Item 4 Public Comment — Palo Alto City Council, April 20, 2026

From: Marissa Mayer
To: Sauls, Garrett
Cc: Zachary S. Bogue; Council, City; Burt, Patrick; Lauing, Ed; Lu, George; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Reckdahl, Keith; Stone, Greer; Veenker, Vicki
Subject: Project at 910 Webster Street (Application No. 26PLN-00026) Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2026 4:17:53 PM
Attachments: 2026.04.06 Ltr to Palo Alto re 910 Webster.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.
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Mr. Garrett Sauls
Principal Planner
Planning & Development Services Department
City of Palo Alto
285 Hamilton Avenue, Suite 100
Palo Alto, CA 94301
[email protected]
Dear Mr. Sauls:

We are writing to express our grave concerns about this proposed project, which is directly adjacent to our property. The proposed density is simply too much for this location; the proposed structure is too tall and would loom over nearby single-family homes; and it would further intensify the clash between the different zoning designation and land uses already existing on this single block in Palo Alto.

Our property is on the same block as 910 Webster Street, the proposed location for a new six- story, 70-unit building that is up to 85 feet tall (the “Project”). Part of the Project includes rezoning the Project site. The City Council is tentatively scheduled to “prescreen” the Project on April 20, 2026. We oppose the Project because the Project’s site’s current zoning is suitable for multi-family housing projects that better fit within the character of the neighborhood and the Project disregards one of the main purposes of the property’s current zoning, which is to serve as a transition between single-family residential housing and denser multi-family residential housing.

Our understanding is that the Project proponent wants to rezone the Project site from RM-20 to “Planned Home Zoning,” which is another term for “Planned Community” (PC) zoning. The This message needs your attention
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contemplated Project will be up to 85 feet tall.

In several important respects, the Project far exceeds the standards applicable to the Project site’s current zoning, RM-20, which already allows for multi-family residential housing. If a higher residential density is desired, the Project could take advantage of the city’s Housing Incentive Program. The city should not sidestep the options under the Housing Incentive Program to allow a project up to 85 feet tall that is immediately adjacent to single-family homes.

Critically, the Project proponent does not appear to have considered the impacts on the neighboring properties zoned R-1 and R-2. (Our home is in the R-2 district.) Project plan pages A1.14 and A1.15A show that many units will face, and look directly down upon, the neighboring single-family homes, including ours.

Finally, the Project would be contrary to the purpose of the RM-20 district. The RM-20 district is “intended to create, preserve and enhance areas for a mixture of single-family and multi- family housing which is compatible with lower density and residential districts nearby, including single-family residence districts. The RM-20 residence district also serves as a transition to moderate density multi-family districts or districts with nonresidential uses.”[1] The Project site shares the block with properties that are zoned R-1 and R-2. The requested zoning change would negate the intentionally transitional nature of the RM-20 zoning district by placing high density development directly adjacent to single family homes.

Even the regulations for PC districts reflect the city’s intent to have transitional zoning between single-family districts and higher-density residential housing. Palo Alto Municipal Code section

18.38.150(b) states, “The maximum height within 150 feet of any RE, R-1, R-2, RMD, RM or applicable PC district shall be 35 feet” except for RM-30 or RM-40 districts, for which the maximum height “shall be 50 feet.”
The Project does not fit the character of the zoning the City has established for this block. The City’s stated policies, goals, and zoning laws do not support an 85-foot project next to and overlooking single-family residential districts. The City should not allow the Project as proposed and should not encourage the developer to continue to put resources into a project that is widely opposed by its neighbors.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Zachary Bogue & Marissa Mayer

From: Sarah Levine
To: Council, City
Subject: yes to housing at 910 Webster St.

Date: Sunday, April 19, 2026 9:39:37 PM
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To the City Council:

I hope you are doing well. I want to register my support to rezone the property at 910 Webster and build 70 (or more) residential units.

I live one block over from 910 Webster. I want more housing in Palo Alto, including in my neighborhood.

Best
Sarah Levine
(she, her)
From: [email protected]
To: Council, City
Cc: Armer, Jennifer; Lait, Jonathan
Subject: Webster prescreen
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026 12:06:18 PM
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!
Dear Mayor Veenker and council members,
When you consider this development, please recognize two important reasons for more housing DTN.
1) DTN housing reduces car use and makes many trips available for walking or biking. That is the experience of families where I live on Forest and many others. DTN housing is an environmental plus
2) Building on point 1, I favor more housing DTN to take pressure off the San Antonio and south PA area. I do support more housing there but am hopeful with projects like this and SB79 there will be more housing incentivized in the north PA where I live. This includes the 332 Forest proposal less than 100 yards from where I live.

