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HomeMy Public PortalAboutApril 15, 2024 City Council Emails701-32 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: 4/15/2024 Document dates: 4/8/2024 – 4/15/2024 Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction in a given week. From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Jack Ajluni; Josh Becker; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Linda Jolley; Gardener, Liz; Lotus Fong; Michelle;Salem Ajluni; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Zelkha, Mila Cc:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Angel, David; Angie, Palo Alto Renters Association; Cait James; Cindy Chavez; Council, City; D Martell; Damon Silver; Daniel Kottke; Dave Price; EPA Today; Emily Mibach; Enberg, Nicholas; GRP-City Council; Greer Stone; Human Relations Commission; Jeff Moore; Jeff Rosen; Kaloma Smith; Karen Holman; Marina Lopez; Zelkha, Mila; Van Der Zwaag, Minka; Palo Alto Free Press; ParkRec Commission; Bains, Paul; Paul George @ PPJC; Reifschneider, James; Rodriguez, Miguel; Sean Allen; Shikada, Ed; Tom DuBois; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Perron, Zachary; Barberini, Christopher; chuck jagoda; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Lee, Craig; cromero@cityofepa.org; district1@bos.sccgov.org; editor@paweekly.com; Figueroa, Eric; kenneth.Binder@shf.sccgov.org; Foley, Michael Subject:Protests Shut Down Golden Gate Bridge, Northbound I-880 Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down the bridge inboth directions as part of a worldwide "economic blockade." Date:Monday, April 15, 2024 11:12:20 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Protests Shut Down Golden Gate Bridge, Northbound I-880 Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down the bridge in both directions as part of a worldwide "economic blockade." https://patch.com/california/san-francisco/protests-shut-down-golden-gate-bridge-northbound-i-880 TO: Palo Alto City Council (City Council) and Planning & Transportation Commission (PTC) RE: Recommendations re Agenda Item #13, “Joint City Council and Planning and Transportation Commission Meeting to Adopt a Resolution Amending the Comprehensive Plan by Adopting a Revised 2023-31 Housing Element [etc.]” and Comments re Staff Report 2312-2450 (Staff Report) DATE: April 14, 2024 FROM: John Kelley RECOMMENDATION City Staff have improved the prior version of the 2023-2031 Housing Element (Housing Element) in important ways, but the PTC and the City Council should direct City Staff to make further changes in the revised Housing Element prior to adopting it and delivering it to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). DISCUSSION 1. ADUs Play a Crucial Role in the City’s Housing Element The City relies heavily on accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in attempting to meet its RHNA. For example, when comparing the “ADUs” row with the “Total Unit Surplus” row in Table 3-27, “Adequacy of Residential Site Inventory,” of the revised draft “Palo Alto Housing Element 2023-2031 (Redlined),” 1 for both (a) the combination of the “Very Low-Income” and the “Low-Income” columns and (b) the “Moderate Income” column, one can see that the “ADUs” values exceed the “Total Unit Surplus” values. Thus, if the City fails to produce very low-income, low-income, and moderate-income ADUs to the extent predicted, much of the “buffer” may disappear, the City may fail to satisfy its RHNA. Accordingly, assessing the City’s constraints on ADU production is vital in analyzing the sufficiency of the Revised Redline Housing Element. 2. The City’s ADU Projections Still Ignore Important Constraints The City relies on ABAG’s technical guidance for estimating the future distribution of ADUs by income category based on actual Palo Alto production figures from 2019-2021. 2 Yet the ABAG technical memo articulates its own limits: “ABAG conducted 2 https://abag.ca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2022-03/ADUs-Projections-Memo-final.pdf , RRHE, p. 3-8. 1 “Revised Redline Housing Element” or “RRHE,” https://paloaltohousingelement.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Palo-Alto-Housing-Element-1.pdf , p. 3-72. 1 an analysis of ADU affordability and concluded that in most jurisdictions , the following assumptions are generally applicable.” 3 “Generally applicable,” however, does not necessarily mean “applicable in Palo Alto” (especially if one considers the “Palo Alto premium,” among other things). Thus, in assessing the RRHE, one must scrutinize the unique constraints that Palo Alto imposes on ADU production. 4 A. Impact Fees Since an earlier draft of the Housing Element was submitted to the HCD in 2022, the City Council again raised the impact fees imposed on 750+ sf ADUs. 5 Today the FY2024 facial — essentially “MSRP,” because proportionality discounts apply to such ADUs — total of Community Center, general government, library, park, and public safety facilities fees for “Single Family” in Palo Alto totals $76,385, more than $3,000 greater than the base, $72,562 figure discussed in the RRHE. 6 Because Palo Alto changed both the categories used to calculate impact fees and the magnitude of the fees, 7 their effects were not reflected in 2019-2021 baseline ADU production figures that the City has relied upon in its RHNA projections. 8 Furthermore, as applied especially to ADUs, 8 https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2021/04/15/palo-alto-hikes-development-impact-fees-for-first-time-in -20-years Compare the figures on RRHE, p. 3-8. 7 Staff report for 4/20/2021 meeting , p. 8 6 FY2024 Fee Schedule, p. 65, and RRHE p. 4-64. Please note: in the RRHE, a range of values is provided, “$72,562 - $302,362.” See pgs. 4-63 – 4-64 for a discussion of how the $302,362 figure is calculated. The City acknowledges that such “larger projects involving detached single-family homes…..are rare….” RRHE p. 4-64. (Perhaps ADU impact fees could even exceed the “MSRP.”). 5 “ADOPTED MUNICIPAL FEE FISCAL YEAR SCHEDULE 2024,” “Impact & In-Lieu Fees,” “Development Impact Fees - Residential,” (FY2024 Fee Schedule) ( https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/administrative-services/city-budgets/fy-2024-city-bud get/adopted/fy24-muni-fee-book-final.pdf , p. 65. 4 Until recently, Palo Alto’s Tree Ordinance, PAMC Chapter 8.10, “TREE AND LANDSCAPE PRESERVATION AND MANAGEMENT,” https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0-0-0-65934#JD_Chapter8.10 , was among the most important, Palo-Alto-specific constraints on ADU production. At the City Council meeting on April 1, 2024, the City Council considered a Staff Report incorporating an important finding from the City Attorney: During passage of the tree ordinance updates in January, staff confirmed during the Council Questions that based on CAO analysis of PAMC Chapter 18.09, the updated Title 8 and applicable state law, the tree ordinance would not apply to stand alone Table 1 ADU’s . Staff Report 2403-2809, https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/meetings/ItemWithTemplateType?id=4688&meetingTemplateType=2& compiledMeetingDocumentId=9485 , p. 1 (emphasis added). (Since this statement was attributed to the City Attorney’s Office, it is assumed that the City will follow that guidance and no longer apply the Tree Ordinance to what are, in effect, statewide exemption ADUs.) Attachment A, the ordinance proposed by City Staff, was amended at the April 1, 2024 meeting. See the video of the April 1, 2024 meeting, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2PxdunJHco , beginning at approximately 6:06:59. 3 https://abag.ca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2022-03/ADUs-Projections-Memo-final.pdf , p. 1 (emphasis added). 2 the City’s impact fee structure is (a) inequitable, for multiple reasons, only one of which is discussed in the RRHE, and (b) a significant impediment to production of ADUs, a point not addressed in the City’s RRHE financial feasibility analysis. Pgs. 4-64 - 4-65. The City itself acknowledges that the basic, per-unit fee architecture is inequitable, but it promises to make amends: In accordance with state law, fees for ADUs are only charged on ADUs larger than 750 square feet, and are charged in proportion to the fee that are or would be assessed on the primary unit. Because Palo Alto has historically charged per-unit fees for residential development, this has led to some inequitable results, as the fees for an ADU will depend not only on the size of the ADU, but also on the size of the primary unit, with higher fees required under state law when the primary unit is smaller. To avoid this scenario, the City will implement Programs 3.1 and 3.5 to convert fees to a per square foot calculation. 9 That is a step in the right direction but remains insufficient to correct past and continuing harms. This promise lacks a specific deadline, but Program 3.1 refers to December 2024. RRHE, p. 5-15. Still, that program omits some of the impact fees identified above, is not offered as a specific condition for present acceptance of the RRHE, and offers nothing to those previously saddled with inequitable housing impact fees to obtain permits for ADUs in Palo Alto. The City should: ● not submit a further revised Housing Element to the HCD until the current per-unit system is replaced; ● immediately place a moratorium on charging new impact fees for ADUs until such a new system is adopted; and, after its adoption, ● recalculate the impact fees for any ADU built after the revised fee schedule was first adopted in April, 2021, refunding the difference between the previously charged fees and those that would have been due under the new system to homeowners. Even with such changes, however, the City would only be addressing one half of the inequities built into its current impact fee structure as applied to ADUs. In the FY2024 Fee Schedule at p. 65, the phrases “Single Family” and “per unit” tell only a partial story. The City asserts that “the burden of housing costs is being more equitably distributed across project types,” pg. 4-65, but the discussion in the “DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES AND IN-LIEU FEES'' section, RRHE pgs. 4-63 – 4-65, 9 RRHE p. 4-64. 3 fails to make clear that, as currently implemented, “Single Family” and “per unit” essentially mean “brand new single-family on a vacant parcel.” This implicit meaning of the fee schedule language is noteworthy given the City’s observation that there is a “lack of vacant land in Palo Alto.” RRHE pgs. 4-64. It is inequitable to impose impact fees on ADUs that vary with the size of the primary dwelling on a parcel — such that a person with an 800 sf house might have to pay $76,385 to build an 800 sf ADU, whereas a neighbor with a 3,200 sf house would only pay a quarter of such fees to build an identical 800 sf ADU. But a far more fundamental inequity becomes evident when one compares single-family homes and ADUs. ● Instead of building an 800 sf ADU, the hypothetical homeowner with an 800 sf house could instead add 2,400 sf to the house, but since there was a pre-existing home on the lot, Palo Alto would not currently charge $76,385 in impact fees, nor indeed any of the park or other impact fees detailed above, on that home addition, even though it would be three times the size of the 800 sf ADU alternative. ● If the hypothetical neighbor, with a 3,200 sf house, had the capital and the desire, the neighbor might “scrape” the entire existing house, rebuild at or above grade 3,200 sf more luxuriously, and then add a basement, perhaps 2,400 sf in size, and, again, not pay any impact fees. The City may “implement Program 3.1 Fee Waivers & Adjustments ” before New Year’s Eve 2024, RRHE pgs. 4-65, but this does not appear to include a commitment to alter the fundamental discrimination in Palo Alto’s impact fee architecture as implemented: the City privileges substantial additions to and even complete “scrapes” of single-family homes, while seeking to shift the vast majority of all housing impact fees to new ADUs, apartments, condominiums, and townhomes. Palo Alto’s impact fees are, in essence, housing taxes on smaller, non-R-1 dwellings. Such taxes constrain ADU production. As HCD has recognized, 10 one of the merits of ADUs as a housing production strategy is their low costs. This “lower denominator” means that the impact fees charged by Palo Alto constitute an outsized percentage of costs for ADUs. As a corollary, the financial feasibility analysis offered by the City, RRHE pgs. 4-64 - 4-65, is not applicable to ADUs. Rather than building four dozen townhomes, a Palo Alto homeowner may only be seeking to build a single 800 sf ADU. Adding even tens of thousands of dollars to an ADU project may make it significantly less attractive to an individual homeowner, who generally would have lower access to capital than the developer of 48 townhomes. Even without reaching the full $76,385 amount, many homeowners with smaller homes 10 “ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT HANDBOOK UPDATED JULY 2022” (“HCD 2022 ADU Handbook”)( https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/policy-and-research/ADUHandbookUpdate.pdf ), p. 4. 4 will end up being charged $25,000, $30,000 or even more in “Planning Impact Fees'' before they can receive a building permit for an ADU from the City. Not everyone in Palo Alto can put $25,000 on a credit card or send an e-check for $30,000 to the City. Thus the architecture of City’s housing impact fees — already heavily disadvantaging ADUs — further privileges more economically advantaged homeowners. The City’s financial feasibility tests will be cold comfort for many homeowners building ADUs. The burden of the City’s impact fees on ADUs — whether $25,000 or $75,000 — will also affect the City’s ability to meet its RHNA, particularly for more affordable housing. This is especially true given the current interest rate environment. If one were able to obtain — which could be quite difficult — a 30-year fixed mortgage at 7% to build an ADU, $30,000 in marginal fees paid to Palo Alto would translate into an approximately $200 greater monthly payment. 11 $200 per month translates into a sizable percentage of the 1- and even 2-person rents described in “TABLE 2-18 MAXIMUM AFFORDABLE HOUSING COSTS, SANTA CLARA COUNTY, 2021” for the “Extremely Low Income,” “Very Low Income,” “Low Income,” and even “Median Income rental limits. RRHE pg. 2-39. Thus the the City’s reliance on ADUs to meet its affordable housing goals is incoherent if not completely inconsistent: ● while relying on ADUs to provide a significant percentage of its more affordable units, and while knowing that any such tax will constitute a relatively larger proportion of project costs in comparison with, for example, R-1 developments, the City nonetheless taxes ADU production; and ● Program 3.1 does not appear to commit the City to correcting the taxation disparity between new smaller housing units — ADUs, apartments, etc. — and new additions to or “scrapes” of single-family homes. Both the magnitude and the architecture of Palo Alto’s impact fees significantly constrain ADU production, particularly production of more affordable ADUs. B. Utilities Policies City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) policies further constrain ADU production. While the UAC may take up this issue at some point in the future, at present the City follows what is, in essence, a “one-parcel, one service” policy in R-1 neighborhoods. This means that, for example, electrical, water, and sewer services for a primary 11 https://www.google.com/search?q=mortgage+calculator&oq=mortga&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqDQgAEAA YgwEYsQMYgAQyDQgAEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyDQgBEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyBggCEEUYPDIGCAMQR Rg8MgYIBBBFGD0yBggFEEUYPDIGCAYQRRhBMgYIBxBFGEGoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF -8 5 dwelling and an ADU (or JADU) on the same lot will be provided and billed under one CPAU account. If a homeowner is seeking to build and rent an ADU (or JADU), this can cause several types of problems. ● Tiering problems. If a utility’s prices are tiered based on consumption (for example, higher per unit rates above one or more thresholds), then two households on a single account will be billed at a marginally higher rate than they would be billed on two separate accounts. ● Overhead and collections problems. Even with sub-metering equipment, a homeowner renting an ADU will be left with the tasks of calculating charges, billing, and receiving payment. ● Fundamental capital cost problems, especially with electrical services. Many existing single-family homes in Palo Alto have existing 100A or 200A electrical services. Adding even an 800 sf ADU may, based on the normal electrical load calculation methods followed by CPAU at present, and especially if a homeowner is seeking to build an all-electric ADU, result in approximately 100A (or more) of additional electrical load. While other techniques may be used, if one simply seeks to increase one’s electrical service capacity, present CPAU forms and policies can result in the need for an application to increase the existing electrical service to 400A, even though some of this capacity is not necessarily needed for the ADU. Such an electrical upgrade, including both the fees charged by CPAU and those charged by a contractor, can sometimes cost $10,000 or more. ● “Loser lottery.” That first $10,000 cost may not be the biggest cost. CPAU may, in addition, determine that there is not sufficient capacity in its local distribution system for a new 400A service, in which case an ADU applicant may have “won” a “loser lottery”: CPAU may determine that, because the ADU would exhaust local distribution capacity, the ADU applicant should bear the cost of, for example, upgrading a transformer, or, sometimes, even having also to place a large pedestal for new CPAU-owned electrical equipment in the applicant’s front yard. 12 The “winners” of such a “loser lottery” might have to pay tens of thousands of additional dollars to CPAU. Returning to the prior mortgage cost analysis, all of these costs might add another $70, $140, $210, or more in monthly costs to an ADU project, further undermining its potential to help the City meet its housing affordability goals. Other policies could and should be adopted by the City. 12 Requiring such payments and siting equipment on a homeowner’s land as conditions for obtaining a building permit may be quite improper, e.g., as requiring a “public benefit” from a building permit applicant. 6 ● CPAU could and should give homeowners building ADUs the option — as determined solely by the homeowner, and at the homeowner’s expense — to build a new ADU (or JADU) with its own utilities, particularly electrical and water utilities. The homeowner should decide if such capital investments make sense. ● CPAU could and should bear the costs of maintaining its own distribution capacity, a n issue that will probably return to the City Council in other contexts (e.g., future deliberations regarding S/CAP and electrical infrastructure). ● CPAU could and should move more quickly in accepting, working with, and even supporting alternative means of calculating electrical loads under the NEC. With such changes, the City would begin to eliminate some of the most important constraints on ADU, and especially affordable ADU, housing production resulting from current CPAU policies. C. Permitting Policies Government Code sub-section 66314(a) allows a local agency to designate areas in which ADUs may be permitted based on “on the adequacy of water and sewer services and the impact of accessory dwelling units on traffic flow and public safety.” 13 Government Code sub-section 66317(c) provides: “No local ordinance, policy, or regulation, other than an accessory dwelling unit ordinance consistent with this article shall be the basis for the delay or denial of a building permit or a use permit under this section.” 14 Despite these and other limits on which types of considerations a local agency may consider in reviewing an ADU permit application ministerially, the City routinely routes ADU permit applications to multiple departments whose reviews are not specifically authorized under the California statute, including, Urban Forestry, Electrical Utilities, and the gas portion of WGW Utilities. Individualized reviews of ADU permit applications by such departments, particularly involving non-objective standards, frustrate the ministerial ADU permit application process. The City’s routinely subjecting 14 https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&division=1.&title=7.&part =&chapter=13.&article=2 . (formerly Government Code sub-section 65852.2(a)(7), see https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/government-code/gov-sect-65852-2/https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/governmen t-code/gov-sect-65852-2/ ). 13 https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&division=1.&title=7.&part =&chapter=13.&article=2 . (formerly Government Code sub-section 65852.2(a)(1)(A), see https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/government-code/gov-sect-65852-2/https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/governmen t-code/gov-sect-65852-2/ ). 7 ADU applications to such reviews is another way in which it constrains ADU production, delays ADU permit issuance, and increases costs to those seeking to build ADUs. D. Disavowing HCD’s AFFH Tools The HCD has provided tools for determining whether certain types of ADUs are allowed in particular areas. The “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Data and Mapping Resources” is an example of one such tool. 15 Using it, one can identify, for example, “High Quality Transit Stop Areas” within Palo Alto: 16 16 https://affh-data-and-mapping-resources-v-2-0-cahcd.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/636e3f917b3445929f4aa0 647afc4085_2/explore?location=37.436345%2C-122.134573%2C12.94 15 https://affh-data-and-mapping-resources-v-2-0-cahcd.hub.arcgis.com/ 8 Such a map should allow one, before filing an ADU building permit application, to determine with precision whether one can build, for example, an 18’ detached ADU on one’s property. See PAMC 18.09.030, Table 1, fn. 5. 17 Despite the availability of such tools, Palo Alto appears not to recognize their accuracy, and appears to base its determination of such areas based on its own compilation of data, which may well be inadequate and incomplete. Failing to acknowledge and accept the legitimacy of such HCD-provided AFFH tools is another significant constraint on ADU production, because it makes it more difficult, more expensive, and more time-consuming to determine whether one can build the type of ADU that one might seek to build in Palo Alto; even more unfortunately, it can result in an incorrect determination of whether a particular design is permissible. 3. Compounding Effects and Cumulative Financial Metrics Extremely high and inequitable impact fees, costly utilities policies, onerous permitting practices, and disavowal of recognized AFFH tools are all, when considered individually, significant constraints on ADU production and especially on production of more affordable ADUs in Palo Alto. Considering them collectively compounds and multiplies deleterious effects, further reducing the likelihood of the RRHE being sufficient to meet Palo Alto’s RHNA mandates. ● Regulatory uncertainty, such as that caused by the City’s failure to acknowledge HCD-provided AFFH tools may keep an ADU project from ever commencing. Knowing that friends or neighbors in other parts of Palo Alto can build 18’ detached ADUs (e.g., over an existing detached garage) may set an expectation for prospective ADU applicants that cannot be verified at the outset of a project. ● Prospective ADU applicants that live in smaller homes and that may also be less capital advantaged may be dissuaded from building larger ADUs when they can spend the money in better ways simply by adding onto their existing houses without incurring enormous impact fees. Why let the City charge $50,000 or $75,000 for an 800 sf ADU when the same overall budget might support an extra bedrooms or even more in a 900 sf or larger addition? ● How much will it actually cost, over the lifetime of an ADU, to pay higher marginal electrical and water service rates with single accounts for both primary dwellings and ADUs? Who will bear that financial risk? ● Would one decide not to build an all-electric ADU or even drop a project if CPAU failed to pay the costs for upgrading a transformer in its distribution plant? 17 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0-0-0-76751 9 ● Who, indeed, would ever want to be the grand-prize “winner” in a “loser lottery,” having to pay $10,000, $20,000, or even more to install a 400A electrical service, with the special bonus of housing a CPAU transformer in one’s front yard? ● Why should there be any review by Urban Forestry, Electrical Utilities or gas utilities of 800 sf or smaller ADUs? Why are such reviewing departments in Palo Alto also sometimes the very last to approve an ADU application, delaying what is supposed to be a maximum 60-day, completely objective, and ascertainable-in-advance, ministerial review process? ● Obtaining an ADU building permit from any local agency in California should be quick, easy, and inexpensive. Those are not the adjectives that many homeowners who have built, or who would like to build, ADUs in Palo Alto would use to describe the City’s permitting processes. Instead, as a result of other City policies and practices, those seeking to build ADUs and other residential dwellings often come face-to-face with the “Palo Alto Premium,” the implicit surcharge that contractors and others may impose for working in Palo Alto. All of these effects, especially when considered in combination, take their cumulative toll, particularly on production of more affordable ADUs in Palo Alto. Yet the RRHE assumes, based on ABAG’s conclusions about circumstances in “most jurisdictions,” 18 that over 300 ADUs will be built in Palo Alto over the next several years, apparently for rental at the “Extremely Low Income,” “Very Low Income,” and “Low Income” prices described in Table 2-18. RRHE, pg. 2-39. In the “AFFORDABILITY” section of the RRHE, the City seems almost to concede that this is fanciful. When comparing the home prices and rents shown earlier in Figure 2-17, Figure 2-18, and Table 2-16 with the maximum affordable housing costs presented in Table 2-18 below, it is evident that extremely low-, very low- and low-income households in Palo Alto have almost no affordable housing options without substantial subsidies. RRHE, pg. 2-39. How is the City intending to provide such subsidies for ADUs? While Section 2.6 of the RRHE, “HOUSING STOCK CHARACTERISTICS,” discusses, among other things, means of addressing expiring Section 8 project-based subsidies, RRHE, pgs. 2-83 - 2-88, it is unclear whether, and if so how, these or other discussions of potential subsidies would or could apply to the 300+ ADUs the RRHE assumes would be available at extremely low-, very low- and low-income rental prices. 18 https://abag.ca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2022-03/ADUs-Projections-Memo-final.pdf , p. 1. 10 What is known is that the combination of extremely high and inequitable impact fees, costly utilities policies, onerous permitting practices, and disavowal of recognized AFFH tools operates as an anti-subsidy, as a housing tax, especially on ADUs. The City does not appear to have offered an ADU-specific financial analysis of such constraints. What metrics might one use to assess the City’s policies and practices on ADU housing production? At least two come to mind. One standard has a proven track record of success at the state level. During those parts of a fiscal year when its funding has not been fully allocated, and for eligible recipients, the maximum $40,000 grants offered by CalHFA appear to have been successful in stimulating ADU production. CalHFA’s ADU Grant Program has already created more housing units in California by providing grants up to $40,000 to reimburse pre-development and non-recurring closing costs associated with the construction of an ADU. Pre-development costs include site prep, architectural designs, permits, soil tests, impact fees, property surveys, and energy reports. 19 Under the 2023-24 state budget, which provided $25 million for the project, there appears to have been “high demand” 20 for such grants. As a first approximation, and certainly one that would appear to be more relevant to ADU construction than a survey of four dozen townhomes, a $40,000 marginal cost might be more than sufficient to have negative implications for ADU production. A second method of calculation might be based upon the Santa Clara County ADU “Accessory Dwelling Unit Calculator.” 21 Assuming that one were seeking to build a “0 Bed / 1 Bath / 0 / 400 sqft” studio in Palo Alto, the calculator projected $184-224K in development costs, an estimated monthly rent of $1,600 - $2,000, monthly expenses of $1,500 - $1,900, based upon a capital structure of a $60,000 cash investment and a $144,000 loan with a 20 year term and an 8% interest rate, yielding an estimated monthly mortgage payment of $1,194. Since the estimated monthly rent was quite comparable to the estimated monthly expenditures with this capital structure, it appears that most of the economic benefit was projected to be realized as an increase in property value. “It is estimated that your ADU will increase your home value by $214,000.” 22 But using $60,000 in cash, and leveraging it with a $144,000 mortgage — even if one could obtain such a mortgage — to produce an increase in value of 22 https://santaclaracounty.aducalculator.org/ 21 https://citiesassociation.org/documents/santa-clara-county-adu-calculator/ 20 https://www.calhfa.ca.gov/homeownership/bulletins/2023/2023-12.pdf 19 https://www.calhfa.ca.gov/adu/index.htm 11 $214,000 in a relatively illiquid asset with relatively high sales transaction costs would appear, on its face, to be only modestly attractive as an investment opportunity when 10-year Treasury bonds are yielding, at least at this time, over 4.5%. 23 As a result, one might expect an economically motivated ADU applicant to strive to increase rents higher, potentially to levels above what the City has contemplated in Table 2-18. There is a substantial chance that Palo Alto’s constraints on ADU production will cause the City to fail to meet its projected targets for extremely low-, very low- and low-income ADUs. As a result, the City’s “Buffer above Remaining RHNA After Credits,” RRHE, pg. 3-72, for those categories of affordable housing units may be lost. In addition to the policy changes discussed above — eliminating or greatly reducing impact fees on ADUs; returning previously inequitably levied impact fees to homeowners; allowing, at a homeowner’s option and expense, for separate electrical and water utilities services for ADUs; ending Urban Forestry, Electrical Utilities, and WGW gas-related departmental reviews; and accepting the results of HCD’s AFFH tools — this analysis points towards the types of policy interventions to which the City should commit itself if it truly intends to rely upon ADUs as an important source of extremely low-, very low- and low-income housing during the current RHNA cycle. It could and should: ● replicate the maximum $40,000 grants offered by CalHFA, perhaps in cooperation with CalHFA itself. ● offer qualifying ADU applicants, perhaps using the same income and other qualifications established by CalHFA, to provide, e.g., $200,000 - $300,000 loans at the City’s cost of capital to those applicants willing to offer rentals at federally approved rates for a period of 10 years with “on-bill payments,” perhaps through the CPAU’s own billing system; and ● immediately implement AB 1033: “ Accessory dwelling units, also referred to as ADUs and “granny flats,” have been available in California only as rentals. But a new law, Assembly Bill 1033 , is giving Californians the opportunity to buy and sell them as condominiums,” creating an important innovation to foster actual ownership of smaller homes in Palo Alto. Palo Alto has the capability, the credit rating, and the spirit of innovation to provide capital and new forms of ownership for more affordable housing in our community. The City can augment ADU production, especially of more affordable ADUs, should the City Council demonstrate leadership and commitment to such goals. 23 https://www.bloomberg.com/markets/rates-bonds/government-bonds/us 12 From:slevy@ccsce.com To:Council, City; Planning Commission Subject:revised HE Date:Monday, April 15, 2024 11:11:21 AM Attachments:PA-POLI-letter to PACC and PTC re Revised Housing Element 2024-04-14.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council and PTC members, Previously staff has counted ADUs as for the above moderate income level. In the new HE ADUs are spread among all 4 income groups, which means that most are for low and moderate income residents. This is an admirable goal but 1) I see no evidence that current units are so affordable and hear many comments from council and others that they are not 2) I see no policies/incentives in the HE that would reduce ADU costs toward making themaffordable, itself a tough challenge 3) And as the attached letter from John Kelley, with deep experience in ADU design and construction, points out, the city currently has policies that constrain affordable ADU development. I support John's call to further revise the HE before submitting to address these challenges unless council instead chooses to reclassify them as for the above moderate income group. Stephen Levy From:Aram James To:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Angie, Palo Alto Renters Association; Wagner, April; Binder, Andrew; BryanGobin; Cindy Chavez; Council, City; D Martell; Daniel Kottke; Don Austin; DuJuan Green; EPA Today; Ed Lauing;Enberg, Nicholas; Jensen, Eric; Friends of Cubberley; Greg Tanaka; Human Relations Commission; Jack Ajluni;Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Moore; Jeff Rosen; Joe Simitian; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Kaloma Smith; Karen Holman; Lewisjames; Linda Jolley; Gardener, Liz; Zelkha, Mila; Van Der Zwaag, Minka; Palo Alto Free Press; ParkRecCommission; Bains, Paul; Paul George @ PPJC; Reifschneider, James; Robert. Jonsen; Roberta Ahlquist; SallyLieber; Sean Allen; Sheriff Transparency; Supervisor Otto Lee; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; Tommaso Dreossi;Vara Ramakrishnan; Vicki Veenker; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Perron, Zachary; Lee, Craig;cromero@cityofepa.org; dennis burns; district1@bos.sccgov.org; Figueroa, Eric; Tannock, Julie;kenneth.Binder@shf.sccgov.org; ladoris cordell; Foley, Michael Subject:Audit: Palo Alto officer disciplined for ‘coverup’ of violent Buena Vista arrest Date:Monday, April 15, 2024 10:25:25 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Audit: Palo Alto officer disciplined for ‘coverup’ of violent Buena Vista arrest https://www.paloaltoonline.com/police/2024/04/15/audit-palo-alto-officer-disciplined-for-coverup-of-violent-buena-vista-arrest/ From:Aram James To:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Adam Dawes; Angie, Palo Alto Renters Association; Bill Johnson; Binder,Andrew; Braden Cartwright; Cecilia Taylor; Council, City; Clerk, City; D Martell; Daniel Kottke; Dave Price; DianaDiamond; EPA Today; Ed Lauing; Emily Mibach; GRP-City Council; Greer Stone; Greg Tanaka; Joe Simitian; JulieLythcott-Haims; Linda Jolley; Gardener, Liz; Lotus Fong; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; Zelkha, Mila; Palo AltoPublic Records Center; ParkRec Commission; Reifschneider, James; Roberta Ahlquist; Shikada, Ed; Stump, Molly;Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; editor@paweekly.com; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com;Burt, Patrick Subject:Re: City of Palo Alto Public Records Request :: W005786-041524 Date:Monday, April 15, 2024 9:37:36 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. 