Historic Resources Board Application
Submitted on 2 June 2024, 9:59am
Receipt number 16
Related form version 15
Name Barry Katz
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident? Yes
Address
City
Postal Code
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?
Yes
Fair Political Practices
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Historic
Resources Board?
Email from the City
Personal Information
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below: I give permission for the City of Palo Alto to post to the City’s website the attached Board and Commission Application intact. I have read and understand my rights under Government Code Section 6254.21. I may revoke this permission at any time by providing written notice to the Palo Alto City Clerk.
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website Occupation Professor (retired)
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of training, licenses, and professional registration.
If describing work experience, please include
company/employer name and occupation.
Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz:
Consulting Professor, Design Group, Stanford University (1980-2022) Professor, Industrial and Interaction Design, California College of the Arts (1993-2023)
Fellow, IDEO, Inc. (1997-2022)
Extensive academic and journalistic publishing record including: Make it New. The History of Silicon Valley Design (MIT Press, 2015); Change By Design (with Tim Brown: Harper Collins, 2009/2019).
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
Ventura Neighbors Association: active member
Congregation Etz Chayim: Design Committee (chair and active member) Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Historic Resources Board and what experience would you bring to the position? I have academic expertise in the history and theory of design, with particular interest in design and architecture in Silicon Valley.
I am interested in serving on the Historic Resources Board because I believe, in the tradition of William Morris, that we are not simply inheritors but custodians of an architectural legacy. As he stated in 1889, "They are not in any sense our property, to do with as we like. We are only trustees for those that come after us... My belief is that our descendants will thank us for our share of the work."
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Board that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are interested in it.
I have actively followed, and to some extent participated in discussions of the North Ventura Coordinated Plan, specifically the cannery site previously occupied by Fry's Electronics. I would like to see balanced development that responds to the needs of present without translating our 130 year old city into a featureless and generic exurban landscape.
To my mind this would entail more than a bronze plaque.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Historic Resources Board achieve, and how would you help in the process?
Above all I would like to encourage thoughtful and respectful discussion of what will inevitably involve some contentious issues. I would also like the Historic Resources Board to serve an educational function, perhaps with greater outreach to the larger community than simply reporting its proceedings on the City's website. Palo Alto has played an outsize role in framing the character of modern life, and I would like the AHR to be a leader in demonstrating how to leverage the past as we look to the future.
4. Historic Resources Board Members work with the
documents listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents, please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is not required for selection.
I have some familiarity but no direct experience with this body of documents.
Application Questions
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5. Please identify a project or projects that you find to be examples of good historic architecture, and explain why. You may attach samples, identify project addresses, or provide links.
Graduate Hotel, 488 University Ave. I am appreciative of the work of ELS Architecture and Design in the renovation of the original Birge Clark President's Hotel. The project demonstrates that it's possible to preserve an important historic structure while adapting it to current requirements.
Unlike too many of its neighbors, it honors the streetscape without resorting to artificial stylistic gestures.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload below.
Barry Katz resume-books-2024.pdf
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and
Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Barry Katz
Uploaded signature image: BK signature-single.jpg
Date Completed 06/02/2024
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Historic Resources Board Application
Submitted on 11 March 2024, 1:02pm
Receipt number 10
Related form version 15
Name H. Caroline Willis
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident? Yes
Address
City
Postal Code
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?
Yes
Fair Political Practices
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real property in Palo Alto?
Yes
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Historic
Resources Board?
Other: currently serving on the Board
Personal Information
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below: I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers, and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application prior to posting to the City’s website.
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website Occupation Landlord, housewife
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of training, licenses, and professional registration.
If describing work experience, please include
company/employer name and occupation.
Architectural degree from the Rhode Island School of Design Licensed to practice Architecture in California, License # C 14615 Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
Former President of PAST Heritage
Docent for PAST Heritage
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Historic Resources Board and what experience would you bring to the position? I believe that the structures from our past have important messages to convey to us: reminding of us of the history we are building on, how quickly life changes, that we are making decisions influencing future generations.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Board that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are interested in it.
