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Home My WebLink About20200608plCC610 Baumb, Nelly From:Robert Bergstrom <robertbergstrom@mac.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:34 AM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets for restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ I am reaching out to strongly encourage the city council to act to create a process for Palo Alto restaurants to create parklets for outdoor dining. My wife and I work in Palo Alto and my wife is a physician at PAMF just a stones throw from the University business district. Pre‐COvID we would dine out for lunch and dinner In Palo Alto several times a week but as things reopen we along with many of our friends and heath care professionals would not dine out unless we could sit outside. We want to support these restaurants and dine in a safer manner so we would hope to see parklets as an option for the restaurants. If this is not done, we may dine over in Menlo where this is happening. Thank you for considering this. Best, Robert and Recha Bergstrom Robertbergstrom@mac.com Sent from my iPhone 13 Baumb, Nelly From:Reed Stevens <trstevens@me.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:42 AM To:Council, City Subject:Support for Parklets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Dear city council, as someone who was born and raised in downtown Palo Alto and who has experienced the transformations of downtown over the course of my life (For both better and worse) we need to be doing everything we can to support community, and not just tech. Downtown has grown more culturally stale, distant and cold in the last decade as it becomes more and more tech/success centric. Not so long ago it had a small town feel where people took the time to be related to one another for purposes beyond just making money. Restaurants and cafes are the epicenters of public human engagement in downtown, parklets bring that community experience outside where it will positively impact all community participants across downtown. An ultimate version of this that my family and many other Palo Alto families regularly agree on is transforming University Ave into a walking‐ only park. Parklets is a great first step ‐ if we loose our places of communing with each other then downtown will just become a row of office buildings and lunch to‐go counters. In Gratitude, Reed Stevens 17 Baumb, Nelly From:Don Jackson <dcj@clark-communications.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:08 AM To:Council, City Subject:I support helping our restaurants reopen safely via parklets and street closures CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Honorable Councilpeople, I’m writing to urge you to support street/parking changes to enable our local restaurants to use these areas to provide safe, outdoor, socially‐distanced dining. As I know you are aware, our local resturants are facing financial ruin as a result of the COVID‐19 public health crisis, and our restaurants are a very significant quality‐of‐life benefit to all Palo Altans. When the City/County/State begins to allows restaurants to re‐open, it seems likely and prudent that returning to pre‐ pandemic restaurant table spacing/distancing will not be responsible nor desirable. It seems obvious to me that allowing “parklets” in front (and adjacent) to our restaurants would significantly help our local restaurants to provide safer dining, and also help restaurants get closer to their former seating capacity. Given that we are well into Spring, and Summer is right around the corner, the weather will be the best that it can be to make outdoor dining reasonable and comfortable. As a more significant move, I would also encourage and support street closures (particularly in the evening) to provide even more outdoor space for dining, shopping, etc. I’d propose closing much of University Avenue, and the first block of side streets like Emerson, Ramona, and Bryant for the Spring/Summer, (again, perhaps after 5:30pm). California Avenue, the first block of Birch Street off California, Emerson Street between Homer and University, and Hamilton between Emerson and Ramona. Given that traffic will likely not return to pre‐pandemic levels anytime soon, and the need to help our local restaurants and shops, I can imagine that making this Summer a more relaxed, outdoor‐dining friendly experience would provide financial help to our local restaurants, and be a safe and responsible respite for all Palo Altans. Respectfully Don Jackson 18 Baumb, Nelly From:Ann Kane <lexafk@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:11 AM To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ To whom it may concern, I am a Palo Alto resident of 7+ years who cares deeply about the protection of public health at all costs. I also 100% support the local government’s exploration of creating safe outdoor spaces for restaurant seating. Please move forward with this so that our valued local restaurant owners can create the space necessary to keep their businesses alive and keep us safely fed. I believe both objectives can me met through this option! Thank you! Ann Kane Sent from my iPhone Redacted 24 Baumb, Nelly From:James Varner <jv@varnerwine.