4//15/2024 Thank you for your quick acknowledgment of my CPRA request submitted yesterday, April 14, 2024. Best regards, Aram James On Mon, Apr 15, 2024 at 9:16 AM Palo Alto Public Records Center<paloaltoca@mycusthelp.net> wrote: 04/15/2024 Dear Aram: The City of Palo Alto is dedicated and responsive to our community. Your request has been received and is being processed. Your request was given the reference number W005786-041524 for tracking purposes. Records Requested: Pursuant to the California Public Records Act California Public Records Request: Re: cost of Mayor Stone’s recent trip to Japan, current salary as mayor and all city benefits he receives, the dollar cost of said benefits, all of Mayor Stone's income for his work outside his role as mayor, income from teaching, income as a licensed California attorney, etc. 1. Please provide the cost to the city, including all invoices for airfare and other travel, if travel was by first class or coach, etc, food, lodging, etc., of Mayor Greer Stone’s trip to Japan. 2. All gifts received by Mayor Greer Stone while traveling on the City of Palo Alto business to Japan. And the value of said gifts. 3. All other financial benefits received by Mayor Stone, no matter how small or large, for his trip to Japan on behalf of the City of Palo Alto. 4. The current monthly salary Mayor Greer Stone receives for his duties as Mayor of the City of Palo Alto. His annual salary. 5. Any benefits Mayor Stone receives as mayor and the cost of said benefits to the taxpayers of Palo Alto each month. Annual cost. This should include medical, dental, vision care, and other associated medical benefits provided to the mayor on both a monthly and annual basis. 6. Any other benefits Mayor Stone receives each month and the monthly cost to the taxpayers of Palo Alto. The annual cost to taxpayers. 7. Any and all documents in the City’s custody reflecting Mayor Stones's annual salary for work he performs outside his role as mayor. This would include his annual salary as a school teacher, for work performed as an attorney as a licensed member of the California State Bar, State Bar #, 306103. Any other annual income received by Mayor Stone. Your request will be forwarded to the relevant department(s) to locate the information you seek and to determine the volume and any costs associated with satisfying your request. You will be contacted about the availability and/or provided with copies of the records in question. You can monitor the progress of your request at the link below and you'll receive an email when your request has been completed. Thank you for using the Public Records Center. City of Palo Alto Track the issue status and respond at:https://paloaltoca.mycusthelp.com/WEBAPP//_rs/RequestEdit.aspx?rid=5786 From:appeal.bryan.gobin@gmail.com To:"Aram James"; "Ed Lauing"; "Josh Becker"; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; "Supervisor Susan Ellenberg" Cc:"Angel, David"; "Angie, Palo Alto Renters Association"; "Baker, Rob"; "Cecilia Taylor"; "Cindy Chavez"; Council, City; "D Martell"; "Daniel Kottke"; "Dave Price"; "DuJuan Green"; "Emily Mibach"; "GRP-City Clerk"; "GRP-City Council"; "Gennady Sheyner"; Human Relations Commission; "Jax Ajluni"; "Jeff Moore"; "Joe Simitian"; "Kaloma Smith"; "Karen Holman"; "Lotus Fong"; "Michelle"; Zelkha, Mila; "Palo Alto Free Press"; Bains, Paul; "Paul George @ PPJC"; "Raymond Goins"; "Robert. Jonsen"; "Rodriguez, Miguel"; "Rose Lynn"; "Salem Ajluni"; "Sally Lieber"; "Sean Allen"; Shikada, Ed; Stump, Molly; "Tom DuBois"; "WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto"; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; "dennis burns"; District1@bos.sccgov.org; editor@paweekly.com; Foley, Michael; "yolanda" Subject:Zionists Order Student Arrests at Claremont Colleges /Bibi"s War on Trees / Stop the S.S. Warmongers (JoeBiden & Kabbala Harris & Blitzkrieg Blinken) Date:Monday, April 15, 2024 8:14:53 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from appeal.bryan.gobin@gmail.com. Learn whythis is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ARTHEID FACT OF THE DAY… OCCUPIED WEST SIDE | Sponsored by Republicans Democrats Criminal Conviction Rates: California 97%| U.S. Federal Courts 99%| RUSSIA 99% | Occupied Palestine Sham Courts 99.99% ..Claremont College Board members Sam Glick (oliverwyman) and Paul Eckstein (Perkins coie) tell black president Gabby Starr will lynch your black ass like we did Claudine Gay unless you do our bidding by following The Israel SS orders issued by Yael at StandwithUS-Nazis based in LA-where the Da Candidate is the scion of Bruce Hochman, mobster tax lawyer, ADL spymaster, and general villain! Of course can talked badly about Stanford alum who a bunch of Krooked Klan Killers, right? Hochman’s son—grifters, SBF, and the whole Stanford law faculty including my power Latina ex- sister-in law Jennifer Chacon and her Uncle-Tom hubby Jonathan Glater and deh parents Yale JDs….You know, just like Trump has enablers, so do the thug Zionists ordering arrests of students in Claremont CA, Columbia, Vanderbilt and elsewhere….Get of Gaza-Get of out Ukraine---and Get out of the WH Blitzkrieg Blinken & Genocide Joe unless you act on this message----If you trying to be Hitler---then we’ll vote for the real thing and accept our fate. – Goldstein, OG on the Westside— Orwell ‘84 Zionists Order Student Arrests at Claremont Colleges /Bibi's War on Trees / Stop the S.S. Warmongers (Joe Biden & Kabbala Harris & Blitzkrieg Blinken) Zionists arresting students, threatening to bump off non-compliant presidents—Pomona caves… Perkins-Coie and OliverWyman supplying Zionist thugs waging war on campus and American Education-- -Looks Like the Zionist that had me arrested and nearly assassinated twice are going full- Gaza on Peaceful Sit-ins…Proving by use of Riot Police that these pathetic thugs have no regard human life; no concern about putting other people in danger; and beyond Carl Schmitt-Lawless, Malignant Narcissistic Sociopathic tendencies-- *** Zionist Overlords rule the day---Black Prez-I ain’t getting fired like Gay! Orders ARRESTS of Students engaged in Peaceful Sit- in - ARMY OF RIOT POLICE, GRENADE LAUNCHERS] *** My Criminal Gangster Goldstein MAIN PAGE: Skipworth & CPD Conspiracy | Claremont Colleges | Krooked HK Kounsel *** Chief SKIPWORTH Dedicated Page [just Skipworth's LIES & LIBEL] *** Israel’s War on Trees, Holodomor (Siege Starvation Stalin- style) and Little Rock Arkansas (same land area as the Gaza Strip) *** Research Page: Why Terrorism Works for Zionists, but Not for Palestinians *** Harvard’s Greatest Cartoon Controversy– Altman’s Jewbot ChatGPT and Muhammed Ali Belt Zionism!—Dean & Prez Cry! Cancel Jews against Apartheid & Holocausting along with other Pro-American values e.g. Racial Miniorities, Twofer-Black-female President—Ackman’s Whatsapp 50-billionaire Group goes Gangbusters! My Linkedin Profile-Connect with O.G. Goldstein on Orwell’s 1984 Occupied Westside APARTHEID FACT OF THE DAY… OCCUPIED WEST SIDE | Sponsored by Republicans Democrats Criminal Conviction Rates:California 97%| U.S. Federal Courts 99%| RUSSIA 99% | Occupied Palestine Sham Courts 99.99% CALBAR CAO Steve Mazer— CAO Steve Mazer---You're OK with the TWO attemptedAngeles Apartheid Assassinations (AAA) of me by bastards in the bar Hirschfeld-Kramer(HK) who are no less brutal than George Floyd murderer Officer Derek Chauvin. HK & their client Claremont Colleges Chief Skipworth send three (3) squad cars 60 miles across LACounty (2 hours one-way) on a field trip from Claremont Colleges to my apartment in the 3mi x 3mi oceanfront city of Santa Monica! Again this AAA attempt was instigated by the Triads—Kounsel, Kops-CPD & HK client Chief Stan Skipworth, and complicit Kourt officers. Since you’re OK with SoKali Cop Skipworth lying about completing his CrimJustice degree at LaSalle University in Philadelphia, thought I’d bring in Northwestern for their opinion—since Northwestern U. applies penal code written to protect people against the Klan for pressing charges for the OPPOSITE purpose of law, namely by locking up Black Studentsprotesting for PRO-AMERICAN values and against the Holocaust and the Holocaust in the Holy Land Deniers who clearly hate both Palestinians and Jews. Apparently the ClaremontColleges are arresting students again…after arresting a professor for trespassing at his place of work. Key Links with letter to you below. *** Black Prez-I ain’t getting fired like Gay! Orders ARRESTS of Students engaged in Peaceful Sit-in - ARMY OF RIOT POLICE, GRENADE LAUNCHERS [CPD SWIMSUIT EDITION— Hot Meatgrinder Cop Charia gets Paid to Take Off] *** My Criminal Gangster Goldstein MAIN PAGE: Skipworth & CPD Conspiracy | Claremont Colleges | Krooked HK Kounsel *** Chief SKIPWORTH Dedicated Page [just Skipworth's LIES & LIBEL] *** Israel’s War on Trees, Holodomor (Siege Starvation Stalin- style) and Little Rock Arkansas (same land area as the Gaza Strip) *** Research Page: Why Terrorism Works for Zionists, but Not for Palestinians *** Harvard’s Greatest Cartoon Controversy– Altman’s Jewbot ChatGPT and Muhammed Ali Belt Zionism!—Dean & Prez Cry! Cancel Jews against Apartheid & Holocausting along with other Pro-American values e.g. Racial Miniorities, Twofer-Black-female President—Ackman’s Whatsapp 50-billionaire Group goes Gangbusters! My Linkedin Profile-Connect with O.G. Goldstein on Orwell’s 1984 Occupied Westside How long have you been at the worthless CALBAR supporting Angeles Apartheid Mr.Mazer? Your Bar Members believe they can get away with murder--twice in my case--which tells me your organization believes in "freedom" of the same kind as Genocidal Maniac MeirBen-Shabbat--Bibi's Confidant, fmr National Security Advisor, and present explainer of the final solution for Gaza--It's Not original--Hitler did the same thing; Frankly we Americans didworse in firebombing Tokyo--between 100k and 200k DEAD in 24 hours--that is a record that stands today! But Bibi wants to surpass our atrocities. CAO Mazer, Are you yanking my chain around my neck? Same rope around the neck of The Greatest that offends call-center cartoon-controversy Harvard Dean Khurana who is notingmore than a little Modi-Operandi Censor with his counterfeit Anti-semitism claims. Here's a thought for Cooley--I would not do business with any law firm recruiting attorneywho attended Israel's only private university--Reichmann U. in Herzliya, distinguished as the Eichmann of Palestinian Pogromming anchored at the Ron Lauder School of Counter-Intelligence aka Apartheid Central. RAND's Brian Jenkin's is on the Reichmann payroll--he's the RAND sr. presidential advisor on Terrorism--and knows DAMN well Bibi don't want thehostages back...But Brian's lips are sealed b/c he's bought off. Also--Ron Lauder had ADVANCE knowledge of the Hamas invasion plans...Small world on the OccupiedWestside....Just ask Mr. Mokady--founder of CyberArk and alumnus of 8200 for his opinion on your situation--and Lauder's too. Are you yanking my chain around my neck? Per your letters attached, please note that I was not notified about the outcome of your prior investigation into Rick Lennon, nor was there anygenuine interest in proceeding by the CALBAR which I suspect has too many legacy staff members accustomed to providing a defense to those under investigation. Let me be clear--theCOPS in THREE squad cars were NOT advised they had been sent on a BS errand to intimidate me just like the cops who inadvertently "SWATTING" presidential candidate NikkiHaley's parents had no idea there was no legitimate threat--indeed they believe the OPPOSITE, which put LIFE in imminent danger as well as roommates and friends who wouldbe collateral damage should any cop become afraid for their life--and as we KNOW--Chief Skipworth is AFRAID for his life when his boss gets my letter saying "Issue me a Formalapology," and "Fire Stan" for cause...I would say based on Scaredy-cat little Stan's fear those two words, I was DEFINITELY in Danger--I asked the COPS--and you pull the recordings--ifthey knew why they had be sent 60 miles across the County--and they only knew what was in the 'official police report' or less... What is 100 percent? 100 percent—round-up and that’s the conviction rate for criminal courts in Both California and the U.S. federal courts; 100 Percent is the rate in the the sham courtsystem in Apartheid Palestinian Occupied Territories and Tzarist Russia. Or what DA candidates Hatami, Chermerinsky, McKinney & Hochman consider Angeles Apartheidproperly administered. Likewise, I am 100 percent certain that your chronic underfunding and capture by the industry you regulate makes you toothless for common consumers like meunless I’m picking on some racial minority sole proprietor who your industry wants eliminated so Occupied Angelenos have ZERO access to the court system and ZERO recourse when weare routinely railroaded or ripped-off. Therefore, take note of my nudging below of those whose reputations will suffer should by concerns not be addressed. Govi Gavi ought to run ourstate instead of running for President and feeding the Pacific Palisade patronage mill resulting in the Bendix-Kronstadt household having three judges under one roof in a County of 10million—more populous than the State of Israel which gets so much attention for a County- size-Country whose war-criminal generalissimos are unfit to be hired as deputy Sheriffs in ourCounty….See my links and my letter to the Boards and my letter to the attorneys Hirschfeld- Kraemer who are apparently willing to do murder-for-hire for the sake of their client.Remarkable dedication, No? Dear Members of LaSalle University and the University of Redlands, I am writing to express my concern about the failure of the leadership team at the Universityof Redlands to do due diligence on the background of their Chief Safety Officer--Mr. Stan Skipworth; and their subsequent apparent refusal to address the problem of employing animposter making the FALSE claim that he completed his Criminal Justice degree at LaSalle University when in FACT LaSalle has NO RECORD of Mr. Skipworth having ever attendedor completed a degree at LaSalle. University of Redlands (like Skipworth's past employers) did not do any due diligence on his credentials--or his performance in a position of trust. I did.Lying about his education is just one of many problems with Mr. Skipworth's performance and integrity. Again, I did in fact alert Redland's General Counsel and the President's Office of my findings- -yet they do NOT seem to care; they do NOT value integrity or honesty or public safety forthat matter. This is disconcerting given Mr. Skipworth's high propensity to call for "back-up" and pattern of profiling people like me--resulting in absurd allegations--such as a false chargeof a library bomb threat against a Kuwaiti graduate student in 2001--who was traumatized by the experience--and the THREE witnesses Skipworth alleges had verified his claim in fact didNOT find Mr. Skipworth's claims credible--The graduate student--after some in time in custody--was released without charges pursued by the DA Office. Surely if these charges hadany merit, the DA would have picked up the case. But I was NOT so fortunate to have avoided prosecution for an alleged criminal threat--aUSAF B-52 bomber threat in one instance--and in another instance for writing Mr. Skipworth's boss in Claremont with a recommendation literally to "FIRE Stan." And thosetwo words are the basis of me being incarcerated for FOUR MONTHS. See letter below to one of Mr. Skipworth's associates who shares Skipworth's disdain fordiversity, integrity, honesty, American values, and concern for putting people like me in extreme danger of being executed...Or perhaps murder is the point; the means justifying theends to solving their problems. See below. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns--B.C. Goldstein (Swarthmore '97). Attachment: *** My Criminal Gangster Goldstein MAIN PAGE: Skipworth & CPD Conspiracy | Claremont Colleges | Krooked HK Kounsel -------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject:24-O-15110 Glen Elliott Kraemer, 24-O-15112 Stephen Jay Hirschfeld, and 24-O-15113 Adam R Maldonado Date:Fri, 12 Apr 2024 19:30:46 +0000 From:octcdonotreply <octcdonotreply@calbar.ca.gov> To:bryan.gobin.unc@gmail.com <bryan.gobin.unc@gmail.com> Dear Bryan Gobin, Please see the attached acknowledgement letters regarding your complaints. Thank you. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF TRIAL COUNSEL From: Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2024 2:30 PM To: Ed Lauing <elauing@equitysearchpartners.com>; Josh Becker <becker.josh@gmail.com>; Lythcott-Haims, Julie <Julie.LythcottHaims@cityofpaloalto.org>; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg <supervisor.ellenberg@bos.sccgov.org> Cc: Angel, David <dangel@dao.sccgov.org>; Angie, Palo Alto Renters Association <paloaltorenters@gmail.com>; Baker, Rob <rbaker@dao.sccgov.org>; Bryan Gobin <appeal.bryan.gobin@gmail.com>; Cecilia Taylor <cmrstaylor@gmail.com>; Cindy Chavez <cindy.chavez@bos.sccgov.org>; CityCouncil <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; D Martell <dmpaloalto@gmail.com>; Daniel Kottke <daniel.k@earthlink.net>; Dave Price <price@padailypost.com>; DuJuan Green <dujuang@sbcglobal.net>; Emily Mibach <emibach@padailypost.com>; GRP-City Clerk <CLERK2@redwoodcity.org>; GRP-City Council <council@redwoodcity.org>; Gennady Sheyner <GSheyner@paweekly.com>; Human Relations Commission <hrc@cityofpaloalto.org>; Jax Ajluni <jaxsalon@gmail.com>; Jeff Moore <moore2j@att.net>; Joe Simitian <joe.simitian@bos.sccgov.org>; Kaloma Smith <pastor@universityamez.com>; Karen Holman <rsvp.paloalto.2022@gmail.com>; Lotus Fong <lyfong@pacbell.net>; Michelle <michelle1771@gmail.com>; Mila Zelkha <mila.zelkha@gmail.com>; Palo Alto Free Press <paloaltofreepress@gmail.com>; Paul Bains <pbains7@projectwehope.com>; Paul George @ PPJC <peaceandjusticecenter@gmail.com>; Raymond Goins <goinsrayl@gmail.com>; Robert. Jonsen <Robert.jonsen@shf.sccgov.org>; Rodriguez, Miguel <miguel.rodriguez@pdo.sccgov.org>; Rose Lynn <roselynn95035@yahoo.com>; Salem Ajluni <ajluni@hotmail.com>; Sally Lieber <vote@sallylieber.org>; Sean Allen <sallen6444@yahoo.com>; Shikada, Ed <Ed.Shikada@cityofpaloalto.org>; Stump, Molly <molly.stump@cityofpaloalto.org>; Tom DuBois <tom.dubois@gmail.com>; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto <wilpf.peninsula.paloalto@gmail.com>; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; dennis burns <dennis.r.burns@gmail.com>; District1@bos.sccgov.org; editor@paweekly.com; michael.foley@cityofpaloalto.org; yolanda <yolanda@rocketmail.com> Subject: Re: Supervisor Susan Ellenberg Put a Cease-Fire Resolution On The Agenda Now!! From: the archives of Aram James ( April 14, 2024) To: Santa Clara County Board of Supervisor Chair Person, Susan Ellenberg On Wed, Mar 13, 2024 at 5:22 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote: March 1, 2024 Dear Supervisor Susan Ellenberg, Aram James here. Grandson of Louis Byer Finkelstein ( youngest of 19 Ukrainian Jews &remarkably a 1913 graduate of Cornell University). My dad changed his given name from DanielBen-Ezra Fink to Stephen Daniel James and later formed a mass exchange with the then-Soviet Union during the Cold War to mitigate the risk of nuclear war. My dad, no doubt, was anidiosyncratic Jew. Dad, with his oppositional sense of humor, claimed to be the president andfounder of Jews for antisemitism. As you might guess, for at least the last thirty-five years, I have been a strong opponent of what Ibelieve to be the terrorist state of Israel. I have opposed aid to Israel for the same time frame. And I firmly believe that US bombs and money, in collaboration with the Israeli war machine, areengaged in a genocidal holocaust. A holocaust that will increase antisemitism, and understandablyso, for generations to come. It's a sad fact but an indisputable one. As a Jew, I'm asking you to place a resolution on the BOS’s agenda at the earliest time.Then, let the people on both sides of the issue speak. And then let us hear the views ofour elected officials on arguably the most controversial issue of our lifetimes. I'mashamed to say I was born in 1948, the year of the Nakba, when the Zionists stole theland of the Palestinian people and deported 750,000 Palestinians. I have no idea where you come down on the Palestine-Israeli conflict. Still, I believethe community is entitled to know the views of our elected officials on the criticalpolitical, social, and legal issues of the day. Our BOS’s chamber is the equivalent of thetown square where the most controversial issues of the day in a democracy should bedebated. When conventional avenues of democracy are shut off to community debate,self-help may be the alternative. I implore you to put the cease-fire issue on a BOS’s agenda ASAP. Best regards, Aram James 415-370-5056 P.S. I know you are busy, but please call me anytime to discuss this issue. View this email in your browser Visit us on www.lwvpaloalto.org, Facebook, and Instagram April E-BLAST April 15, 2024 In this Issue LWVPA Updates LWVPA Annual Membership Meeting LWVPA Thursday Conversation Upcoming Events Seeking delegates and observers for National League Convention Palo Alto Earth Day Festival 2024 In Case You Missed It Celebrating National Volunteer Appreciation Week From:LWV Palo Alto (Eblast)To:Council, CitySubject:LWVPA April 2024 E-Blast: LWVPA Thursday Conversation, Annual Meeting and MoreDate:Monday, April 15, 2024 7:46:36 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Join LWV of Palo Alto LWVPA UPDATES LWVPA Annual Membership Meeting Sunday, May 19, 2024 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm Light Lunch Will Be Included Baylands Golf Links 1875 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94303 We are excited to invite all members to join our 2024 Annual Membership Meeting, the most important gathering of the League year! Members will accomplish the following objectives of the meeting: Approve a 2024-2025 budget Adopt our top program emphases for 2024-2025 (Palo Alto) and for 2024-2026 (National) Elect new officers, directors, and a nominating committee Hear a special speaker, to be announced soon Registration is open now. Your participation is critical to help shape the important work that we do for the coming year. It's also a great opportunity to connect with fellow League members in-person. Your early registration is most appreciated to help us plan. We look forward to seeing you there! Register Now LWVPA Thursday Conversation Thursday, April 25 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm Homewood Suites by Hilton 4329 El Camino Real, Palo Alto We will be joined by Kelly Kline and Maya Perkins of the Stanford University Office of Government Affairs for a conversation about Stanford land use and the recently approved Santa Clara County Stanford University Community Plan. It is best to enter the property from the northbound lane on El Camino. Driving north, you will see on your right Cesano Court, then Massage Envy Spa, and then Peninsula Piano Brokers. Immediately after the small Piano Brokers building, turn right into Homewood Suites and park in their lot. IF no outside parking is available, park in the garage; ping the front desk using the button and say you are there for this meeting. If you are driving southward on El Camino, the hotel will be on your left. Go beyond it, make a u-turn at Del Medio, and proceed as above. Please note that our First Thursdays has been renamed to Thursday Conversation. These informal get-togethers can now be on any Thursday of the month to provide flexibility in scheduling. These gatherings will feature interesting conversations on topics related to our community and provide a place where we can share ideas and build community in an informal way. We invite everyone to join us! UPCOMING EVENTS Seeking delegates and observers for LWV National League Convention The biennial National Convention of the League of Women Voters will be held in Washington D.C. June 27-30. This year it will be a hybrid event with delegates and observers able to participate in person or virtually. Our League plans to send a few voting delegates and members who would like to hear dynamic speakers, attend workshops, and watch the League's business meetings as non-voting observers. Agenda items include national budget and program priorities for 2024-2026, bylaws amendments, and election of officers. The Board will soon be deciding who will attend the convention and what role they will play. If you are interested in learning more about the League and would like to be considered as a candidate to be a delegate or observer, please contact the League president at: president.lwvpaloalto@gmail.com. Palo Alto Earth Day Festival 2024 Sunday, April 21, 2024 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Rinconada Library 1213 Newell Rd, Palo Alto Join us for a day of fun celebrating sustainability! Explore eco- adventures for the whole family, get your sustainable living questions answered, and discover local environmental organizations. Learn more about the event HERE. In Case You Missed It The League of Women Voters of Sonoma County offered a virtual series on how our government works, to quickly and easily improve your "government IQ". If you know a lot about government, this series will be a good refresher. If you have been thinking you should learn more about government but never seem to find the time – you’ll love this series! Three Sessions: Recording of California State Government Recording of How an Idea Becomes a Law Recording of How City and County Government Work Celebrating National Volunteer Appreciation Week April 14-20, 2024 Stay Informed! Sign Up for LWV California & LWVUS News & Alerts Click here to sign up for Email News and Action Alerts from LWVUS Facebook Website Instagram Copyright © 2024 League of Women Voters Palo Alto, All rights reserved. From Voter Recipient List Our mailing address is: League of Women Voters Palo Alto 3921 E Bayshore Rd Ste 209 Palo Alto, CA 94303-4303 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list. From:Ron Jacob To:Council, City Subject:Please Keep The Palo Alto Square Cinearts Theater Open For Business Date:Monday, April 15, 2024 1:28:49 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from ronjacob@pacbell.net. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To Whom It May Concern: The Cinearts theater at Palo Alto Square is one of the finest movie theaters in the area. I have gone there frequently (at least pre-pandemic) for decades as it offers one of the best movie-going experiences possible. I urge you to keep it open for business. I'm sure that you are aware of this, but there is a surplus of office space available at this time. A movie theater makes much more economic sense. Thank you for your consideration. Ron Jacob From:Alma Garcia To:Council, City Subject:Cityofpaloalto - IFAT - Trade Fair for Water, Sewage, Refuse And Recycling 2024 Date:Sunday, April 14, 2024 11:52:29 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from alma.garcia@confdatacraft.info. Learn whythis is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi there, We would like to inform you that IFAT - Trade Fair for Water, Sewage, Refuse AndRecycling 2024 Email List is available to acquire with total 119989 Contacts at endless usage. Kindly review and let me know if you are interested so that I will come back to you with thePricing and other details. Awaiting your response!! Tons of thanks, Alma Garcia Unsubscribe From:Loran Harding To:Loran Harding; antonia.tinoco@hsr.ca.gov; alumnipresident@stanford.edu; David Balakian;bearwithme1016@att.net; fred beyerlein; Leodies Buchanan; bballpod; boardmembers;cramirez.electriclab133@gmail.com; Cathy Lewis; Council, City; Doug Vagim; dennisbalakian;dan.richard@earthlink.net; dallen1212@gmail.com; eappel@stanford.edu; Scott Wilkinson;George.Rutherford@ucsf.edu; Gabriel.Ramirez@fresno.gov; huidentalsanmateo; hennessy; Irv Weissman; SallyThiessen; Joel Stiner; jerry ruopoli; karkazianjewelers@gmail.com; kfsndesk; Kevin.Nower@bestbuy.com;margaret-sasaki@live.com; maverickbruno@sbcglobal.net; MY77FJ@gmail.com; Mark Standriff; Mayor;merazroofinginc@att.net; nick yovino; news@fresnobee.com; newsdesk; russ@topperjewelers.com; SteveWayte; terry; tsheehan; vallesR1969@att.net; yicui@stanford.edu Subject:Fwd: Tesla Semi- It"s coming Date:Sunday, April 14, 2024 9:19:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>Date: Sun, Apr 14, 2024 at 7:48 PM Subject: Fwd: Tesla Semi- It's comingTo: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org> Sunday, April 14, 2024 To all, Including to Elon Musk and Mary Barra- 18 minutes re the Tesla Semi: This can influence your decision to invest in TSLA: Elon Musk Unveiled 2025 Tesla Semi Upgrade ALL- NEW Specs and Performance, Mack Anthem Will Destroy? (youtube.com) Here is 50 minutes of this. The stats here will have your head spinning, unless youoperate a trucking company. They will be very interested in this. I made the grivous mistake of copying this link in mid-viewing!! Then is it impossible to show the link so the vid starts at the beginning. Turn computer off, try over and over, nothingworks. SO slide the slider back to the beginning to view the vid. This is worth seeing. Sorry about that. This shows you an important additional facet of Tesla. This might evenaffect your willingness to invest in TSLA: I think TSLA may well turn out to be dirt cheap along in here. You'll probably wish you'd sold your house and put the money in TSLA at somepoint. It c. at $171.05 on Friday, April 12, 2024. I paid an avg. of $219.76 for my shares, and I'm glad I did. It happened! Elon Musk Unveiled HUGE Upgrade 2025 Tesla Semi: Price, REAL Specs &5 Hidden Features! (youtube.com) BTW it says in here that Tesla will install nine big charging stations for the Tesla Semis between California and Texas- nine along an 1,800 mile route. They'd better guard them well- copper thieves. But is that not smart? They know the route those trucks will be taking. They won't be diverting to go see the Grand Canyon. How the Tesla Semi does on snow covered I-80, Donner Pass. Very well, but how?: Theyare running there now to haul batteries from the Tesla's Sparks, Nv. battery plant to Fremont. Tesla Semi UPDATE 2025: No More 48V? Details 9 Huge Tech Changes That You Never Seen Before. (MIX) (youtube.com) Now some short info re the Tesla Model 2 Redwood, $25,000. FSD maybe and 15 min. charging time. Just Happened! Tesla Model 2 Upgrade: M3P Battery, Mass Production, SHOCKNew Price and MORE (Mix) (youtube.com) I also own NVDA stock. Here is NVDA founder and CEO Jensen Huang at the StanfordGSB recently: I am not selling NVDA shares or TSLA shares and will follow them both down to BK. I should probably quit following them very closely. Schwab will tell me if their stockbecomes worthless. Don't miss either one of the following or you'll be behind. I really liked the last question in one of these about NVDA's customers becoming competitors. I had to really think of one ofNVDA's customers in particular. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Leaves Stanford SPEECHLESS (Supercut) (youtube.com) Keynote by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang at 2024 SIEPR Economic Summit(youtube.com) L. William Harding Fresno, Ca. From:Greg Schmid To:Council, City Subject:Comments on Item 13 of April 15, 2024 Council Agenda Date:Sunday, April 14, 2024 8:47:24 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. April 14, 2024 Dear Council Members and Commissioners, This Housing Proposal before you tonight is destroying local democracy. How can you approve it without raising a few fundamental questions. Let me point our fourquestions that need answers before you move ahead. 1. The whole RHNA process within the Plan Bay Area 2023-2031 is based on an overlyaggressive—and, as it turns out, wrong-- Bay Area jobs forecast made by HCD in 2019. Andit was asserted at that time that it would be illegal to have any public discussion of loweringthat jobs forecast number until 2032—even though that forecast has proven wrong! 2. California Code requires that any state agency that makes a demographic forecast be inagreement with the State Demographer. In 2019, the State Demographer was projecting apopulation growth in the Bay Area of 17% for the period 2020-2030. But a dramatic change inemployment patterns in knowledge based industries with a clear dispersion of jobs has theState Demographer now projecting a Bay Area decline in jobs of 1.7% between 2020-2030instead of the projected increase. HCD’s base numbers are seriously outdated! 3. It is time for HCD to publish the Code required Guidebook (CA Code 65890) that would help local cities offer incentives to induce companies to disperse jobs to cheaper and moreaccessible communities. 