HomeMy Public PortalAbout20190826plCC2701-32
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 2 of 3
Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet
reproduction in a given week.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Uli Gal-Oz <uli@galoz.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 9:57 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Grocery store at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear council members,
I would like to strongly request that the requirement for a grocery store at the plaza will NOT be
removed. The grocery store supports a large community of Palo Altans and should stay there, also as
an anchor to the viability of the small shopping center.
Best regards,
Shaul Gal-Oz
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, CA
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Ben Stolpa <jben@stolpa.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 10:32 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Grocery Market at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
To: City Council Palo Alto
We have found the grocery store at Edgewood Plaza to be a tremendous convenience and an often used resource. It is
well run with inventory and products suited to its clientele. The management is responsive to shoppers’ suggestions and
inquiries.
Please adhere to the original contractual agreement and insist on its terms re. an operational grocery store in that
location. The development deal was made on a contract basis that at the time was fairly agreed to by all parties. As
such, it should be adhered to and maintained as still valid, as originally signed.
Ben
jben@stolpa.com
Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Gmail <elise.singer@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 10:33 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood plaza grocery store
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
We live on Jackson Drive and use the Edgewood Plaza grocery store almost daily. My children can walk there and pick up
groceries: they learn about handling money, independence, helping w chores and good food choices. There is no other
store nearby that would allow this experience. It’s also Ana amazing example of a well run grocery that fills a need for
well curated choices.
There was a contract and it is ridiculous that the legal system is being utilized to undo an agreed to public good. The
Sand Hill group took their $30M to develop housing and they need to meet heir obligations. It’s simple. Please don’t let
our incentive payouts now fund highly paid legal arguments to avoid doing what is obviously the right thing.
Elise Singer
{REDACTED}
Children: 15 yo Maya, 13 yo Hannah, 11 yo Sofia
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Zubin Singh <singhzubin86@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 10:42 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:[Woodland Creek] Edgewood shopping center
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hi,
My name is Zubin Singh, I'm a resident in the Woodland Creek apartment community.
I'm writing this email to encourage the the City Council to please NOT negotiate the provision for
requiring an operating grocery store.
The current grocery store, The Market at Edgewood, serves several benefits to the community and is
extremely popular.
Please ensure the city has a strong legal experts to file an appeal against Sand Hill that forces that
the grocery store requirement to remain active.
Thanks,
Zubin Singh
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:juliejjj@aol.com
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 10:48 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.
Please, under no circumstances negotiate away requiring an operating grocery store. Our
neighborhood's massive action helped bring back a grocery store in 2017 and you need to know how
important it is. Not only to our immediate neighborhood, but city-wide. The store is a true gem. The
fact that it's in walking distance for many of us adds immensely to its value - both convenience-wise
and environmentally.
Julie Jerome
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Karen Kotoske <karen@amistadinternational.org>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 10:56 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Grocery store
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Please file a strong appeal. We NEED our Edgewood market! I live on Edgewood. My using that market rather than
Whole Foods or Piazza's contributes to less Palo Alto traffic.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Jon Rattner <jer90@caa.columbia.edu>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 11:15 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Shopping Center Grocery
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Dear Members of the City Council:
I understand that on August 12 the Council will discuss the CIty’s appeal of the 2017 decision in which the court
effectively said that the City could not require Sand Hill Properties to provide a viable grocery store at the Edgewood
Shopping Center despite clear language in Sand Hill’s development agreement with the City.
I trust that the Council will decide to vigorously appeal that decision, not only for the purpose of recovering the
substantial penalties to which the City is entitled as a result of Sand Hill’s breach of its agreement, but also to make good
on the CIty’s commitment to its community in the vicinity of the Edgewood Shopping Center to maintain a very much
needed resource. The Market currently occupying the site has been well received and to my knowledge does solid
business there.
If my trust is misplaced, then I strenuously encourage the City to vigorously pursue that appeal. To allow Sand Hill
Properties off the hook after it flouted its agreement by demolishing protected structures and then failing to provide a
grocery would be an abdication by the Council of its responsibilities and a slap in the face to the City’s residents.
Please do the right thing.
Thank you for your focused attention to this matter.
Jonathan Rattner
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, CA 94303
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:sara hammond <sachammond@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 11:29 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Please file a strong appeal and under no circumstances negotiate away requiring an operating grocery store.
Since the Edgewood Market has opened Edgewood Plaza has become much busier and provides a meeting place for
friends and family.
I spoke with a young man who gets off the freeway to use The Orange Theory gym and then shops at the market while
he waits for the traffic to ease. I probably go to the market 5 times a week and almost always see a neighbor. The
Market is needed in our part of Palo Alto.
Sara and Mike Hammond
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Jennifer Antonow <jennifer.antonow@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 1:28 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please support the Market at Edgewood!
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Our community loves the Market at Edgewood! Please file a strong appeal and under no circumstances negotiate away
requiring an operating grocery store.
Thank you,
Jennifer Antonow
{REDACTED}, Palo Alto, CA 94303
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Nancy Yamada <yamadanancy@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 1:35 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Plaza Appeal
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council members,
I am concerned to hear that the Council is considering NOT filing an appeal to the Superior Court judgement required
that Sand Hill be required to provide a viable grocery store. An empty building is NOT a public benefit. Sand Hill should
be required to pay the penalties they were assessed for not having a running grocery store in the space after Fresh
Market pulled out.
The neighbor and entire City benefit from having this as a functioning grocery store in our community. The City made a
significant concession by allowing the entire back parking lot to be converted to housing. Please do not let Sand Hill off
the hook now that The Market is open.
I am a life long resident of Palo Alto and remember when this plaza was first running with the Lucky's supermarket. I
remember how run down the market and center became before it was redeveloped. Let's ensure that the center
remain vibrant and with a grocery store for many years, to come.
Regards,
Nancy Yamada
{REDACTED}, Palo Alto, CA 94303
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Susan Bradley <sibnotes@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 2:03 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:The Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
I don't fully understand how The Market could be threatened by the City Council.
I just know this market is as close as Trader Joe's to my house, and offers a totally different food experience. The
produce is fresh each morning from SF farmers market. (The owner's daughter told me yesterday that her father drives
to SF every morning at 5 to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables.)
Everything about the store shows love and care. The best bakery, cheeses, wines.
It's a bit higher priced than Safeway or TJ's but the quality far surpasses them, and it is in a neighborhood that can
support it.
I now depend on this beloved store.
Please protect it.
Susan Bradleyi
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Pitch Johnson <pitch@assetman.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 2:45 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Members,
I want to urge you as strongly as I can to keep on with your appeal of the court decision concerning Edgewood Plaza.
The loss or abandonment of the appeal would almost certainly result in the closure of The Market at Edgewood.
That store, well run and supplied, is an important asset of our significant part of Palo Alto, and is widely used by us and
our neighbors.
Sincerely yours,
Franklin P. Johnson, Jr.
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Hamilton Hitchings <hitchingsh@yahoo.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 2:58 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please Protect the Edgewood Grocery store
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
On Monday August 12th, 2019 you will discuss the appeal of the court ruling that there does not need
to be a grocery store based on a very favorable reading of the contract by a judge that a vacant
building fulfilled the public benefit (and also the not very airtight contract writing on the part of the city
attorneys).
Please file a strong appeal and under no circumstances negotiate away requiring an operating
grocery store. Sand Hill Developers was allowed to build 10 town houses that sold for $30 million and
shrink the size of the parking lot in exchange for providing the community benefit of a grocery
store. Since receiving all the benefits, Sand Hill was clearly not been motivated to complete its end of
the bargain and thus left the grocery store empty until only the force of penalties motivated it to find
an alternate grocery store. Failing to enforce the penalties and forgoing $1.6 million in city revenue
will result in significant future community disapproval of using community benefits since the city will
be sending a clear message its not serious about the developer fulfilling their obligations.
The Edgewood Market won "Best of 2019" by Palo Alto Weekly readers and is quite popular. It's
critical that the viability and continued operation of this store is protected. Myself and many other
community members walk to this store rather than drive to other farther away grocery stores.
Thank you for your consideration.
Hamilton Hitchings
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Lindsey North <lnorth_home@yahoo.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 3:18 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 council members,
Having a market in the Edgewood Shopping Center has made a huge contribution to our neighborhood and the city itself.
Finally, some real *community benefit* from Sand Hill Properties' project.
Please make sure the City of Palo Alto mounts a vigorous legal defense of the requirement to keep an operating market at
Edgewood Shopping Center.
Thank you,
Lindsey North
Jackson Drive
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Yankwich Richard <richard.yankwich@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 3:55 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
To the City Council —
I support filing a strong appeal to enforce the Developer’s agreement to provide a grocery store for Edgewood Plaza, as
well as the penalties against the Developer for failing to provide such a grocery store for several years.
The Developer was free to negotiate whatever contract terms it was able to obtain. It agreed to provide a grocery
store. Although it now may wish to quibble with what that language meant, any reasonable interpretation would
require the Developer to lease the premises to a grocer, if at all possible.
It was possible, as shown by the current tenant, the Edgewood Market, which is popular, successful, and a much‐needed
community resource.
The Developer received the full value for which it negotiated in return — a smaller parking lot, a small store footprint,
and many residential units, which it sold for $30 million.
It was then time for the Developer to provide, in turn, the consideration to which it agreed: a grocery store in the
commercial space. When it failed to do so, it knew exactly what the schedule of penalties was that it would be forced to
pay. As with any contract, the Developer could choose between continuing to breach the contract or to comply. In the
end, the Developer incurred penalities that it foresaw and controlled, and it has chosen to lease to a grocer in order to
comply with the contract. These obligations must continue to be enforced through an appeal.
Not only must the City preserve the Edgewood Market as a valuable community resource, but it must not concede that
the Developer’s obligations, and the penalties incurred for not complying with them, are either unenforceable or will not
be enforced. The City did the right thing here. Now it must insist that the Developer meet its agreed‐upon
obligations. It is worth both the money and the principle.
Richard I. Yankwich
richard.yankwich@gmail.com
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650)269-4403
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Rosalinda Quintanar <rquintanars@yahoo.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 4:12 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council Members,
As a local resident of Edgewood Market neigborhood, I urge you to file a strong appeal and under
no circumstances negotiate away requiring an operating grocery store. Our neighborhood's
massive action helped bring back a grocery store in 2017 and so we need you to know how important
the grocery store is to us.
Thanks for your support!
Rosalinda Quintanar
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Mel Kronick <melkronick@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 4:18 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:Mel Kronick; Karen Kronick
Subject:Grocery Store at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
My wife and I strongly urge the city to file a strong appeal with the current developers and under
no circumstances negotiate away requiring an operating grocery store. The presence of such a
store adds so much to our neighborhood.
Thanks for consideration of our perspective.