Steve
I also support the consent item authorizing Director Lait to update the HE site inventory.

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From: Sarah Levine
To: Adam Schwartz
Cc: Council, City
Subject: Re: YES to new homes at 910 Webster (April 20 Agenda #4) Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026 7:05:57 PM
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Oh GOOD WORK!
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 16, 2026, at 5:46 PM, Adam Schwartz <[email protected]> wrote:

To the Palo Alto City Council:

I write in strong support of building 70 new homes (including 12 affordable homes) at 910 Webster Street. When you meet on April 20 for prescreening (Agenda Item #4), I hope you will do everything possible to encourage the construction of these new homes.
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?
meetingTemplateId=18703
My front door is one-tenth of one mile from these proposed homes, and my townhouse development is across the street. My message is simple: yes in my back yard.

I am grateful that the city council and city staff have been working hard to plan new homes on El Camino Real and San Antonio Road. It is important that we build new homes in other This message needs your attention
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parts of our city, too. That includes right here in University South, where we’ve got lots of jobs and amenities. That’s how we affirmatively further fair housing.

So many kinds of people could become our new neighbors at 910 Webster Street. Teachers and students who walk down the block to Addison Elementary. Service staff who work at the cafes a half mile north on University Avenue. Tech workers who bike a few miles to the Stanford research park. Our parents and children who want to move nearby us. Refugees from foreign countries. Fellow Americans fleeing intolerant laws.

Today, there's 24 rental homes on this property. These
incumbent neighbors will be entitled to relocation payments from the developer, under city ordinance. The new building will have 70 homes, for a net gain of 46 homes. Twelve of these new homes will be affordable: three for people with very low incomes, five with low incomes, and four with moderate
incomes. The remaining 58 new homes will be market-rate.

Study after study shows that building such homes will relieve pressure on our current housing stock, leading to reduced or at least stabilized rents for existing homes at all price points.

Parking won’t be a problem. Everyone in my townhome
development has a garage with two spots, and it’s easy to park my two cars on the street. The plan for the new building is 130 parking spots for 70 homes, which is ample. There’s also parking for 119 bikes.

The height won’t be out of place. Across the street is Channing House, and three blocks away is The Marc. As I walk about my neighborhood, I like looking at these tall buildings, and I enjoy their shade.

In sum, please allow new homes for new neighbors in my back yard.

Sincerely,
Adam Schwartz
University South
From: Adam Schwartz
To: Council, City
Subject: YES to new homes at 910 Webster (April 20 Agenda #4) Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026 5:46:43 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.

To the Palo Alto City Council:

I am grateful that the city council and city staff have been working hard to plan new homes on El Camino Real and San Antonio Road. It is important that we build new homes in other parts of our city, too. That includes right here in University South, where we’ve got lots of jobs and amenities.

That’s how we affirmatively further fair housing.

Refugees from foreign countries. Fellow Americans fleeing intolerant laws.

Today, there's 24 rental homes on this property. These incumbent neighbors will be entitled to relocation payments from the developer, under city ordinance. The new building will have 70 homes, for a net gain of 46 homes. Twelve of these new homes will be affordable: three for people with very low incomes, five with low incomes, and four with moderate incomes. The remaining 58 new homes will be market-rate.

Study after study shows that building such homes will relieve pressure on our current housing stock, leading to reduced or at least stabilized rents for existing homes at all price points.

Parking won’t be a problem. Everyone in my townhome development has a garage with two spots, and it’s easy to park my two cars on the street.

The plan for the new building is 130 parking spots for 70 homes, which is ample. There’s also parking for 119 bikes.

In sum, please allow new homes for new neighbors in my back yard.

Sincerely,
Adam Schwartz
University South
From: Sauls, Garrett
To: Council, City
Subject: 910 Webster Street - 4/20 Council Prescreening Public Comments Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026 11:09:47 AM
Attachments: To Planning Palo Alto.pdf
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Feedback - 910 Webster New Construction Proposal.pdf
Project at 910 Webster Street (Application No. 26PLN-00026).pdf Attachment D Neighbor Comments.pdf
Proposed Development at Channing & Webster.pdf
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Hello,
I received additional public comments after the City Council report was published. Please see attached.

Palo Alto City CouncilApril 20, 2026

Palo Alto City Council
April 20, 2026