4. The Bay Area has had one of the country’s most expensive and unequal housing markets.One of the key goals of the Housing Element is to produce more affordable housing. But withaffordable units in multiunit projects being paid for through inclusionary zoning, market rateunits remain among the highest and the most unequal in the country. Please do NOT approve this Housing Element until there is a clear open meeting discussion of the major shifts in the jobs market in and around Palo Alto. The people in the City must havethe opportunity to discuss the longer term health and environmental impacts of concentrating jobs and housing in Palo Alto and the larger Bay Area—and look at the possibilities for jobsdispersion to less congested and more affordable areas. Following the California Government Code means keeping local democracy alive and maintaining a healthy and prosperouseconomy that benefits all. Respectfully,Gregory Schmidgregschmid @sbcglobal.net From:Scott O"Neil To:HeUpdate; Council, City; Planning Commission Subject:Palo Alto"s Third Housing Element Draft Date:Sunday, April 14, 2024 8:40:52 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from scottoneil@hotmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council, Planning and Transportation Commission, and City Staff, I am writing for myself (not PAF), to suggest the city’s best move toward certification on Monday is to reject the third housing element draft, and direct staff to come back with a fourth draft that uses an aggressive HIP implementation to address HCD’s concerns about the second draft. This is necessary because the third draft, rather than taking the feedback to heart, re- evaluating their theory of compliance, and coming forward with a different policy direction – is instead trying to explain harder how the original strategy is fine. This was also the core strategy behind draft 2, which also failed to gain certification. If you approve the draft in front of you, you will hit a “snooze button” on housing element progress that will run until HCD responds 60 days after submission. For draft 2, submission was weeks after Council approval. That is wasted time. It would be better, tactically, to ask staff to focus on delivering a HIP revision that addresses the city’s vulnerabilities on the HE now, with an eye toward a third draft submission that uses HIP to make a stronger compliance case on merits. The City’s Theory of Compliance, and its Problems The city’s long-standing position can be summarized thus: What matters most is counting up enough units for RHNA. A unit can be counted for RHNA if it can be built physically, based on zoning. Economic feasibility does not matter. Constraints analysis happens in the narrow context of the inventory physical feasibility analysis. Not in a broader context of city-wide production. Therefore, compliance on constraints for a zone can be evaluated by looking at the inventory development standards, even if those standards do not apply anywhere besides those inventory sites, and almost the entire zone (and city) uses older, more constrained standards. Once the city has counted enough units, it cannot be noncompliant on Fair Housing law, because Palo Alto is a universally high-opportunity city. Therefore, units can go anywhere, and even be heavily concentrated in the South Palo Alto GM/ROLM areas. I think the city could, with a little more work, cough up enough compliant units to tally up for RHNA. But the problem is foundational to the current approach: The city has a legal duty to both recognize and mitigate constraints. This analysis is apart and separate from the inventory/RHNA exercise. “Constraints” includes economic constraints created by zoning development standards. If anyone wanted to argue that our zoning standards are not a governmental constraint, consider that the city has received applications for about 40% of its total RHNA within one year via “Builder’s Remedy” applications. Ie: when a zoning holiday was perceived, proposals went through the roof. This is despite the city not recognizing such applications as valid. The real opportunity must be much higher. Our first Builder’s Remedy application arrived ~1.5 months after the city went noncompliant. The city rezoned in January, about ~3 months ago. If the rezoning addressed constraints, are there compliant applications outside GM/ROLM/ECRF? Constraints analysis is not narrowly constrained to the inventory. This is especially true in a city like Palo Alto, which is only even addressing physical constraints for a few hundred parcels. That is: even if physical constraints were the bar (it is not), the city would need developer interest on nearly 100% of its inventory to credibly argue the constraint is mitigated. This is because the rezoning in January was (outside of GM/ROLM and ECR focus area) only applied to actual inventory sites, not entire zones. Compounding this problem: the city’s “opt out” approach to owner outreach means it cannot show development interest on almost any inventory sites. The only exceptions to the city’s spot-zoning approach are ECR Focus, and South PA GM/ROLM. These are also the only places which arguably meet an economic feasibility standard. This “dumping” renders the HE illegal under Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) law. These are the problems the city is facing going into the draft. Instead of engaging with them, the draft recommits to its own premises, and tries to argue its way out of the situation. The Way the City Argues, and its Problems When discussing the first draft of the Housing Element, I gave the HCD reviewer some advice. Paraphrasing: “I don’t think I’ve ever caught Palo Alto in a lie, but they are selective about what they present. If you take their Element and add the facts we’re telling you – you’ll get a pretty good overall picture.” Put another way: the city’s Housing Elements only appear compliant based on an assumption that the reader will be evaluating them unopposed. They have collapsed when viewed alongside fact-patterns like the PHZ proposal history (and now Builder’s Remedy proposal history), development timeline history, pre-approval activity, PAF’s geospatial analysis of zoning effects, independent review of sites in the inventory, besides many others. The third draft continues to demonstrate the City’s belief that if the city only makes enough arguments like this, then it will achieve certification. This approach has not been serving the city well. Case Study 1: “Stranded Parcels” Going back to the first draft, PAF has been arguing that you cannot count certain sites which have what they call “stranded parcels.” The original archetypical example being, the Downtown Whole Foods parking lots, which were initially included separate of the store. These do not pass a smell test. Is Whole Foods going to close down so the parking lots can be redeveloped? How would the store function during construction? PAF’s argument is you need to consider both parcels, together, as one unit. The city has removed many (~250-300) of these sites from the inventory, including Whole Foods. However, others remain. Including APN 137-01-078 at High Street, 2137 El Camino, 3760 El Camino, and others. (Totaling ~50-75 units.) HCD in its letters has been saying the city needs to rely on “local knowledge” which has been taken as a nod to arguments like this one. I believe the following section of draft 3 must be motivated by the “entangled land use” argument, and intended to rebut to argue the remaining sites can, in fact, partially redevelop: This should be obvious, but: Novato is 51 miles away as the crow flies, Pinole is 40 miles away. Neither is in an adjacent county. These cannot, in principle, provide “local knowledge.” Even setting that matter aside, though the city is flat wrong about its applicability. For one thing, “The Village at San Antonio Center” is a separate property from the adjacent “San Antonio Shopping Center.” What is now “The Village” is a single site that was completely redeveloped in two phases. I do not believe you can point to any business at the new site and say “The Village” redeveloped their parking. Moreover, what all three of these projects have in common, is scale. Five acres in Pinole, and six in Novato. San Antonio Village is even larger, at 16 acres, and it’s certainly close enough to serve as a local precedent. Notably, there is a supermarket in the new redevelopment at the Village. A Safeway, moved in from another site. At no point was this Safeway operating while its only parking lot was being redeveloped into housing. This is the kind of thing the city would need to show happening to rebut our “entangled land use” argument. Which brings us back to scale. Palo Alto Forward has only applied the “entangled land use” argument to small sites that can’t be easily split up. The city cannot rebut this by providing examples of much larger sites spanning numerous businesses, being partially redeveloped, or redeveloped in phases. We have not applied this argument to sites like Transport St APN 147-02-017, and Park Blvd APN 124-28-003, which could more conceivably be split apart from the parent site. Case Study 2: Streamlined Review The Housing Element asserts: “This new process allows multifamily projects that meet objective standards to be considered for approval following City staff completeness review and one study session with the ARB from submittal to approval (2 months from being deemed complete). Notably, this streamlined review is available for projects receiving density bonuses and other incentives or concessions such as under State Density Bonus Law. Therefore, the vast majority of housing projects will be eligible for streamlined review.” Almost all apartment projects require rezoning today, and the city’s spotzoning approach (meaning: the practice of applying different development standards to individual parcels identified as inventory sites) failed to upzone almost every parcel in the city to even physically-feasible zoning –GM/ROLM and El Camino Focus area notwithstanding. The Housing Element continues to say of the rezoning process “While the rezoning process is undoubtedly lengthy, this reflects the complex nature of a request to amend the City’s zoning code.” The truth of the bolded statement about streamline review thus necessarily boils down to the future distribution of projects between ones eligible for streamlining, and ones requiring rezoning. So how much of the city is eligible for streamlined review? Unfortunately: not much. Remember, because the city did not take the RHNA zoning global, most of El Camino Real still has base zoning with FAR 1.25 or less for residential projects. This is a very big deal, quantitatively! Inventory zoning applies only to about 150 acres of parcels. The core of Palo Alto is probably somewhere in the range of 5,000 acres. Excluding SFH areas, it’s on the order of 1,000 acres. The only way the city’s claim here can be true is if there’s an absolutely uncanny degree of correlation between inventory site owners, and owners interested in redevelopment. Unfortunately, the city’s “opt-out” owner outreach strategy means there is no reason to believe such a correlation exists. It is not credible to assert that “the vast majority” of housing projects going forward will be confined to a few hundred physically (but not economically) feasible parcels, plus GM/ROLM. Case Study 3: Pre-application delays for PHZ/Rezoning applications On p. 4-57, the Housing Element asserts: “Rezoning applications typically have a longer timeframe since they must be heard by both the Planning and Transportation Commission and the City Council. This process generally takes about a year. It begins with a required preliminary screening with the City Council. … The City Council generally hears the prescreen request within 2 months.” As I explained in my 11/5/2023 to the city “Shift in HCD Posture on Pre-Applications & Implications for Palo Alto”, this is false. In short, I went through the records for all of the PHZ applications I could find -which was almost all of them-, and ran the numbers. A 2 month delay has never happened, as far as I could tell. The city’s best time was 74 days. Mean time was 129 days –more than four months. How HIP Can Save the Day The city is making bad arguments because it needs to sustain a bad position. Economic constraints created by zoning are a “rock”, and Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing law is a “hard place.” The city’s spot-zoning outside of GM/ROLM has put it in between these two things. It can try to argue that it can produce at scale, but only by validating fears that it is “dumping” housing in South Palo Alto. ECR Focus Area helps a little, but not much. For a few reasons: 1. The area is very small. (~30 acres) 2. The largest site in the focus area has grandfathered structures that will not be replaceable, especially economically. Palo Alto Square ia about 20 acres. 3. It’s hard to argue you’re Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing when you’re only upzoning an area to try get credit for surrendering to two Builder’s Remedy applicants whom you do not want to fight in court. What HIP can add to the picture, is a policy vehicle for taking economically credible upzoning broad enough to smash both the rock and the hard place. Taking reforms more broadly also allows more of the city to qualify for expedited review. HCD has challenged the city: “the element mentions the isolation of lower-income units in the Research; Office and Limited Manufacturing (ROLM) zone; however, the element provides minimal information on how this zone improves fair housing.” I have read the updated Housing Element and not found a credible answer to this. What HIP offers, is an opportunity to answer, honestly: “It cannot. However, because the GM/ROLM area is no longer the overwhelmingly majority of our economically feasible apartment rezoning, it does not need to. Taken holistically, our lower-cost production is spread far and wide throughout the city, and that is how we are Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing.” Conclusion The city deserves credit for implementing much of Draft 2 in a straightforward way via the rezoning ordinance. It represents a good-faith effort at reaching a physical feasibility standard. Taken on its own terms, it might reach certification. Palo Alto’s problem is that its own terms are not the terms. The City is not going to respond to my concerns and PAF’s concerns, and most importantly: HCD’s concerns by explaining harder how we shouldn’t have those concerns. Especially not with the arguments I’m reading. There have been implications in some quarters that PAF is responsible for the Housing Element being uncertified. This may be narrowly true, in the sense that if they were not writing letters, HCD might have accepted an earlier draft out of partial ignorance. But the deeper reason why HCD is rejecting these drafts, is because they are bad. Because they are bad, PAF has been able to marshal good arguments against them. It does not need to be this way for the next draft. The city is holding all the cards, and can reshape the facts to deny PAF good arguments. HIP offers a promising vehicle for this. My concern is: if you submit this draft, you risk being taken as obfuscatory and deceptive. That will be counterproductive. Much better -and faster- to accept development standards as a governmental constraint due to impact on economic feasibility citywide, explicitly in the Constraints section. Then, focus on getting HIP nailed down to mitigate that constraint broadly. Finally, use HIP as a vehicle to submit a draft 3 that offers substantive changes. From:John Kelley To:Council, City; Planning Commission Subject:PA-POLI-letter to PACC and PTC re Revised Housing Element 2024-04-14 --- Please direct City Staff to make further changes Date:Sunday, April 14, 2024 8:39:15 PM Attachments:PA-POLI-letter to PACC and PTC re Revised Housing Element 2024-04-14.pdf Some people who received this message don't often get email from jkelley@399innovation.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. TO: Palo Alto City Council (City Council) and Planning & Transportation Commission (PTC) RE: Recommendations re Agenda Item #13, “Joint City Council and Planning and Transportation Commission Meeting to Adopt a Resolution Amending the Comprehensive Plan by Adopting a Revised 2023‐31 Housing Element [etc.]” and Comments re Staff Report 2312-2450 (Staff Report) DATE: April 14, 2024 FROM: John Kelley RECOMMENDATION City Staff have improved the prior version of the 2023-2031 Housing Element (Housing Element) in important ways, but the PTC and the City Council should direct City Staff to make further changes in the revised Housing Element prior to adopting it and delivering it to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Please see the accompanying PDF for more details. Thank you, John Kelleyjkelley@399innovation.com TO: Palo Alto City Council (City Council) and Planning & Transportation Commission (PTC) RE: Recommendations re Agenda Item #13, “Joint City Council and Planning and Transportation Commission Meeting to Adopt a Resolution Amending the Comprehensive Plan by Adopting a Revised 2023-31 Housing Element [etc.]” and Comments re Staff Report 2312-2450 (Staff Report) DATE: April 14, 2024 FROM: John Kelley RECOMMENDATION City Staff have improved the prior version of the 2023-2031 Housing Element (Housing Element) in important ways, but the PTC and the City Council should direct City Staff to make further changes in the revised Housing Element prior to adopting it and delivering it to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). DISCUSSION 1. ADUs Play a Crucial Role in the City’s Housing Element The City relies heavily on accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in attempting to meet its RHNA. For example, when comparing the “ADUs” row with the “Total Unit Surplus” row in Table 3-27, “Adequacy of Residential Site Inventory,” of the revised draft “Palo Alto Housing Element 2023-2031 (Redlined),” 1 for both (a) the combination of the “Very Low-Income” and the “Low-Income” columns and (b) the “Moderate Income” column, one can see that the “ADUs” values exceed the “Total Unit Surplus” values. Thus, if the City fails to produce very low-income, low-income, and moderate-income ADUs to the extent predicted, much of the “buffer” may disappear, the City may fail to satisfy its RHNA. Accordingly, assessing the City’s constraints on ADU production is vital in analyzing the sufficiency of the Revised Redline Housing Element. 2. The City’s ADU Projections Still Ignore Important Constraints The City relies on ABAG’s technical guidance for estimating the future distribution of ADUs by income category based on actual Palo Alto production figures from 2019-2021. 2 Yet the ABAG technical memo articulates its own limits: “ABAG conducted 2 https://abag.ca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2022-03/ADUs-Projections-Memo-final.pdf , RRHE, p. 3-8. 1 “Revised Redline Housing Element” or “RRHE,” https://paloaltohousingelement.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Palo-Alto-Housing-Element-1.pdf , p. 3-72. 1 an analysis of ADU affordability and concluded that in most jurisdictions , the following assumptions are generally applicable.” 3 “Generally applicable,” however, does not necessarily mean “applicable in Palo Alto” (especially if one considers the “Palo Alto premium,” among other things). Thus, in assessing the RRHE, one must scrutinize the unique constraints that Palo Alto imposes on ADU production. 4 A. Impact Fees Since an earlier draft of the Housing Element was submitted to the HCD in 2022, the City Council again raised the impact fees imposed on 750+ sf ADUs. 5 Today the FY2024 facial — essentially “MSRP,” because proportionality discounts apply to such ADUs — total of Community Center, general government, library, park, and public safety facilities fees for “Single Family” in Palo Alto totals $76,385, more than $3,000 greater than the base, $72,562 figure discussed in the RRHE. 6 Because Palo Alto changed both the categories used to calculate impact fees and the magnitude of the fees, 7 their effects were not reflected in 2019-2021 baseline ADU production figures that the City has relied upon in its RHNA projections. 8 Furthermore, as applied especially to ADUs, 8 https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2021/04/15/palo-alto-hikes-development-impact-fees-for-first-time-in -20-years Compare the figures on RRHE, p. 3-8. 7 Staff report for 4/20/2021 meeting , p. 8 6 FY2024 Fee Schedule, p. 65, and RRHE p. 4-64. Please note: in the RRHE, a range of values is provided, “$72,562 - $302,362.” See pgs. 4-63 – 4-64 for a discussion of how the $302,362 figure is calculated. The City acknowledges that such “larger projects involving detached single-family homes…..are rare….” RRHE p. 4-64. (Perhaps ADU impact fees could even exceed the “MSRP.”). 5 “ADOPTED MUNICIPAL FEE FISCAL YEAR SCHEDULE 2024,” “Impact & In-Lieu Fees,” “Development Impact Fees - Residential,” (FY2024 Fee Schedule) ( https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/administrative-services/city-budgets/fy-2024-city-bud get/adopted/fy24-muni-fee-book-final.pdf , p. 65. 4 Until recently, Palo Alto’s Tree Ordinance, PAMC Chapter 8.10, “TREE AND LANDSCAPE PRESERVATION AND MANAGEMENT,” https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0-0-0-65934#JD_Chapter8.10 , was among the most important, Palo-Alto-specific constraints on ADU production. At the City Council meeting on April 1, 2024, the City Council considered a Staff Report incorporating an important finding from the City Attorney: During passage of the tree ordinance updates in January, staff confirmed during the Council Questions that based on CAO analysis of PAMC Chapter 18.09, the updated Title 8 and applicable state law, the tree ordinance would not apply to stand alone Table 1 ADU’s . Staff Report 2403-2809, https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/meetings/ItemWithTemplateType?id=4688&meetingTemplateType=2& compiledMeetingDocumentId=9485 , p. 1 (emphasis added). (Since this statement was attributed to the City Attorney’s Office, it is assumed that the City will follow that guidance and no longer apply the Tree Ordinance to what are, in effect, statewide exemption ADUs.) Attachment A, the ordinance proposed by City Staff, was amended at the April 1, 2024 meeting. See the video of the April 1, 2024 meeting, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2PxdunJHco , beginning at approximately 6:06:59. 3 https://abag.ca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2022-03/ADUs-Projections-Memo-final.pdf , p. 1 (emphasis added). 2 the City’s impact fee structure is (a) inequitable, for multiple reasons, only one of which is discussed in the RRHE, and (b) a significant impediment to production of ADUs, a point not addressed in the City’s RRHE financial feasibility analysis. Pgs. 4-64 - 4-65. The City itself acknowledges that the basic, per-unit fee architecture is inequitable, but it promises to make amends: In accordance with state law, fees for ADUs are only charged on ADUs larger than 750 square feet, and are charged in proportion to the fee that are or would be assessed on the primary unit. Because Palo Alto has historically charged per-unit fees for residential development, this has led to some inequitable results, as the fees for an ADU will depend not only on the size of the ADU, but also on the size of the primary unit, with higher fees required under state law when the primary unit is smaller. To avoid this scenario, the City will implement Programs 3.1 and 3.5 to convert fees to a per square foot calculation. 9 That is a step in the right direction but remains insufficient to correct past and continuing harms. This promise lacks a specific deadline, but Program 3.1 refers to December 2024. RRHE, p. 5-15. Still, that program omits some of the impact fees identified above, is not offered as a specific condition for present acceptance of the RRHE, and offers nothing to those previously saddled with inequitable housing impact fees to obtain permits for ADUs in Palo Alto. The City should: ● not submit a further revised Housing Element to the HCD until the current per-unit system is replaced; ● immediately place a moratorium on charging new impact fees for ADUs until such a new system is adopted; and, after its adoption, ● recalculate the impact fees for any ADU built after the revised fee schedule was first adopted in April, 2021, refunding the difference between the previously charged fees and those that would have been due under the new system to homeowners. Even with such changes, however, the City would only be addressing one half of the inequities built into its current impact fee structure as applied to ADUs. In the FY2024 Fee Schedule at p. 65, the phrases “Single Family” and “per unit” tell only a partial story. The City asserts that “the burden of housing costs is being more equitably distributed across project types,” pg. 4-65, but the discussion in the “DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES AND IN-LIEU FEES'' section, RRHE pgs. 4-63 – 4-65, 9 RRHE p. 4-64. 3 fails to make clear that, as currently implemented, “Single Family” and “per unit” essentially mean “brand new single-family on a vacant parcel.” This implicit meaning of the fee schedule language is noteworthy given the City’s observation that there is a “lack of vacant land in Palo Alto.” RRHE pgs. 4-64. It is inequitable to impose impact fees on ADUs that vary with the size of the primary dwelling on a parcel — such that a person with an 800 sf house might have to pay $76,385 to build an 800 sf ADU, whereas a neighbor with a 3,200 sf house would only pay a quarter of such fees to build an identical 800 sf ADU. But a far more fundamental inequity becomes evident when one compares single-family homes and ADUs. ● Instead of building an 800 sf ADU, the hypothetical homeowner with an 800 sf house could instead add 2,400 sf to the house, but since there was a pre-existing home on the lot, Palo Alto would not currently charge $76,385 in impact fees, nor indeed any of the park or other impact fees detailed above, on that home addition, even though it would be three times the size of the 800 sf ADU alternative. ● If the hypothetical neighbor, with a 3,200 sf house, had the capital and the desire, the neighbor might “scrape” the entire existing house, rebuild at or above grade 3,200 sf more luxuriously, and then add a basement, perhaps 2,400 sf in size, and, again, not pay any impact fees. The City may “implement Program 3.1 Fee Waivers & Adjustments ” before New Year’s Eve 2024, RRHE pgs. 4-65, but this does not appear to include a commitment to alter the fundamental discrimination in Palo Alto’s impact fee architecture as implemented: the City privileges substantial additions to and even complete “scrapes” of single-family homes, while seeking to shift the vast majority of all housing impact fees to new ADUs, apartments, condominiums, and townhomes. Palo Alto’s impact fees are, in essence, housing taxes on smaller, non-R-1 dwellings. Such taxes constrain ADU production. As HCD has recognized, 10 one of the merits of ADUs as a housing production strategy is their low costs. This “lower denominator” means that the impact fees charged by Palo Alto constitute an outsized percentage of costs for ADUs. As a corollary, the financial feasibility analysis offered by the City, RRHE pgs. 4-64 - 4-65, is not applicable to ADUs. Rather than building four dozen townhomes, a Palo Alto homeowner may only be seeking to build a single 800 sf ADU. Adding even tens of thousands of dollars to an ADU project may make it significantly less attractive to an individual homeowner, who generally would have lower access to capital than the developer of 48 townhomes. Even without reaching the full $76,385 amount, many homeowners with smaller homes 10 “ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT HANDBOOK UPDATED JULY 2022” (“HCD 2022 ADU Handbook”)( https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/policy-and-research/ADUHandbookUpdate.pdf ), p. 4. 4 will end up being charged $25,000, $30,000 or even more in “Planning Impact Fees'' before they can receive a building permit for an ADU from the City. Not everyone in Palo Alto can put $25,000 on a credit card or send an e-check for $30,000 to the City. Thus the architecture of City’s housing impact fees — already heavily disadvantaging ADUs — further privileges more economically advantaged homeowners. The City’s financial feasibility tests will be cold comfort for many homeowners building ADUs. The burden of the City’s impact fees on ADUs — whether $25,000 or $75,000 — will also affect the City’s ability to meet its RHNA, particularly for more affordable housing. This is especially true given the current interest rate environment. If one were able to obtain — which could be quite difficult — a 30-year fixed mortgage at 7% to build an ADU, $30,000 in marginal fees paid to Palo Alto would translate into an approximately $200 greater monthly payment. 11 $200 per month translates into a sizable percentage of the 1- and even 2-person rents described in “TABLE 2-18 MAXIMUM AFFORDABLE HOUSING COSTS, SANTA CLARA COUNTY, 2021” for the “Extremely Low Income,” “Very Low Income,” “Low Income,” and even “Median Income rental limits. RRHE pg. 2-39. Thus the the City’s reliance on ADUs to meet its affordable housing goals is incoherent if not completely inconsistent: ● while relying on ADUs to provide a significant percentage of its more affordable units, and while knowing that any such tax will constitute a relatively larger proportion of project costs in comparison with, for example, R-1 developments, the City nonetheless taxes ADU production; and ● Program 3.1 does not appear to commit the City to correcting the taxation disparity between new smaller housing units — ADUs, apartments, etc. — and new additions to or “scrapes” of single-family homes. Both the magnitude and the architecture of Palo Alto’s impact fees significantly constrain ADU production, particularly production of more affordable ADUs. B. Utilities Policies City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) policies further constrain ADU production. While the UAC may take up this issue at some point in the future, at present the City follows what is, in essence, a “one-parcel, one service” policy in R-1 neighborhoods. This means that, for example, electrical, water, and sewer services for a primary 11 https://www.google.com/search?q=mortgage+calculator&oq=mortga&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqDQgAEAA YgwEYsQMYgAQyDQgAEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyDQgBEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyBggCEEUYPDIGCAMQR Rg8MgYIBBBFGD0yBggFEEUYPDIGCAYQRRhBMgYIBxBFGEGoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF -8 5 dwelling and an ADU (or JADU) on the same lot will be provided and billed under one CPAU account. If a homeowner is seeking to build and rent an ADU (or JADU), this can cause several types of problems. ● Tiering problems. If a utility’s prices are tiered based on consumption (for example, higher per unit rates above one or more thresholds), then two households on a single account will be billed at a marginally higher rate than they would be billed on two separate accounts. ● Overhead and collections problems. Even with sub-metering equipment, a homeowner renting an ADU will be left with the tasks of calculating charges, billing, and receiving payment. ● Fundamental capital cost problems, especially with electrical services. Many existing single-family homes in Palo Alto have existing 100A or 200A electrical services. Adding even an 800 sf ADU may, based on the normal electrical load calculation methods followed by CPAU at present, and especially if a homeowner is seeking to build an all-electric ADU, result in approximately 100A (or more) of additional electrical load. While other techniques may be used, if one simply seeks to increase one’s electrical service capacity, present CPAU forms and policies can result in the need for an application to increase the existing electrical service to 400A, even though some of this capacity is not necessarily needed for the ADU. Such an electrical upgrade, including both the fees charged by CPAU and those charged by a contractor, can sometimes cost $10,000 or more. ● “Loser lottery.” That first $10,000 cost may not be the biggest cost. CPAU may, in addition, determine that there is not sufficient capacity in its local distribution system for a new 400A service, in which case an ADU applicant may have “won” a “loser lottery”: CPAU may determine that, because the ADU would exhaust local distribution capacity, the ADU applicant should bear the cost of, for example, upgrading a transformer, or, sometimes, even having also to place a large pedestal for new CPAU-owned electrical equipment in the applicant’s front yard. 12 The “winners” of such a “loser lottery” might have to pay tens of thousands of additional dollars to CPAU. Returning to the prior mortgage cost analysis, all of these costs might add another $70, $140, $210, or more in monthly costs to an ADU project, further undermining its potential to help the City meet its housing affordability goals. Other policies could and should be adopted by the City. 12 Requiring such payments and siting equipment on a homeowner’s land as conditions for obtaining a building permit may be quite improper, e.g., as requiring a “public benefit” from a building permit applicant. 6 ● CPAU could and should give homeowners building ADUs the option — as determined solely by the homeowner, and at the homeowner’s expense — to build a new ADU (or JADU) with its own utilities, particularly electrical and water utilities. The homeowner should decide if such capital investments make sense. ● CPAU could and should bear the costs of maintaining its own distribution capacity, a n issue that will probably return to the City Council in other contexts (e.g., future deliberations regarding S/CAP and electrical infrastructure). ● CPAU could and should move more quickly in accepting, working with, and even supporting alternative means of calculating electrical loads under the NEC. With such changes, the City would begin to eliminate some of the most important constraints on ADU, and especially affordable ADU, housing production resulting from current CPAU policies. C. Permitting Policies Government Code sub-section 66314(a) allows a local agency to designate areas in which ADUs may be permitted based on “on the adequacy of water and sewer services and the impact of accessory dwelling units on traffic flow and public safety.” 13 Government Code sub-section 66317(c) provides: “No local ordinance, policy, or regulation, other than an accessory dwelling unit ordinance consistent with this article shall be the basis for the delay or denial of a building permit or a use permit under this section.” 14 Despite these and other limits on which types of considerations a local agency may consider in reviewing an ADU permit application ministerially, the City routinely routes ADU permit applications to multiple departments whose reviews are not specifically authorized under the California statute, including, Urban Forestry, Electrical Utilities, and the gas portion of WGW Utilities. Individualized reviews of ADU permit applications by such departments, particularly involving non-objective standards, frustrate the ministerial ADU permit application process. The City’s routinely subjecting 14 https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&division=1.&title=7.&part =&chapter=13.&article=2 . (formerly Government Code sub-section 65852.2(a)(7), see https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/government-code/gov-sect-65852-2/https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/governmen t-code/gov-sect-65852-2/ ). 13 https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&division=1.&title=7.&part =&chapter=13.&article=2 . (formerly Government Code sub-section 65852.2(a)(1)(A), see https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/government-code/gov-sect-65852-2/https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/governmen t-code/gov-sect-65852-2/ ). 