Mel and Karen Kronick
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Jessie B <jteitz@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 4:42 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Keep a grocery store at Edgewood!
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hi,
I understand that you are discussing whether to appeal the ruling that the requirement that Sand Hill provide a viable
grocery store is not valid.
HECK YES PLEASE APPEAL!
Sand Hill got huge benefits in return for its commitment to support a grocery store in the Edgewood development. Make
sure they can't back out of their side of the deal.
Jessie Becker
{REDACTED}, Palo Alto, CA 94303
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Sue Tseng <suetseng@aol.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 4:58 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 Members of our City Council,
I am a lifelong resident of Palo Alto and we live in the “Crescent Park Addition” neighborhood very close to the Market
at Edgewood. It is just a wonderful place, a real answer to prayer to have such a great market right in our
neighborhood. The owners have made every effort to make it a well‐stocked, friendly, gathering place for the
neighborhood and are kind and attentive to all the shoppers’ requests for sought‐after grocery items. I can’t tell you
how often I frequent the market ‐ for last minute items, for dinner tonight, for so many things. It’s something I would
hate for our neighborhood to lose. I really love the sense of community the market fosters; we’re not always so lucky to
have a place in the neighborhood that feels like “neighborhood."
I urge you, please vote to keep our grocery store!! PLEASE!!
many thanks‐
Sincerely,
Susan Tseng
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Jo Ann Mandinach <joann@needtoknow.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 5:04 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Protect The Market @ Edgewood. Reduce traffic backups near Town & Country!
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
We waited long enough for The Market @ Edgewood which won awards
for being the best local
grocer.
Do what you can to keep it alive. Support merchants instead of
developers. For a change/
Having The Market where it is keeps me off of Embarcadero where
I often sit backed up for 6 -- SIX -- traffic lights at Town & Country
BEFORE school starts and before
Casti and Stanford expand.
ENOUGH already. I'm tired of having to drive miles out of my way to the
MENLO Park Trader Joe's
because Embarcadero is impassable -- and impossible!
Remind Liz there really ARE traffic problems.
Most sincerely,
Jo Ann Mandinach
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, CA 94301
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:trinh nguyen <trngyen@yahoo.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 5:10 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 City Council,
We live on Channing and love The Market store at Edgewood. We stop by a few times a week for fresh produce. It is
very convenient. Their price in general are very good. Please help to keep it opened.
Thanks so much.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Julian L <paloaltojulian@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 6:56 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:The Market: Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
To Whom It May Concern,
My name is Julian, I am a local resident of Palo Alto for the past 4 years. I am writing you today because I have
heard concerning news about the possible closure of our local grocery store, The Market.
I have lived in Palo Alto when the building for the Market sat vacant in Edgewood Plaza. At that time, there was
little life or energy at the plaza ‐ as you can imagine the effect a large, empty, unused, and dark building has on its'
surroundings. The Edgewood Plaza became more of a local eye sore than a place to shop at. As a result, the plaza served
mainly as a de‐facto overflow surface parking lot than a shopping center.
Since the Market has opened there has been noticeable positive changes to the entire plaza. New businesses
have opened, reinvigorating the plaza from a desolate parking lot to an actual shopping center. One of the many great
qualities of the Market is that it showcases local produce, products, and provides jobs to the community. During the
summer, it’s easy to see the Market employs local high schoolers which offers these students’ a great nearby
opportunity to enter the workforce. The Market has become more than a grocery store but an anchor for the
community.
I hope on August 12th, you will stand firm and file the strongest appeal to keep our local Market.
Best,
Julian
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Joseph McGee <jmcg55@yahoo.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 6:57 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please protect the Market at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Sirs,
Please do not let the owner’s of Edgewood Plaza get out of their obligation at have a grocery store. The Market at
Edgewood has been a wonderful resource for the city and the neighborhood. Please stand up strongly for this store and
for the owners of Edgewood Plaza to fulfill their obligations. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Joseph McGee
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, CA. 94301
650‐400‐1332
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:angela wong <angwong@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 7:17 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Keeping a Grocery Store at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hi City Council,
I am a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis and absolutely LOVE our grocery store The Market!
We love going there all the time. The owner and staff our wonderful. My kids love it there too.
I am hoping The Market will stay and be supported.
Please do NOT let Sand Hill get away with not having a grocery store there as promised.
Thank you,
Angela Wong
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Z. Ahsan <aghaz@yahoo.com>
Sent:Thursday, August 8, 2019 8:53 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Grocery store at Edgewood plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Sir/Madam,
Please ensure that we have a grocery store at Edgewood plaza.
Please file a strong appeal and under no circumstances negotiate away requiring an
operating grocery store.
Agha Zaigham Ahsan, {REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Bonnie <bonnieloree@yahoo.com>
Sent:Friday, August 9, 2019 6:42 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:The Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
City leaders,
Please keep the grocery store. It is a much needed resource for the area. It is small and friendly and a community
building place.
Bonnie Keller.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Joerg Rathenberg <jrathenberg@yahoo.com>
Sent:Friday, August 9, 2019 12:22 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:Benafsha Irani
Subject:Edgewood Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council,
I have learned that on Monday you will discuss the appeal of a 2017 court ruling saying there needn't
be an operating grocery store at the shopping center.
You are surely aware how long it took us to get the market in place. It is a critical building block of our
community. Please ensure that you give this appeal the full attention it deserves to come to a
successful conclusion. Our neighborhoos depends on you.
Thank you
Joerg Rathenberg
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Jeff Levinsky <jeff@levinsky.org>
Sent:Friday, August 9, 2019 1:54 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please Appeal the Edgewood Plaza Ruling
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Councilmembers:
Please be sure the City files a strong appeal of last year's ruling trashing the city's requirement of an operating grocery
store at Edgewood Plaza. You probably don't have time to read that actual ruling, so below is a quick summary of its key
failings. You'll see how the judge made many serious errors in interpreting the ordinance. The City therefore has
substantial grounds for its appeal.
Thanks!
Jeff Levinsky
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, CA 94303
What’s Wrong with the Edgewood Ruling
January 8, 2018
The December 15, 2017 ruling by Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Peter Kirwan says the City of Palo Alto has no
right to insist that the Edgewood Plaza grocery store remain open and therefore can’t collect penalties when it is not.
The City had argued that Edgewood Plaza’s special zoning ordinance does require the grocery to store be open and
available. The ordinance specifically requires as one of the public benefits of the project:
Provision of a grocery store in the 20,600 sq. ft. building. The commercial property owner shall ensure the
continued use of the 20,600 sq. ft. building as a grocery store for the life of the project;
From page 3 of City of Palo Alto Ordinance 5224, https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/39188
Kirwan ruled the language above didn’t mean the grocery store had to be open and operating and instead could be
permanently closed, as happened after The Fresh Market shut down the store back in March 2015 along with all its
other West Coast locations. His ruling thus precludes the City from collecting some or all of about $2.3 million in
penalties from the shopping center for violating the zoning ordinance during 2015 to 2017.
There are serious defects in Kirwan’s ruling, including:
Ignoring His Own Dictionary: Kirwan reads the clause above and focused in on the required “continued use.” He says,
The word “use,” when employed as a noun, refers to the manner or purpose for which something is used. (See
The American Heritage Dictionary (2d College Ed.) p. 1331 [meaning of “use” includes “the application of
employment of something for some purpose” and “[t]he manner of using”).
From page 10 of http://paneighborhoods.org/wp‐content/uploads/2017/12/Decision‐on‐Petition‐for‐Writ‐of‐Mandate‐and‐Oder‐for‐Further‐
Briefing‐12‐15‐17‐3.pdf
2
Using the first definition Kirwan cites, the ordinance requires the 20,600 sq. ft. building to be “applied” to the purpose of
having a grocery store. But there is no grocery store when the building is vacant any more than there is a petting zoo or
a blimp factory there. Under the second definition, the “manner of using” the building should be as a grocery store. But
a vacant building isn’t being used at all and is definitely not being used as a grocery store. In short, the very dictionary
definitions Kirwan cites clearly demonstrate that a vacant building doesn’t comply with the ordinance.
Ignoring the Full Clause: Kirwan doesn’t analyze the first part of the clause, which requires, “Provision of a grocery store
in the 20,600 sq. ft. building.” Merriam‐Webster.com (accessed 1/7/18) says the word “provision” means “the act or
process of providing.” A vacant building does not provide a grocery store, just as it doesn’t provide a petting zoo or a
blimp factory, and so doesn’t comply with the requirement. It’s odd that Kirwan skipped over this key phrase, given that
his ruling earlier states:
… courts give significance to every single word, phrase, sentence, and part of an act in pursuing a legislative
purpose. (page 9)
Ignoring the Intent: Kirwan himself cites in his ruling a precedent that:
“... If the language is clean and unambiguous, courts follow the plain meaning of the statute. … Courts should
not give language of a statute its literal meaning if doing so would result in absurd consequences unintended by
the Legislature. In that case, the intent of the law prevails over the letter, and the letter, if possible, will be read
so as to conform to the spirit of the act.” (Pages 9‐10)
So if Kirwan thought the requirement for a grocery store was ambiguous, he should have looked to the intent. Yet his
ruling doesn’t discuss intent whatsoever. Doing so would require noting that Albertsons had left the center years earlier
and there had been no operating grocery store since. The vacant space left by Albertsons represented half of the
shopping center, eroding its vitality and attracting crime. How would having the same unfortunate situation that already
existed be a public benefit? The PC ordinance itself says:
Development of the site under the provisions of the PC Planned Community District will result in public benefits
not otherwise attainable by application of the regulations of general districts or combining districts.
In other words, the city understood that it couldn’t normally compel an operating grocery store but was doing so
through the ordinance, which Sand Hill voluntarily agreed to abide by. That was the intent.
Another indication of the intent of the PC is the City’s statement that:
The proposed project will refurbish an existing retail center to provide services to the local residents who have
been underserved since the grocery store closed.
From page 15 of November 3, 2011 ARB Staff Report at http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/30951
If the City had only intended the 20,600 sq. ft. building be restricted to grocery use, it would not have stated that the
intent was “to provide services” but rather only to provide sites for potential services. And it would not have suggested
there would necessarily be any change from the closed grocery situation at the time the PC was being debated.
And §18.38.080(c) of the City’s Municipal Code says a PC Development Program Statement shall include “the conditions
or characteristics of occupancy, use, or operation,” that is, not merely the allowed uses. So governing the operations
was a legitimate intent of the PC.
Interpreting the ordinance language to continue to allow no operating grocery store is exactly the “absurd
consequence” of an improper interpretation that Kirwan himself claimed courts should avoid.
