From: Alex Giovannotto
To: Council, City
Subject: Fwd: Letter Submission re: Item #15 (Retail Vitality and Zoning) Date: Friday, May 15, 2026 12:34:32 PM
Attachments: Letter re Item #15 (Retail Vitality and Zoning) - Council Meeting 5_18_26.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.
i
Hi,
I also sent this email with attached letter to the
City Clerk's office with my Public Comment
Letter on Item #15 for this Monday's (18th) meeting --- could you please confirm that the letter will be in Monday's City Council packet?
Thanks,
--Alex
Alex Giovannotto
Vittoria Management, Inc.
Direct:
650-980-1900
Main:
650-328-7480
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Alex Giovannotto <[email protected]
>
Date: Fri, May 15, 2026 at 9:51 AM
Subject: Letter Submission re: Item #15 (Retail Vitality and Zoning) To: <[email protected]
>
Cc: Armer, Jennifer <[email protected]> Hi City Clerk's Office,
Please find attached my
public
comment letter regarding Item #15 (Retail Vitality and Zoning) for this Monday's (May 18th) City Council Meeting.
Thank you,
--Alex Giovannotto
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Dear Members of the Palo Alto City Council,
My family are Palo Alto residents and own a long-vacant building at 451 University Avenue, at the far end near Kipling Street. We finally have a great prospective tenant to fill this space that offers AI-based health screening. This is a modern personal service that has proven highly popular among residents of downtown London and Stockholm, and soon in New York City. However, presently in Palo Alto, our University Avenue (GF) zoning has not kept pace with newer personal service uses, and as a result, their service does not fit into any of the definitions.
Please consider the following narrow and precise definition as the 10th entry in the “Personal Services” list for the University Avenue (GF) District [the underlining highlights the operative terms]:
Health screening, including biometric body scanning, imaging, or other health testing services directly serving the public, so long as no medical treatment and not primarily fulfilling outside medical orders.
The Existing Permitted “Personal Service” Uses in the GF Zone:
For context, below are the current allowed Personal Services in the University Avenue GF zone (items A - I), with the addition of this new item (item J):
(114) “Personal service” means a use providing services of a personal convenience nature, and cleaning, repair or sales incidental thereto, including:
(A) Beauty shops, nail salons, day spas, and barbershops; (B) Self-service laundry and cleaning services; laundry and cleaning pick-up stations where all cleaning or servicing for the particular station is done elsewhere; and laundry and cleaning stations where the cleaning or servicing for the particular station is done on site, utilizing equipment meeting any applicable Bay Area Air Quality Management District requirements, so long as no cleaning for any other station is done on the same site, provided that the amount of hazardous materials stored does not at any time exceed the threshold which would require a permit under Title 17 (Hazardous Materials Storage) of this code;
(C) Repair and fitting of clothes, shoes, and personal accessories; (D) Quick printing and copying services where printing or copying for the particular service is done on site, so long as no quick printing or copying for any off-site printing or copying service is done on the same site;
(E) Internet and other consumer electronics services; (F) Film, data and video processing shops, including shops where processing for the particular shop is done on site, so long as no processing for any other shop is done on the same site; (G) Art, dance or music studios intended for an individual or small group of persons in a class (see “commercial recreation” for other activities); and
(H) Fitness and exercise studios, or similar uses, in a space having 5,000 square feet or fewer of gross floor area (see “commercial recreation” for uses exceeding 5,000 square feet). (I) Learning centers intended for individual or small group settings, including tutoring, standardized test preparation, language classes, after-school programs, cooking classes, and similar uses. (J) Health screening, including biometric body scanning, imaging, or other health testing services directly serving the public, so long as no medical treatment and not primarily fulfilling outside medical orders.
WHAT IS AI-BASED HEALTH SCREENING?
• Customers walk in and receive a full body scan using the latest visual scanning technology • A massively detailed 3D model of your body is generated • Their AI-based software analyzes the model and a staff member with proper medical training explains the results
• If a previously unknown health concern is discovered, on exit the customer is handed clear documentation to bring to their preferred healthcare provider • Total time: in-and-out in less than an hour
WHY HAS AI-BASED HEALTH SCREENING BECOME SO POPULAR?
• This new AI-technology works very well: About 1 in 10 tests discovers a previously unknown health concern. In particular, the tech is amazing at detecting early-stage skin cancer. • They have solved the historic barriers to mass participation in preventative health: The service is non-invasive, convenient, priced reasonably, and delivered in an attractive, welcoming facility. • In Europe, they have already performed over 10,000 AI-based health screenings.
WHAT ARE THE ECONOMIC VITALITY BENEFITS?
This service would advance the economic vitality of the University Avenue (GF) zone by strongly aligning with key objectives:
• Showcase high technology: As the birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto should lead, not be left behind, in the new wave of technology-based personal services offerings. • High pedestrian activity: Filling this long empty space with a very popular service would be a major boost to foot traffic and dynamism at University Avenue’s sleepy far east end. • Regional draw: This unique flagship service will draw customers from across the Bay Area, many who have not experienced University Avenue’s offerings for some time. • Evening vitality: Their operating hours and demand for the service will ensure strong pedestrian traffic from morning through the evening.
• Façade and Pedestrian Visual Experience: Their beautiful, transparent, high-tech façade design would be a fine addition to the University Avenue streetscape.
I thank you for the effort to modernize the GF zoning code, and for the outreach to the business community for ideas to bring enhanced vitality to downtown Palo Alto.
Sincerely,
Alex Giovannotto