From: Maico Campilongo
To: Council, City; City Mgr; Franco Campilongo; ITalico Subject: YES to California Avenue proposal listed as Item 16 on the agenda.
Date: Monday, June 1, 2026 10:58:40 AM
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i
Thanks staff for your work,
Outdoor Activation Standards: Appreciation for the pre-approved parklet guidelines.
Thank you for
listening to our needs for year round outdoor dining.
The current plan addresses our needs.
California Ave can become a great place for year round dining for guests, retailers and residents
We appreciate the pre planned guidelines for us to follow.
Maico
Campilongo
Founder Owner
Terún Pizzeria Ristorante
448 California Ave
Palo Alto CA 94306
Tel. 650 6008310
[email protected]
www.terunpizza.com
iTalico Ristorante Pizzeria
341 California Ave
Palo Alto CA 94306
Tel. 650 4739616
[email protected]
www.italicorestaurant.com
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From: Sahlik Khan
To: Clerk, City; Council, City; Charlie Weidanz
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council Decision 6/1 Outdoor
Date: Monday, June 1, 2026 10:57:42 AM
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i
Dear City Council Members and Staff,
I would like to express my support for maintaining California Avenue as a pedestrian-oriented street and for continuing to move forward with the proposed outdoor guidelines.
California Avenue has become one of the most vibrant and welcoming public spaces in Palo Alto. The closure has transformed what was once primarily a roadway into a true community gathering place where residents can walk, dine, shop, meet friends, attend events, and enjoy the neighborhood in a way that simply was not possible before.
Most residents anyone speaks to genuinely love the current atmosphere and would be disappointed to see a return to through traffic. The street feels safer, more family-friendly, and more inviting for people of all ages. On weekends and evenings especially, the area is full of activity, demonstrating the strong demand for high-quality pedestrian spaces.
Foot traffic has increased tremendously since the closure. More people are spending time on California Avenue, lingering longer, and enjoying the district as a destination rather than simply passing through. While every business has unique circumstances, increased pedestrian activity creates opportunities for restaurants, retailers, and service businesses that benefit from a lively and attractive streetscape.
I also support the City’s efforts to create a long-term vision for California Avenue. The proposed outdoor improvements and public space enhancements appear thoughtful and represent an investment in the future of the district. Great commercial districts are increasingly defined by their public spaces, outdoor dining, walkability, and overall experience—not by vehicle access.
Reopening the street to regular traffic would be difficult to reverse and would sacrifice many of the qualities that have made California Avenue unique over the past several years. Rather than returning to the status quo, I encourage the City to continue refining and improving the current model while addressing concerns related to accessibility, deliveries, parking, and business support.
All of our 3 sit down restaurants are on a closed street and we continue to look for those This message needs your attention
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opportunities as many others would. We would’ve never taken over Starbucks and would honestly will consider different locations if the street is open to cars again. California Ave needs to fill these vacancies and it would be a step back to open the street in that regard as well.
I encourage the Council to continue building upon that success and vote in favor of keeping the street pedestrian-focused while advancing a permanent vision for the outdoor guidelines for its future.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Saalic Khan
Co Owner - Zareen’s Group of Restaurants
From: Michael Ekwall
To: Council, City
Subject: Monday, June 1, 2026 Agenda Item 16
Date: Sunday, May 31, 2026 11:44:41 PM
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ACFrOgAk8x4-fR4MIpoj0uqDs81pICtQhwes85goYcdbOvozTgE84Q6qoJNT- TyKyZxPTkb0voZpHWxGQHbo7OFC7OS7NDa879pjNRnTC8vTA2BIpFke2OuvwfUPoRRZqZgTcTGxtaJjbxYJ9MPeEeODLQe6Nx5unBIJHnfkqQ==.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links.
!
Hello Mayor and City Council Members.
I would appreciate you reading the attached
letter before tonight's meeting.
Thank you for your consideration.
