CITY COUNCIL
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
Regular Meeting
August 12, 2024
The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the Council Chambers and by virtual teleconference at 5:30 P.M.
Present In Person: Burt, Kou, Lauing, Lythcott-Haims, Stone, Tanaka, Veenker Tanaka arrived at 5:34 P.M.
Present Remotely:
Absent:
Special Orders of the Day
1. Appointment of Candidates for Vacancies on the Historic Resources Board. CEQA Status – Not a project.
Historic Resources Board
First Round of Voting for Two (2) vacancies on the Historic Resources Board with terms ending March 31, 2027
Barry Katz: Kou, Lythcott-Haims, Tanaka
Zachary Pozner: Burt, Tanaka
Geddes Ulinskas: Lauing, Lythcott-Haims, Stone, Veenker Caroline Willis: Burt, Kou, Lauing, Stone, Veenker
Candidate Geddes Ulinskas receiving 4 votes is appointed to a full -term expiring March 31, 2027.
Candidate Caroline Willis receiving 5 votes is appointed to a full-term expiring March 31, 2027.
2. Presentation of Exchange Students from Sister Cities of Albi, France and Oaxaca, Mexico
NO ACTION
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
City Council Meeting
Draft Action Minutes: 08/12/2024
Closed Session
3. CONFERENCE WITH CITY ATTORNEY- EXISTING LITIGATION
Carina Rossner v. City of Palo Alto et al.
Santa Clara County Superior Court Case No. 23-CV-410650 (One Case, as Defendant) Authority: Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1)
MOTION: Council Member Veenker moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Lauing to go into Closed Session.
MOTION PASSED: 6-0-1, Kou recused
Council went into Closed Session at 5:40 P.M.
Council returned from Closed Session at 6:43 P.M.
Mayor Stone announced no reportable action.
Agenda Changes, Additions and Deletions
Public Comment
Council Member Questions, Comments and Announcements
Consent Calendar
MOTION: Council Member Burt moved, seconded by Council Member Kou to approve Agenda Item Numbers 4-5.
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
4. Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Accept on Behalf of the City of Palo Alto a Grant of Funds from the County of Santa Clara for the 2023 Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) Program and Approve FY 2025 Budget Amendments in the General Fund; CEQA Status: Not a Project
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
City Council Meeting
Draft Action Minutes: 08/12/2024
5. Adopt an Ordinance to Rename Tower Well Park to Fred Eyerly Tower Well Park as Recommended by the Parks & Recreation Commission; CEQA status – not a project.
City Manager Comments
Ed Shikada, City Manager
Action Items
AA1. PUBLIC HEARING/QUASI-JUDICIAL. Buena Vista Mobile Home Park Redevelopment/3980 El Camino Real [24PLN-00041; 24PLN -00129] Approval of a Vesting Tentative Map to Subdivide One Existing 4.5 -acre Parcel into Two Parcels and to Approve a Streamlined Housing Development Review Application for a 61 -unit Apartment Building. The Project Also Includes 44 Mobile Homes, which are Regulated by the State, and Authorization for the City Manager to Execute Amended Regulatory Agreements. Environmental Assessment: Exempt from the Provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act in Accordance with CEQA Guideline s Section 15332 (In -fill Development). Zoning District:
RM-20.
MOTION: Council Member Burt moved, seconded by Council Member Veenker to:
1. Approve the Streamlined Housing Development Review application to develop a 61- unit apartment building pursuant to the findings and subject to conditions of approval set forth in Attachment B;
2. Approve the associated Vesting Tentative Map application pursuant to findings and subject to conditions of approval set forth in Attachment B; and
3. Direct staff to return not sooner than September 15, 2024, or subsequently if needed and allowed with the following updates:
A. Status report on the unresolved agreement s between residents and the Housing Authority;
B. Update on the status of the Palo Alto live/work preference and preference for Buena Vista residents;
C. Clarification on the RV quality issues;
D. Update on the plan for resident students to be able to attend their local schools during the relocation period; and
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
City Council Meeting
Draft Action Minutes: 08/12/2024
E. Confirmation that the Canopy Program can meet the 122-minimum tree replacement requirement.
MOTION PASSED: 7-0
6. Adoption of Resolutions Amending the Evergreen Park -Mayfield and Southgate Residential Preferential Parking Program Districts to Remove Parking Spots on El Camino Real Due to Caltrans’ Repaving and Bikeway Project and Moving Employee Permits to Other Locations in Each District; CEQA status - categorically exempt.
MOTION: Council Member Burt moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Lauing to, pursuant to City Council direction on June 18, 2024 to amend the RPP Districts affected by Caltrans' El Camino Real Repaving and Bikeway project, which will remove most of the parking on El Camino Real, adopt the attached resolutions to:
1. Remove the parking spots located on El Camino Real from the Evergreen Park -Mayfield and Southgate RPP Districts;
2. Reallocate 50 employee permits from El Camino Real (Zone G) to Zones A- D in the Evergreen Park-Mayfield (EPM) Residential Preferential Parking (RPP) district;
3. Reallocate 20 employee permits from El Camino Real (Zone S1) into Zone S in the Southgate (SG) RPP district; and
4. Direct staff to:
a. Evaluate a second tier of low-income parking permits pricing that would go up to approximately 80% AMI for a single person;
b. Respond if requested to any other RPP requests from impacted neighborhoods going forward;
c. Engage with Mayfield Place to address their off El Camino parking needs; and d. Promote additional incentives to encourage employees to park in parking garages rather than RPPs.
MOTION PASSED: 6-1, Kou no
7. ACTION/LEGISLATIVE: Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) Title 18 (Zoning) and Title 21 (Subdivisions and Other Divisions of Land) to Clarify Existing Regulations and to Implement Recent State Housing
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
City Council Meeting
Draft Action Minutes: 08/12/2024
Laws. Chapters 18.14 (Housing Incentives), 18.18 (Downtown Commercial District),
18.30(F) (Automobile Dealership (AD) Combining District Regulations), 18.42 (Standard for Special Uses), 18.52 (Parking Regulations) and 18.77 (Processing of Permits and Approvals), and 21.12 (Tentative Maps and Preliminary Parcel Maps) are Amended, and Chapter 21.11 (Streamlined Subdivisions Resulting in Ten or Fewer Parcels) is Added.
CEQA - Exempt Pursuant to Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3).
Agenda Item Number 7 Not Heard and Deferred to a Date Uncertain.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 10:55 P.M.
ATTE
ST: APPROVED:
____________________ ____________________
City Clerk Mayor
NOTE: Action minutes are prepared in accordance with Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC)
2.04.160(a) and (b). Summary minutes (sense) are prepared in accordance with PAMC Section
2.04.160(c). Beginning in January 2018, in accordance with Ordinance No. 5423 , the City Council
found action minutes and the video/audio recordings of Council proceedings to be the official records of both Council and committee proceedings. These recordings are available on the City’s website.