The Board is currently trying to bring the Historic Inventory up to date for the first time since its inception in the 70s. This action is long overdue.
The fact that it has been ignored for so long has created an unfounded dread in the community that there are lurking unknown negative consequences to being on the Inventory.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Historic Resources Board achieve, and how would you help in the process?
We need to move forward and update our Inventory and create a system for keeping the Inventory up to date. Property owners need to be supported in their efforts to maintain their historic properties instead of being made to feel that they are subject to additional burdens and regulations. We need a staff person with a deep understanding of and appreciation for preservation and the willingness to advocate for our historic property owners.
4. Historic Resources Board Members work with the
documents listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents, please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is not required for selection.
I am familiar with the PA code section 16.49 regarding preservation and the Sec'y of the Interior Standards. I have referenced these documents to help my decision making while serving on the Board and over the years restoring historic houses and advising homeowners.
5. Please identify a project or projects that you find to be examples of good historic architecture, and explain why. You may attach samples, identify project addresses, or provide links.
I am particularly partial to the Ramona Street Historic District for its unique architecture. I love wandering through and admiring the many handcrafted details. It contains the work of the Architect Birge Clark and the designer Pedro de Lemos who contributed some of our most treasured buildings around town. It represents an early destination shopping district predating the mall concept. It pains me to see the Application Questions
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hodgepodge assembled in the street and I am hopeful that we will invest in finding an appropriate response to the streetscape in the not too distant future.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and
Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: H Caroline Willis
Link to signature
Date Completed 03/11/2024
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Historic Resources Board Application
Submitted on 4 May 2024, 8:48am
Receipt number 12
Related form version 15
Name Christopher Brosnan
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident? Yes
Address
City
Postal Code
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?
Yes
Fair Political Practices
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Historic
Resources Board?
Email from the City
Personal Information
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below: I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers, and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application prior to posting to the City’s website.
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website Occupation Basketball Coach
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of training, licenses, and professional registration.
If describing work experience, please include
company/employer name and occupation.
I have coached basketball for Gunn High School going on ten seasons Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
I volunteer for the Palo Alto Pollinator garden. I am a member of my HOA's landscape committee
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Historic Resources Board and what experience would you bring to the position? I love Palo Alto. I have lived here for over 30 years. I have an excellent sense of Palo Alto's historical significance
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Board that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are interested in it.
On San Antonio road there was a mortuary that was very beautiful that was demolished, which I disagreed with
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Historic Resources Board achieve, and how would you help in the process?
Preserving Palo Alto's beautiful history and ecology is extremely important to me. I will bring essential enthusiasm to the table
4. Historic Resources Board Members work with the
documents listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents, please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is not required for selection.
I have seen the comprehensive plan before
5. Please identify a project or projects that you find to be examples of good historic architecture, and explain why. You may attach samples, identify project addresses, or provide links.
I am a huge fan of the Palo Alto post office downtown. I love when history is preserved for our enjoyment
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and
Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Application Questions
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Signature Name of signatory: Chris Brosnan
Link to signature
Date Completed 5/4/2024
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Historic Resources Board Application
Submitted on 14 May 2024, 2:12pm
Receipt number 14
Related form version 15
Name Geddes Ulinskas
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident? Yes
Address
City
Postal Code
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?
Yes
Fair Political Practices
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Historic
Resources Board?
Email from the City
Personal Information
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below: I give permission for the City of Palo Alto to post to the City’s website the attached Board and Commission Application intact. I have read and understand my rights under Government Code Section 6254.21. I may revoke this permission at any time by providing written notice to the Palo Alto City Clerk.
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website Occupation Architect
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of training, licenses, and professional registration.
If describing work experience, please include
company/employer name and occupation.