7 ADU applications to such reviews is another way in which it constrains ADU production, delays ADU permit issuance, and increases costs to those seeking to build ADUs. D. Disavowing HCD’s AFFH Tools The HCD has provided tools for determining whether certain types of ADUs are allowed in particular areas. The “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Data and Mapping Resources” is an example of one such tool. 15 Using it, one can identify, for example, “High Quality Transit Stop Areas” within Palo Alto: 16 16 https://affh-data-and-mapping-resources-v-2-0-cahcd.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/636e3f917b3445929f4aa0 647afc4085_2/explore?location=37.436345%2C-122.134573%2C12.94 15 https://affh-data-and-mapping-resources-v-2-0-cahcd.hub.arcgis.com/ 8 Such a map should allow one, before filing an ADU building permit application, to determine with precision whether one can build, for example, an 18’ detached ADU on one’s property. See PAMC 18.09.030, Table 1, fn. 5. 17 Despite the availability of such tools, Palo Alto appears not to recognize their accuracy, and appears to base its determination of such areas based on its own compilation of data, which may well be inadequate and incomplete. Failing to acknowledge and accept the legitimacy of such HCD-provided AFFH tools is another significant constraint on ADU production, because it makes it more difficult, more expensive, and more time-consuming to determine whether one can build the type of ADU that one might seek to build in Palo Alto; even more unfortunately, it can result in an incorrect determination of whether a particular design is permissible. 3. Compounding Effects and Cumulative Financial Metrics Extremely high and inequitable impact fees, costly utilities policies, onerous permitting practices, and disavowal of recognized AFFH tools are all, when considered individually, significant constraints on ADU production and especially on production of more affordable ADUs in Palo Alto. Considering them collectively compounds and multiplies deleterious effects, further reducing the likelihood of the RRHE being sufficient to meet Palo Alto’s RHNA mandates. ● Regulatory uncertainty, such as that caused by the City’s failure to acknowledge HCD-provided AFFH tools may keep an ADU project from ever commencing. Knowing that friends or neighbors in other parts of Palo Alto can build 18’ detached ADUs (e.g., over an existing detached garage) may set an expectation for prospective ADU applicants that cannot be verified at the outset of a project. ● Prospective ADU applicants that live in smaller homes and that may also be less capital advantaged may be dissuaded from building larger ADUs when they can spend the money in better ways simply by adding onto their existing houses without incurring enormous impact fees. Why let the City charge $50,000 or $75,000 for an 800 sf ADU when the same overall budget might support an extra bedrooms or even more in a 900 sf or larger addition? ● How much will it actually cost, over the lifetime of an ADU, to pay higher marginal electrical and water service rates with single accounts for both primary dwellings and ADUs? Who will bear that financial risk? ● Would one decide not to build an all-electric ADU or even drop a project if CPAU failed to pay the costs for upgrading a transformer in its distribution plant? 17 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0-0-0-76751 9 ● Who, indeed, would ever want to be the grand-prize “winner” in a “loser lottery,” having to pay $10,000, $20,000, or even more to install a 400A electrical service, with the special bonus of housing a CPAU transformer in one’s front yard? ● Why should there be any review by Urban Forestry, Electrical Utilities or gas utilities of 800 sf or smaller ADUs? Why are such reviewing departments in Palo Alto also sometimes the very last to approve an ADU application, delaying what is supposed to be a maximum 60-day, completely objective, and ascertainable-in-advance, ministerial review process? ● Obtaining an ADU building permit from any local agency in California should be quick, easy, and inexpensive. Those are not the adjectives that many homeowners who have built, or who would like to build, ADUs in Palo Alto would use to describe the City’s permitting processes. Instead, as a result of other City policies and practices, those seeking to build ADUs and other residential dwellings often come face-to-face with the “Palo Alto Premium,” the implicit surcharge that contractors and others may impose for working in Palo Alto. All of these effects, especially when considered in combination, take their cumulative toll, particularly on production of more affordable ADUs in Palo Alto. Yet the RRHE assumes, based on ABAG’s conclusions about circumstances in “most jurisdictions,” 18 that over 300 ADUs will be built in Palo Alto over the next several years, apparently for rental at the “Extremely Low Income,” “Very Low Income,” and “Low Income” prices described in Table 2-18. RRHE, pg. 2-39. In the “AFFORDABILITY” section of the RRHE, the City seems almost to concede that this is fanciful. When comparing the home prices and rents shown earlier in Figure 2-17, Figure 2-18, and Table 2-16 with the maximum affordable housing costs presented in Table 2-18 below, it is evident that extremely low-, very low- and low-income households in Palo Alto have almost no affordable housing options without substantial subsidies. RRHE, pg. 2-39. How is the City intending to provide such subsidies for ADUs? While Section 2.6 of the RRHE, “HOUSING STOCK CHARACTERISTICS,” discusses, among other things, means of addressing expiring Section 8 project-based subsidies, RRHE, pgs. 2-83 - 2-88, it is unclear whether, and if so how, these or other discussions of potential subsidies would or could apply to the 300+ ADUs the RRHE assumes would be available at extremely low-, very low- and low-income rental prices. 18 https://abag.ca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2022-03/ADUs-Projections-Memo-final.pdf , p. 1. 10 What is known is that the combination of extremely high and inequitable impact fees, costly utilities policies, onerous permitting practices, and disavowal of recognized AFFH tools operates as an anti-subsidy, as a housing tax, especially on ADUs. The City does not appear to have offered an ADU-specific financial analysis of such constraints. What metrics might one use to assess the City’s policies and practices on ADU housing production? At least two come to mind. One standard has a proven track record of success at the state level. During those parts of a fiscal year when its funding has not been fully allocated, and for eligible recipients, the maximum $40,000 grants offered by CalHFA appear to have been successful in stimulating ADU production. CalHFA’s ADU Grant Program has already created more housing units in California by providing grants up to $40,000 to reimburse pre-development and non-recurring closing costs associated with the construction of an ADU. Pre-development costs include site prep, architectural designs, permits, soil tests, impact fees, property surveys, and energy reports. 19 Under the 2023-24 state budget, which provided $25 million for the project, there appears to have been “high demand” 20 for such grants. As a first approximation, and certainly one that would appear to be more relevant to ADU construction than a survey of four dozen townhomes, a $40,000 marginal cost might be more than sufficient to have negative implications for ADU production. A second method of calculation might be based upon the Santa Clara County ADU “Accessory Dwelling Unit Calculator.” 21 Assuming that one were seeking to build a “0 Bed / 1 Bath / 0 / 400 sqft” studio in Palo Alto, the calculator projected $184-224K in development costs, an estimated monthly rent of $1,600 - $2,000, monthly expenses of $1,500 - $1,900, based upon a capital structure of a $60,000 cash investment and a $144,000 loan with a 20 year term and an 8% interest rate, yielding an estimated monthly mortgage payment of $1,194. Since the estimated monthly rent was quite comparable to the estimated monthly expenditures with this capital structure, it appears that most of the economic benefit was projected to be realized as an increase in property value. “It is estimated that your ADU will increase your home value by $214,000.” 22 But using $60,000 in cash, and leveraging it with a $144,000 mortgage — even if one could obtain such a mortgage — to produce an increase in value of 22 https://santaclaracounty.aducalculator.org/ 21 https://citiesassociation.org/documents/santa-clara-county-adu-calculator/ 20 https://www.calhfa.ca.gov/homeownership/bulletins/2023/2023-12.pdf 19 https://www.calhfa.ca.gov/adu/index.htm 11 $214,000 in a relatively illiquid asset with relatively high sales transaction costs would appear, on its face, to be only modestly attractive as an investment opportunity when 10-year Treasury bonds are yielding, at least at this time, over 4.5%. 23 As a result, one might expect an economically motivated ADU applicant to strive to increase rents higher, potentially to levels above what the City has contemplated in Table 2-18. There is a substantial chance that Palo Alto’s constraints on ADU production will cause the City to fail to meet its projected targets for extremely low-, very low- and low-income ADUs. As a result, the City’s “Buffer above Remaining RHNA After Credits,” RRHE, pg. 3-72, for those categories of affordable housing units may be lost. In addition to the policy changes discussed above — eliminating or greatly reducing impact fees on ADUs; returning previously inequitably levied impact fees to homeowners; allowing, at a homeowner’s option and expense, for separate electrical and water utilities services for ADUs; ending Urban Forestry, Electrical Utilities, and WGW gas-related departmental reviews; and accepting the results of HCD’s AFFH tools — this analysis points towards the types of policy interventions to which the City should commit itself if it truly intends to rely upon ADUs as an important source of extremely low-, very low- and low-income housing during the current RHNA cycle. It could and should: ● replicate the maximum $40,000 grants offered by CalHFA, perhaps in cooperation with CalHFA itself. ● offer qualifying ADU applicants, perhaps using the same income and other qualifications established by CalHFA, to provide, e.g., $200,000 - $300,000 loans at the City’s cost of capital to those applicants willing to offer rentals at federally approved rates for a period of 10 years with “on-bill payments,” perhaps through the CPAU’s own billing system; and ● immediately implement AB 1033: “ Accessory dwelling units, also referred to as ADUs and “granny flats,” have been available in California only as rentals. But a new law, Assembly Bill 1033 , is giving Californians the opportunity to buy and sell them as condominiums,” creating an important innovation to foster actual ownership of smaller homes in Palo Alto. Palo Alto has the capability, the credit rating, and the spirit of innovation to provide capital and new forms of ownership for more affordable housing in our community. The City can augment ADU production, especially of more affordable ADUs, should the City Council demonstrate leadership and commitment to such goals. 23 https://www.bloomberg.com/markets/rates-bonds/government-bonds/us 12 From:Palo Alto Forward To:Council, City Subject:4/15 Council - Agenda Item #13 Date:Sunday, April 14, 2024 8:27:37 PM Attachments:Item #13 - HE Cmnt Letter 3rd Draft.pdf Some people who received this message don't often get email from palo.alto.fwd@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Please find our attached comment letter on Item #13 for the April 15th City Council meeting. Thank you as always! -- Amie AshtonExecutive Director, Palo Alto Forward 650-793-1585 April 14, 2024 SUBJECT: Agenda Item #13 - 3rd Draft of the Housing Element Dear Mayor Stone and Honorable Council Members, Palo Alto Forward is a non-profit organization focused on innovating and expanding housing choices and transportation mobility for a vibrant, welcoming, and sustainable Palo Alto. We are a broad coalition with a multi-generational membership that includes students and retirees, renters and homeowners, and residents new and old. We have been engaged in the Housing Element process at every stage. Our board and membership have written extensive comment letters (several are posted at our website ), attended nearly all meetings of the Housing Element Working Group, and provided public comments throughout the process. We want to thank you for making Housing for Social and Economic Balance a priority for 2024 and for all your work on Palo Alto’s 6th cycle Housing Element. We also commend City staff for making several good-faith changes on this 3rd Draft of the Housing Element, especially as it relates to removing several housing-infeasible parcels from the Site Inventory. We feel that it is moving closer to achieving compliance with the California State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) requirements. We understand clearly the breadth of challenges Staff has faced over the last few months. However, we have reviewed the 3rd Draft of the Housing Element and still see that there are serious governmental constraints to the production of housing, especially the higher-density apartment housing that we desperately need. At a minimum, we suggest the following five additions to the Housing Element to bring this 3rd draft closer to HCD approval: 1) Extend the El Camino Real Housing Focus Area to More Parcels The El Camino Housing Focus area is very small. The largest site in the Housing Focus Area (Palo Alto Square, which comprises about two thirds of its total area) has existing tall tower structures that are occupied and are unlikely to be replaced with housing in the near term due to existing leases. Other than the parcels in the El Camino Housing Focus Area most of the base zoning for parcels along El Camino Real still only allows Floor Area Ratios of 1.0 or less for residential projects. When one excludes Palo Alto Square due to the grandfathered structures, 1 and the Creekside site (which due to the unusual setback, seems to have deterred the project applicant though it is still in the inventory), almost the entire opportunity becomes the Acclaim site, 330 El Camino Real, and a few small parcels totaling about three acres. The pipeline likely reflects the entire total future impact of this program for the cycle. But the standards are good, so expanding the program should address this problem. Further, there is property owner/developer interest in extending the Housing Focus Area. Additionally, there are Builder's Remedy applications that have already been submitted on El Camino Real that propose development standards that are close to what was approved for the El Camino Focus Area. Extending the Housing Focus Area to more parcels will show HCD that we are serious about locating housing more broadly across the city--and not just out on San Antonio Road far from transit and local retail. 2) Commit to (not study) Reducing City Impact Fees The most recent HCD letter to the City stated that the Housing Element "should specifically commit to reducing impact fees comprehensively and not limit the scope of the program to park fees." An impact fee study will be completed in September 2024, with an additional study postponed to December 2025. Modifications to Program 3.1 reference only three specific impact fees, and ignore the tremendous disparities between additions to single-family dwellings or complete “scrapes,” (demolitions) on the one hand, and ADUs, SB 9 units, apartments, condominiums, and townhouses, on the other hand. Commit to (a) implementing the recommendations contained within the study, especially as it relates to not overburdening smaller projects and ADUs with fees, (b) placing a moratorium on new per-unit fees until a new fee schedule is approved, (c) rebating previously charged inequitable impact fees back to the beginning of FY2023, and (d) ending the disparities between ADUs and other smaller units in comparison with single-family additions and “scrapes.” Our residents are clamoring for equity and fairness, and more action and less study. 3) Commit to (not study) Making the Housing Incentive Program (HIP) Economically Feasible Based on the El Camino Real Focus Area projects and developer engagement, we know what zoning changes will get housing built. The HIP program is being framed as a major policy vehicle to facilitate housing; it needs to be crafted such that it can allow economically credible projects across the city–something not possible without extensive zoning incentives. It must be noted that the Housing Element does not provide details about the HIP zoning incentives or process, which makes it difficult to rely on this program as a tool to facilitate additional housing. Results of the economic feasibility study have also not been provided. A HIP which commits to allowing economically feasible apartments in more places will also show that we are credibly 2 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing by not focusing units at the southern edge of our city near San Antonio Road–something HCD will be looking for as part of their review. 4) Engage on the Builder's Remedy Projects The city has received Builder's Remedy applications for approximately 2,000 units, which includes 400 units of affordable housing. The city-wide Housing Element rezoning was passed in January. How many compliant applications have been received and are scheduled for hearing? Likely not many. As such, we can and should engage with Builder's Remedy developers. These projects represent a massive opportunity for the city to meet its housing goals. 5) Amend the Retail Preservation Ordinance (RPO) Small changes have been made to loosen the RPO except on University Avenue, California Avenue, and El Camino Real. Yet downtown and Cal Ave are exactly where our retail consultants and commercial landlords have asked for changes to the RPO. Changes would not only incentivize housing and make retail areas more viable for alternative uses being contemplated by the Retail Committee as part of potential zoning changes. Thank you for the opportunity to engage in the process. We look forward to engaging our membership to support future housing projects as they are submitted for review. Sincerely, Palo Alto Forward 3 From:Hamilton Hitchings To:Council, City; HeUpdate; Planning Commission Subject:City Council Housing Element Input Date:Sunday, April 14, 2024 5:53:47 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from hitchingsh@yahoo.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City of Palo Alto, I want to thank the City of Palo Alto staff and their consultants for the very hard, extensive and costly work they have conducted creating the Housing Element, and the high quality of material they have produced. In addition, working directly with HCD to address their concerns. I was a former member of the Housing Element Working Group, but these are my comments. The city provided HCD with these 920 pages including 350 for the housing element and 119 pages for Appendix C: Assessment of Fair Housing as well as other appendixes. HCD responded to the city that this information was insufficient. Many of HCD’s requests in the rejection letters were for more information and analysis only. HCD's delays in certifying Palo Alto's Housing Element creates uncertainty and instability for housing developers, which postpones investing in and committing capital to building housing projects. Thus reducing the rate of housing production until the rules are solidified relative to what it could be otherwise. Furthermore, HCDs continued requests for additional information and analysis diverts city staff from executing on creating affordable housing in our city. California State Housing Element Law (Article 10.6) section 65581 (c) states: To recognize that each locality is best capable of determining what efforts are required by it to contribute to the attainment of the state housing goal, provided such a determination is compatible with the state housing goal and regional housing needs. My opinion is that HCD is overreaching this clause of state law. I feel that HCD has gone overboard on requesting additional information and analysis. For example, after Palo Alto explained its two census tracts had a higher rate of poverty because one contained Stanford Students living adjacent to Stanford and the other primarily contained an senior affordable housing site, HCD demanded more information as one of reasons for rejection in a previous letter to the city. Given that they have already rejected the element twice and the city has worked hard to answer all their information and analysis requests to date, I’d request any additional letters from HCD do not ask for additional information and analysis. Despite Palo Alto's RHNA numbers being tripled above those of the last cycle and Palo Alto only having 0.5% vacant land, Palo Alto managed to meet its new RHNA numbers by identifying sites that could be redeveloped in the first version of its Housing Element onwards. In addition, it provided 10% extra units as a buffer in case any problems were found with existing sites. The City proposed many new projects to create affordable housing including the HomeKey project (providing transitional housing for 200 folks per year), more safe parking (already implemented), downtown parking lot(s) with 100% BMR housing, Wilton Court (58 units 100% BMR already occupied), El Camino Real corridor upzoning with large projects in the pipeline, special needs housing, teacher housing, many market rate higher density projects, etc…There are currently 1,118 units that have been entitled or are going through the review process and should be entitled by the end of this year assuming we don’t have too many distractions. Dear City Council, please pass this latest version of the Housing Element or if you do require changes, that it does not need to come back to council. Dear HCD, please certify our housing element so the city can focus on implementing these and many other exciting programs. Thus housing developers will know what the rules are and can raise and commit capital to building more housing. ------------------------------------- Additional Note to City Staff on the Housing Element The housing element. Figure ES-3 on page ES-5 says Palo Alto home prices increased 40% between 2021 and 2022. This is a false and misleading graphic. According to Zillow the price increased 16% between January 1, 2021 and December 31st, 2022: https://www.zillow.com/home-values/26374/palo-alto-ca/ Please consider revising the housing price increase so it is not cherrypicking the post Covid crash low to the height of the recovery (before going down again) but a timeframe more reflective of the overall housing price growth through ups and downs. From:Deborah Waxman To:Council, City Subject:Rail comment Date:Sunday, April 14, 2024 5:50:12 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from deborahwaxman8558@comcast.net. Learnwhy this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council, I am writing to add my voice to those strenuously objecting to elevated rail options, especially the viaduct. After living with train noise early mornings, daytimes, and late nights for more than a decade, I am painfully aware of the increased noise and disruption that trains on a viaduct would impose on my neighborhood. The visual horror of a viaduct dividing our city and imposing relentlessly on our outlook would insult to injury. We are all tired after years of endless discussions, but I hope you will take into consideration all our previous objections to raised rail options. We will have to live with your decision for a very long time. Thanks for your attention, Deborah Waxman From:David Ephron To:Council, City Subject:Written public comment for the Rail Committee meeting on April 16, 2024 Date:Sunday, April 14, 2024 4:57:37 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from david@ephron.net. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Rail Committee - Summary of the comment: - The Rail Committee should re-examine the question of whether grade separation is reallynecessary. - The belief that grade separation is necessary is based on an incomplete traffic analysis that wrongfully assumed the only alternative was to retain the current extremely inefficient trafficsignaling systems. - More intelligent traffic signaling could greatly reduce auto traffic congestion even if the frequency of trains doubles. Better deterministic algorithms would likely be sufficient, thoughmachine learning based systems utilizing cameras to monitor traffic could probably do even better. - The Rail Committee should allocate some of the planning funding to validate this hypothesisand study this solution. (The cost to study, design, and implement an improved traffic signaling system would be far less than the cost of the proposed engineering study.) More detailed description of the points raised above: A more sophisticated auto traffic signal system could not only solve the current backups atCharleston/Alma, but could also easily handle twice the train frequency (if that ever even comes to pass) without the need for grade separation. (This is likely also true forMeadows/Alma and Churchill/Alma but I don’t observe these intersections nearly so often as Charleston/Alma so the details below may need to be adjusted for the other intersections.) The simple way to see this is true is this: Imagine that the arrival of the trains magically (orvery fortuitously) always coincided with the intervals when the traffic signal had already decided to present red lights to the two Charleston directions — i.e. immediately before Almais slated to get a green light, the gates come down, there is time for cars to clear the tracks, Alma gets the green light, the safety interval before the arrival of the train continues, then thetrain passes and the gates come up — all while the lights were going to be red anyway in the two Charleston directions. In this magical (or very lucky) world, the trains have no impact onauto traffic, and grade separation would provide no benefit to auto traffic flow. The total amount of time that Alma has a green light is easily high enough to accommodate all the trainsin the current schedule during peak hours and would still be high enough even if the train frequency doubles. Of course, there is no magic to make the trains arrive like this just at theright time every time, but a more intelligent auto traffic signal system could dynamically adapt the signal pattern to make it true. The allocation ratio of time to the various traffic directions isconsistent with this magical (or lucky) scenario: it’s just a scheduling problem to make it happen. (Some ideas on how to do this are below.) As far as I can tell, all of the traffic impact analysis for future rail scenario planning tracesback to Hexagon’s 2021 analysis (https://connectingpaloalto.com/wp- content/uploads/2021/02/Traffic-Analysis-Report_Churchill-Meadow-and-Charleston-Grade-Separation_revised.pdf). That analysis in turn assumed that traffic signaling would remain the same as train frequency increases and did not attempt to study the potential to solve ormitigate traffic with more intelligent signaling. This strikes me as a major flaw in the entire logical reasoning process underlying the rail planning and undermines the premise that gradeseparation is necessary. The baseline for analyzing future scenarios should not be the current poorly-tuned traffic signal system, but rather a state-of-the-art traffic signal system. Some basic improvements to the traffic signal algorithm would probably cost less toimplement and try than the cost of any one of the many engineering studies the City has commissioned. At relatively modest cost, the City could quickly test out these ideas and utilizethe outcome to inform the larger discussion. ========================== More detailed analysis of the problem and ideas for a solution: The current light pattern at Charleston/Alma does not attempt to allocate time to cars crossing the tracks (and Alma) to offset the time that this direction is blocked by lowered train gates. Solong as the total amount of time that the gates are in a lowered position at peak times is less than about ~40% of the time, then grade separation should not be necessary so long as theremaining minutes are fairly allocated to allowing car traffic across the track (in one direction or the other). The problem with the current light signaling system is that it doesn’t properlytake advantage of the periods when the gates are raised to hustle cars across the tracks (and Alma). Here is a sequence of improvements of increasing complexity and potential benefit. Theycould be implemented now and would help with current congestion to validate that they could also be long-term solutions: 1. Adjust the light sequence timing so that when the train gates lift after a train passes, Alma’sgreen light ends immediately. (This simple fix alone would probably reduce congestion significantly. The current simple algorithm vastly over-allocates green light time to Alma bygiving Alma an extra full cycle every time a train comes; this in turn increases the probability that the next train will interrupt again before both Charleston directions receive a full turn.) 2. Adjust the light sequence timing to keep track of the recent time allocated to traffic in alldirections. Adjust the sequence order and timing to compensate for missed or shortened green lights in the Charleston direction. (No new hardware required - just reprogramming.) (E.g. if atrain comes just as Charleston eastbound receives or is about to receive a green light, then when the gates lift and Alma’s turn ends, give the green light to Charleston eastbound ratherthan westbound - as is currently the case.) 3. Obtain approaching train information from Caltrain and use it to proactively adjust sequencing and timing, rather than just reactively. (If Caltrain refuses to provide such info,mount cameras on city-owned land adjacent to the tracks to obtain it.) 4. Deploy cameras at the intersection to measure traffic queues in all directions and adjust sequencing and timing in real time taking into account backed-up traffic. I believe there arecompanies already developing or offering such solutions. Even if this needed to be developed from scratch and cost ten million dollars, it would still be a bargain compared with gradeseparation. (This could be based on machine learning algorithms. At first, if necessary, send the video feeds to a control room somewhere - could be in India - and pay controllers to workthe lights manually to generate training data, with pay bonuses for good traffic flow.) 5. If desired, build elevated crosswalks over the tracks / Alma for pedestrians and cyclists. I am not as familiar with the Meadows and Churchill intersections, but I imagine that similar reasoning would apply there as well. From:Henry Etzkowitz To:Council, City Cc:Kristina Loquist; Council, City; perrysandy@aol.com; Representative Eshoo; Roberta Ahlquist; provost@stanford.edu Subject:Housing Element Date:Sunday, April 14, 2024 3:38:58 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.________________________________The last element and the current proposal both share common basic flaws that make it unlikely that the housingdeficit will seriously be addressed without further steps. 1 the assumption that Palo Alto is a suburb. The documents acknowledge that Palo Alto has significantly more jobsthan housing and that many employees commute from places, known and unknown, to Palo Alto. This is the verydefinition of an urban area, in this case with “invisible suburbs.” For example, some Stanford medical technicianscarpool more than two hours a day each way from the Central Valley. Palo Alto has a stronger reality as a Center of employment and a subsidiary function as a housing location. Areasonable objective might be to bring the two functions into alignment. Likely, this would require a step changeincrease in housing provision. 2. A second misconception in the documents is that Palo Alto is “built out.” Thought of as a city, the one storycommercial and industrial spaces may be viewed as “taxpayers,” temporary structures only in place until their sitesneed to be utilized for denser high rise buildings. As secondary shopping areas like California street empty out, high rise housing can provide the demand to make these shopping areas viable, one again. 3 relative neglect of border issues. For example, through purchase of Oak Creek apartments,Stanford recently removed 750 units from the Palo Alto housing stock to address its housing needs without any planto redress the deficit.The only meaningful pushback to date has been from Santa Clara County’s 5% increase in expectation of campushousing provision. As previously suggested, the Stanford Shopping center parking garages provide an ideal base forhigh rise housing development. Beyond the element which provides general guidelines a stronger methodology for housing provision is required.Palo Alto’ assumption of responsibility for electricity provision in an earlier era should be considered as a modelalong with public-private and university-public partnerships. SincerelyHenry EtzkowitzCo organizerCommunity of Oak Creek Residents Sent from my iPhone From:Anna Hempstead To:Council, City Subject:High Speed Rail Alternatives Date:Sunday, April 14, 2024 3:37:02 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from annabzz62@gmail.