3
Introducing a Different Definition: Kirwan interprets the phrase “continued use” to allow vacancy by noting the word
“use” has a special meaning in zoning laws:
.. in the context of local zoning or land use laws, term “use” typically refers to the type of use or intensity of use
allowed for any given property. (See Miller and Star, Cal. Real Est (4th Ed.) § 21:8 [“A typical zoning ordinance
includes an extensive array of definitions and classifications by type or intensity of use, and includes a map or
series of maps dividing the jurisdiction into areas or “zoning districts” in which different uses are permitted …”].
(Page 10)
It’s true that Palo Alto’s own Municipal Code defines an array of “uses” and each property is allowed to have one or
more of these uses. For example, one “use” defined in the code is “Retail Service” and another is “Day Care Center.”
But suppose you have a vacant building on a property that allows both these uses. You couldn’t say that the vacant
building’s “continued use” is “Retail Service” any more than you could say it is “Day Care Center.” Rather, those are the
allowed uses, but while vacant the building has neither use. So when Kirwan interpreted the phrase “continued use” to
mean that the building should continuously meet the zoning use of grocery store, he should have then ruled that a
vacant building doesn’t.
Kirwan’s reinterpretation of “use” to mean “zoning use” has another problem. Substituting his interpretation into the
ordinance language yields, “The commercial property owner shall ensure the continued zoning use …” But property
owners don’t and can’t ensure zoning uses. Rather, the City itself establishes the zoning uses of a property by enacting
laws. It would make no sense for the City to require an owner to ensure a zoning law remain in effect when everyone
knows the owner couldn’t possibly do that. It’s another absurd interpretation .. and Kirwan acknowledged he was
supposed to avoid absurd interpretations.
Ignoring Why Ordinances Vary: Kirwan argues for his interpretation of “use” by saying:
This conclusion is bolstered by the City’s own prior treatment of the terms “use” and “operation” in a very
similar context. In 2010, the City adopted PC Ordinance No. 5069, which regards a mixed‐use development
project including space for a grocery store. The ordinance lists permitted and conditionally permitted “land
uses,” including residential, business offices, retail services, farmers markets, and others. The ordinance goes
on to set forth “[s]pecial limitations on land uses.” As related to the grocery store, those limitations state in
relevant part: “The grocery store tenant shall occupy and begin operations prior to any office tenant occupancy.
… The grocery store shall remain in continuous operation as a grocery store. ‘Continuous shall be defined to
include brief closure for ordinary business purposes.’” The City apparently understood the terms “use” and
“operations” to mean something different relative to PC Ordinance 5069, with “use” referring to the general
way property may be used and “operation” referring to the act of conducting business. (Page 11)
This other PC is for College Terrace Centre, which was a very different project. There, the intent was to preserve a
grocery store but replace the buildings on the site, whereas Edgewood Plaza had no grocer and a goal was to preserve
all the buildings, including two that were of historic significance. The College Terrace Centre PC had to grapple with an
additional issue, namely that the original grocery store (JJ&F) might go out of business and City wanted any successor to
be very similar. There was no such concern at Edgewood Plaza, where the type and manner of function of the grocery
store was not specified in any manner. That the language in the two PCs should then differ is unremarkable.
Furthermore, Kirwan’s cites no evidence that the City intentionally chose different words for the two PCs because it
didn’t care if Edgewood’s grocery store was vacant.
Ignoring Other Evidence: Kirwan concludes this part of the ruling by saying:
Extrinsic aids may be examined to resolve a statutory ambiguity, including legislative history materials.
(Branciforte Heights, LLC v. City of Santa Cruz (2006) 138 Cal.App.4th 914,926.) Here, Respondents did not point
to any extrinsic matters compelling that the PC Ordinance No. 5224 should be interpreted as requiring Petitioner
to ensure the active operation of a grocery store at all times. (Page 12)
4
But there is such evidence. The minutes of the February 29, 2012 Planning Commission meeting discussing the
proposed Edgewood Plaza ordinance cite Jim Baer, representing Sand Hill and arguing for the ordinance, as saying:
“With respect to public benefits, there is a commitment to provide a grocery store for which there are two
precedents for this being the overriding benefit. At Alma Plaza no homes could be sold without there being a
grocery store that both signed a lease and pulled tenant improvement building plans. That grocery store
commitment was for the useful life of the building. I may be incorrect. It may be in perpetuity or for the useful
life of the building. JJ&F 50,000 square foot office building was added to preserve an 8,000 foot grocery store,
to rebuild an 8,000 foot grocery store. Enormous increased development rights and again I’m not sure if it is in
perpetuity or for the useful life of the improvement as its developed so the commitment to write a grocery store
for its useful life or in perpetuity and I’m sorry I don’t have the Ordinance presented to you in front of me, is an
overwhelming public benefit that cannot be compelled under any Ordinance including the PC Ordinance. This
could be an athletic club, this could be a Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid. To provide a grocery store is what the
community wanted and is of enormous public benefit.”
Page 371 of http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/41657
Note he does not say the public benefit is to provide merely a building that could remain vacant. Rather, he twice states
there a grocery store itself will be provided and labels that the public benefit. That definition of the public benefit,
supplied directly by the spokesperson for the shopping center owners during deliberation of the ordinance, is consistent
with the City’s claim that the public benefit requirement written into the ordinance was for an operating grocery, not a
merely a building restricted to having a grocery store in it.
The quote above was not the first time Sand Hill promised a functioning grocery store. The 2009 press release co‐issued
by Sand Hill Properties and the Edgewood Architectural Control Committee following the resolution of the latter’s
lawsuit stated:
The owners and developers of Edgewood Shopping Center are committed to bringing and will bring a viable
grocery store and operator to the renovated property.
An empty building is not a “viable grocery store.”
Carla Carvalho
Jeff Levinsky
Lenore Cymes
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Commercial <rkscomm@yahoo.com>
Sent:Friday, August 9, 2019 2:35 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Keep Our Grocery Store!!!!
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
KaySchauer
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Rich Gerould <rich@gerould.com>
Sent:Friday, August 9, 2019 3:12 PM
To:Council, City; lisa@gerould.com
Subject:Please Appeal Ruling on Edgewood Plaza Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
We are writing in support of the City’s appeal of the ruling of December 15, 2017 by Judge Kirwan that the City of Palo
Alto has no right to insist that the Edgewood Plaza market remain open. The Edgewood market is the first viable
neighborhood grocery store in this location and deserves every opportunity to succeed. We shop there nearly every day.
They clearly understand their clientele and work very hard to respond to requests for new items. It would be a great loss
to the Crescent Park community were the market to close or be replaced by another business that does not serve the
needs of actual residents, as has happened so often recently. Thank you for your consideration.
Rich& Lisa Gerould
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto
(650) 321-6899
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Gabe <gamma888@yahoo.com>
Sent:Friday, August 9, 2019 7:41 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:gabe leung
Subject:Edgewood Plaza - Appeal for the Market at Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
To whom it may concern,
My name is Gabe Leung and I’m a resident of Duveneck neighborhood. I’ve been living here in Palo Alto since 1986 and
have seen many changes here.
So, to make it brief, I would highly encourage you to appeal the court’s 2017 ruling that the Edgewood Plaza do not need
a grocery store. I beg to differ as I have been going to Lucky’s prior to the plaza’s new renovation. When there was no
grocery store, it has provided a strain on my financial side due to more time/driving.
Since the Market at Edgewood have opened, I found myself going there frequently simply because of its awesome
selections of food as well as to‐go eats for my busy life.
Even though the roads at Palo Alto has gone real busy due to some developments around, I can imagine how the
neighbors around Edgewood Plaza would have to make the traffic worser.
Also, I feel truly blessed to have this local market in Palo Alto because I genuinely believe that Palo Alto is all about
caring neighbors around, community to work together (my kid goes to Ohlone Elementary), and worth the fighting for
appealing on overturning the court’s 2017 ruling.
Even though, you may have other major issues to tackle, please do not forget that you do represent the majority of Palo
Altoans who enjoys the benefits of having local businesses instead of a franchise. I believe that having a local grocerer
would make a huge difference based on a data from the review sites as the Market provided a great sense of community
in parallel to Palo Alto’s strong history of
community.
Again, I truly hope that you, the city council, would appeal this ruling on August 12th. Please keep in mind that a local
grocery store
is on a major location close to 101, welcoming many visitors to Palo Alto, close to a medical center (Stanford) on other
side of 101, and of course, neighbors.
Kind regards,
Gabe Leung
Duveneck/Midtown resident since 1979
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:neva yarkin <nevayarkin@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, August 9, 2019 11:12 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:from Neva Yarkin regarding Edgewood Plaza Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
August 9, 2019
To: Eric Filseth, Alison Cormack, Tom DuBois, Adrian Fine, Liz Kniss, Lydia Kou, and Greg Tanaka
I am asking for the City to file a strong appeal to keep "The Edgewood Market" open. I buy Salmon there once a month,
and whenever I am in the area I buy other groceries there too. The fish is alot cheaper then most other stores. The
employees really make an effort to help customers.
Sand Hill Properties should have to pay the penalties ($1.6 Million) for when the grocery store was vacant.
It is amazing to me that a superior court judge would even rule that a "vacant building is a meaningful public benefit". If
this is the case, why would we even let development continue to grow without some benefit for the community?
Sincerely,
Neva Yarkin
133 Churchill Ave.
Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Mallory Cases <mallory.cases@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, August 9, 2019 11:57 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.
________________________________
Good evening,
The Market at Edgewood is a wonderful grocery store. My family visits it regularly. We love it and have come to depend
on it. It is a part of our community.
I am writing to insist you file a strong appeal and under no circumstances negotiate away requiring an operating grocery
store.
Sincerely,
Mallory Cases
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:S.herzog@comcast.net
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 8:18 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Plaza Grocery Store
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Dear City of Palo Alto Council,
I read on NextDoor about the issue with the grocery store in Edgewood Plaza. It’s a great store and a win‐win to the
neighborhood to have a market in this area. I urge you to file a strong appeal and under no circumstances negotiate
away requiring an operating grocery store.
Best regards,
Susan Herzog
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Don Sekimura <2dsekimura@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 9:10 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Dear City Council Members,
Please do whatever you can to appeal the court decision and enforce the requirement that Sandhill provide a market for
our neighborhood. Without the ability to ensure community benefits, the entire “planned community” idea must be
abandoned.
Diane Sekimura
{REDACTED} 94303
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Mark Greening <markieg9@mac.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 10:21 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Regarding your meeting to discuss the financial situation at Edgewood Plaza ‐ please do whatever you can to keep The
Market at Edgewood. A grocery store makes a community and this one is a treasure. The original proposal for
development of the plaza guaranteed there should be a grocery store in exchange for housing and that it should be
subsidized by the developer if necessary. Don’t go back on that commitment or you will lose the trust of your
constituents.
