2 <greenacres2@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: [GA2] Fwd: Congratulations Lunkheads, the City Will Now Get Sued Over the Corridor
Project
The most serious is the separated bike lane which is basically designed to kill someone. Separating bike
and car traffic is not a bad idea, but there needs to be integrated signaling so the bikes don’t just think
they have the right of way. As it is, the cars have to know about this separated lane in order to not turn
right in front of bikes on that separated lane, otherwise called a right hook, the most common car-bike
accident. The new streetscape is so confusing and unorthodox, and set up to be such an obstacle course, I
have noticed that I have to spend so much attention on the street scape it’s making it impossible to safely
keep an eye on pedestrians and especially bicyclists (especially erratic bicyclists, which unfortunately, is
just par for the course with middle schoolers).
The crazy thing is that I spent a lot of effort trying to explain to the City how the previous jut-out curb was
an accident waiting to happen, and so it seems like they went back to the drawing board to make
absolutely certain they kill someone. Absolutely crazy.
Anne
On Aug 13, 2019, at 10:31 PM, Betty Thana bthana@att.net [greenacres2] <greenacres2-
noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Hi Neighbors,
I was returning home tonight, around 7:15 PM, turning onto Arastradero from El Camino, then turning
right onto Coulombe, and I noticed how dangerous the newly constructed cement barriers are on
Arastradero, for that 0.3 miles. It is as if someone has constructed an obstacle course for us:
1) midway on Arastradero, between El Camino and Columbe, the new cement barriers directly cut off the
right lane, by being constructed straight across the road, ie perpendicular to the curb, and stretching out
one lane’s length, directly into the lane where people are driving their cars.
3
I was only alerted to its existence, because there were a few orange flags on top of the cement
barrier, otherwise, I probably would have driven my car straight into the concrete barriers, that is directly
in front crossing my lane.
This was in the day light, and accidents may happen after dark, when the drivers who are not familiar
with this road, and not anticipating a concrete barrier crossing their entire lane, would crash
into the concrete barrier, causing severe injuries to passengers and kids.
2) to make the right turn into Coulombe, there are the concrete barriers butting out as a big triangle, way
into the middle of the road, and if one is not familiar with this road, it may cause an accident,
It is a bit ironic that here we are, living in the heart of the Silicon Valley, supposedly full of the smartest
people on earth, making all these innovations, and we have in our own neighborhood these concrete
barriers that do seem in need some help from some smarter road safety designers and legislators..
Regards,
Betty
On Aug 10, 2019, at 1:04 PM, ree_duff@comcast.net [greenacres2] <greenacres2-
noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Before I send this to City Council, do I have my facts straight & does it make sense to the rest of you? Ree
Dufresne
Members of the City Council of Palo Alto
Before Those DANGEROUS ABUTMENTS were put in permanently, I along with other Intelligent
residents of Palo Alto, objected to having them put in. It was obvious to me that they pmwould do more
harm than good!
As Staff apparently carries more weight in how my Tax dollars are spent, our opinions opposing these
structural monstrosities abutting out of the normal lane markers, etc. were ignored.
I would ask the Council to weigh the collateral damage & risks to Automobiles, Bikers & Pedestrians,
from “sideswiping” or bouncing off of these blocks of Concrete.
Although I was aware of the danger they posed. I didn’t fully appreciate how easily a driver could miss
allowing for that concrete, as it isn’t a normal lane width.
I wasn’t prepared for the damage caused to the front left wheel well, etc. on the side of my car when I
bounced off of one. Is the City of Palo Alto going to pay for the damages to cars that bounce off of these
abutments?
4
Why is it that STAFF carries more weight with a Computer generated model for altering our streets,
than those of us who are in our cars and driving these roads every day?Ree Dufresne
On August 7, 2019 at 9:18 PM "Sheryl Keller kellersheryl@gmail.com [greenacres2]" <greenacres2-
noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Agree with Ron Baker. Where is the city employee who designed this mess. Let's find him and have
him drive on our "improved" corridor at 8AM and at 5PM. Same with the city council members who
approved this. Let them drive this stretch for a week. See what happens.
