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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-04-19 City Schools Liaison Committee Summary MinutesPage 1 of 7 Special Meeting April 19, 2018 Chairperson Holman called the meeting to order at 8:05 A.M. in the Community Meeting Room, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California. Present: City of Palo Alto Representatives Karen Holman, Council Member, Committee Chair Eric Filseth, Vice Mayor Rob de Geus, Deputy City Manager, Staff Liaison Palo Alto Unified School District Representatives Todd Collins, Board Member Ken Dauber, Board Member, Board President Cathy Mak, District Chief Business Officer, Staff Liaison Absent: Oral Communications Ken Horowitz shared information regarding sugar-sweetened beverages. Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) could benefit from a tax on sugar- sweetened beverages. Minutes Approval 2. Approval of Minutes- March 15, 2018. MOTION: Board Member Dauber moved, seconded by Board Member Collins, that the City School Liaison Committee approve the minutes as presented. MOTION PASSED: 4-0 3. Review Recent City Council/PAUSD Board Meetings. Board Member Dauber reported the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Board of Education (Board) approved renaming Terman Middle School for Ellen Fletcher and David Starr Jordan Middle School for Frank Greene after a great deal of public comment. At its next meeting, the Board would discuss City/School Liaison Committee Special Meeting Minutes MINUTES Page 2 of 7 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Minutes: 4/19/2018 polling and projects in relation to a bond measure and mental health services provided to students at school. The Board was engaged in selecting a Superintendent, and an announcement was expected in the near future. Board Member Collins advised that the Board had approved a contract for solar energy facilities at schools, but concerns had surfaced regarding the impact on historic buildings located on the campus of Palo Alto High School. Discussions with stakeholders were ongoing. The City and PAUSD continued to discuss an easement along Churchill Avenue and its impact on trees. Chair Holman understood the contract for solar facilities was time sensitive and inquired about the process for resolving the conflict between historic buildings and solar facilities. Cathy Mak, District Chief Business Officer, indicated the solar project had to be complete by the end of the calendar year to comply with rebate requirements. PAUSD planned to install solar facilities over the summer months. Meanwhile, PAUSD was working with stakeholders to find workable solutions. Ms. Mak shared a fact sheet regarding the solar project. PAUSD would submit a project design to the California Division of the State Architect (DSA) for approval, and that process could require a few months. She anticipated a resolution would be determined soon. Council Member Filseth related information regarding the affordable housing overlay. The prior week he visited schools in Tsuchiura, Japan. In Tsuchiura, the school district reported to the Mayor. The student exchange program between Palo Alto and Tsuchiura was important to Tsuchiura residents because they wanted their children to be exposed to other cultures. Chair Holman added that the City Council approved a Resolution identifying April 9 as Palo Alto Day. Hopefully PAUSD would assist the City in recognizing the City's 125th anniversary in 2019. 4. Ventura Coordinated Area Plan. Elena Lee, Planning and Community Environment Senior Planner, reported the City Council initiated a Coordinated Area Plan (CAP) for the North Ventura area in November 2017. The CAP supported many policies contained in the Comprehensive Plan. City Staff applied for and received a Priority Development Area (PDA) grant through Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). Sobrato, one of the property owners in North Ventura, provided matching grant funds and funding for environmental review. Because the Fry's site was one of the last large parcels available for redevelopment, this was an opportunity to plan proactively for a walkable, MINUTES Page 3 of 7 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Minutes: 4/19/2018 well-designed, mixed-use neighborhood. As a housing inventory site, the Fry's site had been targeted for multifamily housing. The CAP process required significant public participation and provided greater transparency. The CAP included policies, development regulations, and design guidelines. On March 5, 2018, the Council set goals and objectives, including walkability, a mix of uses, significant transportation connections, use of a data-driven approach, and meaningful community engagement. The project area contained approximately 60 acres and was expected to yield 220 housing units in an RM-30 zone designation. The working group would advise Staff, the Architectural Review Board, the Planning and Transportation Commission, and the City Council; meet monthly from June 2018 through 2019; and