Best regards,
Mark Greening
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:gretchen deandre <gredea@yahoo.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 12:42 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood plaza grocery store
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
To whom it may concern,
I'm writing to implore you to protect the requirement of an operating grocery store at Edgewood Plaza. The market has
enhanced the surrounding neighborhoods, and it's important that we have a grocery in the shopping center. Thank you.
Gretchen DeAndre
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Phyllis Klein <phyllis@phyllisklein.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 1:02 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Dear City Council,
As a person who shops at the Edgewood Market, I want to make a strong statement about the need to keep this market
open. Please oppose the ruling stating that there doesn’t need to be an operating market at this location. Since the
Edgewood Market has moved into this space, the area has been thriving. It is a wonderful neighborhood resource!
Please use your very best legal experts to stop this attempt to damage and disrupt our neighborhood.
Thank you for your attention,
Phyllis Klein
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Carol Brannan <cbrannan1112@earthlink.net>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 2:15 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:cbrannan1112@earthlink.net
Subject:Edgewood Plaza Grocery Store
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 request that the City Council please give thoughtful consideration to the needs of residents in the
Duveneck/St Francis and wider area. Please appeal the 2017 court ruling suggesting there needn't be an operating
grocery store at the Edgewood shopping center. Residents rely on Edgewood Plaza for the only local grocery store in
this area.
Back in 2012, when the City allowed Sand Hill to profit from rebuilding the shopping center with a much smaller parking
lot and addition of approximately $30 million in housing, Sand Hill agreed to provide a "viable grocery store”. We all
make decisions about how to invest our time and money, taking into account the up‐front and ongoing costs. It is
reasonable to hold Sand Hill accountable to their contractual agreements.
Thank you for your consideration.
With best regards,
Carol Brannan Marimpietri
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Carol Kenyon <carolskenyon@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 3:34 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Our Neighborhood Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
I am writing to you as members of the Palo Alto City Council to do what ever may be necessary to KEEP “The Market” at
Edgewood Plaza. This is a lovely neighborhood with people of all ages who value living here and need this market going
strong. It is within walking distance for many of us and yes we do walk to the market. Otherwise we are forced to drive
to markets in other parts of the city. I know no one in this City loves. more traffic.
Please do what ever is needed to keep our neighborhood market.
Thanking you in advance
Best,
Carol
Carol S. Kenyon
carolskenyon@gmail.com
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Victoria M Knapp <knapp.victoriam@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 4:23 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Grocery Store at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello -
I'm a concerned Palo Alto Homeowner who lives near the Edgewood Center. It has come to my attention that
the Grocery Store is in danger of being closed. Have a local Grocery Store near my home as a single, female
who lives along provides me great comfort in case I'm in need. Having a center within 5 minutes of my home
provide me access, gives me a safe (personal) safe option & keeps my community vibrant. The Edgewood
Market also provides hard to find items which I frequently use in my cooking.
I hope you will consider up holding the agreement made with the community by ensuring the Property
Management company doesn't remove this vital vendor in our community.
Warmly,
Victoria KNapp
‐‐
- Victoria
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Susie Poon <susie_poon@yahoo.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 4:37 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please keep 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,
We love shopping at The Market because the price is fair. Meat and produce are fresh. Please keep The Market
operating for the long term .
Thank you,
Susie
Sent from my iPad
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Carine Schneider <carine.m.schneider@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 5:25 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please keep and support the Edgewood Market!
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
This market is an important part of the ecosystem of Palo Alto/Menlo Park. We visit the store several times each week.
Thank you!
Carine Schneider
+1‐650‐862‐8628
carine@dschneider.com
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Katharine Terry <kathyt140@me.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 5:27 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
To our Palo Alto City Council, I’m seeing some activity on NextDoor that we might lose our wonderful Edgewood
Market…….please do EVERYTHING you can to keep our market open. I shop there all the time. Everyone I know really
likes it. It’s important to a whole section of neighborhood life in Palo Alto.
I would be pretty mad if we lose Edgewood Market.
Thank you for listening,
Kathy Terry
{REDACTED}
PA
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Patricia zirk <trishrn21@comcast.net>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 5:28 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:The Market @ Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
To Whom It May Concern:
I implore you to make every effort to have The Market STAY in Palo Alto!
With kind regards,
Patricia Zirk
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Peter O'Riordan <oriordanmeister@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 5:33 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Grocery store at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
To the members of the City Council
I strongly encourage you to do everything possible to keep the grocery store Edgewood Plaza It has been a huge benefit
to the local community from which it has garnered great support. I I understand that you will be discussing the future of
the zoning for the shopping center on Monday 8/12 and ask that you do everything possible to retain the incentives that
make the grocery store viable.
Peter
oriordanmeister@gmail.com
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Rex Chiu <rexchiu@yahoo.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 6:06 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Market at Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hi City Council,
I am Rex Chiu, resident at {REDACTED} in Palo Alto, Sand Hill needs to pay penalty and city needs
to apply pressure on Sand Hill to keep grocery store at the Edgewood Plaza.
Thanks.
Rex Chiu
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Vini Jain <viniraj@yahoo.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 6:28 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Appeal for an operating grocery store at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Hi,
I am writing to you to ensure that we continue having an operating grocery store at Edgewood Plaza. We love The
Market and the convenience of walking to the grocery store. My daughter, now 16, has been walking to the grocery
store ever since it opened first as The Fresh Market and now The Market. The Market fills in the need of a much needed
well stocked neighborhood grocery store. They keep bringing in new items and listen to the customers needs. I was so
surprised to find a big chocolate wafer that I had found in Warsaw and told by my Polish colleagues was a Polish
speciality! Needless to say I love the availability of international groceries in addition to the regular grocery.
In closing, my family and I would appreciate it very much if you filed a strong appeal to keep an operating grocery store
at The Edgewood which would allow The Market to be in operation and help a neighborhood mom and pop store to
survive in this world of chain grocery stores.
Thanks & Regards,
Vini
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Apurva <apurvab@yahoo.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 6:33 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:We need that grocery store
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Thank you,
‐Apurva
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Darryl Celkupa <sunraydcc@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 6:45 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:Trumbull Elizabeth (Buffy)
Subject:The Market @ Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Dear Palo Alto City Council:
My wife Elizabeth and I want to voice our strong support for keeping The Market which has become our main
destination for groceries replacing Whole Foods. The staff provide excellent service and along with management are
very customer‐centric. We also like the fact that in this day and age we are supporting a local business.
It would be a great loss to the community if it were forced out of the Plaza and a step backwards/bad precedent with
respect to developers who care little about the communities they operate in and only about maximizing their profit per
sq. foot.
Sand Hill Properties should be held responsible for any fines owed to the City and she be forced to honor their contracts.
If they couldn’t live up to the requirements then they shouldn’t have signed it in the first place.
Thank you
Best,
Darryl Celkupa & Elizabeth Trumbull
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, CA 94303
Mobile: 206‐947‐2974
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Harriet Stern <jacobeatrice@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 8:02 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Market at Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
We are frequent patrons at The Market at Edgewood. Can the City Council ensure that it will remain. We need a
grocery on this side of town.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Harriet Stern
Leland Manor
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Chuck Sieloff <chuck.sieloff@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 8:22 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:The Market at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
The Market at Edgewood Plaza is a real asset to Palo Alto and has
brought new vitality to a nearly dead shopping center. I hope you will do
everything in your power to ensure its survival. I think it is truly offensive
that the developer has tried to evade its responsibility under the original
terms of the development agreement and is now apparently threatening
the economic viability of The Market through its legal actions.
Chuck Sieloff
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Sharon Dougherty <sdougherty@kwrpa.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 9:27 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.
________________________________
Please don’t let large development win w a loss on the requirement to have a market at Edgewood. That was
negotiated and agreed upon. It should not be overturned Or given away.
The grocery is important to all the neighborhood but it is difficult to be profitable w such tight parking that was
negotiated by Sand Hill !!
Sharon Dougherty
Area resident
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Vivian LIU <vivian2982@yahoo.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 9:28 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 city council,
The Market at Edgewood Plaza has been offering a much needed service to the neighborhood. Please help do whatever
you could to keep it.
Thank you!
Vivian
A Palo Alto resident
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Kathy Jordan <kjordan114wh@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 10:28 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 council ‐
The neighborhood would love to see the Market remain in place.
Thank you.
Best,
Kathy Jordan
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Maricar Horton <maricarhorton@yahoo.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 11:05 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:We need the Market for Palo Alto
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council,
Please consider filing a strong appeal against Sand Hill Properties so that the Market will continue to
operate in the Edgewood Plaza. It has been an excellent addition to Palo Alto. I truly shop there
almost every day. Let’s not let another developer take advantage of our city.
Sincerely,
Maricar Horton
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Margaret O'Reilly <megoreilly84@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 10, 2019 11:56 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.
________________________________
This market is great and the city should do everything to make sure it stays.
Margaret O’Reilly
Southampton Drive
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Mark Eden <mleden@yahoo.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 7:06 AM
To:Council, City
Subject: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,
It has come to my attention that the grocery store at the Edgewood Plaza is, once again, under threat by the actions of the
mall developers, Sand Hill Property Company. I insist that you hold the developers feet to the fire on their commitment to
provide, as a public benefit, a grocery market. It is becoming increasingly apparent to me and many other Palo Alto
residents that developers, such as Sand Hill Property Company, receive preferential treatment over the folks who actually
live here, pay property taxes and help to create this community.
I look forward to your response on this email, and I appreciate your support in ensuring that the Market at Edgewood
continues to serve the community. As an important aside, the Market at Edgewood is highly regarded by many residents,
as evidenced by the reviews in Yelp and other social media outlets.
Sincerely,
-Mark Eden
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:A Feng <youngasf@hotmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 7:20 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please keep the Market at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Honorable City Councilmembers of Palo Alto,
Please continue to request that there be a neighborhood market at Edgewood Plaza!
The Market at Edgewood currently provides much needed groceries within walking/biking distance of local
residents. This is an environmentally friendly alternative to driving. Teachers, students and parents walk to
this market during the school year and throughout the year. It is a great gathering and socializing venue while
you are shopping to catch up with your neighbors and friends.
In addition, there is food that is not found at other markets. Let me name a few for examples. There is the
freshly made avocado dip (the best I have ever had and I don’t even really like avocados—this dip has
changed my tune about avocados), tortilla chips I have not found in other stores , jolly llama brand frozen
sorbet, gelato bars that are only there (there is a gelato bar made from Tcho chocolate, a local Bay Area
chocolate company), house made sandwiches that can be warmed up in the store, freshly made sushi items
and a really delicious bakery with fresh baked breads, treats and cakes. I have come just to order one of their
cakes for birthdays and get-togethers.
This market is providing a much needed service, making locally made food items and supporting the local
community. Please continue to support our vibrant, wonderful community by requiring a grocery store here at
Edgewood Plaza!!
Thank you so much for your time and support!