I received a bachelor of architecture from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn New York. My early professional experience in New York included projects such as the restoration of Bryant Park, the New York Public Library and the restoration and re-construction of seven Carnegie Grant libraries in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan. After moving to San Francisco, I established my own architectural practice. My projects in San Francisco include the re-construction of the Congregation Chevra Thilim, home to one of the oldest traditional Jewish Communities in San Francisco as well as the renovation and restoration of multiple historic homes. Our renovation of the historic Henning Thode residence at Dolores Street was a restoration on a significant home of Historical Merit.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
I have been a member of the American Institute of Architects for over two decades. I have volunteered for many committees and panels for the AIA San Francisco Chapter. From 2002 to 2007, I was a member of the Bernal Heights design review board. I attended monthly meetings to review design proposals for projects in the Bernal Heights Special use district and evaluate how proposals conformed to the special rules for the Bernal Heights district. After moving to Palo Alto, I have worked on two residential projects in Professorville, the most historically significant neighborhood in Palo Alto. I am very familiar with the design guidelines for Professorville and the rich architectural history that shaped this neighborhood.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Historic Resources Board and what experience would you bring to the position? Palo Alto is a very special place to me and it is quickly developing. I see development as a healthy part of the any city and there are benefits for the economy and culture, but the special character and charm of a community can get lost unless special care is taken to identify the unique elements of the environment and there is a plan for how to respect those elements. My experience working with Planning and Preservation on many projects in San Francisco, my experience as a member of the Bernal Heights Design Review Board and my experience designing residential projects in Professorville all provide background that I could bring to the Historic Resources Board. I have also worked closely with the historic resource firm of Page and Turnbull for many projects. I understand that Page and Turnbull has drafted many of the historic reports for the city of Palo Alto.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Board that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are interested in it.
I was very interested by the recent Historic review of 261 Hamilton Avenue. Although the discussion was focused on the replacement of tile accents on the base of the building, the history of that structure was reviewed and as part of the proceedings, the structure was revised from a category 3 contributing building to a major historic resource. What was also inspiring was that the owner of the building spoke about its history Application Questions
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and the owner has been a resident in Palo Alto since 1947. He had a clear passion for the significance of his property and all the historic buildings in the Ramona Architectural District. What this demonstrates is that historic preservation is not an academic exercise, but rather the stewardship of parts of the environment that are tied to the history and memories of our neighbors, friends and families.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Historic Resources Board achieve, and how would you help in the process?
There are many guidelines for renovating historic buildings that have been identified as contributing and known resources. I would like to see some recommendations for new developments in non-historic areas help make new construction reflect some more of the characteristics that make Palo Alto special. Historic guidelines for new construction in new development zones of the city would also help to unify new and old and create a more integrated architectural vocabulary. It is still important that new construction be visibly of its time, and attempting to imitate historic styles in problematic, but there are attitudes and treatments of materials and massing that can unify new and historic construction.
4. Historic Resources Board Members work with the
documents listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents, please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is not required for selection.
To research my designs for projects in Palo Alto, I have referenced the Municipal code - Chapter 16.49
I have been familiar with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for more than two decades. I have attended many seminars on its application and many of the updates that have been issued.
I have had to follow the Environmental Quality Act for many of my project including coastal commission review.
I have had to work with the Professorville Guidelines since 2020 with one design project at Bryant Street and a second design project at Melville. I have also worked in Page and Turnbull on specific application and evaluation of my designs.
5. Please identify a project or projects that you find to be examples of good historic architecture, and explain why. You may attach samples, identify project addresses, or provide links.
I am very impressed with the restoration of the Paly Tower at Paly High School. I understand the project was a joint effort by Palo Alto Stanford Heritage and Palo Alto Historical Association.
The restoration of the Hoover Pavilion at the Stanford University Medical Center is also an example of a beautiful historic building remaining current and fulfilling a vital role in the community. I am also a fan of all the Eichler homes in Palo Alto and all the owners who have made updates and improvements, but keep the spirit of their homes the same.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and
Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Geddes Ulinskas
Link to signature
Date Completed 05/14/2024
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Historic Resources Board Application
Submitted on 8 May 2024, 2:40pm
Receipt number 13
Related form version 15
Name Zachary Pozner
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident? Yes
Address
City
Postal Code
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?
Yes
Fair Political Practices
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Historic
Resources Board?
Email from the City
Personal Information
1 of 4
Read the code, and check only ONE option below: I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers, and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application prior to posting to the City’s website.
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website Occupation Director of Architecture, Senior Campus Planner Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of training, licenses, and professional registration.