On Wed, Aug 7, 2019 at 8:58 PM Ron Baker bakerra@pacbell.net [greenacres2] < greenacres2-
noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Forwarding because they bounced my new email address. See my message below..
From: Ron Baker <rabaker.pa@gmail.com>
Subject: Congratulations Lunkheads, the City Will Now Get Sued Over the Corridor
Project
Date: August 7, 2019 at 8:48:03 PM PDT
To: city.council@cityofpaloalto.org
Cc: Greenacres2 <greenacres2@yahoogroups.com>, webmaster@paloaltoonline.com
I went to a council session, my wife and I went to department meetings or hearings, my neighbors
went to planning meetings, I talked to and emailed council and staff on the absolute stupidity of the
“traffic calming” project on Charleston Arastradero corridor. ABSOLUTELY NOBODY WAS
LISTENING. Let me tell you, there was NO material problem that a few citations/police speed patrols
and better use of rapid transit funds wouldn’t solve. Traffic accidents were largely due to Gunn kids
reading their phones and rear ending people in stop and go traffic at rush hour. I know, as my home
fronts Arastradero,and I work from home most days.
Anyway, today TWO cars just ran into those stupid new traffic calming forms today, just
in the stretch of Arastradero between Coulombe and Cherry Oaks.
5
This was the first day without the orange warning blocks. I only saw what happened in one of these
“accidents", fortunately the second driver, whose car will have to be extracted from the form, was okay,
though her expensive car may need some work.. The prior accident reportedly involved a double
blowout when the vehicle hit the form. My neighbors on and near Arastradero, some of whom also
tried to complain, were out in force to greet the fire truck that responded, and all agreed this was
totally predictable, so from a legal standpoint, that will be a problem for Palo Alto. As one firefighter
said, wait til the schools are in session, and rush hour traffic has gone to zero. I’m guessing that
residents now ! take longer getting to the local freeways then actually traveling on them.
Meanwhile, wait til a bicyclist who doesn’t understand the design runs into a form. This is just
pathetically stupid.
The city is going to get sued for this project, and the the hazards it presents. This city is run by a part
time council that leaves decisions in the hands of staff who couldn’t figure out best practices if their
lives depended on it, but fortunately for them, they collect great pensions, no matter how bad their
recommendations. Clearly, the incentives here are all wrong. At least half the council is funded by
developers, or depend on incomes in real estate or property development, the other half move on to
higher office with the support of the public employee unions. Few members of the council are willing
to challenge the reports and proposals prepared by the bureaucrats, or challenge the assumptions on
which they are based.
The council and departments run interminable meetings where many of the people with something
real to say have to leave because the council is running way too far behind. When the citizens on rare
occasions rebel, as with the original Maybell housing project, council members seem to have no clue
because they almost never go door to door to canvas residents in the affected area, and the bureaucrats
are even less inclined to do that. The process here is a total failure.
Ron Baker
Greenacres 2
6
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Brettle, Jessica
From:Daniel Lilienstein <dlilienstein@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 3:27 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:Lydia Kou
Subject:I oppose ABAG plan to increase density in Palo Alto
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Our quality of life has suffered due to increased road traffic, deterioration of roads, poor public transportation,
crumbling infrastructure, increased airplane noise, "traffic calming" (better known as "Driver Enragement"), etc.
STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!
I will organize and vote to punish anybody that falls for the ABAG/developer mantra. We don't need more density in
built‐out suburban towns.
Daniel Lilienstein
Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Steve Rock <rock_js@sbcglobal.net>
Sent:Tuesday, August 13, 2019 9:25 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Park Blvd Bicycle Blvd
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Folks,
I encourage you to quickly approve the plan for improving Park Blvd for
bicycles. It is very unlike Ross Rd.
There are already 2 car traffic diverters and very few cars.
One one side are the RR tracks, so there is no cross traffic most of its
length.
It connects with Stanford, and the other branch with Paly HS, PA Medical
foundation and downtown. At the other end it would be connected to Mtn
View via an existing bridge on Wilke.