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:03 AM To:Council, City Subject:The future of Palo Alto Restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Dear City Council‐members, With the difficulties the Covid‐19 outbreak has brought, I am concerned for the future of restaurants in Palo Alto. Their presence helps make Palo Alto the cultural center of Silicon Valley and we need them to survive in order for us to continue to have the city that we love. I urge you to allow restaurants to have outdoor tables in parklets in front of their restaurant. This way, they can keep customers socially distanced and yet serve the number of diners they need to earn a living. There are always changes after natural catastrophes occur but sometimes the changes can be beneficial. In this case, reducing the number of cars (as many cities have, like Florence, Paris & Seattle to name a few) would make downtown Palo Alto more pleasant. Its an opportunity for change for the good. Look to the 1989 Earthquake and the resulting demolition of the Embarcadero Freeway to see the positive transformation that occurred when the Embarcadero become less traffic dense and more pedestrian friendly. San Francisco is better off today and I believe Palo Alto will be also if we encourage more outdoor dining and fewer cars. Please do give our restaurants a hand and give us customers an even friendlier and more inviting downtown. Sincerely, James Varner A current Ladera resident, but a past resident who still considers Palo Alto his home. 650‐766‐0599 25 Baumb, Nelly From:Geraldine Gallet <geraldine@gallet.org> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:04 AM To:Council, City Subject:Pro Parklets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Good morning, As a European I just wanted to say that I am greatly in favor of park lets in Palo Alto. If we want to get our favorite restaurants back this could really help. I am all for it. Thanks, Geraldine 26 Baumb, Nelly From:Joel Friedman <joelfriedman1@me.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:12 AM To:Council, City Subject:Outdoor dining spaces for restaurants! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Dear Liz and Amy, When the City Council considers outdoor dining for restaurants like Zola and Evvia that are not on University Avenue, I hope that you will support this endeavor. Restaurants and small businesses have been so hard hit by this essential lockdown. We want to return to restaurants one day and enjoy dining out once more. Many thanks for your tireless work during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Dr Joel and I appreciate your leadership. Stay well, stay strong, Carol Carol C. Friedman Sent from my iPad 27 Baumb, Nelly From:Jose Caldera <josercaldera@mac.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:14 AM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Dear City Council, We greatly appreciate all the work you have been doing in making sure we get through these uncertain times. I wanted to support our local restaurants by giving my support to the Parklets proposals that I have been hearing about. Facilitating outdoor space for restaurants while restricting car traffic in certain areas of the city seems a reasonable compromise while we go through this situation. Thanks and happy to be contacted if more information were needed. Cheers, ‐ jose 29 Baumb, Nelly From:Dayton Misfeldt <dayton@misfeldtimages.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:24 AM To:Council, City Subject:NOLA CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Please allow outside seating. Fitting ambiance for PA. Thanks Dayton S Misfeldt Palo Alto, CA 94301 H: 650‐327‐6069 C: 408‐807‐8343 Redacted 31 Baumb, Nelly From:GORDON BRODY <gabrodymd@mac.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:27 AM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets are needed to insure the vibrancy off our downtown CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Dear Palo Alto City Council members, The future of a vibrant, diverse, prosperous Palo Alto is at stake. Among other measures, this requires your allowing restaurants to open parklets in front of restaurants similar to the ones we see in Menlo Park. This will allow restaurants to combine responsible social distancing and economic viability. This has been a successful strategy in many modern cities and is an ideal solution given our climate. We need this more than we need the street parking spaces. We can have the ambience of Paris here in Palo Alto! It will insure the survival of our unique restaurants and cafes and enhance property and rental values which will suffer greatly if we lose our cafe culture. Thank you for your service and leadership during these difficult times. Gordon A. Brody, MD Palo Alto Thanks for considering this improvement to the city we love. Best regards, Sent from my iPad Redacted 33 Baumb, Nelly From:Judy Aptekar <judyaptekar@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:45 AM To:Council, City Subject:Outside Dining CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ I am in favor of creating an environment for additional outdoor dining so more restaurants will have a better chance of surviving. Judy Aptekar 34 Baumb, Nelly From:Karl Ronn <kpronn@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 12:02 PM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets for Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ I read about the plans in Berkeley to close streets to allow the restaurants to expand. This is a wonderful idea. It would create the added space so our restaurants can re‐open and serve enough people to be economically viable. We in particular miss Zola and want to see them survive. A little parklet would really help. I know traffic and parking issues would be a risk, but work‐from‐home should be encouraged and that could help us with the vibrancy while limiting the traffic issues. Please make this happen quickly so we can help our local restaurants. Thanks, Karl Ronn Palo Alto, CA 94301 650‐391‐9396 Redacted 37 Baumb, Nelly From:Libby Russo <libbypaca@aol.