Respectfully yours,
Angela Feng
Local resident of Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Devon Cohn <devoncohn@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 9:32 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:The Market in Edgewood Shopping Center
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
I am a resident in the Community Center neighborhood, and I recently heard that the City Council is considering some
actions (or lack of
actions) that might affect the viability of The Market in the Edgewood Shopping Center. The Market is a valuable and
important resource for maintaining and strengthening our neighborhood. I shop at The Market regularly, and often see
friends and neighbors there. Having a market in that spot increases my enjoyment of my neighborhood and deepens my
connection to other people who live here. If The Market looses financial supports that are helping it become
established, I am afraid it will fail and we will not have a grocery store in that spot in the near future, or possibly ever.
That would be a huge blow for me as well as other people who live nearby. Please take any actions necessary to support
The Market and, as needed, hold Sand Hill Properties to their original agreement to provide a grocery store.
best,
Devon Cohn
Any sufficiently advanced learning is indistinguishable from play.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Nancy Stern <nancy.stern1@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 10:13 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 implore you to do whatever you have to do to ensure that the Market at Edgewood remains. It has become an
important community resource.
I have lived in the immediate neighborhood since 1973. It is exactly what we have needed. Neighbors are excited and
happy it is there. It is a gathering place and it offers the quality of goods and services the we need. It was voted best
grocery store and produce department for a reason.
You of all people know what the Market has meant to the neighborhood .
Thanks for your help,
Nancy Stern
Walter Hays Drive
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Robert Cardelli <rmcard@sbcglobal.net>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 10:38 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please save the Market at Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
For so long we were without a market and we are so pleased with our new one.
Please save our Market. It is a great gathering place for neighbors, the owners are very accommodating and helpful and
are really trying to make It work for all of us.
Micki Cardelli
Sent from my iPad
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Jeff Shore <jeff.shore@comcast.net>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 12:06 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Aug 12 - Agenda Item 8 - CPA v. Tze
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
To Council Members,
Regarding the above‐referenced pending case, the online docket indicates that Appellants' opening brief is due on
August 16. In light of the Closed Session scheduled for August 12, I want to take this opportunity to commend Council
for vigorously pursuing the appeal and resisting the opportunity to settle the case on unacceptable terms. Specifically, it
would be entirely unacceptable to settle this case unless Respondents agree, as part of the settlement, to the
"continued operation" of the
20,600 sq. ft. building as a grocery store on a prospective basis.
Respectfully,
Jeffrey Shore
Edgewood Drive
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Juan Caviglia <juan@meitre.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 12:17 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Protect The Market at Edgewood, the grocery store at Edgewood Plaza.
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
To whom it may concern:
As a resident of Duveneck St. Francis I insist you file a strong appeal and under no circumstances negotiate away
requiring an operating grocery store at Edgewood Plaza.
I would like to Council to fight and appeal the 2017 court ruling saying there needn't be an operating grocery
store at the shopping center.
I would want to remind the Council that overturning the 2017 ruling means it can collect approximately $1.6
million in penalties that Sand Hill Properties, the shopping center developer, owes it for when the grocery store
space was vacant. Back in 2012, the City allowed Sand Hill to rebuild the shopping center with a much smaller
parking lot and add approximately $30 million in housing. In exchange, Sand Hill agreed to provide a handful of
public benefits, a major one being providing a "viable grocery store," in its own words. Beginning in 2016, the
City fined Sand Hill for not providing a grocery and in 2017, Sand Hill stopped paying penalties and instead
sued the City to remove the grocery store requirement. Although Sand Hill lost the first round before an
independent administrative hearing official, it won in superior court, where a judge undid the requirement that
any grocery store actually be "provided," saying in effect that a vacant building is a meaningful public benefit.
That makes no sense and could well encourage more developer misbehavior.
I can attest of the enormous value of shopping at The Market as it allows me to keep a "car-free" life.
Neighborhood resources like this are essential to reduce pollution and having local vibrant walkable
communities.
Thanks for your consideration,
Juan Ignacio
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Preeva Tramiel <palmpeebs@me.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 12:22 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Grocery Store
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Please don’t overturn the ruling that assures our grocery store. I live near Channing, and the Edgewood market is very
convenient!
thank you.
Preeva Tramiel
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Lenore Cymes <lenraven1@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 12:40 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Re: Edgewood Plaza Shopping Center
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council Members,
I find it amazing to that that the question of a grocery store is even a question.
For ten years the site was a scary place in the neighborhood. For two years there was “the market” ‐ while the
company opened six in a very short period of time ‐ our store was the only one beginning to make a profit and suddenly
closed,
Today, due to the presence of The Market at Edgewood, the site is bustling with activity and community interaction. We
no longer have to drive miles to Trader Joe's or Safeway for our groceries, lessening traffic and pollution. The owners
have worked to respond to the needs of the neighborhood and succeeded. The CC put a lot of work and thought into
supporting the successful store we have today. Why not fight to keep this valued asset and the $$$ the city gains by
requiring SH to pay their fines
.
Sand Hill agreed to provide a grocery store; however, this did not happen and the city fined Sand Hill beginning in
2016. Sand Hill stopped paying penalties in 2017 and sued the city to remove the grocery store requirement. In 2012
the city allowed Sand Hill Properties, to build approximately $30 million in housing units. The first “judge” found in favor
of the neighborhood and Sand Hill would not accept the decision but took the city to court. They have deep pockets to
keep fighting their battles. If the city's appeal is successful it can collect approximately $1.6 million in penalties . If the
city loses its appeal we will lose the best grocery store (as voted in 2019, Palo Alto Weekly) in Palo Alto. I have to agree
with another comment by a writer — What would this say to any business thinking of starting up in Palo Alto.
Sincerely,
Lenore Cymes
Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Tom Lipkis <tal@pss.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 12:45 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.
________________________________
Please appeal the illogical and incorrect decision that an empty building satisfies Sand Hill's agreement with the city.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:TIM BARRINGER <tim.barringer@comcast.net>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 2:45 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.
Members of the Palo Alto City Council,
Add me to the deeply concerned citizens of the Duveneck-St Francis community strongly urging the
Council to continue to pursue the appeal of the decision removing the "must have a operational
grocery on premise" clause in the contract between the City and Sand Hill Properties.
The Market at Edgewood is a community resource that, at long last, admirably serves the needs of
the surrounding community.
Please take all available means to ensure this clause remains in the contract.
After all, Sand Hill (presumably competent and fully informed adults) willingly signed the contract in
the first place and the City has local zoning power.
Sincerely,
Tim & Crystal Barringer
40 years at...
{REDACTED}, PA
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:JIM POPPY <jamespoppy@comcast.net>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 3:57 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please file a forceful appeal to keep Edgewood market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
City Council,
Please make a forceful appeal to keep Edgewood market and to secure the $1.6 million in fines due
to the City.
The market is highly regarded and very important to the community. By not appealing the last ruling
you would be providing incentives to developers to avoid and sue over development restrictions
meant to enhance the quality of life for Palo Alto residents.
Regards,
Jim Poppy
Melville Ave
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Julie O'Grady <julie@ogradycommunications.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 4:04 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Keep The Market @ Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council members,
I strongly urge you to file a strong appeal and under no circumstances negotiate away requiring an operating
grocery store (The Market) at the Edgewood Shopping Center as you discuss the 2017 court ruling.
I love this grocery store, along with many, which brings back a lot of the charm that has been missing on Palo Alto
for years.
If you have yet to shop there ‐ go! You can't vote on something when you haven't appreciated its existence.
We cannot lose this treasure. With all the growth the city has been experiencing over the years, this one store should be
here to stay.
Regards,
Julie
(Resident ‐ born and raised in Palo Alto)
‐‐
Julie O'Grady
650‐269‐9989
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Mary Sylvester <marysylvester@comcast.net>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 4:06 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please Keep Edgewood Market Open!
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 support for Edgewood Market! It is a wonderful community resource both
for the immediate neighborhood as well as others in the greater Palo Alto area. It allows many of us
to shop local
and avoid driving to downtown Palo Alto, contributing to Town and Country traffic tie ups and making
unnecessary
trips to an already over-crowded Menlo Park.
Please, in your deliberations tomorrow evening, make a commitment to keep Edgewood Market open
through
negotiations with Sand Hill Properties and if necessary filing a strong appeal against the firm should
they discontinue their subsidy to their market. I seem to recall that Sand Hill Properties owes the City
of Palo Alto a significant amount of money from accumulated fines and penalties, might we say then
the City is in the catbird seat?
Thank you for consideration of my request!
Mary Sylvester
(650) 387-2129
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Steve Wehrend <steve@wehrend.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 4:12 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Plaza Grocery Store
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Hi,
I am writing in support of the Palo Alto City Council filing an appeal so that Sand Hill Properties are required to continue
maintaining a viable grocery store in Edgewood Plaza. In the first place, having a grocery store is a significant asset to the
neighborhood and allows many to walk to get their groceries. In the second place, allowing Sand Hill to renege on their
promise sends the wrong message to them and other developers. They should be held accountable for their promise.
Thanks,
Steve & Jennifer Wehrend
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Shela Fisk <shelafisk@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 5:22 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Please insure that the Market at Edgewood remain. They are a wonderful community resource that is an independent
market. They are interested in helping the customers find what they want even if they have to order it. Palo Alto has
seen too many locally owned stores replaced by chains. These big chains have chained the flavor of the city. I think Palo
Alto will lose some of it’s specialness if this continues. Why come to PA if you can find the same stores in any area of the
bay or even in other states.
Please help save the Market.
Shela Fisk
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Cheryl Branco <brancoc@comcast.net>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 6:13 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Please continue to appeal the decision to eliminate the grocery store requirement! Without
meaningful requirements from developers our city will turn into an office park for the profit of the
few! And we will be left to drive to other cities for our basic needs! This grocery is now a walkable
location and meets many needs of this community.
Fulfill your duty to hold fast to our city plan!
Cheryl Branco and Brenda Smith
St. Francis DR.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Linda G Carlson <lglc@comcast.net>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 8:00 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:The Market at Edgewood Center
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Dear Council Members,
Please make sure we can keep out wonderful and important local market. We waited a very long time to have it come
back to our neighborhood. The original agreement with the contractor who was allowed to build on the property was to
include a market on the site.
We have lived in our home for 37 years and in Palo Alto for 53 years so we understand how the quality of life has
changed.
Thank you,
Linda and Lee Carlson
538 Madison Way
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:harada.kitty@gmail.com
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 8:10 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please Vote to Require The Market at Edgewood.
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Hello,
We like the convenient location. The produce and fish are fresh. The bakery is awesome.
Voting to keep the requirement to maintain a grocery market would go a long way to ensure the longevity of the market
we’ve grown to love. Please vote to keep!