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Dear Council Members, We are aware that alternatives for grade separation have become more limited during the past few months, and we are disappointed that a trench is not being considered. Given that the remaining choices appear to be hybrid with a berm, and underpass, we would advocate for an underpass. The hybrid plan is undesirable. It would interfere with coherence and the connectedness that allows us to be a caring neighborly community. Sound pollution creates health issues, both mental and physical. Hybrid plan would greatly harm the qualities we love in our friendly, pleasant, walkable neighborhoods. Please do not allow the creation of an ugly disruptive noisy scar here. It would be an embarrassment to Palo Alto, and would be deleterious for the quality of life for hundreds of households. Please do what is best for Palo Alto and our neighbors. Thank you, Annie and Kimo (James) Hempstead 344 Whitclem Drive, Palo Alto 650-743-6302 From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Josh Becker; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg Cc:Angel, David; Angie, Palo Alto Renters Association; Baker, Rob; Bryan Gobin; Cecilia Taylor; Cindy Chavez; Council, City; D Martell; Daniel Kottke; Dave Price; DuJuan Green; Emily Mibach; GRP-City Clerk; GRP-City Council; Gennady Sheyner; Human Relations Commission; Jax Ajluni; Jeff Moore; Joe Simitian; Kaloma Smith; Karen Holman; Lotus Fong; Michelle; Zelkha, Mila; Palo Alto Free Press; Bains, Paul; Paul George @ PPJC; Raymond Goins; Robert. Jonsen; Rodriguez, Miguel; Rose Lynn; Salem Ajluni; Sally Lieber; Sean Allen; Shikada, Ed; Stump, Molly; Tom DuBois; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; dennis burns; district1@bos.sccgov.org; editor@paweekly.com; Foley, Michael; yolanda Subject:Re: Supervisor Susan Ellenberg Put a Cease-Fire Resolution On The Agenda Now!! Date:Sunday, April 14, 2024 2:29:50 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. From: the archives of Aram James ( April 14, 2024) To: Santa Clara County Board of Supervisor Chair Person, Susan Ellenberg On Wed, Mar 13, 2024 at 5:22 PM Aram James <abjpd1@gmail.com> wrote:March 1, 2024 Dear Supervisor Susan Ellenberg, Aram James here. Grandson of Louis Byer Finkelstein ( youngest of 19 Ukrainian Jews & remarkably a 1913 graduate of Cornell University). My dad changed his given name fromDaniel Ben-Ezra Fink to Stephen Daniel James and later formed a mass exchange with the then-Soviet Union during the Cold War to mitigate the risk of nuclear war. My dad, nodoubt, was an idiosyncratic Jew. Dad, with his oppositional sense of humor, claimed to be the president and founder of Jews for antisemitism. As you might guess, for at least the last thirty-five years, I have been a strong opponent ofwhat I believe to be the terrorist state of Israel. I have opposed aid to Israel for the same time frame. And I firmly believe that US bombs and money, in collaboration with the Israeliwar machine, are engaged in a genocidal holocaust. A holocaust that will increase antisemitism, and understandably so, for generations to come. It's a sad fact but anindisputable one. As a Jew, I'm asking you to place a resolution on the BOS’s agenda at the earliest time. Then, let the people on both sides of the issue speak. And then let us hear the views ofour elected officials on arguably the most controversial issue of our lifetimes. I'm ashamed to say I was born in 1948, the year of the Nakba, when the Zionists stole theland of the Palestinian people and deported 750,000 Palestinians. I have no idea where you come down on the Palestine-Israeli conflict. Still, I believe the community is entitled to know the views of our elected officials on the critical political,social, and legal issues of the day. Our BOS’s chamber is the equivalent of the town square where the most controversial issues of the day in a democracy should be debated.When conventional avenues of democracy are shut off to community debate, self-help may be the alternative. I implore you to put the cease-fire issue on a BOS’s agenda ASAP. Best regards, Aram James 415-370-5056 P.S. I know you are busy, but please call me anytime to discuss this issue. From:Aram James To:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Binder, Andrew; Braden Cartwright; Council, City; Clerk, City; D Martell;Daniel Kottke; Dave Price; EPA Today; Ed Lauing; Emily Mibach; Friends of Cubberley; Greer Stone; GregTanaka; Jeff Moore; Joe Simitian; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Gardener, Liz; Lotus Fong; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Robert.Jonsen; Roberta Ahlquist; Roberta Ahlquist; Sean Allen; Stump, Molly; Tanaka, Greg; editor@paweekly.com;Figueroa, Eric; Burt, Patrick Subject:California Public Records Act Request Re The Cost To The City Of Palo Alto For Mayor Stone’s Trip To Japan Date:Sunday, April 14, 2024 2:04:08 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Pursuant to the California Public Records Act California Public Records Request: Re: cost of Mayor Stone’s recent trip to Japan, current salary as mayor and all city benefits he receives, the dollar cost of said benefits, all of Mayor Stone's income for his work outside hisrole as mayor, income from teaching, income as a licensed California attorney, etc. 1. Please provide the cost to the city, including all invoices for airfare and other travel, if travel was by first class or coach, etc, food, lodging, etc., of Mayor Greer Stone’s trip to Japan. 2. All gifts received by Mayor Greer Stone while traveling on the City of Palo Alto business toJapan. And the value of said gifts. 3. All other financial benefits received by Mayor Stone, no matter how small or large, for his trip to Japan on behalf of the City of Palo Alto. 4. The current monthly salary Mayor Greer Stone receives for his duties as Mayor of the Cityof Palo Alto. His annual salary. 5. Any benefits Mayor Stone receives as mayor and the cost of said benefits to the taxpayers of Palo Alto each month. Annual cost. This should include medical, dental, vision care, andother associated medical benefits provided to the mayor on both a monthly and annual basis. 6. Any other benefits Mayor Stone receives each month and the monthly cost to the taxpayers of Palo Alto. The annual cost to taxpayers. 7. Any and all documents in the City’s custody reflecting Mayor Stones's annual salary forwork he performs outside his role as mayor. This would include his annual salary as a school teacher, for work performed as an attorney as a licensed member of the California State Bar,State Bar #, 306103. Any other annual income received by Mayor Stone. Sincerely, Aram James State Bar # 80215 From:Aram James To:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Wagner, April; Binder, Andrew; Council, City; D Martell; Daniel Kottke; DavePrice; DuJuan Green; Ed Lauing; Enberg, Nicholas; Jensen, Eric; Friends of Cubberley; Human RelationsCommission; Jeff Moore; Jeff Rosen; Joe Simitian; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Kaloma Smith; Lotus Fong; Palo AltoFree Press; Reifschneider, James; Robert. Jonsen; Rose Lynn; Sean Allen; Sheriff Transparency; Shikada, Ed;Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; dennis burns; editor@paweekly.com; Figueroa, Eric;Tannock, Julie; kenneth.Binder@shf.sccgov.org; Foley, Michael Subject:Re: Los Angeles deputy gangs allegedly plaguing sheriff"s department - YouTube Date:Sunday, April 14, 2024 10:46:51 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. On Sun, Apr 14, 2024 at 8:21 AM Sean Allen <sallen6444@yahoo.com> wrote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT7SoyUN4I From:Aram James To:Braden Cartwright; Cecilia Taylor; Council, City; D Martell; Daniel Kottke; Dave Price; Ed Lauing; Emily Mibach;Friends of Cubberley; Human Relations Commission; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Moore; Julie Lythcott-Haims; KalomaSmith; Lait, Jonathan; Lotus Fong; Lydia Kou; Palo Alto Free Press; ParkRec Commission; Reifschneider, James;Roberta Ahlquist; Roberta Ahlquist; Rose Lynn; Rosen, Jeff; Sean Allen; Vicki Veenker; WILPF Peninsula PaloAlto; dennis burns; planning.commision@cityofpaloalto.org Subject:Where are all the new homes? Date:Sunday, April 14, 2024 10:09:46 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Where are all the new homes? Builder’s Remedy to the rescue Where are all the new homes?https://edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?guid=df4e45f6-3199-4a97-9700-2cca4187f3c8&appcode=SAN252&eguid=a3af076e-6e4b-4020-be31-3808f906860f&pnum=2# For more great content like this subscribe to the The Mercury News e-edition app here: From:Aram James To:Supervisor Susan Ellenberg Cc:Cindy Chavez; Council, City; D Martell; Damon Silver; Friends of Cubberley; Jack Ajluni; Jeff Moore; Joe Simitian; Josh Becker; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Michelle; O"Neal, Molly; Palo Alto Free Press; Raymond Goins; Rose Lynn; Salem Ajluni; Sean Allen; Stump, Molly; Supervisor Otto Lee; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; district1@bos.sccgov.org Subject:Please place a cease-fire resolution on Tuesday BOS calendar Date:Sunday, April 14, 2024 9:36:49 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. From:deborah plumley To:Council, City Subject:Closure of Cinearts theater Date:Saturday, April 13, 2024 8:08:57 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from deborah@plumleygroup.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Please keep this theatre open. So many of us have enjoyed going to movies there. From:Floura Naini To:Mehrdad Nayebi, Ph.D.; Kallas, Emily; Council, City; City Mgr Subject:Re: 722 SB 9 regarding 722 Marion p Date:Saturday, April 13, 2024 3:53:45 PM Attachments:image001.png image002.png Some people who received this message don't often get email from flouran@yahoo.com. Learn why this isimportant Hi, I like to let you know that the neighbors at house 757 Moreno said the builder told the city that he will live there at least for five years. After two months of building the house, he sold the house because he knew somebody in the city, and they could go around it. knowing that the city can do corruption and we are aware of it for the 722 Marion. We want to make sure this does not happen, and we will check it every month to see who leaves there. Thanks Floura Nayebi On Friday, March 22, 2024 at 09:27:27 AM PDT, Mehrdad Nayebi, Ph.D. <nayebi@yahoo.com> wrote: ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Kallas, Emily <emily.kallas@cityofpaloalto.org> To: Mehrdad Nayebi, Ph.D. <nayebi@yahoo.com> Cc: Gerhardt, Jodie <Jodie.Gerhardt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org>; French, Amy <Amy.French@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Lait, Jonathan <Jonathan.Lait@CityofPaloAlto.org> Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 at 12:45:57 PM PDT Subject: RE: 722 SB 9 regarding 722 Marion p Hi Mehrdad, Thank you for your email. After speaking with Floura on Thursday, I followed up with the property owner and now have responses to the questions posed in the attached letter. 1. Owner occupancy a. The owner verbally stated his intent to live in the front home, and is required to sign the affidavit before we approve the lot split. He is not required to live in the home prior to the lot split, but it cannot have been rented to a tenant within the last 5 years. 2. Allowed number of units a. SB 9 allows for up to two units on each of the resulting Urban Lot Split parcels. Therefore, the maximum allowed is four for the existing lot. b. You are correct no resulting parcel may be smaller than 40% of the existing lot area. The proposed flag lot is exactly 40% of the existing lot. 3. Fence You don't often get email from nayebi@yahoo.com. Learn why this is important a. The lot split is based on the legal surveyed property, regardless of existing fences. This is a civil issue between you and the neighbor, the City is not involved. 4. Utility Easement a. The owner recognizes the existence of a 5ft wide utility easement along the rear property line, per the deed, though not shown in the City’s Parcel Report system. It is shown on the proposed plans, will be recorded with the lot split, and will be taken into account during any proposed development. It effectively increases the minimum rear setback from 4 ft to 5 ft. Thanks, Emily Emily Kallas, AICP Planner Planning and Development Services Department (650) 617-3125 | emily.kallas@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org Parcel Report | Palo Alto Zoning Code | Online Permitting System | Planning Forms & Applications | Planning Applications Mapped From: Mehrdad Nayebi, Ph.D. <nayebi@yahoo.com> Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 8:12 AM To: Kallas, Emily <Emily.Kallas@cityofpaloalto.org> Cc: Council, City <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org>; City Mgr <CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org> Subject: 722 SB 9 regarding 722 Marion p CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. I’m co-owner of the house at 727 Moreno Ave and I too am strongly opposed to this massive change to my neighborhood that this INVESTOR is purely motivated by profit than environmental impact on this area I and children lived for decades. From:Ellen Smith To:Council, City Subject:Housing Element Date:Saturday, April 13, 2024 2:53:57 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. As a long-time resident of Palo Alto, I have watched it transform from a mostly middle-class community with a range of housing options and costs to a tech-rich enclave. If we are serious about welcoming diversity of income, real change has tohappen. Therefore, I urge you, in establishing our housing element, to do the following, as recommended by Palo Alto Forward: 1. Extend the El Camino Real Focus Area to more parcels - there is developer interest and it shows that we are placing housing more broadly across the city (not just out on San Antonio) 2. Commit to (not study) modifying city impact fees - per the impact fee studyresults coming in May 3. Commit to (not study) making the Housing Incentive Program (HIP) feasible based on the El Camino Real Focus Area and developer engagement - we know what zoning changes will get housing built, let's do it4. Engage on the Builder's Remedy projects - 2000+ units have been submitted (or 30% of our 8-year housing goal), which includes 400 units of affordable housing AT NO COST TO THE CITY Ellen Smith 850 Webster Street, Apt 427 From:Peggy E. Kraft To:Council, City Subject:Grade separation Date:Friday, April 12, 2024 5:23:53 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from pkraft@stanford.edu. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ To whom it may concern, Where can I get information concerning the proposed alternatives that the city council is considering for grade at Charleston Road? I cannot find the current considerations on the website. I am particularly interested in whether you are considering a round about on East Charleston. I heard from a neighborhood group recently that it was being considered. I am opposed to this alternative as it will gravely impact South Palo Alto and I am hoping to hear that other alternatives are still possible. I see on the PA website for grade separations that there is a meeting on April 19th but it does not state the venue or the time. Can you please let me know that information and whether there is public comment at that meeting. Thank you, Peggy Kraft Mumford Place Palo Alto From:Patty Irish To:Council, City Subject:A letter about the Housing Element for Palo Alto Date:Friday, April 12, 2024 4:36:26 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor and City Council members, I am writing concerning the Housing Element you are going to submit again and will be discussing this Monday. I suggest some additions and changes. 1. Extend the El Camino Real and California Ave. Focus Area to add more parcels - there is developer interest and it shows that we are placing housing more broadly across the city (not just out on San Antonio) 2. Commit to (not study) modifying city impact fees - per the impact fee study results coming in May 3. Commit to (not study) making the Housing Incentive Program (HIP) feasible based on the El Camino Real and California Ave. Focus Area and developer engagement - we know what zoning changes will get housing built, let's do it 4. Engage on the Builder's Remedy projects - 2000+ units have been submitted (or 30% of our 8-year housing goal), which includes 400 units of affordable housing AT NO COST TO THE CITY Time is very important. Housing is needed NOW. I live at Channing House and know what a gift it is to live where all of our 250 residents can get downtown easily for many of the services we need. Also we have 175 employees and 150 of those will probably qualify for subsidized housing and presently drive many miles to come to work. If you want to discuss this further I welcome additional conversation and ACTION. Thank you, Patty Irish -- Patty Irish850 Webster St. #628 Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-324-7407 650-245-3906 cell How do you tell a story that has been told the wrong way for so long? From:D Martell To:Julie Lythcott-Haims; Veenker, Vicki Cc:Shikada, Ed; Joe Simitian; Lydia Kou; Stone, Greer; Tanaka, Greg; Lauing, Ed; Burt, Patrick; swright@embarcaderopublishing.com; Gennady Sheyner; rmacasero@bayareanewsgroup.com; BCartwright@padailypost.com; Council, City; Senator.Becker@senate.ca.gov Subject:Desperately need Council attention Date:Friday, April 12, 2024 3:49:45 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Do Not Stand Idly By (Leviticus 19:16) Do not stand by at your neighbor's blood, witnessing his death, when you are able to rescue him. Julie and Vicki, for five (5) months, I have been begging each of you to meet; my situation is critical. Danielle Martell dmPaloAlto@gmail.com t: 650.856.0700 Palo Alto City Council Candidate 2016 & 2005 From:Aram James To:Greer Stone; Jeff Moore; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Raymond Goins; Rose Lynn; Sean Allen; Supervisor SusanEllenberg Cc:Baker, Rob; Binder, Andrew; Cecilia Taylor; Cindy Chavez; Council, City; D Martell; Daniel Kottke; DuJuan Green; Enberg, Nicholas; Friends of Cubberley; Joe Simitian; Kaloma Smith; Palo Alto Free Press; Robert. Jonsen; Stephen Le; Supervisor Otto Lee; Tom DuBois; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Lee, Craig; dennis burns; district1@bos.sccgov.org; Figueroa, Eric; Tannock, Julie; kenneth.Binder@shf.sccgov.org; Foley, Michael Subject:I Had a Tough Job at My Brooklyn Jail: Keeping Men From Taking Their Own Lives Date:Friday, April 12, 2024 3:06:50 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ---------- Forwarded message -- LIFE INSIDE Life Inside Weekly essays by those who live or work in the criminal justice system from Illustration By Vico Santos for The Marshall Project VICO SANTOS FOR THE MARSHALL PROJECT I Had a Tough Job at My Brooklyn Jail: Keeping Men From Taking Their Own Lives As a suicide prevention aide, I had to make sure my fellow detainees didn’t harm themselves. It was surprisingly easy to get such a complex job. By Rashon Venable Having your freedom snatched away is immensely traumatic. One minute you are living a life of calm. The next minute you are surrounded by walls that seem to be closing in by the second. I know this firsthand: In November 2016, I found myself detained on New York’s notorious Rikers Island for a murder that I committed eight years earlier, when I was 16 years old. Subscribe to our newsletters for more criminal justice news. Read this story online. Detectives from Queens, New York, had made the trek to Pennsylvania, where I had moved, to interrogate me at the state police barracks. About an hour later, I was placed under arrest. Honestly, I wasn’t surprised. I was cognizant that my past actions would one day catch up with me. I stayed in Rikers’ C-74 unit for two months before relocating to Brooklyn Detention Complex. While it wasn’t as known as Rikers, it felt no less dangerous. Until the latter part of 2017, the jail lacked security cameras. And the architecture of Brooklyn House, which closed down in 2020, seemed to make officer response times longer. The C-74 unit where I was housed was three stories, and people used the stairs to travel between floors. Brooklyn House was a 12-story building that required most movement through elevators. We only used the stairs if all of the elevators were inoperable. To make matters more dangerous, there were no automated doors into the housing units. Officers had to manually unlock the doors, and I believe this led them to ignore altercations and acts of aggression. Brooklyn House had jobs ranging from house detail, which was a fancy title for sweeping and mopping the housing unit, to special sanitation, which entailed cleaning vents and windows. I got one of the most sought-after positions: suicide prevention aide, or SPA. SPAs walked through their housing units every 30 minutes or so to ensure no one was harming themselves or having suicidal ideations. Getting the job was surprisingly easy. After a short training on the duties, we only had to take a 25-question test. Most of the questions were multiple choice and a passing grade was 72. Also, the test-taking wasn’t monitored. A staff member simply handed us the pages through the gate at the unit’s entrance and told us to complete it in the day room. After this certification, we received no further training. Though I was assigned the morning shift, which ran from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., corrections officers usually let me stay out 24 hours a day. I suspect that the more SPAs were out, the less officers had to do their own rounds. Most days on the job were quiet, especially during my shift. While the rest of the detainees were locked in, I would walk the unit, scribble my initials in a logbook and wait for a captain’s signature. If there were any suicide attempts or danger signs, I would have to document them in the book. Initially, it was tough to take the job seriously because of the lack of training and the hostility most of the people around me had toward mental health. People usually took the job because of the false sense of freedom that came with not having to lock in with everybody else. Also, the $25 a week I made was a nice hike from a job like pantry detail, which earned less than $16 a week. However, I soon learned that being detained for a crime isn’t easy on anybody, and that mental health woes can surface in many different ways. During my nine months as an SPA, I frequently found myself talking to a man my age that I’ll call S. S had a high-profile case: He was accused of beating his girlfriend’s child to death. He maintained his innocence and claimed that his girlfriend placed the blame on him as revenge for his infidelities. But since his crime involved a child, other detainees attacked S and officers treated him poorly. For example, an officer once refused to let him out of his cell to get his lunch tray. The stress often got to S, and he would regularly break down in tears. RELATED STORIES SUICIDE Story photo ‘You Shouldn’t Have Used the D-Word’ 07.08.2022 Story photo ‘They Should Have Been Watching’: Suicides Rise in Texas Prisons During Pandemic 08.12.2021 TAP FOR MORE I’d often tell him, “If you say you’re innocent, you have to hold it together. You have people who care about you who are sticking in your corner.” For his own sake, he would find some balance. And the psych meds he was eventually prescribed gave him some respite. Another person I’d often talk to was a man I'll call K. He and I developed a really strong and solid friendship, as we shared similar lives. Prior to being arrested, we both worked long hours — me, for a cleaning company inside a supermarket distribution center; and him, in the food court on a college campus. We both had an affinity for sports-themed video games such as NBA 2K and FIFA. We were both involved in gang life, but were fortunate enough to get away from the neighborhoods where those deviant behaviors began. Still, K was in jail for fatally stabbing the mother of his child more than 40 times in a rage. I was there for using a knife to kill a female friend when we were teenagers. She and I got into a ridiculous argument, and I snapped. I allowed violent and uncontrollable anger to guide my actions. Although I masked my self-inflicted trauma with words of positivity and optimism, K was more open about his struggles. K was initially facing life without parole, but he wanted the opportunity to plead to a reduced charge, like manslaughter. He would often tell me that if things didn’t work out in the courts, he would “hang up,” or commit suicide. The way he made these threats so nonchalantly worried me. But I was apprehensive about reporting him because of our tight-knit friendship. So I made sure to always give him my attention when I felt he needed it. Thankfully, K found solace in his four kids and family, and he’s still around today. He was sentenced to 20 years for his crime, but he understood that leaving three of his kids without a father — and leaving the child of his victim without both parents — would perpetuate the generational trauma he had faced in his own life. As someone who lost a grandmother to suicide, I understood how devastating the effects of that can be on a family and the wider community. Though I saw other unfortunate events like fights and stabbings; no one attempted suicide on my watch. But places like Brooklyn House breed mental instability and are unequipped to deal with the number of individuals who need help. In an attempt to curb the suicide rate among prisoners, some New York state facilities such as Attica have adopted positions similar to SPA. For those jobs, incarcerated individuals are meticulously screened and trained by the Office of Mental Health. While the preparation was more extensive than what we got at Brooklyn House, it is still difficult to place someone who is already living in a traumatic environment in such an important role. It may be easier for those contemplating suicide to put their trust in a fellow incarcerated person, but we can’t replace the mental health staff who are almost always overwhelmed by the needs of hundreds of individuals housed in these prisons. Despite the lack of training at Brooklyn House, I did benefit from my job as SPA. It allowed me to feel more empathy for those dealing with mental health struggles. I can never forget the faces that seemed so hopeless one day and full of life the next. Through their courage and perseverance, I found pieces of myself that I didn’t know existed. For that, I am forever grateful. Rashon Venable is a published poet and a coordinator for Prisoners for AIDS Counseling and Education at Sullivan Correctional Facility in New York. He is also a leader of Sullivan’s Muslim community. When he’s not writing, you can find him winning a game of Scrabble, diving into a nonfiction book or studying for his liberal arts degree. Although he is presently housed in the Catskills region of New York, he calls the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania home. A spokesperson from the New York City Department of Correction said the agency was unable to confirm the details of Rashon Venable’s employment as a suicide prevention aide. Life Inside READ MORE LIKE THIS themarshallproject.org The Marshall Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization focused on the U.S. criminal justice system. Support our work by becoming a member. Want fewer emails, or to change which newsletters you're subscribed to? Adjust the email you receive from us by updating your preferences. If you want to stop getting any email from The Marshall Project at all, unsubscribe at any time. From:Humphrey, Sonia Cc:LAFCO Subject:Adoption of Proposed LAFCO Budget for FY 2025 & Notice of June 6 LAFCO Public Hearing Date:Friday, April 12, 2024 2:58:32 PM Attachments:image001.png Adoption of Proposed LAFCO Budget For Fiscal Year 2025 & Notice of the 6.5.24 Public Hearing.pdf Some people who received this message don't often get email from sonia.humphrey@ceo.sccgov.org. Learn whythis is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To: County Executive, City and Special District Managers, Other Officials/Staff and Stakeholders Please see attached memo regarding Adoption of Proposed LAFCO Budget for FY 2025, and a Notice of Public Hearing to Adopt the Final LAFCO Budget for FY 2025. Thank you, Sonia Humphrey, LAFCO Clerk LAFCO of Santa Clara County 777 North First Street, Suite 410 San Jose, CA 95112 (408) 993-4709 From:kmartin650@gmail.com To:Council, City Cc:cinearts@sonic.net Subject:CineArts theater Date:Friday, April 12, 2024 10:54:27 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from kmartin650@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links.Dear City Council Members, Please accept this missive as yet another vote in favor of preserving the Palo Alto SquareCineArts theater, a local neighborhood gem! Please put careful consideration and heart into this decision and preserve neighborhoodvibrancy and quality of life over designating ever more buildings for office use. There is so much vacant office space already - don’t take a valued asset away from the publicwho have enjoyed this space for many years, and, hopefully with your support, will continueto do so! Vote to preserve the theater! People need a place to go for relaxation and fun more than ever. Respectfully,Karen MartinNearby neighbor From:Richard Stolee To:Council, City Cc:ctraboard Subject:Re: Conversion of the empty theater at Palo Alto Square Date:Friday, April 12, 2024 10:05:43 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from rstolee@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Mayor Stone and City Council Members: This letter is being written on behalf of the College Terrace Community. The College Terrace Residents Association met tonight to express their outrage about the plans of HudsonProperties to turn a very important Palo Alto community benefit of a movie theater into more office space in Palo Alto Square. Palo Alto has a very high vacancy rate for offices as notedin this link: https://sfstandard.com/2023/10/06/silicon-valley-office-space-real-estate- vacancy-rate-great-recession-record/. Palo Alto has lost many great theaters over the years, so it is time to put a stop to these lossesto our culture. As we move out of the Pandemic, our community needs venues such as theaters and other forms of entertainment to bring us together outside of our homes. Many ofus have fond memories of going to Cinearts Theater and seeing films there and talking with other moviegoers in the lobby about the films. Just waiting in line for a ticket brings aboutmemories of getting together with neighbors. This is an opportunity for the City of Palo Alto and our city council to really stand up for city residents and hold the line with developers to maintain the community benefit that theypromised us as part of their agreement with the city. It is also an opportunity for the city staff to find a solution that brings a theater back to the city. There are multiple film providers inthe US that might be interested in Palo Alto Square as a location for one of their theaters. We can not depend on Hudson Properties to do that work as demonstrated over the last few years. Please don't approve this movement away from this Public Benefit and ensure that we bring back another theater to Palo Alto Square. Richard Stolee, PresidentCollege Terrace Residents Association On Tue, Apr 9, 2024 at 10:33 AM Richard Stolee <rstolee@gmail.com> wrote: Dear City Council, It is a shame that Hudson Properties is not willing to bring back the film venue to Palo AltoSquare. We do not need more office space to add to our already high vacancy rate in Palo Alto. We have lost so many of our film theaters while I have lived in our beloved city. They areimportant to our culture and now that people are returning to the theaters again, they can be successful in enhancing our quality of life in the city. We attended the Stanford theater over the weekend to see a Fred Astaire film, and there were 135 people in the theater. What about a film venue like the one in New York City: https://www.filmlinc.org/about-us/ The city should take the lead in creating more venues in our city like the above otherwise if we leave our city up to the developers, we will not be the city we want to be. Richard Stolee From:Charlie Weidanz To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce News & Updates - April 12, 2024 Date:Friday, April 12, 2024 8:05:25 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. NEWS & UPDATES - April 12, 2024 2024 Tall Tree Awards - Register by Monday April 15th! Imagination Lab School Spring Market Cubberley Artist Studio Program Open Studios el PRADO Hotel Wedding Fair Graduate Hotels Events Job Opportunities by SlingShot Connections 44th Annual Tall Tree Awards Celebrate with Us! The 44th Annual Tall Tree Awards Celebration recognizes our city's outstanding businesses and individuals. April 18, 2024 | Oshman Family JCC Recipients being honored are: OUTSTANDING BUSINESS Zareen’s OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONAL Sherri Sager OUTSTANDING CITIZEN VOLUNTEER Betsy Bechtel OUTSTANDING NONPROFIT Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum Zoo *TICKETS CLOSE ON MONDAY, APRIL 15TH!* >Purchase Your Tickets or Table Online< Sponsorship Opportunities Contact: Charlie@paloaltochamber.com Networking Reception and Award Presentations benefit the educational programs of the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable org. Imagination Lab School Spring Market - April 2024 flyer Imagination Lab School is honored to host their Annual Spring Market at Cubberley Community Center! Imagination Lab School is hosting their Annual Spring Market on April 13 from 11AM - 2PM at the Cubberley Community Center. The market features a wonderful selection of handcrafted goods from local makers, new and lightly used items (think “great” garage sale finds), and fun activities for the whole family! The day will feature a live demo from Silicon Valley Karate and a performance by members of the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra. BTW… Our friends at the Cubberley Artist Studio Program are hosting their Open Studios program the same day (11AM - 5PM)! It promises to be a day of fun, creativity, art, conversation, music, and community! www.imagination-school.org/ Cubberley Artist Studio Program 2024 Open Studios - Group of Artists The artists in residence with the Cubberley Artist Studio Program are excited to welcome the public to their studios for their 2024 Open Studios events on Saturday April 13, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Saturday November 9, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Cubberley Artist Studio program is a unique, competitive program with established artists offering free, family-friendly programming to the local community. It provides rent-subsidized studio space and creative community for artists in exchange for community service. Twenty-two artists are currently in a long-term residency with the City of Palo Alto through the Cubberley Artist Studio Program. They work in a rich diversity of media including installation, mixedmedia, painting, printmaking, interdisciplinary art, photography, sculpture, film, textile, woodworking and performance. View Participating Artists These events are free to the public and will take place at Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Artist studios are in the E, F, and U wings at the north end of the Center. We look forward to seeing you there! el PRADO Hotel Wedding Fair el PRADO Hotel, Palo Alto is sponsoring a Wedding Fair on Sunday, April 14th and YOU, your family & friends are invited! If you’re still looking to book your wedding vendors than you won’t want to miss this great opportunity to get in front of our DJ’s, Musicians, Photographers, Florists, Cake Vendors, Wedding Planners and more… DATE: Sunday, April 14th, 2024 TIME: 11AM – 3PM PLACE: el PRADO Hotel, 520 Cowper Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301 (on the corner of Cowper & University) PARKING: FREE street parking. There is also a parking garage directly across from the hotel and a parking lot adjacent to the hotel which offer FREE parking on the weekends. Valet parking is $25. FOOD: Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and wine will be served RSVP: Complimentary Registration is now open on Eventbritehttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-wedding-fair-el-prado-hotel-palo-alto- tickets-848750243827?aff=oddtdtcreator Thank you and we hope to see you soon at the el PRADO Wedding Fair! Check out these Events at the Graduate Hotel Palo Alto Graduate Palo Alto Sessions ♫ Graduate Sessions: Charged Particles | Graduate Hotels ♫ April 17th at 6pm- 3-hr event in Lobby May 8th at 6pm - 3-hr event in Lobby June 5th at 6pm - 3-hr event in Lobby July 10th at 6pm - 3-hr event in Lobby August 27th at 6pm - 3-hr event in Lobby September 18th at 6pm - 3-hr event in Lobby ♫ Graduate Sessions: Jamie Zee & Brycon | Graduate Hotels ♫ April 24th at 6pm – 3-hr event in Lobby May 8th at 6pm – 3-hr event in Lobby Graduate Palo Alto Vinyl Nights ♫ Vinyl Nights at Graduate Palo Alto | Graduate Hotels ♫ Every Thursday from 5pm-9pm in Lobby Graduate Palo Alto Silent Book Club Silent Book Club at Graduate Palo Alto | Graduate Hotels Last Monday of every month in Lobby 2-hr event Graduate Palo Alto Floral Workshop Mother's Day Floral Workshop with Sève | Graduate Hotels Saturday, May 11th at 10am 2-hr event in lobby Hot Jobs Near You - SlingShot Connections flyer SlingShot Connections is offering GigWork with Benefits in Silicon Valley Learn More and Apply See Our Upcoming Events Learn More About The Chamber ​ PALO ALTO CHAMBER & VISITORS CENTER 355 ALMA STREET | PALO ALTO | CA | 94301 | 650-324-3121 WWW.PALOALTOCHAMBER.COM This email was sent on behalf of Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce 355 Alma St Palo Alto, CA 94301.To unsubscribe clickhere. If you have questions or comments concerning this email or services in general, please contact us by email at info@paloaltochamber.com. From:Jessica Russell To:Council, City Subject:Re: rail grade separations Date:Thursday, April 11, 2024 8:35:50 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from jldrussell@gmail.