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 12:36 PM To:Council, City Subject:Saving downtown Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ As we begin to recover from the effects of the shutdown, we would like to ask the City Council to allow the restaurants to open soon and with the addition of outdoor seating using the sidewalk and any other reasonable space. Social distancing can be better maintained with this configuration while helping the restaurants with their bottom line. Thank you, Libby and Joseph Russo Palo Alto, 94304 Sent from my iPad Redacted 40 Baumb, Nelly From:Laurel Lipsick <laurellipsick524@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:14 PM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets close University Ave CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ I am hoping that you will close University Ave for outside dining as well as adding Parklets on side streets so we can support Palo Alto restaurants. I will not eat inside so please add additional outside seating ASAP! Laurel Lipsick Sent from my iPhone 42 Baumb, Nelly From:Ken Wilk <bigkltla@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:17 PM To:Council, City Subject:Restaurant accommodations. CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Please assist restaurants in any way possible to reopen in a way that they can safely serve the public. Outdoor dining— including side road closures of streets branching from university should be carefully considered. Thank you—Ken Wilk , PA. Sent from my iPhone Redacted 44 Baumb, Nelly From:Jim Goddard <JGoddard@sapcenter.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:29 PM To:Council, City Subject:Restaurant Parklets CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Allow them and do it right like Menlo Park. Sent from my iPad 46 Baumb, Nelly From:Yvonne Powell <ypowell19@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:45 PM To:Council, City Subject:In favor of parklets PA CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Dear City council, We anticipate our transition to safe gathering in downtown Palo Alto. There are several of our favorite small individually owned restaurants which do not have the optimal space for “safe” dining. These businesses are barely hanging on, trying to avoid a permanent close, which would affect downtown immensely. We propose and support the idea of creating more outdoor seating space for many of these business as we negotiate our new landscape together. Kindest regards, Yvonne Powell 47 Baumb, Nelly From:Beth Mayo <bethmayo@sbcglobal.net> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:46 PM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets for Palo Alto Importance:High CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Palo Alto City Council Members, While we are not residents of Palo Alto, all of our favorite dining spots are in Palo Alto. The pandemic has been a dreary time for those of us who are foodies and dine out multiple evenings a week. As the restrictions of sheltering in place begin to be lifted, many of us worry about the fate of particularly the small restaurants that we so enjoy. Adhering to the social distancing is going to cut the occupancy of many of the places to less than a sustainable level to keep their doors open. The addition of parklets in front of a number of the restaurants would allow for more customers to be served and might well be the key to allowing those restaurants to remain open. You no doubt are hearing from others on this same topic. Please add our names to the list of those supporting/suggesting parklets, even though it will take away parking spaces which are already a difficult commodity for those of us who live too far away to be able to think of walking. Thank you for your consideration of this solution, Beth and Wayne Mayo Los Altos, CA 48 Baumb, Nelly From:SwooperNet <swoopernet@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:48 PM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets - Needed ASAP for Businesses to Thrive CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Hello, I’m writing to request the city council urgently examine the idea of parklets for a number of the restaurants in Palo Alto. Without this outdoor space, many of our small businesses won’t be able to thrive and Palo Alto will suffer greatly. Menlo Park has created a number of these parklets along Santa Cruz Avenue and they are a wonderful addition. Yes, some parking will be eliminated but hopefully that compels people to walk or bike. New times with COVID‐19. I do hope the city council is examining all options and getting creative with their ideas and implementing changes fast. I would like to encourage a parklet be considered and implemented ASAP for Zola. It’s an incredible restaurant and I’d be said to see it go. Thank you for listening. Leslie H. 4 Baumb, Nelly From:Zimran <zimran_ahmed@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 2:49 PM To:Council, City Subject:Parklets for Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Hi It’s the summer and I would love if we could support our local restaurants through parklets. The weather is warm, we can be sensible, and these businesses are a critical part of our community. Thank you! ‐Zimran 7 Baumb, Nelly From:Michele Wang <meeshwang@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:06 PM To:Council, City Cc:Ted Wang Subject:HELP For our Restauratnts - PLEASE ALLOW PARKING SPOTS FOR OUTDOOR SEATING FOR OUR LOCAL RESTAURANTS CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Dear Palo Alto City Council, I am reaching out to ask for your help with our local restaurants. The restaurants are a vital part of our community and one of the reasons why I loving living close to downtown Palo Alto. I am VERY concerned about the ability for our restaurants to weather this pandemic. In talking with some of the local restaurant operators, I understand that they are looking for ways to expand their seating while keeping the necessary social distancing requirements. One way is if they were able to use some of the parking spaces for outdoor seating. As a resident of Palo Alto, I would LOVE to see that happen. It feels like an easy way for us to help our restaurants try to weather this period of time. As a long time resident of Palo Alto (~20 years), I thank you for your help. Michele Wang . Palo Alto Redacted 8 Baumb, Nelly From:Ken Joye <kmjoye@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:16 PM To:Council, City Subject:close University Ave CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ I understand that a number of residents have started a discussion about closing University Ave to automobile traffic. That sounds like a splendid idea. I find that walking downtown is *so* much more pleasant