Michael Ekwall
La Bodeguita del Medio
463 S California Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94306
T 650.326.7762 x 11
F 650.323.2822
www.labodeguita.com
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California Avenue Street Configuration Review and ProposalPublic Safety, Accessibility, and Economic Sustainability_________________________________________________________IntroductionAfter six years of street closure, the City must re-evaluate the California Avenue experiment based on measurable outcomes rather than original intentions.The original vision for California Avenue was compelling: a vibrant pedestrian-oriented district that balanced outdoor dining, accessibility, walkability, neighborhood commerce, and community gathering space. Many residents, merchants, and property owners supported that vision in good faith.However, after six years, the current configuration has failed to deliver a balanced, functional, and economically sustainable district for the broader community. Significant concerns remain regarding public safety access, business visibility, accessibility, circulation, fiscal responsibility, and long-term viability.It is not too late to change course.We respectfully urge the City Council to reopen California Avenue to limited one-way vehicle access between El Camino Real and Birch Street while preserving successful pedestrian-oriented improvements, outdoor dining, and parklets. The existing two-way configuration between Birch Street and the Caltrain station could remain unchanged.Reopening California Avenue should not be viewed as a failure. Responsible governance requires the willingness to reassess policies when results do not align with expectations. After six years, the City owes residents, businesses, and taxpayers a transparent evaluation grounded in practical realities and measurable performance.SummaryAs it stands, there does not appear to be a comprehensive plan beyond the proposed parklet designs and a busy, colorfully striped diversionary bike lane. After the considerable time, public attention, taxpayer dollars, and labor resources expended over the last four years, it is fair to question whether color-striping California Avenue and disrupting local businesses will ultimately have been worth the effort.My proposal highlights significant unresolved issues that should have been addressed and resolved prior to any decision to permanently close the street.
This proposal recommends reopening California Avenue to limited vehicle access between El Camino Real and Birch Street while preserving the strongest pedestrian-oriented improvements and outdoor dining elements.The proposal seeks to:• improve emergency and public safety access,• restore accessibility and convenience for customers and residents,• improve business visibility and economic sustainability,• preserve outdoor dining and pedestrian activity,• reduce circulation conflicts between pedestrians, bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, and deliveries,• improve district circulation and functionality, and• establish clearer fiscal accountability and measurable performance standards for the district’s long-term future.The existing two-way configuration between Birch Street and the Caltrain station could remain unchanged.Good intentions alone cannot justify maintaining a configuration that no longer aligns with measurable public safety, accessibility, economic, and fiscal outcomes.Public Safety and Emergency AccessPublic safety must remain the City’s highest priority.The current closure has fundamentally altered emergency access patterns for fire, police, and medical personnel serving the district. Even modest delays in emergency response times can carry life-threatening consequences during fires, medical emergencies, or other critical incidents.To date, the City has not publicly provided clear and measurable data addressing several fundamental questions:• What measurable impacts on emergency response times have occurred since the closure?• Have average fire, police, or EMS response times within the district changed since implementation?• Were formal emergency access studies conducted before or after implementation?• How have response routes from Hanover Fire Station 2 changed?• How has emergency access to the Caltrain station and surrounding facilities been affected?• What operational challenges remain associated with removable bollards and restricted vehicle access?If emergency response metrics have remained unchanged, the City should publicly provide that data. If measurable delays or operational complications have occurred, those impacts deserve transparent public evaluation before permanent infrastructure decisions are finalized.These are not political questions. They are basic public safety questions that deserve transparent, data-driven answers.During peak hours, the district now experiences:
• increasing bicycle, e-bike and e-scooter traffic,• delivery vehicle conflicts, • limited maneuvering space for emergency personnel.Together, these conditions create a more complicated and less predictable operating environment for first responders.Accessibility concerns have also become increasingly significant for:• elderly visitors,• individuals with mobility limitations,• customers arriving by vehicle, and• service providers requiring direct business access.California Avenue is objectively less accessible and less convenient today than it was prior to the permanent street closure.Departure From the Original VisionThe district that exists today differs from the vision originally proposed and presented to the community.What began as a pedestrian-oriented streetscape improvement has increasingly evolved into a high-volume, dangerous, bicycle, e-bike and e-scooter through-corridor. The growing mix of bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, pedestrians, delivery traffic, and outdoor dining activity has, at times, created congested, confusing, and unsafe conditions that undermine the relaxed pedestrian environment originally envisioned.Recent discussions surrounding expanded bicycle circulation infrastructure further reinforce this concern.At the same time, the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan already identifies Cambridge Avenue as a significant bicycle corridor. Given this, it is reasonable to question why California Avenue should simultaneously function as both a pedestrian-oriented commercial district and a regional bicycle through-route.Higher-volume regional bicycle circulation may be more safely accommodated on corridors specifically designed for continuous through-travel, while California Avenue can prioritize a slower-paced commercial pedestrian environment, outdoor dining and reduced speed, vehicular circulation.Cyclists visiting California Avenue businesses should continue to have safe and convenient access. However, the current configuration unnecessarily concentrates competing modes of transport within a compact commercial district that was never designed to function as a primary regional transportation corridor.After six years, it is increasingly clear that the present configuration no longer reflects the balanced and pedestrian-focused district originally promised to the community.