provide recommendations. The working group would be composed of three residents of the greater North Ventura area, two residents of the greater Ventura area, two residents of Mayfield, one resident of Barron Park, two business owners, one property owner, and representatives of the Planning and Transportation Commission, the Architectural Review Board, and the Parks and Recreation Commission. The Council would appoint members of the working group on April 30. A Request for Proposals (RFP) for a consultant had been issued, and a contract would be presented for Council approval in June. Data collection would begin in the summer months, and the review process would begin in the winter of 2018. The goal was to complete the project by December 2019 and to obtain Council approval in early 2020. Chair Holman requested the composition of the working group be provided to Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Board of Education (Board) Members. She inquired about the deadline to apply for the working group. Rob de Geus, Deputy City Manager, responded April 9. Chair Holman requested Staff Reports be provided to Committee Members prior to the meeting. Ms. Lee advised that Staff would invite specific stakeholders to working group meetings where their expertise could be useful to the group. In addition, Staff had sent emails to PAUSD representatives to make them aware of the process. Board Member Collins remarked that the Board's historical practice had been to build neighborhood schools. Walkable neighborhood schools was one of the core principles in siting schools. The goals did not mention schools, but they should be mentioned explicitly. No school served the area well. The Board actively attempted to avoid siting a school such that students had to cross a state highway. The former Ventura School site was not optimal for a MINUTES Page 4 of 7 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Minutes: 4/19/2018 school for various reasons. A school site closer to housing would benefit the community. Typically, a large number of school-age children came from new housing developments. Expanding the Ventura neighborhood and not serving it with a neighborhood school would be disappointing. Board Member Dauber added that the lack of a school in the Ventura neighborhood was challenging for families. The former Ventura School site was limited, but it didn't require students to cross a major street. He had heard a suggestion to utilize the former Ventura School as a kindergarten to third grade site. The CAP was an opportunity to address a problem that would affect students in new and existing housing. Council Member Filseth inquired about zoning for children living in the new Stanford University housing developments on El Camino Real. Board Member Collins disclosed that children living in Mayfield Place attended Lucille M. Nixon Elementary. Another suggestion had been an exchange of the former Ventura School site for a more appropriate site. Council Member Filseth related that Tsuchiura children walked rather than biked to school because schools were numerous and located in neighborhoods. Chair Holman reported the goal for community facilities and infrastructure was intended to include schools. Perhaps the goal could be amended to highlight schools. Ms. Lee revealed that the goals and objectives were intended to be changeable over time and could be amended. Council Member Filseth understood Chair Holman was requesting the CAP include a section regarding schools. Chair Holman concurred. Perhaps Board Members could provide written reports for agenda items. Mr. de Geus agreed that additional material would benefit Council Member reports to the Council. Minutes from the City/School Liaison Committee meeting would be provided to the Council for its discussion of the CAP. Chair Holman felt reports would be easier to review and use than Minutes. Board Member Collins requested a list of working group members. MINUTES Page 5 of 7 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Minutes: 4/19/2018 Ms. Lee agreed to provide a list of working group members and noted emails submitted through the CAP website would be documented and shared with the working group. Chair Holman suggested Board Members provide comments regarding schools proximate to the Ventura area, attendance and capacity of those schools, routes to those schools, improvements to the Page Mill/Oregon undercrossing, and feasibility of the Ventura site. The City could respond with current uses at the site and uses that would be displaced if it was a school. Board Member Dauber could provide the information. Chair Holman requested City Staff provide information in a packet for the next meeting. Ms. Lee would forward a list of applicants for the working group to Board Members. Board Member Dauber inquired about agendizing the item for the next meeting. Chair Holman believed the CAP should be agendized again for discussion at the next meeting. Board Member Collins noticed the map incorporated a substantial area which included the California Avenue