Not much is required, compared to Ross. Removing some stop signs just
south of Lambert and improving the connection to Wilke are important.
Please do not let the controversy over Ross (which I think was over
designed, poorly designed, and not needed, but others disagree), interfere
with the very straight forward, relatively inexpensive improvements to
Park Blvd.
-Steve
Stephen Rock
3872 Nathan Way Palo Alto CA 94303
ser84@columbia.edu
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Duco Pasmooij Pasmooij <wordpress@castillejamasterplan.com>
Sent:Wednesday, August 14, 2019 10:16 AM
To:greg.scharff@cityofpaloalto.org; Kniss, Liz (internal); DuBois, Tom; Filseth, Eric (Internal); Fine, Adrian;
Holman, Karen; Kou, Lydia; Tanaka, Greg; Wolbach, Cory; Clerk, City; Council, City
Subject:Please Support Castilleja
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Dear Mayor Kniss and Members of the Palo Alto City Council,
My name is Duco Pasmooij Pasmooij and I live in Los Altos, California. I am writing to you as a parent and supporter of
Castilleja School.
Castilleja was founded 110 years ago to equalize educational opportunities for women. Today, Castilleja seeks to close
the female leadership gap by gradually adding students over four years. Making this opportunity available for more
young women is central to furthering that mission.
As a Palo Alto resident, I am proud to have Castilleja in our city. The school has been an indispensable community
partner and is committed to maintaining its neighbors’ current quality of life. Castilleja has already implemented robust
Traffic Demand Management initiatives, and has repeatedly pledged to neighbors not only to do more, but that the
admittance of new students will be dependent on the continued success of the school’s traffic programs.
Now more than ever, at a time when national politics has devolved into shouting matches and one‐upmanship,
Castilleja’s mission of serving girls and young women from Palo Alto and other nearby cities is critically important.
Please do not let the loudest voices in the conversation obscure the robust support for Castilleja found throughout our
wonderful city.
Sincerely,
Duco Pasmooij Pasmooij
pasmooij@icloud.com
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Jacquelyn Glidden <jacquelyn.t.glidden@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 7:26 AM
Subject:Please support the Castilleja expansion project
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 writing this message to urge you to support and approve the Castilleja expansion project. I believe it is our duty to
support and encourage the young women who will one day be our doctors, lawyers, mothers, and leaders. Castilleja
creates a unique and extraordinary environment for young women to learn and develop. The school has jumped through
hoops to make their expansion go as smoothly as possible for the community and especially the residents nearby. With
the release of the DIER, it is clear that they have gone above and beyond in their efforts to mitigate any negative effects
and to support the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan.
It seems that the only point where Castilleja does not exceed expectations is in the number of cars that will be traveling
to campus. However, consider this: how many other businesses and schools can say they have taken such measures to
reduce their car traffic? And how many other independent businesses would be held to such a high standard? It is nearly
impossible for the school to increase capacity without increasing traffic. The question becomes, are you willing to deny
young women the best education and experience available to them because there would be a few more cars on the road
in the morning? I'm certainly not.
I hope you consider this message and truly think of the young women who will so clearly benefit, excel, and thrive with
the Catilleja expansion. Once you consider them, the answer is clear, the Palo Alto community should support these
women.
Best,
Jacquelyn Glidden
Palo Alto resident and supporter of women's rights
PALO ALTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
POLICE APPLICANT DISQUALIFICATION POLICY
I. PURPOSE
The City and Police Department have a very strong commitment to equal employment
opportunity and prohibitions against unfair employment practices under the Title VII ( 41
U.S. Code 2000e), the Americans With Disabilities Act (42 U.S. Code 12112), the State·
Unruh Civil Rights Act (Government Code Section 12940) and other applicable fair
employment practices as outlined in the California La:bor Code.
The dilemma facing the Department is one of developing a job-valid and nondiscriminatory
set of policies which allow it to lawfully exclude persons who do not meet the City's or
State's hiring standards. The Peace Officer Standards and Training Commissions of
California and Nevada (P.O.S. T.) have developed a list of guidelines, identified as "15 Job
Dimensions'', which are used as a professional standard in background investigations.