If describing work experience, please include
company/employer name and occupation.
Director of Architecture, Senior Campus Planner
Stanford University: University Architect / Campus Planning and Design [March 2012 - Present]
Senior Project Manager,Design Manager, Entitlements Manager Stanford University Medical Center: Planning Design & Construction [February 2006 - February 2012]
Senior Designer, Project Architect
SmithGroupJJR
[May 2002 - February 2006]
Designer
KMD Architects
[June 1999 - January 2002]
Designer
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
[February 1999 - June 1999]
Designer
Desmone & Associates Architects
[August 1997 - December 1998]
Education
Carnegie Mellon University
Bachelor of Architecture (BArch)
Minor in English Studies
1994 - 1999
Cornell University
Architecture Study Abroad (Rome, Italy)
Architecture, Art & Planning
1998 - 1998
Kunming University of Science and Technology
Architecture Study Abroad (Kunming, China)
Architecture, Art & Planning
1997 - 1997
Licensure
Registered Architect, New York State
License #36269
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
I I lived in San Francisco from 1999 - 2023, but never held any official public office or had ample time to volunteer to help my local community.
After 20 years commuting to Stanford every day, I finally moved to Palo Alto in the summer of 2023. I have spent the majority of my career helping to guide the planning and design of the Stanford's Land, Buildings and Real Estate, including:
Stanford University
Stanford Redwood City
Stanford Belmont
Stanford Research Park
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
Stanford Shopping Center
Activities & Volunteering:
Series Director
Stanford University Spring Lecture Series in Architecture + Landscape + Urban Design
June 2012 – Present
Personal and Job Experience
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Studio Critic & Lecturer
Stanford University - Architectural Design Program
Jan 2016 - Present
Studio Critic
Academy of Art University - School of Architecture
Jan 2018 - Present
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Historic Resources Board and what experience would you bring to the position? During my 20 years working at Stanford Hospital and Stanford University, I have performed many different roles in the public process on behalf of those institutions, including:
Entitlements Manager
Project Manager
Campus Planner
Director of Architecture
I have collaborated with CoPA Planning, Public Works, Transportation, Fire & Police Departments. I have presented at ARB, Planning Commission, and City Council meetings. in my capacity as landlord, I have successfully guided dozens of Research Park and Shopping Center tenants through the ARB process. I believe I have a strong understanding of the values of the Palo Alto Community and the HRB, and the public process of planning and design review.
I realize that I would need to recuse myself from Stanford projects, but I still feel that I could make a positive impact on the HRB.
I am overjoyed to finally be living in Palo Alto, and would love the opportunity to help the guide the future of the Palo Alto built environment.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Board that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are interested in it.
I have not attended any recent sessions, but I presented to the HRB when I was managing the Hoover Pavilion Renovation project.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Historic Resources Board achieve, and how would you help in the process?
One of the primary roles in my current position is to critique planning and design within a specific context. This requires the ability to zoom in & out of a project: focusing on the detail of how the proposed project itself is designed, while also considering how it meshes with the broader neighborhood. This ability to focus on different scales is critical to guiding design professionals who do not spend as much time in our community as we do.
I also take pride in my ability to remove my own ego from the design process. My goal is not to make my personal imprint on a project.
Rather, it is to assist the consultant teams to reach the optimal version of their concept & design. This often involves a skill for asking the right questions of the designer, rather than proposing specific solutions. I think I could help project applicants to clarify their own objectives in order to validate (or modify) their proposed solutions.
4. Historic Resources Board Members work with the
documents listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents, please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is not required for selection.
I have read these documents in the past, and would familiarize myself with them if selected to the HRB.
5. Please identify a project or projects that you find to be examples of good historic architecture, and explain why. You may attach samples, identify project addresses, or provide I am very proud of our historic renovation of Hoover Pavilion. We restored the exterior to its original glory, while renovating the interior to a modern medical clinic with a warm aesthetic that makes our patients and Application Questions
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links. staff feel comfortable and valued.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and
Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Zachary Pozner
Link to signature
Date Completed 05/08/2024
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