when that roadway is closed to automobile traffic (for example, the art fair or the street music festival). I highly encourage you to support this idea, very much like the idea of dining outdoors this summer if the shelter‐in‐ place order were to permit that. thank you very much for your consideration, Ken Joye Ventura neighborhood 13 Baumb, Nelly From:Abhaya Parthy <abhayap@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:22 PM To:Council, City Subject:Expand outdoor seating area on University Ave and close it to cars CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Hi, Could you please expand the outdoor seating for restaurants and cafes on University Ave and close it to cars so we don’t have to breathe in pollution while sitting outside? Thanks! Abhaya Sent from my iPhone 16 Baumb, Nelly From:Maura Carta <mauracarta@googlemail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:25 PM To:Council, City Subject:Close down University Avenue CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Hello wonderful City of Palo Alto, I am thrilled you have closed down Bryant Street from Forest to Embarcadero. People are still racing down it, so please make it permanent by putting in barriers similar to Bryant at Lowell. Please consider closing down part of University Ave. It would be such an asset to the town and bring people in for the day. It would make Palo Alto an even more wonderful town to live and shop and eat. Thank you for reading this, and be well, Maura Carta 18 Baumb, Nelly From:nimmolo@fastmail.fm Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:27 PM To:Council, City Subject:University Plaza CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Writing to express my support for shutting University to cars to help the restaurants (and humans). There is no doubt this will help it come back to life and benefit the city and people economically, psychologically and socially. 19 Baumb, Nelly From:Dena Seki <denaseki@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:28 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please close down University Ave for the foreseeable future CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Please close down University Ave for the foreseeable future. There could be a promenade similar to that of Santana Row where children, and all, can enjoy the outdoors without the fear of and pollution from cars. With an outdoor dining space, similar to what you see in Menlo Park, restaurants can creates additional seating that would make social distancing possible, while allowing all restaurants to continue operating at greater capacity. Thank you, Dena Seki 23 Baumb, Nelly From:Ravrita <ravrita@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:34 PM To:Council, City Subject:University Ave and California Ave in Palo Alto CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Hello I am writing to ask you to strongly consider closing University Ave and California Ave in Palo Alto to Vehicle traffic. University Avenue and California Avenue businesses in Palo Alto have suffered greatly in the past couple years during construction and now they are suffering with SIP during COVID‐19. There are many restaurants and businesses on those two streets ‐ local businesses, businesses that are owned by hard‐working residents and employ hard‐working residents at those businesses. The city of Palo Alto is way overdue in doing this. Business owners have been asking for a program which closes those streets similar to the way Santana Row is closed and other promenades around the world are closed. This time during this international crisis really shows that we need to change the way we do business and take care of each other. For decades people in Palo Alto have been asking for those streets to be closed and allow businesses to prosper on University and California Avenues. The only way those restaurants can survive with social distancing in place, is to have those streets closed. Thank you for your consideration of this pressing issue. Rita Comes Whitney Past member of the Palo Alto Downtown Business Association 26 Baumb, Nelly From:Robert Valenti <valentir@mac.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:37 PM To:Council, City Subject:Closing University Ave CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ I strongly urge you to consider closing University Ave allowing restaurants to and businesses to remain in viable while providing a promenade where families and children can enjoy coffees, pastries and dining in the outdoors. We have been to so many European cities that have made their main street (or even streets) pedestrian only. Doing this would add charm to an otherwise plain downtown across from one of most beautiful universities in the world. From High to Cowper could be the limits and Hamilton and Lytton could be one way streets for traffic. Thank you for your consideration. Robert and Verónica Valenti (415) 519‐5456 Redacted 27 Baumb, Nelly From:Hikari Farms <tatsukimobile@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:37 PM To:Council, City Subject:Close down University avenue to make it pedestrians only CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Dear Palo Alto City Council members, I work in downtown near University ave on Ramona. I heard recently that there is a discussion about closing down University ave for car traffic. I would wholeheartedly support that brilliant idea to make the already beautiful community better and more livable. Kind regards, Tatsuki Tomita 28 Baumb, Nelly From:Anne Bain <annegbain@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:38 PM To:Council, City Subject:Pedestrian only for University Ave CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ I would like to add my voice to the petition to have University Ave converted to pedestrian only. Anne Bain Louis Rd Palo Alto Sent from my iPhone 34 Baumb, Nelly From:Joan Semeria <jsemeria@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:57 PM To:Council, City Subject:Pedestrian only University Ave. CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Hi it has come to my attention that there is a possibility that University Ave could be closed to cars. What a great idea especially in light of the pandemic. More people would be willing to go out if there was more space. Please consider this. It’s hard to park on the street anyway. Jon Semeria 37 Baumb, Nelly From:Alyssa Haught <alyssarhaught@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:05 PM To:Council, City Subject:Closing University to Cars CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Hello, Our family of 5 adults (all long time Palo Alto and Menlo Park residents) are in favor of closing University Avenue to all cars. Thank you, Alyssa 41 Baumb, Nelly From:Erik Meijer <erik.meijer@meijcrosoft.