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ It has come to my attention that as part of the rail grade separation planning going on in Palo Alto right now, my dear friend’s ailing-mother’s home may be taken away to make way for a traffic circle on Charleston. I grew up in Palo Alto and my mother is a 43 year resident of Palo Alto who lives in the circles between Charleston and E. Meadow. We support traffic calming and bike safety solutions for this area but it CANNOT come at the cost of long time residents loosing their homes. There must be another way to address this issue without forcing my friend’s elderly and ill mother from her home. I look forward to hearing your solutions, Jessica Russell From:City Mgr To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed Cc:Executive Leadership Team; Clerk, City Subject:City.Council Bundle: April 11 Date:Thursday, April 11, 2024 5:07:45 PM Attachments:re Fire Station #4.msgRE dog parks unkept promises unmet needs.msgimage009.png Dear Mayor and Council Members, On behalf of City Manager Ed Shikada, please see attached staff responses to emails received in the City.Council inbox through April 11, 2024. Thank you,Danille Danille RiceAdministrative AssistantCity Manager’s Office|Human Resources(650) 329-2229 | danille.rice@cityofpaloalto.orgwww.cityofpaloalto.org From:Phyllis Bismanovsky To:Council, City Subject:Theater at PA square Date:Thursday, April 11, 2024 4:46:14 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from bizmompb@gmail.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Sent from my iPhone Please consider reopening of this theater with the landlord. Many people enjoyed the location as well as the design of the venue. Entertainment is very important to our community. We don’t need more office or retail space. Thank you for your consideration. Phyllis Bismanovsky 1730 Cherrytree ln Mountain View From:Tran, Joanna To:Council, City Cc:Executive Leadership Team Subject:Council Consent Questions: Items 5, 6, and 10 (4/15/24) Date:Thursday, April 11, 2024 4:26:48 PM Attachments:image001.pngimage003.pngimage004.pngimage006.pngimage007.pngimage008.pngimage009.png Dear Mayor and Councilmembers, On behalf of City Manager Ed Shikada, please view the following links for the amended agenda and staff responses to questions submitted by Council Member Tanaka: April 15 Amended Agenda Items 5, 6, and 10 Staff Responses Thank you, Joanna Joanna Tran Executive Assistant to the City Manager Office of the City Manager (650) 329-2105 | joanna.tran@cityofpaloalto.org www.cityofpaloalto.org From:upcomingsales@friendspaloaltolib.org To:Council, City Subject:Stupendous Super Spring FOPAL Book Sale - Friends of the Palo Alto Library Date:Thursday, April 11, 2024 3:10:38 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from upcomingsales@friendspaloaltolib.org. Learnwhy this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. BOOK SALE NEWSLETTER THIS WEEKEND AT CUBBERLEY Visit our web site CUBBERLEY USED BOOK SALES Saturday April 13 Bargain Room 9:30am - 4pm Children's Room 10am - 4pm No Popup Music Sale This Month (Rain is forecast for Saturday) Main Room 11am - 4pm Sunday April 14 All Rooms 11am - 4pm FEATURED INAPRIL Psychology/Self- helpClassic Fiction Military History Home & Crafts Gardening 4000 Middlefield Road Palo Alto NE corner of the CubberleyCommunity Center(650) 213-8755 www.fopal.org Maps and Directions More information on the sales Donate your used books, DVDs, &c ALL NET PROCEEDS GO TO HELP PALOALTO LIBRARIES Main Room In our Main Room, prices are way below what used book stores charge. Hardcover books start at $3.00 and softcover books start at only $2.00. No numbered tickets this month! Please note that due to crowding duringthe first two hours of the Book Sale, nostrollers, rolling carts, etc. can bebrought into the Main Room. This is forthe safety of shoppers and volunteersalike. By 12:30 or so, the crowd thinsout and shoppers are welcome to bringthese items into the sale. Children's Book Sale The Children's Room is located in the portable next to the soccer field nearGreendell School. It is entirely filledwith children's books and toys. You'llfind picture books, school age fictionand non-fiction, fiction for teens, awardwinners, non-English titles, CDs andDVDs, and books for parents andteachers, most for 50 cents or $1.Strollers are welcome in the Children'sRoom at any time. Bargain Books in H-2 The Bargain Room is located in Rooms H-2 and H-3 of the Cubberley main campus, between our Main Room and Middlefield Road. On Saturday, paperbacks are 50 cents, hardcovers are $1, and children's books are 50 cents each. The room also contains many records, CDs, and DVDs at $1 each. On Sunday, the room opens at 11 am and all prices are half off. Or, save even more on Sunday by buying green FOPAL reusable bags from us for $3/ea (or bring your own grocery-size reusable bag) and stuffing them with any items in the room for $5/bag. Fill four bags at $5/bag and fill a fifth bag FREE! (We no longer receive sufficient used paper grocery bags along with donations for this purpose.) Library News This month's email from the Library mentions four things. First is that the Library is celebrating Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) Heritage Month in April. You can find out more about that in their blog post about it. Second is that the Library is celebrating National Library Week this week, April 7-13. You can find out more about that in their blog post about it. You could also have found out about this sooner by subscribing to the Library Blogs RSS feed. Third is a City event celebrating Earth Day at Rinconada Library on Sunday April 21. You can find out more about that on the City's page about it. Fourth is that all Library branches are closed on May 1 for staff development. Really what they want you to know is hours for the branches but we may be getting used to the Librarybeing open again. Something on the Library Blogs more recently than the e-mail is a post about streaming services you can get at with your Palo Alto Library Card. If that's interesting you can read it here. -Frank McConnell April Specials A large amount of "like new" Psychology/Self-help books came in during March. As a result the Psychology/Self-help shelves in the Main Room as well as the allotted space in the Bargain Room/H2 are both brimming! Speaking of the Bargain Room/H2, shout out to longtime Children's Bargain Room/H2 volunteer Tyler Vinciguerra! Tyler put out a call for help to ensure customers know all the Children's Bargain Room/H2 books are all 50 cents regardless of any stickers. To meet that need, check out the new signage in the Children's Bargain Room/H2, compliments of children's room volunteer Miriam L. Longtime children's room volunteer and artist, Miriam L. is aiding Tyler V. to get the word out.... ALL books in this room 50 cents on Saturday, 25 cents on Sunday! The Classic Fiction Heritage Press series was one of our featured subjects last month. We've held over the unsold books from the last sale and added more that we didn't have room for, plus books from a new donation. Right next to the Classic Fiction books you'll find a collection of books on Military History, all nice leather bound with gilt edges. Look for more Military History from this recent donation in the Bargain Room/H2. Added to the April specials you'll find dozens of books on flower arranging in the Home & Crafts section, all priced to sell. And, for more spring flower power there are lots of books in the Gardening section as well. A Gardening and flower arranging book lover/collector bestowed upon FOPAL 10+ banker boxes last month. A welcome donation for the spring season! If the rain keeps you away from the sale this weekend do not forget you can shop for books, puzzles, DVDs, or CDs during the week, as well as sale and non-sale weekends. Regardless of the weather we encourage you to visit the Friends of the Palo Alto Library Bookstore in the Mitchell Park Library, or the FOPAL gondolas in the Downtown and Rinconada Libraries. These sales areas are open during library hours and restocked daily with new books. Reminder- To shop for FOPAL's High-Value books peruse: https://www.ebay.com/str/friendsofthepaloaltolibrary -Janette Herceg Home & Crafts The April Home collection for fashion and costume design ranges from Allison Gernsheim's Victorian and Edwardian Fashion: A Photographic Survey, to James Laver's Costume andFashion: A Concise History. There are wedding guides: The Perfect Wedding, The NewWedding Book, and some how-to help for creating bridal bouquets. You'll find many titlesby interior designers: Timeless Elegance by David Easton, Interiors by Suzanne Tucker,The Language of Interior Design by Alexa Hampton, and William Hodgins Interiors byStephen M. Salny, to name a few. We also have two wonderful books: Sacha Cohen's PaintEffects: Masterclass and Kitchens and Baths by Michael S. Smith. To assist you with springcleaning, try The Joy of Less: A Minimalist Guide to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify andfor DIY, The Reader's Digest New Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual. Our home building andremodeling shelf features Blueprint Small: Creative Ways to Live with Less by MichelleKodis, in addition to other titles. Crafts are blooming in April on the burgeoning floral arts bookshelf: The Complete Flower Arranger by Pamela Westland, Floral Style: The Art of Flower Arranging by Lefferts and Kelsey, and from The Garden Club of America, The Art of Flower Arranging, plus a multitude of other titles. On the shelf below you'll find Ikebana: Creative Japanese Flower Arrangement, Ohara School: Best of Ikebana, and Creative Ikebana, among other books featured. You'll also find additional resources for your creativity: 1000 Jewelry Inspirations, Compendium of Cardmaking Techniques, A Passion for Ribbonry, and The Sketchbook Challenge. Fabric Arts include: A Kid's Guide to Sewing, Zakka Handmades, Vogue Knitting, A Machine Knitter's Guide to Creating Fabrics, and Knitwear Design Workshop: A Complete Guide to Handknits, among others. We also have several quilting titles, plus Jill Gordon's Needlepoint: Glorious Tapestry Designs, and Cross Stitch by Dorothy Wood. Shelf photos can be found at https://fopalbooks.com/crafts.html. -Virginia Perry Medicine Another month of enlightening and inspiring reads in Medicine are offered for you in addition to all our texts! Check them out: New York Times best seller Uncontrolled Spread: Why COVID-19 Crushed Us and How We can Defeat the Next Pandemic by Scott Gottlieb, MD, former FDA Commissioner Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Redefining an Illness Cells Are the New Cure: The Cutting Edge Medical Breakthroughs That Are Transforming our Health Our most inspiring books include: Knife Man: The Extraordinary Life and Times of John Hunter, Father of Modern Surgery Attending: Medicine, Mindfulness, and Humanity by Ron Epstein, MD Lastly, warm your heart with Second Suns: Two Trailblazing Doctors and Their Quest toCure Blindness Through Their Himalayan Cataract Project. -Pamela Parke Children's Room April flowers are bursting into bloom and the Children's Book Room is bursting with books, toys, DVDs, and games for all ages and stages! Our special displays feature books for National Poetry Month, Passover, and Mother's Day! The School-Age Fiction section offers beautifully illustrated gift-quality copies of The Secret Garden, Peter Pan, a centennial edition of The Wizard of Oz, a Read-Aloud Beverly Cleary, and Wonder Struck by Brian Selznick. Popular series abound! The Fantasy section includes all the hardback Harry Potter books, and complete sets of two Warriors' series-Omen of the Stars and Dawn of the Clans. The Early Chapter Books shelves are brimming with Geronimo Stilton, Captain Underpants, and the Magic Tree House series; also boxed sets of the Dragon Slayer's Academy, Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot, and Junie B. Jones. As you enter the Fiction section, check out the special bookcase filled with Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the Dork Diaries. You'll find the America series on the Non-Fiction display table. Picture Book series include Pete the Cat, Spongebob, Olivia, Bob the Builder, Pinkalicious, Berenstain Bears, Panchatantra, Franklin, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Alf, Froggy, Little Critter, Fancy Nancy, The Magic School Bus, Thomas the Tank Engine, Barney, and Curious George. For an "early reader," we have many, many "beginner books." There's also a wonderful selection of books for new parents, as well as parents of teens. For the "viewers" in your family, check out our shelves of DVDs. Our hands-on Activity section includes like-new board games, several "floor puzzles," two bins of kids' cookbooks, many books of science experiments, and an entire bin devoted to paper airplanes! As usual, our graphic novel shelves are packed! This month we're showcasing Asterix, Tin Tin, manga, and a very large collection of Garfield! -Miriam Landesman Book Reviews from a Kid, for Kids Book Reviews, from a kid, for kids, by Emma Chen Luck of the Titanic By Stacey Lee This book is based on the 6 survivors of Chinese descent from the Titanic and follows the twins Valora and Jamie Luck, two Chinese acrobats on the maiden voyage of the Titanic.This story follows the twins as they are on a journey to fame. But, as the story goes on,the twins must dodge hidden twists and dangerous trysts, to keep each other safe.(Recommended for 11-14 years old) Matilda By Roald Dahl The classic story of Matilda, a story never to be forgotten. Written by Roald Dahl, Matilda is a hidden genius. Neglected by her parents and ignored by her brother, she comes up with genius plans to get her revenge. Follow this smart and lovable child as she goes through an eventful year of kindergarten, and cheer her on during her shenanigans! (Recommended for ages 7-12) -Emma Chen Children's Vintage April is Paperback Month in Children's Vintage! All the paperback books donated in the past year have been gathered together to make an impressive array of literary talent. The variety of subjects/authors is amazing, and Enid Blyton fans will be especially pleased to see a whole row of her books, including The Secret Seven, The Famous Five and Malory Towers, among others. Lovers of hardback books also have some great options. We have 10 gothic mystery novels written by John Bellairs including The House with a Clock in its Walls. All 10 books have dust jackets and glossy frontispieces illustrated by Edward Gorey. There are also 10 volumes of the Doctor Dolittle series, two in nice dust jackets including Doctor Dolittle's Circus. And last, but not least, 3 giftable volumes by Kenneth Grahame - Wind in the Willows, The Golden Age, and Dream Days. Younger readers (and those who love them) can find especially nice copies of Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss. Shelf pictures are available at www.fopalbooks.com. -Lisa Heitman Judaica Browse the Judaica section for books on the Jewish religion and culture including editions of the Torah and other basic texts, Kabbalah, Jewish history, the Holocaust, memoirs, Israel, Jewish Women, the Jewish American Experience and other related subjects. Special interest this month - Atlantic Diasporas: Jews, Conversos, and Crypto-Jews in the Age of Mercantilism; How It Happened: Documenting the Tragedy of Hungarian Jewry; Jerusalem: The Endless Crusade: The Struggle for the Holy City from its Foundation to the Modern Era; The Wings of the Sun: Traditional Jewish Healing in Theory and Practice; The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey: A Graphic Novel of Jewish Wisdom and Wit in the Wild West; Pirke Aboth: Sayings of the Fathers with Saul Raskin's beautiful works of art accompanying the Hebrew and Yiddish with the English translations. There are a few Haggadot and Passover related books on the right side of the top shelf. Most fiction with Jewish themes will be found in Modern Literature/Classics or CurrentFiction. Books entirely in Hebrew are shelved in the European Languages section. Shelf photos at https://fopalbooks.com/judaica.html -Charlotte Epstein, Judaica Section Manager Poetry April showers bring May flowers And poetry to read for hours. The shelves are crowded, so we fail To spotlight anyone this sale. However, poets span a run From Auden to Jim Morrison. Many volumes are brand new, So visit us and buy a few. Shelf photos can be found at https://fopalbooks.com/poetry.html. -Mandy MacCalla Antiques & Collections April Antiques will showcase memorabilia, including Campaigning for Presidents by Jordan M. Wright. We also found two Women's History Month holdovers: Old-Time Tools and Toysof Needlework by Gertrude Whiting and Spinning Wheel's Antiques for Women edited byAlbert Christian Revi. In addition you'll discover Festive Expressions: Nonya Beadwork andEmbroidery and The Sumptuous Basket: Chinese Lacquer with Basketry Panels. If you're arug collector, you'll find several titles: Rugs and Carpets of the Orient, Oriental Rugs andOriental Carpet Design. Find these and other antique guides for your collecting reference. Shelf photo can be found at https://fopalbooks.com/crafts.html. -Virginia Perry Humor The featured book for April is one of our most popular, The Complete New Yorker Book of Cartoons. This is the edition with all the DVD-ROMs. It is on the top shelf in the cartoon section. Many new arrivals can be found on other shelves. Shelf photos are available at https://fopalbooks.com/humor.html. -Nigel Jones Philosophy We have recently received several large high quality donations and as a result we have almost replaced our entire March inventory. This month's special is on topics related toChina. These are all on the top shelf of the right hand bookcase for general philosophy andinclude some high value items priced specially for the Main Room sale. In the left handbookcase which focuses on Philosophers we have a very good selection of Aristotle (18books) including an excellent high value two volume set, as well as a good selection ofMontaigne, Wittgenstein, and rarely seen, Walter Benjamin. The bottom shelf is all booksspilled over from the other bookcase. Because of the new arrivals about 150 books havegone to H2, the Bargain Room; don't miss an opportunity to see what is over there. Shelf photos are available at https://fopalbooks.com/philosophy.html. -Nigel Jones European Languages We received so many books in French, German, and Italian that we couldn't fit them all onto our shelves this month. There are lots of books on history, philosophy, lit crit, etc. Lots of scholarly books, and lots of books for educated general readers. Some fiction in German, but very little in French or Italian. -Susan Strain Puzzles and Games The puzzle shelves are again full with new and re-donated (thank you!) selections including two that are 3000 pieces and others from publishers new to our shelves. But the big news is for you Gamers. We had two large donations of current hits that new run $40-90, now at no more than $25 each. Games include Ascension, Pandemic Legacy, Plague Inc., Risk Legacy, Sea Fall, Wingspan, Nautilus, and Legacy Inventor. There are several other popular games, too, originally $25-40. -Vicky Evans Curious Books This month it is not only Curious Books, but "Curious and Curiouser." If Curious Books were a map, this month's donations would be all over it. Books to bring puzzlement, books offering smiles and many more are waiting for you. -Donya W. Religion Look for: Clairvaux: On The Song of Songs Lupieri: The Mandaeans Bulgakov: Sophia the Wisdom of God Pelikan: Christianity and Classical Culture Burrus: The Making of a Heretic Burrus: The Sex Lives of Saints Mooney: Gendered Voices Russell: Satan Russell: The Devil Sheehan: The Enlightenment Bible -Nancy Mahoney Cohen Sociology/Anthropology In April, the Sociology/Anthropology section presents even more books. Five hundred thirty-six (536) volumes await being taken home ). A good number of these books arefrom recent donations. For example, a sub-section on theories and methods in Sociology &Anthropology received a few classical studies in anthropology by French anthropologist andethnologist Claude Lévi-Strauss. It also features books by famous British and Americanhistorians and sociologists - Eric Hobsbawm and David Harvey. On a less theoretical level -a subsection, The U.S.: Self-Reflection, presents The Great Divide, a book by renownedAmerican radio host, historian, and author Studs Terkel. Although the book depicts theU.S. in the 1980s, reading it nowadays would not be a useless undertaking, as the bookcould help make sense of the current state of affairs. As usual, there are many fresh booksin sub-sections on Race, Sociology of Culture, Archeology, Social Movements and PoliticalSociology, Peasant Society, and others. In addition, a popular sub-section on CulturalAnthropology has been divided according to world regions to make searching easier. Pleasecome and see for yourself! -Natalia Koulinka History This month History received large donations of books on China, Ancient Greece, Rome, and Medieval Europe. As a result, we've had to make some major rearrangements in the history section. There is also a special section on Chinese history near the front door. Highlights include a Nahuatl account of the conquest of Mexico (with English translation), a collection of books by ancient historians (including a nice paperback copy of Procopius' Secret History - with all the scandalous parts left in), several books on the histories of Paris and London, and a selection of books on Byzantium and the Ottoman empire. This month, the Library of American volumes of American History classics are all marked down to $3 each. -Lin McAllister Computers Look for fresh titles in the C-section, on C, C++ even one on Go. The Graphics, Java, and Software Engineering sections are also bulked up. In Hardware, look for a book on quantum computing. -David Cortesi Records Rain may be getting in the way of the music pop-up sale this month, but we do have nine boxes, more full than not, of mostly 12-inch records out for sale in the Bargain Room.Many are leftovers from past months' pop-up sales. $1 for single discs and $2 for doublealbums and boxed sets. Half price or $5/bag on Sunday. -Frank McConnell Romance Romance section is now between Sets and Mystery. Special pricing: Hardbacks are $2 and soft-backs are $1. Many new books. Stop by and take a look! -Cathy Swan SF&F and Comics In Science Fiction and Fantasy: The Stephen King shelf is full again after being cleaned out last month. After a long dry spell, big donations of paperback SF&F have pushed out all the old stock, almost everything on the shelves is new this month. There are some vintage paperbacks with great covers by Richard Powers and others, and a sizable collection of Lee & Miller "Liaden Universe" novels. Some fat volumes from Sam Sykes, new author to me, looks like grimdark. In Comics: A collection of Charles Schultz' *other* newspaper strip, It's Only A Game. I never knew this existed! They're from the late '50s, early in his career when he was still very funny -- I laughed several times paging through it. Down in file boxes on the lower shelf, don't miss the bunch of mid-run Cerebus the Aardvark comic magazines, mostly bagged but even the unbagged ones in fine shape. Shelf pictures at fopalbooks.com. -Rich McAllister Donations We accept donations on Monday through Saturday from 3-5 pm in the Main Room. But we close to donations in the week before the sale so that we can prepare the Main Room forthe sale. Which means that we are closed for donations from Sunday April 7 throughSunday April 14. Please hold your donations until Monday April 15. Please read our donation guidelines before you bring materials to us. Suggestions? We're always eager to hear your suggestions for ways to improve our book sale. Please email us at suggestions@friendspaloaltolib.org. This notice comes to you from the non-profit organization Friends of the Palo Alto Library. No trees werefelled in the making of this e-mail. Visit our web site. Become a member by joining online. Be sure to receive your own free copy of this e-mail notice so that you'll know about all special upcomingbooks sales. To sign up, just e-mail us. We carefully protect the privacy of your e-mail address. We will notshare your e-mail address with any other organization and we will not use it for any purpose other than tosend you these notices. If you do not wish to receive these e-mail notices in the future, please reply withthe words "Remove Me" in the first line of the text. From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Friends of Cubberley; Josh Becker; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg Cc:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Angel, David; Angie, Palo Alto Renters Association; Wagner, April; Cecilia Taylor; Cindy Chavez; Council, City; D Martell; Daniel Kottke; DuJuan Green; Emily Mibach; GRP-City Council; Greg Tanaka; Jack Ajluni; Joe Simitian; Kaloma Smith; Karen Holman; Lewis james; Linda Jolley; Gardener, Liz; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; Zelkha, Mila; Van Der Zwaag, Minka; Palo Alto Free Press; Raymond Goins; Reifschneider, James; Roberta Ahlquist; Rose Lynn; Salem Ajluni; Sally Lieber; Sean Allen; Supervisor Otto Lee; Tom DuBois; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Lee, Craig; cromero@cityofepa.org; dennis burns; district1@bos.sccgov.org; Figueroa, Eric; Foley, Michael Subject:“We’re Responsible for This”: American Surgeons Return from Gaza, Call for End of U.S. Culpability in Genocide |Democracy Now! Date:Thursday, April 11, 2024 3:07:42 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. “We’re Responsible for This”: American Surgeons Return from Gaza, Call for End of U.S.Culpability in Genocide | Democracy Now! https://www.democracynow.org/2024/4/11/surgeons_in_gaza From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Jeff Rosen; Josh Becker; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg Cc:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Angel, David; Wagner, April; Binder, Andrew; Cait James; Cecilia Taylor; Council, City; D Martell; Daniel Kottke; Emily Mibach; Enberg, Nicholas; Jensen, Eric; Friends of Cubberley; Human Relations Commission; Jack Ajluni; Jeff Moore; Kaloma Smith; Karen Holman; Lewis james; Marina Lopez; Michelle; Van Der Zwaag, Minka; Palo Alto Free Press; Drekmeier, Peter; Reifschneider, James; Salem Ajluni; Tom DuBois; Vara Ramakrishnan; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; editor@paweekly.com; Figueroa, Eric; kenneth.Binder@shf.sccgov.org; walter wilson Subject:As Surgeons, We Have Never Seen Cruelty Like Israel’s Genocide in Gaza Date:Thursday, April 11, 2024 2:33:39 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of openingattachments and clicking on links. As Surgeons, We Have Never SeenCruelty Like Israel’s Genocide inGaza https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/surgeons-cruelty-israel-gaza#:~:text=As%20humanitarian%20surgeons%20we%20thought,they%20ought%20to%20have%20been. From:Heng (Henry) Huang To:Council, City Subject:Churchill Partial Underpass/Kellogg Tunnel vs Seale Tunnel - Rail Committee 4/16 Date:Thursday, April 11, 2024 1:39:09 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from huangheng@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council, I am a Palo Alto resident and writing today regarding Churchill railroad closing and underpass solutions. I live close to the area. My daughter crosses the Caltrain through Churchill to go to Paly and I have two boys in Walter Hayes. I feel this crossing is very dangerous and witnessed an accident by myself last year: A Paly student on a bike was hit by a car on Alma! Therefore, I am a strong supporter of closing the Churchill crossing. On the alternative crossing on either Seale or Kellogg, I would agree with the recommendation from the third-party analysis on March 14, 2024. The Embarcadero crossing is just two blocks away from Kellogg, so it is unnecessary to have another one so close. Besides, the Seale crossing will provide better access to the Peers Park. Therefore, I think a tunnel at Seale would be a better solution. I won’t be able to attend the hearing. But it would be appreciated if the Rail Committee can take my suggestions into consideration. Best, Palo Alto resident April 11th, 2024 From:Susan Walz To:Council, City Subject:Please save the Cinéarts Theater in Palo Alto Square! Date:Thursday, April 11, 2024 12:32:38 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from walkknit@sbcglobal.net. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council, Please do not allow the former CinéArts Theater at Palo Alto Square to be converted into more office space. Please do not re-zone that space. There is already a glut of empty office space for rent in Palo Alto - we don't need more commercial offices. But - we do need a theater at Palo Alto Square. Not only were interesting films shown there, but every summer there was the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival at that venue, and also the Met in HD operas were shown throughout the year. Doesn't Palo Alto want to be known as a place where people can gather and meet forcultural events, to build a sense of community? Rather than just a place to work. Thank you, Susan Walz128 Westridge Drive Portola Valley, CA 94028 From:Charlie Weidanz To:Council, City Subject:Ticket Sales End MONDAY April 15th - Register Today for the Tall Tree Awards Date:Thursday, April 11, 2024 8:35:35 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. 