neighborhood. He inquired about the possibility of additional housing in that area. Ms. Lee explained that the shaded portion of the map was the Priority Development Area. The area bounded with a dotted line was the original area, and the darker area was the expanded area. The expanded area had not been approved at the time of the meeting. Chair Holman clarified that the final boundary had not been determined. Board Member Dauber inquired about a timeline for actual development of the area. Ms. Lee indicated development depended on the outcome of the CAP. The goal was to provide a long-term plan for redevelopment of the area with more detail than contained in the Comprehensive Plan. Staff anticipated quick redevelopment of the Fry's site only. Board Member Dauber asked whether adoption of the CAP was a prerequisite for redevelopment. MINUTES Page 6 of 7 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Minutes: 4/19/2018 Ms. Lee reported there was not a moratorium on development in the area. The City preferred proposals be consistent with the CAP; therefore, redevelopment should be proposed close to the time of adoption of the CAP. The lease of the Fry's site terminates in 2019, and redevelopment would likely occur after 2019. Chair Holman felt a moratorium would be appropriate. She expressed frustration that redeveloped properties along El Camino and near the Fry's area had foreclosed opportunities for pedestrian and bicycle connections. Board Member Collins would provide a written update with materials to the Board. 5. City/School District Comments and Announcements. Rob de Geus, Deputy City Manager, reported the 96th May Fete Parade was scheduled for May 5. Negotiations of the Churchill Avenue easement had not progressed, but a meeting was scheduled for that afternoon. The new and environmentally friendly Palo Alto golf course was scheduled to reopen by the end of May with a new operator. High school golf teams would be invited to play prior to the opening. The Council's Rail Committee met monthly to discuss grade separations. In May, the Council would narrow the list of alternatives for grade separations, and in June the Council would determine the final four to eight alternatives for in-depth study. The final preferred solution for each of the four crossings should be determined by the end of the calendar year. Results of polling regarding a ballot measure were presented to the Finance Committee and would be presented to the Council on April 30. A drone expert from Sister City Enschede was visiting Palo Alto and would meet with high school students. Cathy Mak, District Chief Business Officer, advised that Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Board of Education (Board) staff was working with the Palo Alto High School Facility Steering Committee regarding the solar project. Board Member Collins noted student exchanges with Heidelberg. He questioned whether the crosswalk improvement on Churchill Avenue could be constructed separate from the easement. He requested an update regarding Cubberley Community Center. Chair Holman indicated the May agenda included an item for Cubberley Community Center. She wondered whether the Board could benefit from a presentation regarding the value of trees. MINUTES Page 7 of 7 Special City School Liaison Committee Meeting Minutes: 4/19/2018 Board Member Collins enthusiastically supported more interaction and collaboration between the City and Board. Chair Holman supported more collaboration. Future Meetings and Agendas Chair Holman reported the May agenda contained items for Safe Routes to School and the Cubberley Community Center Master Plan. Board Member Dauber recalled the addition of the Ventura Coordinated Area Plan to the May agenda. Chair Holman requested City and Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) polling results be added to the agenda. Staff comments could include an update of the Palo Alto High School solar project. Rob de Geus, Deputy City Manager, suggested three discussion items would be sufficient for the May meeting. Chair Holman was not aware of coordination between the City and PAUSD with respect to the May Fete Parade. More students and pets were needed for the parade. Mr. de Geus agreed with the need for more adults to observe the parade. All schools and school bands participated in the May Fete Parade. Board Member Collins would request the Superintendent feature the May Fete Parade in the weekly update. He inquired about the change in route such that the parade no longer terminated at Addison Elementary School. Mr. de Geus explained that the City assumed control of the May Fete Parade when Partners in Education could no longer manage it. The City shortened the route to terminate at Heritage Park. Chair Holman suggested PAUSD Board of Education (Board) attendance at the May Fete Parade could be higher. She appreciated Staff adding staff comments to the agenda and looked forward to more collaboration and information-sharing between the City and the Board. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 9:16 A.M.