Individual agencies set their own standards (within applicable law) to interpret these
guidelines.
The following standards have been adopted by the Palo Alto Police Department as a prima
facie disqualification for police officer applicants: .
II. ST AND ARDS POLICY
1. Operation of a Motor Vehicle
Ability to possess a valid California Driver's License. Ability to drive safely.
Ability to control a motor vehicle at high speeds. Ability to operate a motor
vehicle in all types of weather conditions.
A. Receipt of two or more moving violations within three years prior to
application shall be disqualifying. Moving violations for which there is a
factual finding of innocence shall not be included.
B. Involvement as a driver in two or more chargeable collisions within three
years prior to date of application shall be disqualifying.
C. Conviction of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs within
four years prior to application or any two convictiOns of driving under the
influence of alcohol and/or drugs shall be disqualifying.
D. Suspension of a driver's license two or more times within the past five
years shall be disqualifying.
1
PALO ALTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
with a child, indecent exposure, except: acts of consensual unlawful
intercourse accomplished between two minors shall not be included,
unless more than 4 years' difference in age existed at the time of the acts.
4. Dependability
Having the habit of submitting reports on time, not malingering at calls, etc., well
motivated. Dependable; follows through on assignments. Taking the extra effort
required to be accurate in all details of work. Willingness to tum in the hours
needed to complete ajob.
A. Missing any scheduled appointment during the process without prior
·permission shall be disqualifying.
B. Having been disciplined by any employer (including military) as an adult
for abuse of leave, gross insubordination, dereliction of duty or persistent
failure to follow established policies and regulations shall be
disqualifying.
C. Having been involuntarily dismissed (for reasons other than lay-off) from
two or more employers as an adult shall be disqualifying.
D. Having undergone personal bankruptcy more than once; having current
financial obligations for which legal judgements have not been satisfied
or; currently having wages garnished shall be disqualifying.
E. History of poor credit shall be disqualifying.
F. Resigning from any paid position without notice may be disqualifying.
G. Having any outstanding warrant of arrest at time of application shall be
disqualifying.·
5. Leaming Ability
Ability to comprehend and retain a good deal of factual information. Ability to
recall factual information pertaining to laws, statutes, codes, etc. Ability to learn
and apply what is learned. Capability of learning the factual material which is
required of a law enforcement officer.
A. Being under the current academic dismissal from any college or university
where such dismissal is still in effect and was initiated within the past 2
years prior to the date of application shall be disqualifying .
. B. Having been academically dismissed from any P.O.S.T. certified Basic
Law Enforcement Academy wherein no demonstrated effort has been
3
PALO ALTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
A. Any adult use or possession of a drug classified as a hallucinogenic within
7 years prior to application for employment.
B. Any adult use of possession of marijuana within 3 years prior to
application for employment.
C. Any other illegal adult use or possession of a drug not mentioned above
(including cocaine) within 5 years prior to application for employment.
D. Any illegal adult use or possession of a drug while employed in any law
enforcement capacity, military police, or as a student enrolled in college
accredited courses o£1or related to the criminal justice field.
E. Any adult manufactured or cultivation of a drug.
F. Failure to divulge to the police department during the background
investigation any information about personal-illegal use of possession of
drugs.
2. The disqualification of a candidate for the following types of illegal drug use or
possession will be considered in relationship to the overall background of that
individual:
A. Any illegal juvenile use of possession of a drug.
B. Any illegal adult use or possession of a drug that does not meet the criteria:
of automatic disqualification specified above; e.g. marijuana use longer
than 3 years ago or cocaine use longer than·5 years ago.
3. All the information obtained during a background investigation is confidential and
will not be released to the candidates or others.
