Upfront
,OCAL NEWS INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS
Palo Alto may toss out City Council term limits #ITY TO CONSIDER EXTENDING TERM LIMITS FROM TWO TO THREE OR ELIMINATING THEM ENTIRELY by Gennady Sheyner AYS AFTER THREE MEMBERS OF THE 0ALO !LTO #ITY #OUNCIL PROPOSED EXTENDING THE COUN CIL S TERM LIMITS FROM TWO TO THREE THE NINE MEMBER BODY ON -ONDAY *UNE THREW ANOTHER IDEA ON THE TABLE ELIMINATING TERM LIMITS EN TIRELY
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)N THE FINAL ACTION OF ITS LONGEST MEETING SO FAR THIS YEAR THE COUN CIL VOTED WITH 0AT "URT AND 'REG 3CHMID DISSENTING TO HAVE THE /FFICE OF THE #ITY !TTORNEY DRAFT LANGUAGE FOR TWO POTENTIAL #ITY #HARTER AMENDMENTS PERTAIN ING TO COUNCIL TERMS /NE CHANGE
WHICH WAS FIRST PROPOSED LAST WEEK BY 6ICE -AYOR .ANCY 3HEPHERD AND #OUNCILWOMEN ,IZ +NISS AND 'AIL 0RICE WOULD EXTEND THE NUMBER OF FOUR YEAR COUNCIL TERMS FROM TWO TO THREE !NOTHER ONE PROPOSED BY -AYOR 'REG 3CHARFF SHORTLY BEFORE THE MEETING CONCLUDED AT P M WOULD ELIMINATE TERM LIMITS ENTIRELY #OUNCIL MEMBERS DIDN T MAKE ANY DECISIONS ABOUT CHANGING THE RULES FOR TERMS DECISIONS THAT IN ANY
EVENT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO VOTER AP PROVAL BUT SEVERAL VOICED SUPPORT FOR ELIMINATING TERM LIMITS #HIEF AMONG THEM WAS #OUNCILMAN ,ARRY +LEIN WHO SERVED ON THE COUNCIL FOR MUCH OF THE S BEFORE RETURNING TO THE COUNCIL IN (E IS CUR RENTLY IN HIS SECOND TERM +LEIN CALLED TERM LIMITS hBASICAL LY UNDEMOCRATICv AND hINSULTING FOR ELECTORATES v WHO ALWAYS HAVE THE OPTION OF VOTING OUT AN INCUMBENT IF THEY DON T LIKE HOW HE OR SHE IS
PERFORMING h9OU ARE DEPRIVING VOTERS OF THEIR RIGHT TO CHOOSE OR NOT CHOOSE THAT PERSON v +LEIN SAID )N FACT SINCE THREE 0ALO !LTO INCUMBENTS HAVE BEEN VOTED OUT OF OFFICE 2OY #LAY 3ANDY %AKINS AND .ANCY ,YTLE 3HEPHERD +NISS AND 0RICE ARGUED THAT EXTENDING TERM LIMITS WOULD BENEFIT THE CITY BECAUSE IT WOULD AL (continued on page 8)
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Showdown looms over senior housing (OUSING ADVOCATES NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS CLASH OVER PROPOSAL FOR FORMER ORCHARD SITE by Gennady Sheyner FTER TWO EMOTIONAL PUBLIC MEETINGS 0ALO !LTO OFFICIALS ARE PREPARING TO MAKE A MA JOR RULING -ONDAY ON A DEVELOP MENT THAT HAS STIRRED ANXIETIES AND STOKED ANGER AROUND SOUTH 0ALO !LTO A PROJECT THAT INCLUDES SENIOR HOUSING UNITS AND SINGLE FAMILY HOMES NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF -AYBELL AND #LEMO AVENUES 4HE #ITY #OUNCIL WILL CONSIDER APPROVING A ZONE CHANGE THAT WOULD ALLOW THE NONPROFIT 0ALO !LTO (OUS ING #ORPORATION TO BUILD THE PROJECT AT A FORMER ORCHARD SITE AT -AY FIELD !VE )F THE COUNCIL APPROVES THE CHANGE TO A hPLANNED COMMU NITYv ZONE THE (OUSING #ORPORATION WOULD BE ABLE TO DEVELOP THE SITE AT A MUCH HIGHER DENSITY THAN THE UN DERLYING ZONING WOULD OTHERWISE ALLOW )N EXCHANGE FOR THE ZONE CHANGE DEVELOPERS TYPICALLY PROVIDE hPUB LIC BENEFITSv THAT THEY NEGOTIATE WITH THE COUNCIL )N THIS CASE THE MAIN BENEFIT IS THE PROJECT ITSELF WHICH ADDRESSES ONE OF 0ALO !LTO S MOST GLARING HOUSING NEEDS BY PROVID ING UNITS FOR LOW INCOME SENIORS 4O UNDERSCORE THAT URGENT DEMAND FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING THE CITY HAS ALREADY LOANED THE (OUSING #ORPO RATION MILLION TO PURCHASE THE -AYBELL SITE h!BOUT PERCENT OF SENIORS ARE LIVING AROUND THE POVERTY LEVEL OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE IT 4HIS WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TOWARD THAT POPULATION v CITY PLANNER 4IM 7ONG TOLD THE 0LANNING AND 4RANSPORTA TION ON -AY "UT EVEN WITH THE BENEFIT OF MORE SENIOR HOUSING THE PROPOSAL HAS STOKED ANGER AMONG LOCAL RESIDENTS WITH HUNDREDS ATTENDING RECENT PUB LIC HEARINGS ON THE PROJECT AND BOM BARDING THE COUNCIL WITH LETTERS AND EMAILS ! NEW STAFF REPORT ON THE