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:19 PM To:Council, City Subject:Downtown University Ave Pedestrian zone CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ L.S. I hear that several business such as Cafe Venetia are lobbying to turn downtown Palo Alto University Ave into a pedestrian zone. This would be amazing and would improve the appeal of downtown palo alto by many orders of magnitude and undoubtedly be a big boost for businesses. Dare to be bold. Just do it. Erik Meijer Webster St Palo Alto 42 Baumb, Nelly From:rgamburd <rgamburd@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:23 PM To:Council, City Subject:Park let’s CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Dear council members, I am strongly in favor of establishing “parklets” in our business districts, downtown, California Ave etc, to allow merchants and restaurants to have out door space to social distance and reopen. I’m afraid we will loose many local business if customers are not comfortable with spacing, and outdoors is much safer. Thank you, Robert Gamburd, M.D. 44 Baumb, Nelly From:Dennis Ruby <todmruby@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:26 PM To:Council, City Subject:The closing of University Avenue CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Greetings, I am in favor of closing University Avenue to traffic, or at least part of it. Many of the streets in European cities are closed to traffic and as a result they them seem to be so much more alive cities than our own which are dominated by vehicles. Outside dining, la dolce vita. I would think P.A. would have enough parking capacity to handle the parking space that would be eliminated. We need to encourage people to NOT drive if for no other reason than for the health of our planted. Sincerely, Dennis Ruby 49 districts, it reduces our carbon footprint. Traffic and pollution reduction has been the silver lining of this pandemic. Thank you, we need to support our local businesses. Edward D Swenson Palo Alto CA 94306 650 353 6429 Redacted 50 Baumb, Nelly From:Ajay Juneja <ajayjuneja@me.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:35 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please close the downtown streets for additional seating! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Dear City of Palo Alto, I would greatly appreciate it if, the streets of downtown palo alto were closed to help support the restaurants and coffee shops with additional seating during this time of social distancing. It would help Palo Alto businesses get back on their feet financially, faster. Thank you, Ajay 51 Baumb, Nelly From:Jeanine Kuczik <jekpharma@icloud.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:39 PM To:Council, City Subject:Please approve university ave to close to traffic and allow outdoor dining and strolling for the next few months. CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Hello We live on homer ave and totally support this initiative. What can we do to help make it happen soon? Thank you! Jeanine savello Sent from my iPhone 52 Baumb, Nelly From:Lauralyn Curry-Leech <lauralyn.cl@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:49 PM To:Council, City Subject:Make University Ave a Pedestrian Zone CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Hi there City Council, I am writing today to urge you to shut down University Ave for the foreseeable future! Not only does it make sense right now in this era of social distancing, it also makes sense for a more livable downtown area. Right now social distancing is incredibly important, and to allow restaurants (who have already been struggling during shelter in place) a chance to continue operating, if university Ave were made into a promenade with additional outdoor seating for restaurants in an outdoor dining space, this would be beneficial for both concerns. Additionally, it would make the downtown area a space that is free from the pollution and the dangers of cars. It would be a draw for families and those wishing to visit the retail and restaurants of downtown! I hope you will consider making this change as soon as possible! Thanks and all the best, Lauralyn 53 Baumb, Nelly From:Pierre Fontarensky <pierrefontarensky@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:51 PM To:Council, City Subject:Close down University Ave CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ We envision a promenade similar to that of Santana Row where children, and all, can enjoy the outdoors without the fear of and pollution from cars. We envision an outdoor dining space, similar to what you see in Menlo Park that creates additional seating that would make social distancing possible, while allowing all restaurants to continue operating at greater capacity. Thanks, Pierre Fontarensky 56 Baumb, Nelly From:Clancy, Rory <Rory.Clancy@dolby.com> Sent:Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:57 PM To:Council, City Subject:city st closures to save bars and restaurants CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. ________________________________ Hi Your prompt action is needed to save these businesses. Please close Cal Ave and University Ave to traffic and allow socially distant dining to proceed on these streets asap. Thanks Rory Mid‐town resident