Effective date: September 17, 2001
5
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Mike Swenson <ms1ca@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 10:54 PM
To:jrosen@dao.sccgov.org; BoardOperations@cob.sccgov.org; adl@adlmail.org; central-pacific@adl.org;
mrisher@aclunc.org; schlosser@aclunc.org; Karen.byanes-dunning@splcenter.org;
morris.dees@splcenter.org; Council, City; Binder, Andrew
Cc:weisberg@law.ucla.edu; karst@law.ucla.edu; pkaneb@scu.edu; lstarr@scu.edu; lbazelon@usfca.edu;
rleo@usfca.edu; mcconnell@law.stanford.edu; karlan@stanford.edu; egjensen@stanford.edu;
dersh@law.harvard.edu; ccrump@law.berkeley.edu; ihaneylopez@law.berkeley.edu;
mdancohen@law.berkeley.edu
Subject:Fw: P.O.S.T. standards verify Sgt Benitez' violations
Attachments:PAPD Employent Qualifications.pdf
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Jeff Rosen
DA of Santa Clara County
Mr. Rosen,
Based upon California's Peace Officers own guidelines and interpretation of the law Palo Alto police Sgt.
Wayne Benitez violated PC 149 and PC 147; PC 149 when Sgt. Benitez struck Gustavo Alvarez and then
smashed Alvarez' face into the vehicle and then PC 147 when Sgt. Benitez told Alvarez to, "Shut up," and
then mocked Alvarez by stating; "You think you're a tuff guy?," and then threatening Alvarez by stating to
Alverez that, "You're going to be bleeding a whole lot more."
Additionally by telling Alvarez to "shut up," coupled with the use of force and the threat of more force Sgt.
Benitez violated Alvarez' 1st Amendment Right to Free Speech.
According to P.O.S.T standards Palo Alto police officer Chris Conde appears to have violated PC 31 or PC 32
and or PC 182 by not reporting the offenses committed by Sgt. Alvarez.
Excerpts of the P.OS.T standards pertinent to the incidents described herein can be viewed here:
https://jeffrosenda.weebly.com/post-stamdards.html
P.O.S.T standards:
https://post.ca.gov/Download-Student-Workbooks/CAv5POSTACC-Workbooks-1
3
6
It is quit clear these officers are violating the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics:
http://libertyless.weebly.com/code-of-conduct.html
In August 2017 I was informed that Palo Alto Police Officers were coercing homeless people to sign a yellow paper and
give a thumb print so that other officers would know who the homeless were It would be one thing if the PAPD were
demanding this compliance form all citizens including Asst. DA Jay Boyarsky who lives in Palo Alto but to discriminate
against a specific economic/housing group hearkens to how the NAZIS targeted specific groups in the 1930s and 40s. I
could not confirm the conduct cited above because once it was brought to the attention of the city council on 8/31/2017
the practice came to an abrupt halt. Given the facts listed below it would not surprise me or those of Antelope Valley that
7
Palo Alto Police Chief Robert Jonsen would implement such a policy and practice given his history of targeting minorities
through his anti-American policies and conduct of targeting African Americans and condemned by the U.S Department of
Justice for doing so.
https://www.scpr.org/news/2013/06/28/37967/doj-deputies-at-la-county-sheriff-s-stations-in-la/
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/crt/legacy/2013/06/28/antelope_findings_6-28-13.pdf
After running out of town from Lancaster to Menlo Park Chief Jonsen was then widely criticized for targeting African
Americans there as well:
8
https://almanacnews.com/news/2017/02/21/cover-story-people-of-color-speak-up-about-personal-impact-of-police-stops
So its no supersize that Robert Jonsen would implement his anti-American policies in Palo Alto.
10
Why not just attach a yellow star to all of the homeless in Palo Alto so that it will
make it easier?
https://www.holocaustcenter.org/visit/library-archive/holocaust-badges/
So Mr. Rosen it is a slippery slope from the homeless to include all of the groups that Hitler and the Nazis went after
before they came after those of Jewish ancestry.
First they came for:
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:betty cho <betty_cho@yahoo.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 12:28 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:REMOVE The BARRIERS ASAP!!!
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council Members,
I live on Maybell Ave.