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Katie Brigham
9OUNG SHOPPERS CHECK OUT THE CANDY AISLE AT THE GRAND OPENING OF 4HE &RESH -ARKET A NEW GROCERY STORE IN 0ALO !LTO S %DGEWOOD 0LAZA
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Long-awaited Fresh Market opens in Edgewood Plaza !FTER A DECADE OF CONTROVERSY CUSTOMERS EAGERLY WELCOME THE GOURMET GROCERY STORE by Karishma Mehrotra N THE OPENING DAY OF THE GOURMET GROCERY STORE &RESH -ARKET IN THE RENO VATED %DGEWOOD 0LAZA THERE WAS ONE WORD ON PEOPLE S MINDS h&I NALLY v !FTER A YEAR OF WATCHING CON STRUCTION AND SEVEN YEARS AFTER THE OLD !LBERTSONS CLOSED +AREN 3NOW SAID SHE NEARLY CRIED WALK ING INTO THE STORE ON 7EDNESDAY MORNING h7E VE BEEN WAITING FOREVER FOR THIS BECAUSE IT S BEEN A MESS DOWN HERE v SAID 3NOW WHO LIVES NEARBY h)T S BEAUTIFUL v 4HE RELIEF MAKES SENSE AS THE
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PLAZA IN 0ALO !LTO S $UVENECK 3T &RANCIS NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN A HOT BED OF CONTENTION THROUGHOUT THE PAST DECADE &RESH -ARKET S OPENING MARKS THE FIRST PHASE OF REVITALIZATION OF THE DESERTED PLAZA AFTER 2EDWOOD #ITY BASED 3AND (ILL 0ROPERTY #OMPANY SPENT YEARS NEGOTIATING AN AGREE MENT WITH NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS ON ITS HISTORICAL VALUE THE PLAZA WAS *OSEPH %ICHLER S ONLY COM MERCIAL DEVELOPMENT %VEN AFTER A PLAN WAS SETTLED TO BUILD HOMES A SMALL PARK AND A NEW GROCERY STORE IT WAS DELAYED WHEN A CONTRACTOR DEMOL
ISHED A HISTORICAL BUILDING THAT HAD BEEN SLATED FOR PRESERVATION 0UTTING ALL THE FUSS BEHIND THEM CUSTOMERS REVELED AT THE MUCH ANTICIPATED GROCERY STORE ON 7EDNESDAY MORNING 4HEY SIPPED FROM SAMPLE CUPS OF HOUSE BLEND ED COFFEE WHILE OGLING A LARGE PRO DUCE SECTION WITH LABELS FOR LOCAL MILES AWAY AND REGIONAL MILES AWAY FOOD 4HE BAK ERY FEATURED DIFFERENT BREADS AND DIFFERENT PIES THE CHEESE SECTION MORE THAN DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED VARIETIES ALL CUT AND (continued on page 9)
PROJECT INCLUDES AS AN ATTACHMENT A STACK OF LETTERS MORE THAN AN INCH THICK WITH A SIZABLE MAJORITY OPPOS ING THE ZONE CHANGE -OST CRITICS CITE TRAFFIC CONCERNS AND ARGUE THAT THE CORRIDOR IN THE SCHOOL HEAVY SECTION OF TOWN CAN NOT ACCOMMODATE ANY MORE CARS ON THE ROAD ,YDIA +OU A "ARRON 0ARK RESIDENT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF HER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION TOLD THE PLANNING COMMISSION LAST MONTH THAT THE LOCATION IS NOT SUITABLE FOR A HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT AND REC OMMENDED THE CITY REJECT THE ZONE CHANGE 'EORGIA !VENUE RESIDENT 2OBERT (ESSEN ALLUDED TO THE hFLO TILLA OF KIDS ON BICYCLESv WH O USE -AYBELL TO GET TO 'UNN (IGH AND OTHER AREA SCHOOLS AND ARGUED THAT ADDING MORE TRAFFIC TO THE AREA IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER h5NLESS THAT AREA IS CAREFULLY PO LICED THERE S GOING TO BE A FATALITY AND WE RE GOING TO HAVE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WEARING BLACK ARMBANDS v (ESSEN SAID /THERS HAVE ARGUED THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD DOESN T HAVE ENOUGH AMENITIES TO ACCOMMODATE SENIORS 4HEN THERE S THE ISSUE OF THE CITY S LOAN WHICH MANY RESIDENTS VIEW AS A SURE SIGN THAT THE PROCESS IS RIGGED AND THAT THE PROJECT S APPROVAL IS ES SENTIALLY A DONE DEAL "UT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF CITY STAFF THESE CONCERNS ARE OVERSTATED AND IN SOME CASES MISGUIDED )N A NEW REPORT STAFF NOTES THAT THE AREA ALREADY INCLUDES SEVERAL MAJOR SE NIOR HOUSING COMPLEXES INCLUDING ONE MANAGED BY THE (OUSING #OR PORATION THAT WOULD BE NEXT TO THE PROPOSED -AYBELL DEVELOPMENT 4HE TRAFFIC IMPACTS STAFF STATES WOULD BE MINIMAL ! TRAFFIC ANAL YSIS WHICH MANY RESIDENTS HAVE (continued on page 8)
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