Transparency, Fiscal Responsibility, and Long-Term PlanningAfter six years of studies, temporary installations, and consultant activity, the City still has not provided the public with a clear and fully realized vision for California Avenue’s permanent future.Critical questions remain unanswered:• What is the final, long-term vision for California Avenue?• Is there a finalized conceptual plan or visual rendering of the completed district?• If construction began tomorrow, what would the total project cost be?• What specific infrastructure improvements have received final approval and funding?• How much public funding has been spent on consultants versus direct district improvements?• Which improvements are realistically expected to be completed by the end of 2026?• What measurable performance benchmarks is the City using to evaluate success or failure?• Has the City established objective targets related to sales tax performance, vacancy reduction, public safety metrics, or business retention?Businesses, residents, and taxpayers deserve far greater transparency regarding project scope, cost, priorities, measurable outcomes, and long-term accountability.This issue is particularly important given the City’s ongoing fiscal constraints and competing infrastructure obligations. At a time when the City faces difficult budget decisions, long-term expenditures on an unresolved and continuously evolving streetscape experiment deserve serious scrutiny.Businesses have also consistently requested a comprehensive and professionally designed wayfinding program. Entrances from El Camino Real continue to lack clear directional signage and visibility improvements that support customer access and district connectivity.At the same time, California Avenue is entering a period of significant growth and increased density with nearby redevelopment projects, including 490 California Avenue, 414 California Avenue, and the Mollie Stone’s redevelopment site. These projects will reshape traffic patterns, parking demand, pedestrian activity, and customer circulation throughout the district.Given these upcoming changes, permanently locking the district into its current configuration before broader redevelopment impacts are fully understood would be premature and imprudent.Parklets and Infrastructure ConcernsOutdoor dining has long been an important and successful component of California Avenue. Importantly, outdoor dining existed successfully prior to the full street closure and can continue to exist alongside limited vehicle circulation.However, significant operational and infrastructure questions regarding permanent parklets remain unresolved, including:• How many businesses will actually commit to the proposed parklet program? • How will the existing gas main along the south side of California Avenue affect parklet placement?• Is there a finalized construction cost estimate for approved parklet designs?• Will utility connections be permitted within parklets?• What ADA compliance requirements will apply?• What long-term maintenance obligations will businesses assume?Some businesses may simply lack the financial capacity to construct and maintain permanent parklets at the level necessary to preserve a cohesive and attractive district appearance.Restaurant operators continue to express concerns regarding permit costs, annual fees, construction expenses, utility requirements, and long-term maintenance liabilities.Additional district-wide infrastructure concerns — including alley lighting, cleanliness, pedestrian access, landscaping and public safety conditions — also remain insufficiently addressed.Economic Sustainability and Business ImpactsPrior to the COVID-19 pandemic, California Avenue functioned as a universally accessible and economically active neighborhood business district.Businesses chose California Avenue because of its visibility, accessibility, parking convenience, and consistent customer activity. Today, merchants report ongoing concerns related to:• declining visibility,• reduced customer accessibility,• operational challenges,• declining convenience for customers, and• increasing financial pressure.The City should also provide transparent economic performance data evaluating the long-term impacts of the current configuration, including:• district sales tax trends before and after the closure,• commercial vacancy rates,• business turnover rates,• pedestrian activity trends,• retail occupancy patterns, and• comparative economic performance relative to other Palo Alto business districts.If the current configuration has produced measurable economic benefits, the City should publicly demonstrate those outcomes using objective performance metrics. If economic performance has stagnated or declined relative to comparable districts, those realities should also be acknowledged as part of an honest public evaluation.Some of the businesses on California Avenue now effectively operate at the end of a disconnected corridor with reduced exposure to surrounding traffic flow.
