City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: INFORMATION REPORTS
Lead Department: Planning and Development Services
Meeting Date: December 2, 2024
Report #:2411-3740
TITLE
Appointment of the Community Advisory Group (CAG) for Downtown Housing Plan. CEQA Status – Not a Project.
RECOMMENDATION
No action requested.
BACKGROUND
On February 26, 20241 the City Council approved a contract with Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC (WRT) to provide planning and consulting services for the development of a Downtown Housing Plan, with additional project management support from Good City Company. The Downtown Housing Plan study area2 covers approximately 90 acres and is a sub-area of the Downtown Palo Alto Priority Development Area (PDA).
The Downtown Housing Plan requires extensive community outreach and participation. A critical component is the Community Advisory Group (CAG) which will serve an advisory role and provide feedback at key junctures of the project. Staff suggested a list of stakeholder categories that would be required to provide input on the planning initiative. The Housing Ad Hoc Committee provided input in May 2024 on representative stakeholder categories for the Downtown Housing Plan CAG (listed below). The City Council received an Informational Report3 on June 17, 2024, outlining the process for the appointment of CAG members by the City Manager (or designee) with input from the Housing Ad Hoc Committee.
An online application process allowed residents to apply for the CAG. Staff received a total of 25 applications through the online application process. Some of the representative categories did not have any or enough applicants for staff to make a recommendation. In August 2024, 1https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/planning-amp-development-services/long-range- planning/area-plans-and-studies/council-2.26.24_item9.pdf 2https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/planning-amp-development-services/long-range- planning/area-plans-and-studies/council-9.23_item5.pdf
3https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/planning-amp-development-services/long-range- planning/area-plans-and-studies/council-6.17.24_item34.pdf
following consultation with the Housing Ad Hoc Committee staff proceeded with seeking additional applicants for those categories. A total of 14 applicants were appointed to the CAG with input from the Housing Ad Hoc Committee.
ANALYSIS
Community Advisory Group Purpose
The CAG will play an important role in providing feedback to the project team throughout the Downtown Housing Plan's development. Their work is expected to include:
•Discussing the broad vision and guiding principles for the plan. •Providing input on the community engagement strategy.
•Reviewing and responding to baseline data, analyses, recommendations, summaries of community engagement activities, and presentations.
•Providing feedback on goals and policies related to housing, land use, and transportation; and
•Considering key issues and trade-offs and offering insights on the draft Plan.
The following is the list of categories staff sought representation from to form the Downtown Housing Plan CAG:
1. Resident (Renter) – 1
2. Resident (Homeowner) – 1
3. Resident (Homeowner – lives outside the project area) – 1
4. Business Owner/Employed by a business in the project area – 2
5. Housing/Mixed-use Developer/Designer – 1
6. Affordable Housing/ Non-Profit Housing Group Representative – 1
7. Commercial Property Owner/Manager/Broker – 2
8. Community Interest Group Representative/Senior Housing Advocate – 1
9. Planning and Transportation Commissioner – 1
10. Architectural Review Board/Human Relations Commission – 1
11. Chamber of Commerce – 1
12. Educational Institution Representative – 1
Staff prioritized residents of the City of Palo Alto unless the category didn’t receive an application from a resident and/or required specific expertise that best suited the project's goals and objectives.
Next Steps
The project team seeks to schedule the first CAG meeting in mid-December. If a member from the final list of appointees can no longer participate in the planning process, the City Manager may appoint a replacement.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
The costs associated with the recruitment and convention of the CAG and facilitation of the CAG meetings are included in the project budget.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Public engagement is an important part of the Downtown Housing Plan development. In addition to the Community Advisory Group, the community will be engaged through workshops, pop-up events, online surveys, stakeholder interviews, and a developer round table facilitated by the project team. The project webpage, Downtown Housing Plan – City of Palo Alto, CA, launched in early May, is regularly updated to ensure that the community has access to up-to-date information about the planning process.
The project team organized the first Downtown Housing Plan Community Open House on October 10, 2024, at the City Hall Community Meeting Room. The Open House was attended by approximately 30 community members. The goal of the Open House was to provide attendees with an opportunity to learn about the project and offer feedback on the critical issues related to housing in downtown Palo Alto. The content focused on preliminary information from the existing conditions assessment.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Council action on this Informational Report is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in that establishing the CAG is an administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment. CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5). Staff will undertake the appropriate CEQA review for the Downtown Housing Plan.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Downtown Housing Plan Community Advisory Group Appointees APPROVED BY:
Jonathan Lait, Planning and Development Services Director