Thank You,
Kitty Harada
Palo Alto Resident
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Rita Vrhel <ritavrhel@sbcglobal.net>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 8:30 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:the Market @ Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello: Please file a strong and vigorous Appeal for holding Sandhill Properties to their agreement to provide a
functioning grocery store in return for the right to build additional condominiums worth millions of dollars.and
save the Market @ Edgewood Plaza.
If the legal agreement was not precisely thank the spirit of the agreement and the benefits Sandhill Properties
enjoyed can be emphasized.
The owners have poured their hearts, labor and cash into making this market a success. It is truly a community
asset and worth fighting to retain as originally planned.
I hope you will appreciate the owners hard work and the residents' hard work to make this market a success.
Not filing an Appeal would be the wrong decision.
Thank you so much.
Rita C. Vrhel, RN, BSN, CCM
Medical Case Management
Phone: 650-325-2298
Fax: 650-326-9451
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Peter Rosenthal-Comcast21 <pnr21@comcast.net>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 8:31 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Appeal of Edgewood Plaza Grocery Store ruling
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 strongly urge you to appeal the 2017 ruling on the Edgewood Plaza Grocery Store.
I have spoken at council previously on this matter and again I urge you to hire the best possible legal counsel to appeal
the current ruling and uphold the clear intent in the City’s initial terms and conditions of the Edgewood Plaza
development. These terms allowed the developer to build multiple housing units in exchange for a number of public
benefits including an operating market.
I live in the neighborhood of The Market and frequent it, but even if I lived some distance from it, I would want the
council to stand by its intent even when challenged by a deep pocketed developer who finds a possible legal loophole in
the language the city used in drafting the entitlement.
As citizens we need to have confidence that when council works out compromises to satisfy different interests within
the city, the agreed upon compromise will be properly written, enforced and defended when necessary.
Please stand by your, and previous councils agreements that resolved the conflicting interests at Edgewood Plaza.
Sincerely,
Peter N. Rosenthal, Ph.D.
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, CA 94301
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Beth Rosenthal <bbr550@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 8:43 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Dear Mayor Filseth and City Council Members;
I am writing to ask you to continue to support in whatever way you need to and can the continued existence of The
Market at Edgewood Plaza. As you know from the many emails you have already received on this matter, The Market is
extremely popular and a great community resource. I and many others in the neighborhood are able to ride our bikes to
shop there, cutting down on traffic, air pollution and getting exercise as well in the process. As you know, the
community and the City of Palo Alto fought long and hard to get this market established and it would be a great blow for
the neighborhood and the City if the market ceased to exist. I urge Council to authorize whatever legal action is
necessary to be sure that the agreement made between the City of Palo Alto and Sand Hill Properties is kept, and the
developer’s gain is not made at the expense of the community.
Sincerely,
Beth Rosenthal, PhD
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:H Smith <hsmith597@yahoo.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 9:29 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Yes, appeal the ruling regarding grocery store at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Palo Alto City Council Members,
Please appeal the 2017 court ruling that there is no requirement for an operating grocery store at the
Edgewood Plaza shopping center.
I am a Palo Alto resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood and it is vital to restore the
contractual requirement that Sand Hill maintains a functioning grocery store at Edgewood Plaza.
My family shops at Edgewood market, it is an asset to the neighborhood and community, and it is
important that Sand Hill is required to keep a grocery store operating there.
Thank you,
Hamish Smith
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Sofia Raptis <sofiaraptis@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 9:40 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Plaza Grocery Store
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Palo Alto City Council Members,
Please appeal the 2017 court ruling that there is no requirement for an operating grocery store at the
Edgewood Plaza shopping center.
I am a Palo Alto resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood and it is vital to restore the contractual
requirement that Sand Hill maintains a functioning grocery store at Edgewood Plaza.
My family shops at Edgewood market, it is an asset to the neighborhood and community, and it is important
that Sand Hill is required to keep a grocery store operating there.
Thank you,
Sofia Raptis
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Phil Schwartau <philschwartau@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 10:32 AM
To:Council, City
Cc:Phil Schwartau
Subject:The Market at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello,
I live on West Bayshore Road, and urge the City Council to protect The Market at
Edgewood,
the grocery store at the Edgewood Plaza shopping center. Please mount a vigorous appeal
of the 2017 court ruling saying there needn't be an operating grocery store at Edgewood.
This market has revived the area noticeably, and offers the best produce in Palo Alto.
We would be much the poorer without it.
Furthermore, I find it disturbing that Sand Hill Properties, the shopping center
developer,
might escape paying the $1.6 million in penalties it owes the City for when it allowed
the
grocery store space to remain vacant at Edgewood. They have shown blatant disregard for
the
agreement they made with the city, and blatant disregard for our community.
Sincerely,
Phil Schwartau
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Andrea Werboff <awerboff@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 11:53 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Support Edgewood Market
Dear City Council,
It seems like a no brainer to us that a walkable market in Edgewood Plaza is a benefit to all in the community.
Please do everything you can to support the existence of a grocery there.
It’s a community gem.
Don’t look away.
THanks
Andrea Werboff and David Bergman
Pitman Avenue
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Shawna Doughman <sdoughman@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 11:49 AM
To:Council, City
Subject:Grocery Store in the Neighborhood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council Members,
I am writing to show appreciation and continued need for the neighborhood grocery store at Edgewood Plaza. I shop here
regularly and enjoy being able to walk there or stop by on my way home. This neighborhood needs a grocery store and I
appreciate our city council looking out for the local residents.
Thank you,
Shawna Doughman
August 8, 2019
Palo Alto City Council
7th Floor
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
COUNCIL MEETING
~ /\ Z. /:i,o I"(
i:safleceived Before Meeting
OReceived at Meeting
Re: The Market at Edgewood, Edgewood Plaza
Dear Council Ladies and Gentlemen,
Please preserve our local market, The Market at Edgewood. It's our main source for
fresh vegetables and fruit, seafood and meat, pastries, canned goods, and wine.
We rely on it for 2 or 3 visits each week.
Thank you for considering this request.
-?J, 1{ f ~..A'~r~& f rlJOL.-
William & Ofelia Harrison
121 Heather Lane
Palo Alto, CA 94303-3002
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1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Anne Taylor <annet52@me.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 11:55 AM
To:Council, City
Cc:Anne Taylor
Subject:The Market at Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
I want to give a shout‐out to our incredible market, The Market at Edgewood. The market provides the only
comprehensive north‐end market in Palo Alto. In our case, along with many of our neighbors, my husband and I can now
walk to get many of our groceries and avoid having to drive to Whole Foods, Safeway or Piazzas.
Please, having a grocery store at Edgewood Plaza, particularly one of this caliber, is a win for us all.
Anne Taylor
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Lynn DeLain <lynn.delain@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 11:59 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.
Dear City Council: I am writing in support of the City of Palo Alto filing a strong appeal of the 2017 ruling saying that
there needn't be a viable grocery store at Edgewood Plaza, but only a building. The Market at Edgewood is a very
valuable resource to the community, to property values in the area, to us all. I, as a long‐term resident of Palo Alto and
taxpayer, urge you to file a strong appeal to overturn the 2017 ruling, to collect the $1.6 million in fines owed to the City
and ensure that Sand Hill Properties lives up to its original agreement for the Market at Edgewood Plaza, in return for
which they were allowed to build expensive condos. We must hold Sand Hill Properties to task and not let them cheat
our City out of its agreed‐upon benefits.
Sincerely,
Lynn DeLain
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto, CA
94303
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Katherine Remsen <kremsen@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 12:08 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Please do anything possible to save our neighborhood market. I go every day to buy a deli item, fruit, and often a baked
good. They carry dairy free milk and cheese that I purchase for my granddaughter who cannot have dairy. The
employees and owner are fabulous. I implore you to anything you can to save "The Market." Thanks so much, Kay
Remsen
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Kristen Andersen <kristenandersen@me.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 12:11 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Plaza Grocery Store
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 you to ask you to support maintaining a grocery store in Edgewood Plaza. With traffic
congestion worsening, it is imperative that we he have a store in our neighborhood that we can bike
or walk to. It is also lessens environmental impact.
Thank you for giving this your consideration.
Kristen Andersen
Crescent Park
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Seyonne Kang <seyonne@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 12:18 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council:
Please file a strong appeal and require an operating grocery store at Edgewood Plaza.
Thank you.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Terri Weber <tlweber0@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 12:19 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:Terri Weber; Larry Weber
Subject:Edgewood Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
We strongly support The Market at Edgewood. It has revitalized the entire shopping center, serves as a welcome
addition to the area, and is a good neighbor. We shop there at least once a week.
The agreement with Sand Hill, in exchange for 30 million in housing, was that Sand Hill would agree to provide a
handful of public benefits, a major one being providing a "viable grocery store,"
The council must use the best legal experts and file a forceful appeal to have the 2017 ruling overturned.
Terri and Larry Weber
{REDACTED} PA
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Marsha Epstein <epstein.marsha@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 12:24 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.
________________________________
Our family loves having this market so close to our home. The employees are as nice as can be and the meats, fish, fruits
and vegetables could not be better. It’s a great addition to our neighborhood and also to surrounding areas.
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Louise Beattie <ldbeattie@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 12:25 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Grocery store
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
To the City Council:
Please require Sand Hill Properties to keep the grocery store at
Edgewood Plaza. Sand Hill was allowed to build 10 luxury housing
units on the property and in return promised a grocery store. The
promise of a grocery store inspired our neighborhood to support
Sand Hill in their efforts to persuade the City! The promise of a
grocery store also also added value to the units that Sand Hill
built! Our neighborhood "partnered" with Sand Hill for that
development! It would be a breach of trust, after being allowed to
develop Edgewood Plaza and selling the 10 units, for Sand Hill to
allow the grocery store to close. Grocery stores may not be able to
pay as high rents as some other businesses, but they do add value to
the entire area.
Thank you for considering our need and right to have a grocery
store in Edgewood Plaza and Sand Hill's responsibility to keep one
there.
Sincerely, Louise Beattie, {REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Barbara Riper <6bamoreripe@sbcglobal.net>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 12:29 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.
________________________________
Having grocery shopped at that location since 1960, I can say that it is really important to have a grocery store open
there. This one is particularly helpful to seniors by having smaller quantities available.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:KS Bhatt <khelan@double-ts.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 12:34 PM
To:Council, City
Cc:Ami Malaviya
Subject:Please ensure Crescent Park doesn't become a Food Desert
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council: My name is Khelan Bhatt. I live with my wife and two young children at 526 Seneca Street in Palo Alto.
I'm writing to express my support for continuing to require a grocery store at Edgewood Plaza. We frequent patrons of
The Market at Edgewood; access to fresh fruits and vegetables within biking distance was one of the factors in our
decision to purchase a home here. Furthermore, family‐owned and operated businesses such as The Market at
Edgewood provide valuable employment options for skilled and semi‐skilled workers from the surrounding
communities, making Crescent Park and all of Palo Alto a more diverse, integrated place to live.