Have you seen the barriers installed on Charleston Arastradero corridor? Have you reviewed the HAZARDS with these
barriers? The barriers will not make anyone safer but cause more fatal accidents. The traffic was bad enough on
Arastradero and Charlston. These barriers will make the traffic even worse and cause more cars flowing on the Maybell
Ave.
This is totally waste of our tax money, totally stupid design. With this money you could have fixed hundreds of
the pot holes on El Camino Real in Palo Alto.
PLEASE REMOVE the BARRIERS IMMEDIATELY and SAVE OUR CHILDREN"S LIFE!!!
Sincerely,
-Betty
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Barry Addington <baraddington@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, August 9, 2019 12:51 PM
To:Council, City; Binder, Andrew
Subject:Fwd: Rule of Law doomed due to hate
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
From: Barry Addington <baraddington@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Aug 5, 2019 at 9:15 PM
Subject: Rule of Law doomed due to hate
To: <jrosen@dao.sccgov.org>, <BoardOperations@cob.sccgov.org>, <adl@adlmail.org>, <central‐pacific@adl.org>,
<mrisher@aclunc.org>, <Karen.byanes‐dunning@splcenter.org>, <morris.dees@splcenter.org>
Cc: <weisberg@law.ucla.edu>, <karst@law.ucla.edu>, <pkaneb@scu.edu>, <lbazelon@usfca.edu>, ,
<egjensen@stanford.edu>, <dersh@law.harvard.edu>,
Jeff Rosen
Santa Clara District Attorney
Mr. Rosen,
Moments after Sgt. Benitez slams the face of the hand‐cuffed Gustavo Alvaez into a vehicle
Benitez refers to Alvarez as a "low‐life.......gay, (homosexual)"
Looks and sounds like a hate crime:
Video and Story: https://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/Questions‐surround‐Palo‐Alto‐police‐officers‐use‐of‐force‐
513069571.html
Yes or No; was this use of force by Ofc. Benitez lawfully necessary in the context of the
circumstances?
If you say "yes" people will say you are lying to cover up the illegal act.
If you say "no" people will ask why aren't you prosecuting Ofc. Benitez for violating PC 149.
2
If you do not prosecute Ofc. Benitez than you are telling the American People that all people are
not equal under the law and that some people, police officers, are above the Rule of Law including
yourself.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtuIzpMohyA
Yes or No did Ofc. Benitez threaten to cause a more serious injury to Alvarez?
3
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/Questions‐surround‐Palo‐Alto‐police‐officers‐use‐of‐force‐513069571.html
Complete Story here: https://jeffrosenda.weebly.com/rule‐of‐law.html
PART TWO:
Yes or No; did Palo Alto Police Officer Christopher Conde verbally acknowledge at the scene of the
incident that he did not see Alvarez driving the vehicle?
If you say "no" people will say you are lying.
Yes or No; at later time did Ofc. Conde falsely states under penalty of perjury in the police report
that he viewed the suspect driving the vehicle and then submit this report to your office with the
intent to have criminal charges filed against Alvarez ?
If you say "no" people will say you are lying.
If you do not prosecute Ofc. Conde for making false statements the police report you will be
telling the American people that it is okay for officers to make false statements in police reports in
violation of the Law, PC 118 and 118.1 and to use those false statements as written evidence to
incriminate a person of a crime in violation PC 134.
4
If you do not prosecute Ofc. Conde than you are telling the American people that police officers
are not subject to the Rule of Law including yourself.
5
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/Questions‐surround‐Palo‐Alto‐police‐officers‐use‐of‐force‐513069571.html
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6209552‐Alvarez‐Police‐Report.html
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6209553‐Gustavo‐Alvarez‐Complaint.html
35 years ago Alan Dershowitz stated the following:
Controlling the Cops; Accomplices To Perjury
By Alan M. Dershowitz
Published: May 02, 1994 The New York Times
For anyone who has practiced criminal law in the state or Federal courts, the disclosures about rampant
police perjury cannot possibly come as a surprise. "Testilying" ‐‐ as the police call it ‐‐ has long been an open
secret among prosecutors, defense lawyers and judges......