44th Annual Tall Tree Awards ad YOU'RE INVITED 44th Annual Tall Tree Awards Celebration Register Celebrate With Us! 44th Annual TALL TREE AWARDS CELEBRATION Recognizing our city’s outstanding businesses and individuals Thursday, April 18, 20245:30 – 8:00 pm Networking Reception 5:30 - 6:45 pm (Hors d'oeuvres, Wine and Beer) Award Presentations 7:00 - 8:00 pm Sponsorship OpportunitiesContact: Charlie@paloaltochamber.com Winner's Announced! Recipients being honored are: OUTSTANDING BUSINESS Zareen’s OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONALSherri Sager OUTSTANDING CITIZEN VOLUNTEER Betsy Bechtel OUTSTANDING NONPROFITFriends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum Zoo Co-Sponsored by:Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce Palo Alto Weekly Fees/Admission Individual tickets, General Admission Chamber member and Non-member $140 Table Sponsor* (8 seats) Chamber member and Non-member $1200 *Includes your name or business on our website, all marketing materials, the event program + more. Tickets Available Here: >REGISTER ONLINE Location Oshman JCC3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto Register Hope you'll join us! charlie@paloaltochamber.com Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce 44th Annual Tall Tree Awards Celebration | Add to Calendar | Decline Invite | Register This email was sent on behalf of Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce 355 Alma St Palo Alto, CA 94301.To unsubscribe clickhere. If you have questions or comments concerning this email or services in general, please contact us by email atinfo@paloaltochamber.com. From:Aram James To:Council, City; Ed Lauing; Josh Becker; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg Cc:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Angel, David; Angie, Palo Alto Renters Association; Binder, Andrew; Cindy Chavez; Daniel Kottke; Don Austin; EPA Today; GRP-City Council; Human Relations Commission; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Moore; Jeff Rosen; Joe Simitian; Kaloma Smith; Karen Holman; Gardener, Liz; Michelle; Zelkha, Mila; Salem Ajluni; Sean Allen; Supervisor Otto Lee; Tom DuBois; Perron, Zachary; dennis burns; district1@bos.sccgov.org; Figueroa, Eric; kenneth.Binder@shf.sccgov.org; Foley, Michael Subject:Watch "Miriam Margolyes urges fellow Jews "to shout, beg, scream for a ceasefire" in Gaza" on YouTube Date:Thursday, April 11, 2024 8:30:26 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. https://youtube.com/shorts/cRkJs8w6UMU?si=lBC8mlWlwJkp_Iig From:Loran Harding To:Loran Harding; alumnipresident@stanford.edu; antonia.tinoco@hsr.ca.gov; David Balakian;bearwithme1016@att.net; fred beyerlein; Leodies Buchanan; bballpod; boardmembers; Cathy Lewis;cramirez.electriclab133@gmail.com; Council, City; dennisbalakian; Doug Vagim; dan.richard@earthlink.net;dallen1212@gmail.com; eappel@stanford.edu; Scott Wilkinson; George.Rutherford@ucsf.edu;Gabriel.Ramirez@fresno.gov; huidentalsanmateo; hennessy; Irv Weissman; Sally Thiessen; Joel Stiner; jerryruopoli; karkazianjewelers@gmail.com; kfsndesk; Kevin.Nower@bestbuy.com; Mayor; margaret-sasaki@live.com;Mark Standriff; merazroofinginc@att.net; MY77FJ@gmail.com; maverickbruno@sbcglobal.net; nick yovino;news@fresnobee.com; newsdesk; russ@topperjewelers.com; Steve Wayte; terry; tsheehan;vallesR1969@att.net; yicui@stanford.edu Subject:Fwd: Read this just B4 sell NVDA Date:Thursday, April 11, 2024 1:13:05 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>Date: Thu, Apr 11, 2024 at 12:15 AM Subject: Fwd: Read this just B4 sell NVDATo: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org> Wednesday, April 10, 2024 To fellow investors- True, NVDA has been drifting down recently. But just before you sell and move toTimbucktu, read this. Ask yourself as you read whether NVDA has a future. By the end of the article, you may have a new perspective on NVDA. I read it carefully this AM and I think I'llride NVDA down to BK, if that is where it is going. If it does go BK, I'll be surprised, and I'll never miss a meal. One day means nothing, but today, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, NVDA went up 2% whilethe DJ fell 1.09% and the Nasdaq fell 0.84%, making for a rough day on the market, but not for NVDA. I paid $232 per share for my NVDA shares 13 months ago and it closed at $870.39 today. Nvidia's Technical Road To $1,165 (NASDAQ:NVDA) | Seeking Alpha Warren Buffett said that if one had put $10,000 into the S&P 500 in 1942, he'd have $53million now. The stock market can make major changes is people's life styles. L. William Harding Fresno, Ca. From:Ronnie Falcao To:Council, City Subject:We need CinéArts Theater at Palo Alto Square Date:Wednesday, April 10, 2024 11:05:03 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from vgfpublic@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council: I am writing to encourage you to do whatever you can to savethe CinéArts Theater at Palo Alto Square. Although I live in Mountain View, I have spent a lot of time there and particularly enjoyed the film festivals. It is theperfect venue for a film festival, as it's one of the few theaters left with a large space. Respectfully,Ronnie Falcao From:Carol To:Council, City; cinearts@sonic.net Subject:Cinearts Cinema Date:Wednesday, April 10, 2024 8:08:13 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To City Council and Cinearts. I am writing to say that I think it is important to have this cinema showing some of the best foreign and/or less popular films for this well educated and international population in Palo Alto. Over the years we have watched many films which just don't appear in the other cinemas around. I think it is important that we keep the cinema open and encourage them to show more films rather than keep the same filmsrunning for months. I would like to see many more films offered. If on the other hand the sad decision is made to close the cinema, I think it is important to keep this space for recreation in Palo Alto. We don't need to turn morespace into offices as there is plenty of unused office space around town and with people working from home more and more as well as many of the high tech companies reducing staff, it seems there will be even more office space available. We need more recreation space and entertainment and public benefit space which ends up being a supermarket does not do the same to our quality of life. Quality of life involves entertainment, recreation and socialisation. Please keep these things in mind when making decisions. Thank you for your time. Carol Rogers, Stockton Place. From:matt@evolutionaryteams.com To:palo-alto@fridaysforfutureusa.org Subject:FFF Follow Up – Apr 5 (Week #117) Date:Wednesday, April 10, 2024 5:16:50 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments andclicking on links. It was great to have Juan stop by and share his climate journey. He talks the talk and walks the walk – no flying, hempclothing, vegan. Like many in our group, he is fighting for his grandkid’s future. Although some might find Juan’s living-lightly style austere, he is clearly enjoying abundance. Once we all value the true meaning of abundance, perhaps we candeliver that to our grandkids? We will see… Meanwhile, thanks to Juan for setting such a fine example! George took a stand against Chase Bank, the US bank most responsible for funding fossil fuel infrastructure and thedestruction of the planet. Thank you, George, for raising our awareness! Ingrid organized an amazing group viewing of The Week. We first met Friday evening and then again Sunday evening. TheSunday group stayed together after the viewing for a continued, fabulous discussion. Thank you, Ingrid, for introducing us tomembers of your amazing community. Kadir has released our first Green Mic video! Check it out here: https://youtu.be/3-egYQ45nNk Please watch to the endand click on the thumbs up button – this will help the video get more impressions. Thanks to Kadir for his mad directing andproducing skills! Debbie facilitated a debrief or our recent Heat Pump Water Heater program canvass. Amanda shared insights about theuptake on the program and we discussed plans for continued community outreach. Our next canvass is scheduled for SaturdayMay 11. Thanks, Debbie, for your leadership! Diane updated us on the Heat Pump Water Heater Program – see below for details. We saw a nice jump in sign-ups sincethe canvass, though installations dropped dramatically in the past month. Hopefully, the sign-ups result in more installations. Thanks for sharing this data, Diane! Ingrid was excited to share news about the new Aptera, a solar-powered, three-wheeled vehicle. Meanwhile, David continueshis global journey on his solar-powered, three-wheeled vehicle. He is currently wheeling through India where he is reportingextraordinarily high temperatures. See David on the road here. Stay safe, and keep trekking David! Avroh has been doing amazing work organizing the Climate Rally in King Plaza at 5PM on Friday April 19. Be sure to joinus and listen to our local youth leaders share their voices with the community. This Friday we will gather in King Plaza for our joint Climate Strike and Climate Friends Book Club meeting. We willdiscuss the final chapter of All We Can Save entitled “Rise.” Keep Up the Fight and See You Friday! Monthly Installation Rate Monthly Installation Rate 18 48 31 19 Target Monthly Installation Rate 83 83 83 83 Weekly Photos FFF Apr 5: What We Are Reading/Watching/Listening to: Tipping Point Podcast: The Problematique (Part 1) (tippingpoint-podcast.com) Maybe We Did Want to Save the World (Part 2) (tippingpoint-podcast.com) Maybe We Did Want to Save the World (Part 2) (tippingpoint-podcast.com) (We knew and know so much and have yet done so little – sigh) Climate One podcast: https://www.climateone.org/listen-watch/podcasts The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens (podcast): https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/ Follow Fridays For Future Palo Alto: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fridaysforfuture_paloalto/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Fri4Future_PA Email notifications of FFF Palo Alto events: https://mailchi.mp/c8c130127345/join-fridays-for-future-palo-alto You are receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in supporting climate action in Palo Alto. If you no longer wish toreceive these emails, please let me know. Matt Schlegel Schlegel Consulting 650-924-8923 Author: Teamwork 9.0 Website: evolutionaryteams.com Blog: evolutionaryteams.com/blog/ Linked In: linkedin.com/in/mattschlegel/ Twitter: twitter.com/EvoTeamMatt Instagram: instagram.com/MattSchlegel6 Facebook: facebook.com/mattschlegel.77 YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCLkUMHuG4HVa831s9yeoZ5Q Enneagram Quiz: www.EnneaSurvey.com From:aldinlee To:Council, City Subject:getting REAL Date:Wednesday, April 10, 2024 3:59:06 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from aldinlee@zoho.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Council Members, You must get a grip on reality. No one lives forever. No one has an eternal right to a piece of property. No one in Palo Alto even has a generational history with any piece of propertysuch as is seen in rural areas with family farms. Stop trying to put square pegs into round holes, and vice versa. Where it is the best LONGTERM benefit, properties NEED TO BE PURCHASED for the public GOOD. Do not spend a fortune while creating medicocre 'patchwork' grade separations ALLBECAUSE you are so terrified of implementing the 'eminent domain' concept. It exists for areason, and is a REASONABLE concept. How the heck do you think the Embarcadero Rd., University Ave. and Oregon Expy gradeseparations occurred, THEY BOUGHT PROPERTIES!!!! Egads, you people. I checked property records for those around the Churchill/Alma intersection, andfound that virtually all of the ones that if purchased would allow a highly functionalinterchange to be designed/constructed, have turned over ownership during the many yearssince this topic has been under discussion. Americans move on average every 7 years. GET REAL. No single person should be able totake away benefits from a community for hundreds of years, because they stubbornly thinktheir lot is the only place on earth they can live. It makes no sense. If the city offers them a premium price, who the heck wouldn't takethat? If they won't accept that 'exceptional' offer, then they will have to take market valuesince the city has to go through eminent domain proceedings. Stop trying to figure out how to split a pea into six parts, and how much that is going tocost you. Buy another pea! Argh,-Aldin Lee From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Josh Becker; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg; dennis burns Cc:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Angel, David; Wagner, April; Baker, Rob; Binder, Andrew; Cindy Chavez; Council, City; D Martell; Dan Okonkwo; Daniel Kottke; Dave Price; Don Austin; DuJuan Green; EPA Today; Emily Mibach; Friends of Cubberley; GRP-City Council; Greg Tanaka; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Moore; Jeff Rosen; Joe Simitian; Kaloma Smith; Lewis james; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; Van Der Zwaag, Minka; Palo Alto Free Press; Raymond Goins; Reifschneider, James; Roberta Ahlquist; Rose Lynn; Sally Lieber; Sean Allen; Shikada, Ed; Supervisor Otto Lee; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Perron, Zachary; Lee, Craig; cromero@cityofepa.org; district1@bos.sccgov.org; editor@paweekly.com; editor@almanacnews.com; Figueroa, Eric; jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; Tannock, Julie; kenneth.Binder@shf.sccgov.org; Foley, Michael Subject:Re: Incoming Prime Minister of Ireland speaks out against Israel. Date:Wednesday, April 10, 2024 12:28:50 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Incoming Prime Minister of Ireland speaks out against Israel. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HlCme1XTkdI From:Joyce Kellner To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Square theater Date:Wednesday, April 10, 2024 9:00:15 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from kellnerjoyce@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Please re-open this theater, a long treasured asset in the south Palo Alto community. We donot need more office space. We need more places to go for cultural events, where we can congregate as a community. It is shameful that in an upscale, educated community there areso few theaters. Shame on whoever thinks taking out PA Square is a good idea. Joyce KellnerLos Altos From:Gail Edwards To:Council, City Subject:PA Square Theater Date:Wednesday, April 10, 2024 8:41:43 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from gailedwards641@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Please keep the theater!! We enjoyed seeing films there. Has wonderful cozy atmosphere!Please keep the theater. Send from my iPad Gail Edwards 1-650-468-5450 From:sarah dorahy To:Council, City Cc:cinearts@sonic.net Subject:Please keep the cinema a cinema! Date:Wednesday, April 10, 2024 6:51:54 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from sdorahy@hotmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council, Please reopen CinéArts now that Covid is behind us and let's keep it open! We do not need more office space but it's imperative that we preserve spaces for the arts. Thank you,Sarah Dorahy Get Outlook for iOS From:Aram James To:Council, City; Ed Lauing; Greg Tanaka; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Gardener, Liz; Shikada, Ed Cc:Angie, Palo Alto Renters Association; D Martell; Daniel Kottke; Don Austin; Friends of Cubberley; Human Relations Commission; Jay Boyarsky; Jeff Moore; Jeff Rosen; Lotus Fong; Zelkha, Mila; Palo Alto Free Press; Bains, Paul; Paul George @ PPJC; Raymond Goins; Roberta Ahlquist; Rose Lynn; Sean Allen; Vara Ramakrishnan; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto Subject:California spent billions on homelessness without tracking if it worked Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 9:27:01 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. California spent billions on homelessness without tracking if it worked https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-04-09/state-audit-california-fails-to-track- homeless-spending-billions-dollars From:Loran Harding To:Loran Harding; alumnipresident@stanford.edu; antonia.tinoco@hsr.ca.gov; bearwithme1016@att.net; fredbeyerlein; Leodies Buchanan; bballpod; David Balakian; boardmembers; Cathy Lewis;cramirez.electriclab133@gmail.com; Council, City; Doug Vagim; dennisbalakian; dan.richard@earthlink.net;dallen1212@gmail.com; eappel@stanford.edu; Scott Wilkinson; George.Rutherford@ucsf.edu;Gabriel.Ramirez@fresno.gov; huidentalsanmateo; hennessy; Irv Weissman; Sally Thiessen; Joel Stiner; jerryruopoli; kfsndesk; karkazianjewelers@gmail.com; Kevin.Nower@bestbuy.com; MY77FJ@gmail.com; margaret-sasaki@live.com; maverickbruno@sbcglobal.net; merazroofinginc@att.net; Mark Standriff; Mayor; nick yovino;news@fresnobee.com; newsdesk; russ@topperjewelers.com; Steve Wayte; terry; tsheehan; vallesR1969@att.net Subject:Fwd: News from Stanford Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 8:31:01 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org>Date: Tue, Apr 9, 2024 at 4:03 PM Subject: Fwd: News from StanfordTo: Loran Harding <loran.harding@stanfordalumni.org> Tuesday, April 9, 2024 To all- News from Stanford: New president; truncated tetrahedrons FTW; commencement speaker -loran.harding@alumni.stanford.edu - Stanford Alumni Mail (google.com) News from the U of O: Stanford Alumni Mail - Loran, get your UO Alumni news in the April issue of Shout (google.com) I don't have an email like the above from Cal State East Bay. MS Taxation, Cal State EastBay, June, 1991. L. William Harding Fresno, Ca. From:lowys@jps.net To:Council, City Cc:lowys@jps.net Subject:The former CinéArts Theater at Palo Alto Square Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 7:09:44 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from lowys@jps.net. Learn why this is important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council, The last thing that should happen to the CinéArts Theater, is to convert it to office space!! That is a horrible idea. The theater has been a wonderful resource for entertainment andcultural events. We believe it should be resurrected to that kind of resource again. It seems all Palo Alto and Menlo Park theaters in have been eliminated; that’s not good for ourcommunity. [Please don’t count the Guild, that’s morphed into a totally different entertainment venue]. Turning the CinéArts into offices, looks like a ‘greedy developer’ strategy. Ruth Lowy and Michael LowyBarron Park From:atkinsonkim@pacbell.net To:Council, City Cc:cinearts@sonic.net Subject:Save Cinearts Theater at Palo Alto Square Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 5:44:42 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from atkinsonkim@pacbell.net. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Palo Alto City Council, Please save CineArts Theater at Palo Alto Square. We don’t need yet another office complex--- we need social cohesion and fun places to go to. This movie theater provides a convenient way to gather with local friends, and to see the latest films. After all we have born during the pandemic, and all the changes taking place, do not take this venue away from us. Kim Atkinson Palo Alto homeowner and tax payer From:Jeffrey Hook To:Council, City; Kandikuppa, Nishita; city.manager@cityofpaloalto.com Subject:Subject CUP for former Printers Cafe on California Ave 310 and 320 Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 5:26:48 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Honorable City Council, Planning Department and City Manager, I was at the meeting of the Evergreen Park Neighborhood Association (EPNA) with Wolfgang Dueregger last week. We discussed the loss of the walkable, street friendly businesses at 310and 320 California Avenue (Printers Cafe, Moods Bar, and the gallery. These businesses, especially Printers, created exactly the kind of atmosphere we think Palo Altans want in alocal commercial district: open to the public, seamless transition from the street to the interior of the shop, a place to gather and socialize. My understanding is that the owner of Printers Cafe was "forced out", by legal means, butnonetheless forced. He very much wanted to stay and was able to pay a reasonable price. Now he's gone, along with the other businesses, and we're at great risk of replacing the cafewith a facility closed to the public, with a barrier (solid wall) that ruins the atmosphere just described. I fully support the remarks made by Wolfgang in his email to you today on the same subject. The proposed plan is in violation of city Policy L-4.1 and B-2.4, as Wolfgang notes. While we probably can't bring the lost business back, we ask that the CUP for the current project be modified to include provisions that do as much to preserve the California Avewalkable atmosphere as possible. 1. The new café must be open to the public. 2. The new café should be a full-service restaurant, not just a juice/coffee bar with snacks. Tothis end, the new facilities should not expand so far into the café space that it would limit its functionality and seating capacity.3. The café should be open during reasonable hours incl. weekends, including evening hours when the gym may be closed.4. The café should continue to preserve an outdoor dining space. 5. If the new cafe hires employees for the 320 Cal Ave space, the displaced former employeesfrom Printer's Cafe, Mood's bar and the gallery should be given consideration of employment if those former employees would be interested in (in order to reduce their current hardship). Thank you for acting in the best interest of the community. Sincerely, Jeffrey HookEvergreen Park From:Cindy Nelson To:Council, City Subject:Please fairly preserve CineArts theater as community benefit Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 5:01:11 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from cindynelson11@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. The city needs the arts far more than more office space. If it was public benefit negotiated with the original developer, it should remain so. this was negotiatedinto the price, and not fair to change this on the city residents without some compensation, or best, notat all. Cynthia Nelson2702 Waverley StPalo Alto CA 94306 From:Meg Peterson To:Council, City Subject:Pls KEEP CineArts Theater at PA Square a THEATER! Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 3:34:39 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from meg@charm.org. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ The last thing Palo Alto needs is more office space. We already have enough empty office buildings in this town — (the old Palantir building still sits empty after several years) What we really need is to have our Cine Arts theater back in full operation with zoning in place to keep that theater for the benefit of our community for the foreseeable future (and beyond.) Palo Alto is already getting squeezed from every direction — from encroaching demands to shove high-rise housing into every nook of plausible space (even that of desperately needed parking spots), an increasing number of still unoccupied retail & office fronts, and the closure of popular eateries like Siam Royal due to increasing rents.) Seriously, this used to be a wonderful place to live. You were elected to serve the people of Palo Alto, not the building industry. Revitalizing Cine Arts and reinforcing its zoning as a theater is what we need — not more empty office space. From:Wolfgang Dueregger To:Council, City; Kandikuppa, Nishita; city.manager@cityofpaloalto.com Subject:CUP for former Printers Cafe on California Ave 310 and 320 Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 3:30:06 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council, Planning Department and City Manager, In last week's meeting of the Evergreen Park Neighborhood Association (EPNA), we discussed the recent events on California Avenue that add greatly to the existing challengesmaking California Avenue a vibrant and community oriented space - such as the loss of Printer's Cafe, Mood's bar and the gallery, all at once! I want to emphasize that it is imperative to preserve and enhance California Avenue as apedestrian street, with businesses which are oriented toward walk-in business such as Printer's Cafe, the Moods bar and the gallery house. I request the PTC to include requirements onconditional use permits (CUPs) that businesses make a contribution to the community and atmosphere of the walking street. The submitted application for the CUP for 310/320 Cal Avementions Printer's Cafe and Moods bar by name, but now these businesses no longer exist. Many of my friends and myself are very disappointed that the proposed project displaces 3 existing retail businesses from the 320 California Avenue tenant space. This conflicts with Policy L-4.1 to “encourage the upgrading and revitalization of selectedCenters in a manner that is compatible with the character of surrounding neighborhoods, without loss of retail and existing small, local businesses” and Policy B-2.4 to “recognize thatemployers, businesses, and neighborhoods share many values and concerns, including traffic and parking and preserving Palo Alto’s livability and need to work together with a priority onneighborhood quality of life.” It should be emphasized that wonderful people at Printer's Cafe, the Mood's bar and the gallery house have been employed for many years (some of them since the late 90's!) - and allof them are now without jobs. Printer's Cafe, the Mood's bar and the gallery house were cherished in the Palo Alto community (and way beyond!) and patrons of these businesses have used these spaces forsocial and professional gatherings, community meetings, and leisure for over 40 years. In addition to the loss of family-owned businesses, I am very concerned about the pedestrianappeal and walkability of California Avenue. I prefer to have a vibrant cafe/bar/gallery space that brings people together to chat and socialize on a downtown strip that is inviting to all asopposed to a gym (with some take out coffee and snacks) that is targeted towards a select few who are members. Unfortunately, the three businesses have already left and we can’t bring them back. A gym iscurrently permitted in the corner building (310 Cal Ave) and the owner bought the property (310 and 320 Cal Ave) specifically for a fitnessbusiness. I request to specify conditions for operating the new gym space so that it is more consistent with the desired Cal Ave use as a pedestrian street, such as: 1. The new café must be open to the public.2. The new café should be a full-service restaurant, not just a juice/coffee bar with snacks. To this end, the new facilities should not expand so far into the café space that it would limit itsfunctionality and seating capacity. 3. The café should be open during reasonable hours incl. weekends, including evening hourswhen the gym may be closed. 4. The café should continue to preserve an outdoor dining space.5. If the new cafe hires employees for the 320 Cal Ave space, the displaced former employees from Printer's Cafe, Mood's bar and the gallery should be given consideration of employmentif those former employees would be interested in (in order to reduce their current hardship). It is all about community, isn't it? There is so much talk about community, social gathering spaces, etc. - where Printer's Cafe, the Mood's bar and the gallery house just perfectly fit in to fill that void. Another big gym where we have already 3 on Cal Ave, that does not seem to be logical. Thank you for your consideration. Wolfgang DuereggerEvergreen Park From:Jerrie Welch To:Council, City Cc:cinearts@sonic.net Subject:Save the Movie Theater Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 2:04:15 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from jerriewelch4@sbcglobal.net. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. We need a local theater now that people are once again venturing out without the fear of COVID. How many more office buildings are needed when many in the Bay Area remain vacant? How will you get around the current zoning requiring a theater at that site? Please do not approve the removal of the theater. Thank you for your expected support,Jerrie Welch From:Eugenie Cabot To:Council, City Subject:Please keep the Cinearts Palo Alto Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 1:16:20 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from eugeniecabot@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. We need the theatre ! Please reopen it! Eugenie Cabot From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Jeff Moore; Jeff Rosen; Josh Becker; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Zelkha, Mila; Sean Allen; Supervisor SusanEllenberg Cc:<michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com>; Angel, David; Wagner, April; Baker, Rob; Binder, Andrew; Cecilia Taylor; Cindy Chavez; Council, City; D Martell; Daniel Kottke; Dave Price; Don Austin; EPA Today; Emily Mibach; Enberg, Nicholas; Friends of Cubberley; GRP-City Council; Greg Tanaka; Human Relations Commission; Kaloma Smith; Karen Holman; Lewis james; Linda Jolley; Lotus Fong; Michelle; Van Der Zwaag, Minka; Palo Alto Free Press; Reifschneider, James; Robert. Jonsen; Roberta Ahlquist; Rose Lynn; Salem Ajluni; Tim James; Tom DuBois; WILPF Peninsula Palo Alto; Perron, Zachary; chuck jagoda; citycouncil@mountainview.gov; Lee, Craig; cromero@cityofepa.org; Figueroa, Eric; kenneth.Binder@shf.sccgov.org; Foley, Michael Subject:Sea of Misery”: Gaza Is Unlike Anything I’ve Ever Seen, Says NGO Head/Ex-CNN Journalist Arwa Damon Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 12:42:28 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Sea of Misery”: Gaza Is Unlike Anything I’ve Ever Seen, Says NGO Head/Ex-CNN JournalistArwa Damon https://www.democracynow.org/2024/4/9/arwa_damon_gaza From:Mary Ann Norton To:Council, City Subject:I support Palo Alto Square Theater remaining open Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 12:34:15 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from maryann@nortonoptics.com. Learn why thisis important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council,I strongly believe we need to support a movie theater remaining in Palo Alto Square. The theater was an important part of Palo Alto's culture scene and suffered a blow during the covidcrisis. We need to support local arts in every way we can. Thank you for your consideration Mary Ann Norton3696 Ross Road 650-380-6978 From:Susan Witherspoon To:Council, City Subject:Cine arts theater Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 12:17:59 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from susan.witherspoon@gmail.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Please reopen this theater. From:Michael Cully To:Council, City Subject:PA Square Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 12:05:05 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from mikecully@sbcglobal.net. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Plesse keep this theater open. Thanks MikeCully Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail for iPhone From:Julie Greicius To:Council, City Subject:CineArts theater Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 12:01:57 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from julieink@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear members of the Palo Alto City Council,As 24+ year resident of Palo Alto and a devoted movie-goer, I'm writing to express my disappointment at the prospect of the Palo Alto CineArts theater at Palo Alto Square beingconverted to office space. People like me are thrilled that the pandemic is over and we can return to in-person activities. The CineArts theater was always an outstanding venue for films,and it would truly be a shame to take away such a wonderful, high-quality art venue and replace it with office spaces. Additionally, given the shift to remote work, the demand for office spaces here in Palo Alto has declined (as at has nationally), so why make this change when there is decreased demand?Please, keep CineArts alive--keep arts alive--in Palo Alto as a valuable resource for the whole community.Regards, Julie Greicius From:KB To:Council, City Cc:cinearts@sonic.net Subject:Please keep CineArts Palo Alto theater open Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 11:48:22 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from kb94028@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Hi, I'm writing to support retaining the PA Cinearts theater in the Palo Alto Square complex. My wife and I enjoy the offerings at this theater, and love the proximity and seating in such atheater. We patronize this theater often and would like it to remain. Palo Alto has many office buildings, and the ratio of employees to housing is way out there, double that of my town of Portola Valley at 0.8 jobs per household, where more housesexist than employees. Palo Alto has approximately 1.6 workers per household, and this is unfair to bedroom communities that derive little benefit from PA while providing a majorbenefit, housing, to PA workers. Palo Alto is not doing enough to provide housing for the numbers of office workers and appears, to me, to be relying upon business taxes, local employee patronage of restaurants andbusinesses, to advance local services while relying upon other towns to absorb their workers. This is, obviously, unfair to neighboring communities and the addition of more office spacewill only exacerbate this issue of stealing from bedroom communities to advance local services. Please keep the theaters as one of the few available in PA. Thank you,Kerry Brown Portola Valley, CA From:Paul Machado To:Council, City Subject:CineArts. Does your word matter? Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 11:42:44 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. When a developer agrees to a planned community benefit and builds a community benefitting structure that both the developer and the community agree is good for all, that is how the process is supposed to work. However when the developer decides he can make more money abolishing the planned community space in order to increase his profits, one must question if this is how planned community projects are supposed to work? Clearly somedevelopers believe planned community projects were only created to increase theirprofits and they really are projects that only benefit developers. Paul Machado From:Karen Jacobson To:Council, City Subject:Please Re-Open and Retain the Movie Theater at Palo Alto Square Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 11:24:47 AM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from jacobson.karen.a@gmail.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, I read in the PA Weekly that, once again, the owners of PA Square would like to close the movie theater there and convert it to office space. Please DO NOT approve this; please work hard to re-open and retain that space as a movie theater. My family and I have so enjoyed attending movies at PA Square over the years. It has ample parking—esp weekends and evenings, is very centrally located, and is accessible by bike as well. I enjoyed the more eclectic independent films that rotated through there. I’m sure some movie theater company (perhaps the Aquarius?) could make a go of it in that space if CinéArts cannot. It’s my understanding that the rent on the space is below-market/subsidized due to the community benefit requirement as per city zoning exceptions. I expect the owner of the property has chosen not to re-open it post- pandemic as a push to redevelop the space to more profitable uses. However, it’s my understanding that the nature of the lease and development agreement with the city is that that space is maintained as a movie theater for community benefit. That’s the deal for the zoning exception; the developers and current owners knew/know that. It’s not the job of the city/city council to help the owners to maximize profit; it’s to provide this community benefit to the community. Perhaps it would make sense (at least at the start) to open Thurs-Sun or Fri-Sun and see if there is more demand to open up more days. I would be delighted to attend movies there again. Best Regards, Karen Jacobson 729 Mayfield Ave. Stanford, CA 94305 From:Aram James To:Ed Lauing; Josh Becker; Julie Lythcott-Haims; Zelkha, Mila; Supervisor Susan Ellenberg Cc:Angie, Palo Alto Renters Association; Binder, Andrew; Cindy Chavez; Council, City; D Martell; Daniel Kottke; Don Austin; EPA Today; GRP-City Council; Jeff Moore; Jeff Rosen; Joe Simitian; Kaloma Smith; Karen Holman; Lewis james; Gardener, Liz; Lotus Fong; Palo Alto Free Press; Bains, Paul; Drekmeier, Peter; Roberta Ahlquist; Salem Ajluni; Sally Lieber; Sean Allen; Supervisor Otto Lee; Vara Ramakrishnan; Vicki Veenker; dennis burns; district1@bos.sccgov.org; kenneth.Binder@shf.sccgov.org; Burt, Patrick Subject:While most of our political leaders refuse to demand a permanent cease-fire Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 10:58:46 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Palestinians returning to Khan Younis find it unrecognizable Palestinians returning to Khan Younis find it unrecognizable https://edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?guid=fd3363bd-8c9e-4920-971a-2f30c0d7e16e&appcode=SAN252&eguid=1d993aba-3f10-469b-88d4- 05a2270f98fe&pnum=17# For more great content like this subscribe to the The Mercury News e-edition app here: From:Joanne Donsky To:Council, City Subject:Please keep CinéArts Theater at Palo Alto Square alive! Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 10:45:57 AM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from donskyjd@gmail.