At the same time, businesses continue to face rising operating costs, labor pressures, and long-term lease obligations. The City should not underestimate the cumulative burden these conditions place on small businesses already operating within an increasingly unfavorable economic environment.California Avenue businesses remain an important source of local employment, neighborhood services, economic activity, and sales tax revenue. Supporting a healthier and more accessible commercial environment is therefore not simply a business concern — it is a broader economic sustainability issue for the City itself.A More Balanced ApproachA growing number of merchants support reopening California Avenue to limited vehicle access while preserving the strongest aspects of the pedestrian improvements and outdoor dining program.The goal should be balance:• maintaining vibrancy,• supporting pedestrian activity,• improving public safety,• preserving outdoor dining,• restoring accessibility and visibility,• improving circulation, and• reducing conflicts between pedestrians and regional bicycle through-traffic.The district must function successfully for the entire community — not only for a narrow subset of users or business types.The current configuration increasingly asks businesses, residents, and visitors to absorb significant operational and accessibility burdens without clear evidence that the broader public benefits justify those costs.Alternative Circulation ProposalA practical and lower-cost alternative to permanent full closure would be restoring California Avenue to limited one-way, single-lane vehicle access between El Camino Real and Birch Street while preserving outdoor dining and pedestrian-oriented improvements.The existing two-way configuration between Birch Street and the Caltrain station could remain unchanged.Vehicle circulation could operate as a low-speed shared street environment with clearly designated pedestrian priority areas, ADA parking, loading zones, and restricted delivery access where appropriate.An alternative option would be restoring the pre-2020 two-way circulation pattern while continuing to allow outdoor dining parklets consistent with other commercial districts throughout Palo Alto.
A revised circulation plan could include:• California Avenue operating as a limited one-way corridor between El Camino Real and Birch Street;• Sherman Avenue functioning as a one-way entrance toward Park Boulevard;• Cambridge Avenue functioning as a one-way exit toward El Camino Real; and• higher-volume regional bicycle through-traffic redirected toward the Cambridge Avenue bicycle corridor.This approach would:• improve emergency access,• restore business accessibility,• improve circulation,• reduce pedestrian conflicts,• maintain bicycle connectivity,• preserve outdoor dining, and• create a safer, more balanced, and more functional district for all users.ConclusionCalifornia Avenue remains one of Palo Alto’s most important neighborhood commercial districts and continues to hold substantial long-term potential.However, after six years, the City must acknowledge that the current closure model has not delivered the balanced, accessible, and economically sustainable district that was originally envisioned and promised.This proposal does not seek to eliminate outdoor dining or pedestrian-friendly improvements. It seeks a more practical and accountable approach grounded in public safety, accessibility, fiscal responsibility, and long-term economic sustainability.At some point, good intentions must be measured against actual results.After six years, it is both reasonable and responsible to reevaluate the current configuration based on measurable public safety, accessibility, economic, and fiscal realities.Reopening California Avenue to limited vehicle access while preserving the most successful pedestrian-oriented elements represents a practical, balanced, and achievable path forward for the district and the broader Palo Alto community.We appreciate you keeping and open mind.Michael & Lara Ekwall La Bodeguita del Medio#Since1997