6
Without the complicity of judges, police perjury would be reduced considerably. Officers know that in many
courtrooms they can get away with the most blatant perjury without judicial rebuke or
prosecution.....................
Many trial judges were prosecutors, and they know perjury when they hear it ‐‐
http://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/02/opinion/controlling‐the‐cops‐accomplices‐to‐perjury.html
Based upon DA Jeff Rosen's actions he condemns hate and violence committed by private citizens
but condones hate and illegal violaence perpetrated by police officers in his jurisdiction.
There is injustice when secrets abound.
That is correct Mr. Rosen, there are no secrets when justice is obtained and therefore there is NO
JUSTICE when there are secrets like your secrets about how the Palo Alto Police used fake
videos to incriminate a citizen of a crime:
7
Video of Jeff Rosen being confronted with the irrefutable evidence:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrA7ehMi0Lg
The Evidence: https://jeffrosenda.weebly.com/da‐cover‐up.html
and:
https://chiefburns.weebly.com/
https://chiefburns.weebly.com/exhibit‐5.html
8
"No state shall deprive any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." 14th
Am. U.S. Const.
If states do not provide equal protection of the law at all times possible than the Constitution
does not exist for equal protection, equality before the law, is the essence of the Constitution and
a free society. The Constitution cannot exist as a whole without equality. No equality, no
Constitution.
When government agents like you, who have been entrusted to ensure the supremacy of the law,
base your decisions not on the facts and the law but on preconceived bias and prejudice render
the Rule of Law, which is the foundational support to equality before the law, dead.
You profess to uphold the Constitution and the Rule of Law but by your deeds you revoke the
Constitution and the Rule of Law.
9
Your very own actions are laying the ground work for the appearance of a tyranny that you so
adamantly oppose.
Tyranny like this when on June 25, 2019 Palo Alto Police Officer Daniel Fino unlawfully detained a
citizen and then assaulted and battered that citizen without legal necessity because the citizen
was of low economic means and therefor knew he could get away with it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EJHO0LCn9o&t=8s
http://libertyless.weebly.com/
PC149 Every public officer who, under color of authority, without lawful necessity, assaults or beats any person, is punishable by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars
($10,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year,.....
PC 422 (a) Any person who willfully threatens to commit a crime which will result in death or great bodily injury to another person, with the specific intent that the statement,
made verbally, in writing, or by means of an electronic communication device, is to be taken as a threat, even if there is no intent of actually carrying it out, which, on its face
and under the circumstances in which it is made, is so unequivocal, unconditional, immediate, and specific as to convey to the person threatened, a gravity of purpose and an
10
immediate prospect of execution of the threat, and thereby causes that person reasonably to be in sustained fear for his or her own safety or for his or her immediate family’s
safety, shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed one year, or by imprisonment in the state prison.
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&division=&title=11.5.&part=1.&chapter=&article=
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Bonny Parke <bonny.parke@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, August 9, 2019 10:44 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Shocked at PA police behavior!
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council Members,
I just saw this video of our police visiting a resident of Buena Vista Mobile Home Park. Please view this.
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/on‐air/as‐seen‐on/Civil‐Rights‐Lawsuit‐Filed‐Against‐Palo‐Alto‐Police_Bay‐Area‐
529464161.html
Surely, as our elected representatives, you can do something about this. What is the culture at our police station that
allows this to occur? What is the tone that the police chief sets to enable serious breaches of our rights to be breached
in this fashion?
Please investigate this. As a psychologist who has investigated the culture in many organizations, I encourage you to be
proactive in this matter so as to reflect the values of our city.
Sincerely,
Bonny Parke, Ph.D.
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, CA 94306
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Anne Avis <aavis@mac.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 10:53 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Supporting Casti's plan!
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council,
I heartily support Castilleja’s growth plan! We live one block away in Old Palo Alto. It is a privilege to live near this
school, a gem in our neighborhood. I respect Castilleja’s thoughtful leadership and all their efforts to seek community
input and feedback. It is a responsible proposal that should be approved!
Anne Avis
{REDACTED}
Anne Avis
aavis@mac.com
650-387-7085