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ To the Palo Alto City Council— Please make sure that CinéArts Theater at Palo Alto Square is not converted to office space…and help it become a wonderful community movie theater again!!! CinéArts Theater at Palo Alto Square has been our favorite theater for many years. Now there are very few theaters between Redwood City and Mountain View. Let’s preserve CinéArts Theater at Palo Alto Square. We need a wonderful place to go to see movies in Palo Alto. Joanne Donsky Portola Valley From:Richard Stolee To:Council, City Subject:Conversion of the empty theater at Palo Alto Square Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 10:34:06 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from rstolee@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council, It is a shame that Hudson Properties is not willing to bring back the film venue to Palo AltoSquare. We do not need more office space to add to our already high vacancy rate in Palo Alto. We have lost so many of our film theaters while I have lived in our beloved city. They areimportant to our culture and now that people are returning to the theaters again, they can be successful in enhancing our quality of life in the city. We attended the Stanford theater overthe weekend to see a Fred Astaire film, and there were 135 people in the theater. What about a film venue like the one in New York City: https://www.filmlinc.org/about-us/ The city should take the lead in creating more venues in our city like the above otherwise if we leave our city up to the developers, we will not be the city we want to be. Richard Stolee From:Alice Gross To:Council, City Subject:CineArts Theater Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 10:29:39 AM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from alicelgross@gmail.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ City Council Members: As a long time Barron Park homeowner, I am expressing my support for retaining the CineArts Theater property as a THEATER. With the current substantial vacancy rate for offices, we do not need this property for additional office space. Alice Gross 1005 Paradise Way From:Barbara Moss Keller To:Council, City Subject:Cine arts theater Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 9:01:54 AM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from bmosskeller@gmail.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Dear City Council, Please keep the movie theater Cine Arts open as a theater. Please stop increasing office space and housing benefiting corporations and developers. Please consider the Palo Alto residents who are consistently loosing retail and recreation forums. Please do right by the folks as more and more moving away from this baron city. Thank you. Barbara Barbara Moss Keller Bryant St 94306 From:Gloria Sikora To:Council, City Subject:Save our theater @ Palo Alto Square Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 8:43:31 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from gsikora.ca@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To Palo Alto City Council: As a longtime resident of Barron Park it’s frustrating to have to petition again to save our localCineArts theater at Palo Alto Square. At a time when we are facing a glut of empty office/commercial space and told that we must make way for more and more housing alongour stretch of El Camino it seems short-sighted to remove one of the only “entertainments” in our area of Palo Alto. What to do with all the new residents? Not so many years ago our Barron Park neighbors would gather for a walk up ECR to see amovie at PA Square and then dinner at the Fish Market …. Things are not improving in our neck of the woods! Your constituents are finally returning to theaters since the pandemic … please reopen ourtheater! Thank you. Regards, Gloria Sikora3849 La Selva Dr, PA From:Nancy Tillman To:Council, City Subject:Cine Arts Theatre Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 8:06:37 AM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from nancy@till.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ I urge you to vote in favor of keeping the CineArts at Palo Alto Square. Myself and many neighbors are more eager than ever to spend time together in person at entertainment venues now that Covid is behind us. And Palo Alto Square is walkable from several neighborhoods and Stanford. It’s also a good fit among office buildings which are typically under-populated on evenings and weekends. A theatre is a terrific complementary attraction. Nancy Tillman Resident of College Terrace From:Janet Cook To:Council, City Subject:Save Cinearts Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 6:33:22 AM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from janet.teazel.cook@gmail.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Please do not convert Cinearts! Having Cinearts is one of the joys of living on the mid peninsula. Rather than converting the theatre to office space we should be trying to preserve a unique entertainment venue as we all struggle to recover from the ravages of Covid to our social fabric. Thank you. Janet Cook Janet.teazel.cook@gmail.com 650-814-9460 Sent from my iPhone From:Jody Boulay To:Council, City Subject:Re: Mental Health & Addiction Resources Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 5:01:09 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from jodybo@learnwithsupe.org. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Greetings, I messaged you last week to share a resource about mental health and addiction. I wanted to ensure that you received my email and see if you could help me with my inquiry. Sincerely, Jody Boulay Community Outreach Coordinator SUPE: Substance Use Prevention Education P:(727) 771-2242 Nonprofit #: 23090107 -----Original Message----- Greetings, I hope you are doing well today. My name is Jody from SUPE: Substance Use PreventionEducation, a non-profit organization providing education and resources to prevent substance use. We created some great resources (available both in English & Spanish) to help educate parentsand guardians about Fentanyl. Parent's Guide to Fentanyl: This comprehensive guide equips parents with valuableinformation, including tips, warning signs, and helpful videos/articles. It empowers parents to protect their children from the dangers of fentanyl and make informeddecisions regarding substance use. Protecting Children From Online Drug Dealers: This resource provides essential tools tosafeguard children, including the "Emoji code" to identify online drug dealing, insights into the dark web, and other online safety measures. Could you help share one or both of these on your website? Thank you very much for your time, and I look forward to hearing back from you. Sincerely, Jody Boulay Community Outreach Coordinator SUPE: Substance Use Prevention Education P:(727) 771-2242 Nonprofit #: 23090107 From:Virginia Smedberg To:Council, City Subject:DON"T make more office space out of a good theater! Date:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 1:08:53 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from virgviolin@hotmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council members: Now that the threat of covid has receded somewhat, people are going out for entertainment - among other things, to opera (which I play, violin in the pit), and to movie theaters. So we need to encourage that going out. And given the amount of vacant office space around here, I think we need a theater much more than we need more offices. The former CinéArts Theater at Palo Alto Square should be reopened and should be showing great movies again! Sincerely, virginia smedberg 441 Washington Ave, Palo Alto EARTH without ART is just EH From:Katie CHRISTMAN To:Council, City Subject:Please keep a theater at Palo Alto Square Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 10:26:09 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from ktchrist@pacbell.net. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ We need theaters… They provide a social connection, a link between the past and the future, and an amazing creative outlet. Let’s figure out how to keep this one! Katie Christman 1340 Byron Street From:Christine Helwick To:Council, City Subject:CineArts Theater Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 10:14:26 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from christine.helwick@gmail.com. Learn why thisis important CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I would like to see restoration of the CineArts theater once again. We have so few in PaloAlto. Christine Helwick Get Outlook for iOS From:Darshana Maya Greenfield To:Council, City Subject:Pls do NOT turn the CinéArts Theater at Palo Alto Square into more office space! Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 9:44:15 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from darshanamaya@icloud.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I was unhappy to hear that this sort of proposal was back on the table. My family has always especially loved this rare movie theatre, and I have lots of greatmemories of seeing special movies here! I have been hoping the theater would reopen, so the big multiplexes were not the only choice for a night at the movies. Another office building is NO community benefit - we have enough, and too many empty, anddon’t need another in this location. I believe that a movie theater was required as a “public benefit” when this building project was first approved. Please reconsider and help us save the CinéArts Theater at Palo Alto Square! Thanks much!Darshana Maya Greenfield Menlo Park CA 94025 https://www.paloaltoonline.com/community/2024/04/08/palo-alto-council-to-rule-on-conversion-of-movie-theater-to-office-space/ "Love is the answer whatever the question" ♥ From:phillip palmr To:Council, City Subject:Save PA Square CinéArts Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 9:34:36 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from pmpalmer@sbcglobal.net. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Members of the Palo Alto City Council: I oppose the plan to convert the former CinéArts Theater at Palo Alto Square to yet more office space. The Theater is a treasure not only for Palo Alto but also for the entire Midpeninsula community. Before the pandemic my wife and I used to frequent the theater, even though wereside in Portola Valley, not Palo Alto. Now that the pandemic is over and people are once again going to theaters, CinéArts Theater should be opened again and returned to its original purpose. Please disapprove the conversion of CinéArts Theater to office space. Thank you, Phillip Palmer Portola Valley From:Sara Tierno To:Council, City Subject:Please Preserve the CinéArts Theater at Palo Alto Square Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 9:27:42 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from sartierno@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council Members, I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the potentialconversion of the former CinéArts Theater at Palo Alto Square into officespace, as detailed in the recent article on Palo Alto Online. As a residentof Palo Alto and one of the over 2,500 individuals who activelysupported the preservation of this cultural landmark in 2016, I imploreyou to reconsider this decision. The CinéArts Theater holds significant sentimental value for manymembers of our community, serving as a cherished venue for cinematicexperiences, artistic expression, and communal gatherings. Its closurewould not only deprive us of a beloved institution but also erode thecultural fabric that makes Palo Alto such a vibrant and dynamic city. Furthermore, with the gradual resurgence of interest in movie theatersand entertainment venues, reopening the CinéArts Theater presents atimely opportunity to revitalize our community and provide much-needed outlets for social engagement and cultural enrichment. As weemerge from the challenges of the past years, the restoration of thisiconic venue would symbolize a beacon of hope and resilience for PaloAlto residents. I urge you to prioritize the preservation of the CinéArts Theater andexplore alternative solutions that would allow it to thrive once again as acultural hub for our city. Your support in safeguarding this invaluableasset would not only honor the wishes of thousands of concernedcitizens but also reaffirm Palo Alto's commitment to fostering a vibrantand inclusive community for generations to come. Please consider the collective voice of our community and take decisiveaction to prevent the conversion of the CinéArts Theater into officespace. I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward toseeing the continued preservation of our cultural heritage. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Sara Tierno ------------------------------------------------------Sara T"...Whatever you say, say with kindness..." From:Maurice L Druzin To:Council, City Subject:Cinearts theater space Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 9:24:38 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear members of the City council, Please do not allow the removal of theater space for office space at Palo alto square This space was supposed to be for community benefit, which a movie theater will provide. There is more than enough office space in Palo Alto. Please preserve our movie theaters space Maurice Druzin 1408 Pitman Palo Alto 94301 From:Rita Koltai To:Council, City Subject:CineArts heater at Palo Alto Square Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 9:08:18 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from rita@koltailighting.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To the Palo Alto City Council: Now that the Pandemic is over and people are returning to theaters, please allow the theater toreopen its doors to the public and DO NOT rezone the space to more offices. This theater has been an important asset for our community and I hope it will stay that way. Thank you,Rita Koltai Rita Koltai, IALD Koltai Lighting Design, LLC 824 Tolman Drive Stanford, CA 94305 mobile phone: 650-353-0355 rita@koltailighting.com www.koltailighting.com From:leila van gelder To:Council, City Subject:Cinearts theater Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 8:56:22 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from leilavg@pacbell.net. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ It has come to my attention that there are renewed efforts to get rid of our local movie theatre CineArts at the corner of ECR and Page Mill. This upsets me as our family enjoyed attending many foreign and international films here over the 30 years we’ve lived in Barron Park. It is conveniently close enough to walk or bike and both options are healthier and desirable alternatives to using cars, a goal which City Council already supports. We like the smaller theatre experience and urge you not to destroy a good thing. Please, please keep our neighborhood theatre! Leila Van Gelder Sent from my iPhone From:Shannon Rose To:Council, City Subject:Bring back the movie theater at Palo Alto Square Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 8:43:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Stone and Council Members, Please do not let that precious movie theater space be converted to office space. There is vacant office space available everywhere so we don't need more offices. The theater, however, was a treasure and we want it back. I have to go to Mountain View or Redwood City to see movies? Why? We are a sophisticated city and we want our theater back. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know. Sincerely, Shannon Rose McEnteeLongtime Palo Alto Resident From:Bruce L. Beron To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Square Cinema Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 8:28:57 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from brucelb@gmail.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Please do not let the theater be converted to office space. First, there is certainly no need for more office space and second, the theatre was a great community resource. Bruce Beron Beron@BeronGroup.com Mobile: 650.400.9983 Office: 650.854.1914 From:sophi0130@yahoo.com To:cineart@sonic.net; Council, City Subject:Fwd: Please keep the Palo Alto square theater open Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 8:27:54 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from sophi0130@yahoo.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. All my best, Sophia Begin forwarded message: From: sophi0130@yahoo.comDate: April 8, 2024 at 20:25:23 PDTTo: city.council@cityofpaloalto.orgSubject: Please keep the Palo Alto square theater open It had wonderful movies and we all miss that venue….. please reconsider sincethere are plenty office spaces and not to many movie theaters nearbyAll my best,Sophia From:sophi0130@yahoo.com To:Council, City Subject:Please keep the Palo Alto square theater open Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 8:25:47 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from sophi0130@yahoo.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ It had wonderful movies and we all miss that venue….. please reconsider since there are plenty office spaces and not to many movie theaters nearby All my best, Sophia From:claudette bergman To:Council, City Subject:Theater Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 8:18:47 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from therapy650@yahoo.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Look at the vacancy rates of commercial buildings in Santa Clara valley. How many theaters are easily accessible for Palo Alto. Menlo Park, Woodside, Portola Valley residents? I don’t want to drive to Mountain View or Redwood City ....so many restaurants near Palo Alto Cine art theater....such a good community amenity. Please consider quality of community not just quantity of businesses. Thank you. Claudette Rosenberg Sent from my iPad From:Brian P.McCune To:Council, City Subject:save movies and streamed performances at PA Square Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 8:17:52 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from mccune@cyladian.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Dear Palo Alto City Council members and City staff, Broad access to high quality arts is perhaps the main reason I've remained a citizen of Palo Alto for 52 years. We can't allow our proximity to arts resources at Stanford University and in San Francisco to allow those within the city to atrophy. Perhaps we can't support large performing arts venues, but we should redouble our efforts regarding theaters and museums of all sorts. The theater at Palo Alto Square has been an asset of many decades. We shouldn't allow it to become yet more offices for high-tech workers. The introduction of live opera performances from the series "Met Live in HD" has been a real addition to the offerings of Palo Alto Square. The venue has just the right size for the aural and visual effects of opera. The last theater management made a large investment in high quality sound, which by some reports is better than that in theaters in surrounding towns. Please save movies and live events at Palo Alto Square. Sincerely, Brian P. McCune From:Shailesh Shah To:Council, City Subject:Urge Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 8:11:51 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from sshailesh@yahoo.com. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ We urge to keep the theater alive , this is such an amazing experience to watch independent movies in a small family kind of environment Thxnk you Shailesh and smita Sent from my iPhone From:Rosalind Ravasio To:Council, City Subject:PLEASE BRING BACK THE PALO ALTO MOVIE THEATER!! Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 8:10:16 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from ravasio@stanford.edu. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Sent from my iPhone From:Kathleen M Eisenhardt To:Council, City Subject:Save CineArts at Palo Alto Square Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 8:10:04 PM [Some people who received this message don't often get email from kme@stanford.edu. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ City Council I am writing to urge you to find a way for the Cinemark/CineArts theatre to stay alive at PA Square. It is highly valued by many. Plus with likely increases in the PA population (especially near the theatre), usage will only grow! By contrast, Palo Alto does not need more office space...Let's save the theatre as people return to the movies and the population expands! Thank you. Kathleen Eisenhardt 4184 Donald Drive Palo Alto, CA 94306 From:Kerry Spear To:Council, City Subject:Return the theater to PA Square Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 8:07:57 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from kerry.spear@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Please keep the movie theater at Palo Alto Square. We lost the theater on Cal Ave years ago. Fine arts films, international films, opera presentations, live performances, even clubs like Alliance Francais film screenings need a place in our community. Parking is convenient here, and I personally can walk or ride my bike from home to thistheater. Kerry Spear 370 Oxford Ave. From:Alexa Sol To:Leland Wiesner Cc:AJ; Alamos, Lupita; Arce, Ozzy; Baran; CalAve Reopen Compromise Please; Carolina Hahn; Cathy Norge; Cindy Nguyen kim; Donna Mena; Eggleston, Brad; Fukuji, Bruce; Guagliardo, Steven; Imperial Treasure; John Bela; Kevin Country Sun; Liz Broekhuyse; Mike Meffert; Mike Meffert / Alhouse Deaton; Osman; Peking Duck; Remzi; Robert Martinez; Sandy Brunicardi; Terry Shuchat; aj@localfoodgroup.com; alecia@vinvinowine.com; alghafouri@gmail.com; awalkinguniverse@yahoo.com; berry@gamelandia.fun; bfbusinessllc@gmail.com; bistrobirchst@gmail.com; brandon@legends-pizza.com; brandon0605@gmail.com; cafebrioche@gmail.com; cafeprobonorestaurant@gmail.com; carrubba@gmail.com; charlie@paloaltochamber.com; chris@performancegaines.com; Council, City; concierge@shekoh.com; contact@sunofwolfpa.com; cv@kaligreekkitchen.com; dennis@protegepaloalto.com; dennis@vinvinowine.com; denniskellyms@gmail.com; dnishimoto@molliestones.com; eramos0622@gmail.com; francocampilongo@gmail.com; gillian@zombierunner.com; hello@pilatesv.com; info@baumerestaurant.com; info@italicorestaurant.com; info@vivesol.biz; info@casualchicsalon.com; ismetsylm@gmail.com; izzysbb@gmail.com; jennifer@pippaloalto.com; jessicasadee@gmail.com; jinsho454calave@gmail.com; jjarvis@stanford.edu; joaniescafepaloalto@gmail.com; judy@lpetal.com; kanzeman@sbcglobal.net; labohemepaloalto@gmail.com; lara@labodeguita.com; levent@anatoliankitchen.com; lifestylegoods@countrysun.com; lisa@vinvinowine.com; loriromero@comcast.net; lotusthaibistro@gmail.com; lucas.grzeszczuk@bankofthewest.com; lucia.miracchi@gmail.com; lwiesner@gmail.com; mag221@comcast.net; maico.campilongo@gmail.com; mariaf@vitalitybowls.com; michael@labodeguita.com; mike.mollie@gmail.com; mstraat@hughes.net; nguyenchan@gmail.com; nguyentoanandy@gmail.com; nick@performancegaines.com; nick@summitbicycles.com; nidhi@rejuvenatedental.com; opusarcade@gmail.com; paloalto@clubpilates.com; paloalto@summitbicycles.com; paloalto@vitalitybowls.com; paloalto@legends-pizza.com; pastispaloalto@gmail.com; pizzachicago@yahoo.com; ryankhalil91@gmail.com; savannah.pham@yahoo.com; scott@countrysun.com; steve@sekoyapaloalto.com; the.rara.restaurant@gmail.com; umetea888@gmail.com; victoriaballetpaloalto@gmail.com; webmaster@victoriaballet.dance; zareensmanager@gmail.com; zareensrestaurant@gmail.com Subject:Re: Cal Ave Merchants" Workshop - Opportunity for opening a Tattoo Parlor on California Ave Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 5:46:11 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I think it would be a cool addition to the street. Most tattoo artists have a upscale clientele andhave great looking studios. Much better than having a vacancy. Alexa Sol Quinto Sol 2201 BroadwayRedwood City 6503655765www.quintosol.ca Sun of Wolf406 S. California Ave Palo Altowww.sunofwolfpa.com contact@sunofwolfpa.com On Mon, Apr 8, 2024 at 4:37 PM Leland Wiesner <leland@esqprop.com> wrote: Hi All; I just received a pretty interesting inquiry attached below for a person who wants to open a Tattoo parlor on Calif Ave. I don't think he needs much space and of course, he probablydoesn't want to pay much rent but at this point its better than a vacancy. While I am a bit old school when it comes to tattoo parlors and the ambience of ourneighborhood, perhaps someone down on the other end of the block near the head shop might entertain giving this guy a chance (and could use some extra money). I am guessingthere is some synergy between a head shop and tattoo parlor in generating some additional foot traffic. And I am pretty certain he has less than 10 shops so no problem getting over theformula retail limitations. Happy to introduce you to this gentlemen or put together an LOI if you or someone youknow is interested. Best, Leland New Lead This email has been sent to you from your 433-445 Cambridge Ave listing (Listing Id: 15623692). From: CXO O | cortilla319@gmail.com To: Leland Wiesner Hi, I found Plug N Play Small Office and Retail space on LoopNet and would like to learnmore about unit 437 and what is the going rate for the space. I am in search of a space to open up a tattoo studio. Thanks and hope to hear from you soon. View All Leads -- Esquire Properties437 Cambridge Ave.650-248-1144 C/T858-754-9708 C/T, San Diego 650-321-5710 x 201 OPalo Alto, CA 94306DRE #00954319 From:Deborah Goldeen To:Council, City Cc:Lait, Jonathan Subject:Correction Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 2:20:42 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Should read: I'm astonished this wasn't done a decade ago Begin forwarded message: From: Deborah Goldeen <deborah.goldeen@sonic.net>Subject: Palo Alto Square Theater Conversion to Office Space Date: April 8, 2024 at 12:34:06 PM PDT To: "Council, City" <city.council@cityofpaloalto.org> Cc: jonathan.lait@cityofpaloalto.org I'm astonished this was done a decade ago. Calling the Palo Alto Square MovieTheaters a community resource is like saying Antonio's Nut House a vital socialgathering spot. Even though I'm within walking distance, that theater was alwayslast choice. If they had wanted to protect a valuable community resource, councilshould have protect the theater that used to be on Cal Ave. The horribly uglycontruction that is Palo Alto Square is in a perfect spot for offices. If there hadbeen any kind of real vision, that is where Wall Street West would have beenallowed to pitch their tent. How that block at the corner of Page Mill and El Camino got zoned "plannedcommunity" I'd really like to know. As far as I can tell it was another Palo Åltogood intention that went off the rails. Deborah Goldeen, 2130 Birch, 94306, (650)799-3652 From:Alan Crystal To:Shikada, Ed; Stump, Molly Cc:Stone, Greer; Council, City; Clerk, City; Lori Meyers Subject:Re: Question about the flagpoles in front of City Hall Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 2:15:11 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from alancrystal@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mr. Shikada and Ms. Stump, It was helpful and reassuring to hear Mayor Stone's message at last week's City Council meeting condemning the unauthorized flag raising and march. Would it be possible to meet with you to discuss this further? In particular - what can the citydo: 1. to hold people accountable for what happened, and 2. to prevent future violations from occurring? Best, --Alan On Sun, Mar 31, 2024 at 12:37 PM Alan Crystal <alancrystal@gmail.com> wrote: Dear Mr. Shikada and Ms. Stump, I'm hoping that you can help me with some questions that I have about the gathering of anti-Israel / pro-Hamas protestors at King Plaza in front of the Palo Alto City Hall yesterday. I was upset to see Palestinian flags displayed atop the city flagpoles during the rally. Was this authorized by the City? Is it something that is allowed by the City? I note the following City ordinance (though there may be other relevant ordinances):9.60.050 Damage to city property. No person other than a city employee or city contractor in the performance of publicduty shall: (a) Attach to or place upon any structure or surface any sign, card, display or othersimilar device; https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0-0-0-66716#JD_Chapter9.60 Were the police aware and observing the gathering yesterday? Did they take action to stop the unauthorized use of the City flagpoles, or to remove the Palestinian flags when theywere raised? What action should we have expected from the police in this circumstance? Thanks in advance for helping me understand what happened. --Alan Alan CrystalPalo Alto alancrystal@gmail.com From:Navdeep Dhaliwal To:Aslihan Biyikoglu Cc:Council, City; Board (@caltrain.com); Burt, Patrick; Kou, Lydia; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Lauing, Ed; Stone, Greer; Tanaka, Greg; Veenker, Vicki; mcrodwell@gmail.com; steve.ross@gmail.com; Josaxe@icloud.com; Lori Low; Casey Fromson; Sarah Nabong Subject:Re: Ensuring Safety at Palo Alto Rail Crossings for Our Children and Community Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 1:56:57 PM Some people who received this message don't often get email from dhaliwaln@caltrain.com. Learn why this isimportant CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Aslihan Biyikoglu, Thank you for reaching out. At Caltrain safety is a core value and we are committed to partnering with the City and community in Palo Alto. We are currently working on near-term safety improvements at the railroad crossings in Palo Alto, including fencing to further secure the alignment, and enhanced traffic management systems at the Churchill Avenue intersection, a widened pedestrian crossing area near the railroad tracks to accommodate the large volume of pedestrian traffic from the adjacent school, and the implementation of enhanced pavement markings that effectively facilitate the movements of pedestrians and bicyclists. Additionally, Caltrain is also exploring opportunities of increased signage, improved lighting, and pavement markings to prevent further tragedies. We are also in agreement that grade separations and closures are important long-term safety improvements. To achieve this, we are continuing to coordinate with the City of Palo Alto’s Connecting Palo Alto grade separation projects. We are committed to working closely with city staff to advance project planning and ensure informed decisions are made regarding the future of grade separation projects, prioritizing the safety and well-being of our community members. Caltrain also addresses safety through a comprehensive, ongoing program that focuses on the “Three E’s” of railroad safety – Education, Engineering and Enforcement. The railroad has historically collaborated with suicide prevention agencies to prevent intentional deaths on the rails by posting crisis hotline signage at points all along the corridor, and partnering with local behavioral and mental health organizations in San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. These organizations meet with Caltrain bi-monthly as part of Caltrain’s Suicide Prevention Partnership Group. In September 2023, Caltrain’s Board of Directors, in conjunction with Operation Lifesaver, reaffirmed Caltrain’s commitment to provide safe and efficient rail service between San Francisco and Gilroy by designating September as Railroad Safety and Suicide Prevention Month. Caltrain recognizes that although we are advancing these crucial initiatives, there's always room for progress and we are committed to continuing our partnership and dialogue with the You don't often get email from ab.design@outlook.com. Learn why this is important community. For any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly, Navi Dhaliwal, Government and Community Affairs Officer at Caltrain. Sincerely, Navi Dhaliwal, MPP |Government & Community Affairs Officer Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board 1250 San Carlos Ave. San Carlos, CA 94070 Phone: 650-730-6077 Website: www.caltrain.com From: Aslihan Biyikoglu <ab.design@outlook.com> Sent: Monday, February 26, 2024 9:05 PM To: city.council@cityofpaloalto.org; Board (@caltrain.com) <board@caltrain.com>; Burt, Pat [Pat.burt@cityofpaloalto.org] <Pat.Burt@CityofPaloAlto.org>; Lydia.Kou@CityofPaloAlto.org; Julie.LythcottHaims@CityofPaloAlto.org; Ed.Lauing@CityofPaloAlto.org; Greer.Stone@CityofPaloAlto.org; Greg.Tanaka@CityofPaloAlto.org; Vicki.Veenker@CityofPaloAlto.org Cc: mcrodwell@gmail.com; steve.ross@gmail.com; Josaxe@icloud.com Subject: Ensuring Safety at Palo Alto Rail Crossings for Our Children and Community ATTENTION: This email came from an external source. Do not open attachments orclick on links from unknown senders. Dear Members of the Palo Alto City Council, Palo Alto Rail Committee, and CaltrainOfficials,We are reaching out with a deep sense of urgency and concern, compelled by the tragic events that have unfolded in our community. Within the first two months of this year alone, we have mourned the loss of two lives due to collisions with Caltrain at railroad crossings in Palo Alto. The most recent incident involved a Palo Alto High School student, a loss that has deeply shaken our community, coming shortly after another devastating loss in January where a pedestrian was fatally struck near the California Avenue station. These tragedies underscore a critical and immediate need for action to improve safety at our railroad crossings, alongside expediting and finalizing the grade separation project. The frequency and severity of these incidents within such a short span of time have raised alarm and urgency among Palo Alto parents, residents, and beyond. In response, our community has rallied together, advocating for change through a petition that has quickly garnered significant support. This petition emphasizes the urgent need to both expedite and finalize the grade separation project and to implement immediate solutions to enhance safety at railroad crossings. The details of this petition and the collective plea of our community can be found at https://chng.it/FY9qgB59qN From:Deborah Goldeen To:Council, City Cc:Lait, Jonathan Subject:Palo Alto Square Theater Conversion to Office Space Date:Monday, April 8, 2024 12:34:25 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.________________________________ I'm astonished this was done a decade ago. Calling the Palo Alto Square Movie Theaters a community resource islike saying Antonio's Nut House a vital social gathering spot. Even though I'm within walking distance, that theaterwas always last choice. If they had wanted to protect a valuable community resource, council should have protectthe theater that used to be on Cal Ave. The horribly ugly contruction that is Palo Alto Square is in a perfect spot foroffices. If there had been any kind of real vision, that is where Wall Street West would have been allowed to pitchtheir tent. How that block at the corner of Page Mill and El Camino got zoned "planned community" I'd really like to know. Asfar as I can tell it was another Palo Ålto good intention that went off the rails. Deborah Goldeen, 2130 Birch, 94306, (650)799-3652