According to the US Dept. of Agriculture, an urban food desert is any neighborhood without a grocery store serving fresh
fruits, vegetables and healthy food options within a 1 mile radius. Food deserts have an outsize impact on low income
households, leading to higher obesity and increased public health costs.
My fear is that given the tight real estate market and low‐margin nature of the grocery business, any relaxation of city
regulations regarding grocery stores at Edgewood Plaza will result in higher rents. This could threaten The Market at
Edgewood, and negatively impact our neighborhood and the surrounding communities.
I would be happy to meet with you in person to discuss this.
Regards, ‐Khelan Bhatt & Family.
773.769.7368
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Deborah Wexler <drkwexler@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 12:54 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.
________________________________
Please support the Market at Edgewood. They have been such a good community resource and provide a valuable
service to our community. Plus, their baked goods are wonderful!
Deborah Wexler
Forest Ave
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Karen Robin <karenrobin2007@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 12:56 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Grocery
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Please keep the market at Edgewood!! We need it in our neighborhood!!
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Lou Marzano <marzanolou@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 12:57 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:In support of a neighborhood grocery
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hi there,
Having now lived in the Duveneck area for 26 years through having, then not having, then having again, not having again,
and now having a neighborhood grocery store, I absolutely want to voice my support to keep the Market at
Edgewood. Please consider carefully the benefits of having it when you vote.
Thanks!
Lou Marzano
{REDACTED}
marzanolou@yahoo.com
408.805.0109
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Carl Thomsen <carl@thomsenhome.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 1:01 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 Council Members,
The Market at Edgewood Plaza has been an amazing addition to the Community. The effort the Council took to make
this a reality is to be commended.
Now we are faced with a challenge to the whole concept of builders allowed to exceed zoning limits by providing specific
Community benefits. If the requirement for a grocery store at Edgewood Plaza can be reversed or ignored then it seems
to me any commitment can be ignored by clever wording that ignores the entire intent of the granting of the variance.
I strongly hope and support challenging the recent ruling that would allow Sandhill to not provide an actual grocery
store in Edgewood Plaza.
I urge the Council to take a strong stand on this issue and continue the litigation.
Respectively,
Carl Thomsen
{REDACTED}
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Wendy Hopfenberg <wendyhop@sbcglobal.net>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 1:06 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood grocery
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Please do all you can to keep the grocery store at Edgewood. It’s important. Thank you.
Wendy Hopfenberg
Forest Ave. .
Most likely voice recorded on iPhone 📞
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Maurice L Druzin <druzin@stanford.edu>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 1:06 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Grocery store Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Members of City Council,
The Market grocery store at Edgewood Plaza is an important community resource.
It has excellent produce, is within walking distance of many of us, and needs to continue to serve us.
Please listen to our community!
Thank you,
Maurice Druzin
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:nbthomas@gmail.com
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 1:14 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 City Council,
Please ensure that we keep the grocery store at Edgewood. The Market has been a wonderful addition. It allows us to
shop locally so we don’t have to drive to neighboring cities for groceries as often. Plus the people running the Market
are wonderful. They have beautiful produce, a super quality meat and seafood counter and deli and delicious bakery
items. They do a top notch job. Please give them our support!
Best,
Nancy Thomas
Walter Hays Dr
Palo Alto, 94303
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Sandy Voorhees <sandyvoorh@aol.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 1:17 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Market at Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
City Council Members,
Please do not let the developers of Edgewood Plaza renege on the item that they were to provide a viable grocery store
in the plaza. They made a fortune on the homes they were able to construct.
Exceptions were made and now they do not want to fulfill their obligation.
A grocery is needed there and it is a wonderful asset to the neighborhood and the City.
Sandy Voorhees
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Cathy <cathy@fitzgroup.net>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 1:25 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Dear City Council of Palo Alto,
Please keep our wonderful market at Edgewood going! We love the market and the family that owns it. Please do not
upset this “apple cart”!
Thanks and
regards, Cathy
Fitzgerald
{REDACTED}
27 year resident
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:The Careys <zcareys@sbcglobal.net>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 1:26 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Please, please do everything you can to ensure that Edgewood Market is able to continue to operate and contribute
greatly to our neighborhood.
Lynn Carey
Greer Rd.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Nancy McClenny <mcclenny@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 1:28 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 City Council members,
If you were me, would you prefer a quick walk (or bike ride) to the Market to a tedious, sometimes dangerous 15 or 20
drive in heavy car/bike/pedestrian traffic to Trader Joe's in Town and Country or Whole Foods on Homer St and then
spend more time finding a parking space??
People at the Market have worked hard to make it. I appreciate their effort, their products, and think it makes sense to
keep a convenient grocery store operating at Edgewood!
Thanks for your attention,
Nancy McClenny
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto 94303
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Dale Tatum <daletatum@hotmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 1:32 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:keep a grocery store at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council:
Please keep the zoning requirement that there be a grocery store at Edgewood Plaza. We live in the
neighborhood and enjoy walking to the store. Every time I go, I see many people walking to or from the store
with grocery bags. Palo Alto is reducing car traffic by keeping a grocery store there.
It is my understanding that the developer was allowed to take some of the area out of commercial use and
build houses on it only because it agreed to the zoning conditions which included the grocery store
requirement.
Thank you,
Dale Tatum
Rhodes Dr.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Mani Varadarajan <manimani@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 1:37 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Grocery store
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello Palo Alto City Council,
The Market at Edgewood has become a very important part of our family's routine. We value it greatly in the
community. We would hate to see it go, and we believe we should do anything to sustain it.
Mani
Varadarajan
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Elaine Miller <millersontevis@comcast.net>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 1:59 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:support of Edgewood grocery store
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Hi City Council,
I am writing to express my strong support for the current (and any) grocery store in the Edgewood Shopping Plaza. I
understand that there is a move to eliminate that requirement of the shopping center, and am very concerned about
loosing The Market, and being without a grocery store that is local, in walking distance for many, and providing a
valuable service to the neighborhood and community.
Please do not remove the requirement for a grocery store in the Edgewood Shopping Plaza.
Thank you,
Elaine Miller
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Stephen G Monismith <monismith@stanford.edu>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 1:59 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:grocery store at Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear City Council: As someone who frequently uses The Market at Edgewood, I am writing to urge you to file a strong
appeal to the court decision that there needn't be an operating grocery store at Edgewood. Moreover,
my neighbors and I want you to know that we strongly believe that under no circumstances should you, the
city council, negotiate away requiring an operating grocery store.
Thanking you
Stephen Monismith
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:julianneasla@sonic.net
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 2:18 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 CPA City Council
We love the Market at Edgewood and we ask the Council to do what is necessary to insure that the owners of
the shopping center keep a market in the Edgewood complex - preferable “our” Market at Edgewood.
Thank you
Julianne Frizzell
1175 Channing Ave
Julianne Adams Frizzell / ASLA
650-325-0905
julianneasla@sonic.net
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1
Brettle, Jessica
From:melissa baten caswell <mbcaswell@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 2:18 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Support The Market Grocery Store in Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Honorable Council Members,
Thank you to the Council for holding Sand Hill Properties to their agreement to provide a grocery store as part of the Edgewood plaza
development.
It took many, many years to get a walkable grocery store that meets the needs of our community. I lived in the Duveneck
neighborhood of Palo Alto for 24 years before we finally had this kind of community resource.
We don't want to lose this in the future. The Market at Edgewood is an important anchor for Edgewood Plaza and we need your help
to ensure that Palo Alto keeps a vibrant market open and operating at this site.
Thank you,
Melissa Baten Caswell
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Andrea Cervenka <acervenka@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 2:21 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.
________________________________
Just to chime in ‐ Having a Grocery Store in Edgewood Plaza is CRITICAL to it’s success.
Please do all you can to keep The Market at Edgewood in operation. It really raises the bar of that whole corner of the
city.
Andrea Cervenka
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:vidya pradhan <vpdot@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 2:21 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Market at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear councilmembers,
It has come to my notice that there is some proposal to remove the need for a grocery from the
complex at Edgewood Plaza. As a resident of the area I am well aware of the conditions under which
the developer was allowed to build a bunch of properties in that area and once of them was most
certainly the availability of grocery in the area. In fact, that was one of the leading reasons for our
purchase of our house in that neighborhood.
Please do not let the developer renege on this agreement. We love having a grocery store there and
use it frequently as a walking destination. And there is no reason for acceding to the requests of a
developer who has already reaped the benefits of the previous arrangement and now wishes to
weasel out of their obligations.
I am writing to strongly recommend that the need for a grocery in Edgewood Plaza be kept intact.
Sincerely,
Vidya Pradhan
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto.
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:EDWARD MILLER <nmiller94@comcast.net>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 2:23 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.
Please do everything you can to keep the grocery open. The neighborhood needs it.
Nita Miller
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Rita Lancefield <ritalance@comcast.net>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 2:48 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Grocery
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council people -
Please do everything you can to keep the grocery store at Edgewood. It is a marvelous asset and so
convenient.
Thank you, Rita Lancefield, {REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Holly Chamberlain <goholly@pacbell.net>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 2:57 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 Council Members:
As a long time Palo Alto resident and frequent shopper at The Market at Edgewood, I am urging you
to file a strong appeal on behalf of your community and require that an operating grocery store
permanently reside at the Edgewood Shopping Center. SummerHill needs to live up to their end of
the bargain and ensure that there is always an operating grocery store at the Edgewood Shopping
Center.
How you move forward with this issue will significantly influence who I vote for in the next City Council
election.
Sincerely,
Holly Chamberlain
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Kelly Look <klookdahl@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 3:10 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Save Edgewood grocery!
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Our family has lived in the Duveneck neighborhood for 20 years. The Market has been a fantastic addition to our
neighborhood and Palo Alto. Please do the responsible thing for the residents in Palo Alto and make the grocery a
priority.
Sincerely,
Kelly Look
Dana Avenue
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:lisa delong <lisamdelong1@hotmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 3:14 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Support of The Market in Palo Alto
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Hello,
I am a Crescent Park resident and want to support the request to keep this market in place there at the center at
Embarcadero and Channing. I frequent that market on my way back home from 101‐ which helps to lower downtown
traffic. My kids and I also go there on the weekends for specialty grocery items as a family. We’ll either walk with our
dog (need a dog park in this neighborhood too!) or ride our bikes.
It’s a really nice addition to our neighborhood and one that we have grown used to having. Thanks, Lisa DeLong
Southwood Drive resident
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Penny Barrett <pennybarrett@sbcglobal.net>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 3:30 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Walkable grocery store
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Thank you to making sure The Market at Edgewood stays!
Penny Barrett
{REDACTED}
Palo Alto
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:anne stewart <stewnet1@pacbell.net>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 3:41 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Please do everything possible to keep our grocery store at the plaza. It is a vital part of our Duveneck/St. Francis
neighborhood. I trust you will continue to support this store and the neighborhood.
Thank you,
Anne Stewart
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:megan.myers@yahoo.com
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 3:47 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please appeal the ruling that Edgewood shopping center is not required to provide a grocery store
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Hello City Council,
I am not sure how the developers weaseled out of this requirement. Please appeal any ruling that would let them off
the hook for providing a grocery store.
The developers have profited handsomely from being able to build and sell houses on what was originally a public
shopping plaza, and they continue to receive rental income from the successful shopping center. Their complaints are
self‐serving and disingenuous.
There has been an operating grocery store at that site for decades and that was the point, in the minds of the neighbors
and residents, of allowing the re‐development of the shopping center: to create a viable community center anchored by
a local grocery store.
The grocery store is a wonderful asset and I shop there frequently. It is an important part of the neighborhood.
Please do whatever is necessary to appeal this ruling and to make sure we maintain a local, neighborhood grocery store.
Thank you,
Megan Myers
Harker Avenue
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Susan Thomsen <susan@thomsenhome.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 3:54 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Retaining a mandatory space for a market at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
Dear City Council Members,
I was shocked to learn that a superior court judge overturned the earlier ruling that Sandhill Properties was mandated to
retain a grocery store at the Edgewood Plaza. Litigation by the City of Palo Alto to overturn this ruling and require
Sandhill to keep their end of the bargain is critical!
Sandhill benefitted greatly by getting the zoning changed to be able to build family dwellings on what was formerly
commercial property and promised to retain a much needed grocery store space. Palo Alto residents lost convenient
parking and for a long time were without a grocery store in the Crescent Park Addition neighborhood.
I urge you to stand strong and not allow a builder to go back on his promises. If you do, it will set a terrible precedent for
any future negotiations with builders. Our city belongs to the people and conveniences should not be sacrificed when
negotiating with builders.
Sincerely,
Susan Thomsen
1791 Edgewood Drive
Palo Alto, CA 94303
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Deborah Baldwin <baldwinart@me.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 4:06 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:The Edgewood Market
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on
links.
________________________________
It has been wonderful to have the market available to us and truly has made this area of town a community. Please
continue this fight for us!
Thank you
Deborah Baldwin
{REDACTED}
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Andrew Mackenzie <ahndymac@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 4:10 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Market At Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
I was personally shocked that a judge overturned the contract, I urge you to appeal, win back the fines and require
Edgewood to maintain a grocery as it is a public good.
‐‐Andrew Mackenzie
Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood
{REDACTED}
‐‐
Andrew Mackenzie
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Tammy Snyder <tammy.snyder@juno.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 4:13 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 Council,
The Market at Edgewood is very important to my family. Not everyone can drive and it's unrealistic to expect that
people who cannot drive will be able to walk one to two miles each way to do their grocery shopping... which is exactly
the situation when this neighborhood does not have a viable grocery store nearby. This problem does not affect senior
citizens only.
The City of Palo Alto and Sand Hill Properties negotiated an agreement that allowed Sand Hill Properties to build denser
housing within the Edgewood Shopping Center grounds in exchange for meeting certain conditions. If Sand Hill
Properties does not see fit to honor the agreement as it was intended, are you going to require Sand Hill Properties to
demolish those extra residences that were sold at $3 millions each? Losing a local grocery store makes our homes less
valuable and, frankly, less desirable to live in. Why should Sand Hill Properties get to back out of their end of the deal
now that they've taken their profit while our neighborhood has to lose out (again)? Please do the right thing and make
this right.
Sincerely,
Tammy Snyder
{REDACTED}, Palo Alto
____________________________________________________________
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1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Anna Jaklitsch <annajak14@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 4:19 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Maintain a grocery store at Edgewood Plaza
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
The developer has experienced the gains of building housing on part of the former parking lot. Please do
go ahead and sue the developer to ensure that an active grocery store is maintained at the site.
Edgewood shopping center neighbor
Anna Jaklitsch
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Michelle DeMarta <mdemarta21@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 4:41 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.
________________________________
Palo Alto City Council,
I live within walking distance of The Market grocery store on Edgewood. It’s been a fabulous thing to have for the entire
community. First many of us can walk instead of drive. We see lots of neighbors and it supports all the other small
businesses in the square. When this was built we were told it would have a grocery store. The developers were told this
as well, we need to stick to the agreement.
Michelle DeMarta
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Madhu Matta <mmmatta@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 4:43 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Market Fresh at Edgewood Plaza in Palo Alto
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Hello,
I'm writing to express my huge support for our friendly walkable grocery store at Edgewood Plaza. They have a fantastic
job in providing not just the regular day to day groceries ‐ but, also a dizzying array of items from local producers and all
over the world in a truly calm and serene, beautiful setting.
Will appreciate you considering our support
Thanks
Madhu Matta
Vice President & GM, Supercomputing and Artificial Intelligence
Dr. Mandira C. Matta
Chief of Pediatrics, Kaiser Permanente. Milpitas
Associate Chief of Pediatrics, Kaiser Permanente, Santa Clara
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:sally tomlinson <sallytomlinson936@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 5:24 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Please same The Market at Edgewood
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening
attachments and clicking on links.
Dear Council Members,
Please do what you can to save the Market at Edgewood. Palo Alto needs to do what we can to preserve small, local,
independent grocers who meet the needs of neighborhoods. My husband and I have moved all our shopping to The
Market at Edgewood (we were Whole Foods shoppers before it became Amazon).
I love that The Market is family owned and family run ‐ they are always there! I love that they are kid friendly, with a
basket of small fruits for kids to take (free) at the end of each register. I love that their meats are humanely raised by
local farmers. These particular owners deeply reflect Palo Alto values.
Please hold Sand Hill accountable to the intent of the agreement, which was that there be a market in that space.
Sally Tomlinson
sallytomlinson936@gmail.com
Addison Avenue
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Deborah S Rose M.D. <drdsrose@stanford.edu>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 5:33 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.
________________________________
This is a wonderful market. The owners are so responsive to the clientele, which includes a very divergent ethnic group
of people they offer quality goods. That makes them all most unique in this area. They serve a widespread population.
Please we need them.
Deborah Rose
Sent from my iPhone
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Katherine Jarvis <kjarvis@mac.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 5:51 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Market
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________________________________
Please take whatever legal action is necessary to maintain and support The Market at Edgewood.
Thank you.
Katherine Jarvis
{REDACTED}
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1
Brettle, Jessica
From:jane kershner <jgkershner@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 6:39 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:edgewood grocery store
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________________________________
Hi City Council:
Please support the Edgewood market. I have come to rely on this market, as many of our Palo Alto and East Palo Alto
neighbors have. I’m not sure I understand all the politics behind this development, but here is my understanding:
1. The city of Palo Alto agreed to approve a development as long as the developer met certain requirements, including a
viable grocery store. We neighbors were very very suspicious of the development plan all along the way, and the City
Council and the City Planners and the City Manager said “Trust Us”…..so we did.
2. The development started, homes were built and sold, Sand Hill made whatever money they hoped they would earn,
and the Fresh Market was touted as a great addition to the community. I shopped there as did many of our neighbors,
even though it wasn’t as great as we hoped. We supported the store because the company took a risk and we neighbors
promised we would be supportive. In fact, we neighbors supported the store for a long time, even after the produce
was expensive and not great, and the selection was not what we were looking for.
3. For some reason, Fresh Market decided to close…..The city started to fine Sand Hill….everybody got mad, and
lawsuits started.
4. But, what happened to the original deal? You promised, the city staff promised and Sand Hill promised that a grocery
store would be part of the development plan ALWAYS.
5. I was at those meetings. I heard this promise.
6. Now, I shop at the Edgewood Market as do many of our neighbors. I use that retail establishment for Orange Theory,
Starbucks and the Grocery Store. It’s a friendly, clean perfect place.
7. I expect you and Sand Hill to work it out. Everybody can do financial calculations and can do the math if they want. I
believe Sand Hill did their homework. I believe you did the math. If they had never intended to honor their part of the
deal, they shouldn’t have made it. But I NEVER expected you to not honor your part of the deal.
8. Why should i believe anything my elected city council members say, or anything the city staffers say? I employ you
and you oversee the staffers. It’s that simple.
It’s your obligation. Please honor this obligation and do whatever is required to ensure that an active, open, working
grocery store is at this location.
thank you for listening.
Jane Kershner
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Kathryn Spector <kathryn_spector@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 6:43 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Support for Edgewood Market
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Edgewood Market has become a neighborhood hub. I rely on shopping there for regular grocery runs as
well as last minute needs. The owners have done a wonderful job of reaching out to and including the
community for updates as well as feedback. Please continue your support for the viability of our new
treasured market.
Kathy Spector
{REDACTED}
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:melissa <melissa@kirvenbrooks.org>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 7:00 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:The Market at Edgewood
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I would like to add my support for the necessity for a market at Edgewood Plaza. I do not understand how this has
become an option. This was an agreement with the local community and I am disillusioned that it is at risk. We have a
vibrant market, within walking distance for many, that provides healthy, natural foods to the area, draws businesses
to the other merchants in the area and has improved the interaction of neighbors. Above all, it is a green option for
many who can walk or bike to do their shopping. I am representative of many, who may not know that this is even under
discussion.
Please let me know if i can provide any other support,
Melissa Kirven‐Brooks
{REDACTED}
Sent from Samsung tablet
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Purav Jhaveri <puravj@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 7:53 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:grocery store on Edgewood
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hi
Please support having a grocery store on Edgewood
regards
Purav
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:Bruce Raskin <bruceraskin@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 8:14 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:The Market at Edgewood
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links.
________________________________
To Whom It May Concern:
The Market has been an incredible boon to our Crescent Park neighborhood, and I strongly urge the council to support
an ongoing market at its location. Further, the original deal with the developers clearly stated that an ongoing market
was part of their deal, and they MUST be held accountable.
Thank you,
Bruce Raskin
{REDACTED}, Palo Alto, CA
1
Brettle, Jessica
From:jinny henke <jinnyh@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 12, 2019 8:15 PM
To:Council, City
Subject:Edgewood Plaza
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The Market at Edgewood Plaza is outstanding. It was voted the Best Market in Palo Alto. It serves
the neighborhood and draws people from all over town. Along with the rest of the neighborhood,
I am able to walk to The Market thus reducing traffic in Palo Alto. The Market at Edgewood is the
only market I shop at. I'm a senior citizen, and it allows me to age in place. We need to keep the
Market at Edgewood. It is a great benefit to our community.
Virginia Henke