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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10011951CC OC N City Hall, Palo Alto, California. October 1, 1951. The Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date' in the Children's"Theatre at the Community Center at 7:30 P.M., pursuant toadjournment of September 24, 1951, with Mayor Mitchell presidinP,. Roll call as follows: Present: Bishop, Blois, Bowden, Cathcart, Drysdale, Gaspar, Hill, Marshall, Miller, Mitchell, Montrouil, Simpson, Wickett. Absent:. Mrs. Bower, Cashel. Hearing on Rezoning Applications (Greer Property) (Barrett & Hilp Property) This was -the time set for a hearing on the application of Mary G. Greer to rezone her property at Newell Road and. Channing'Avenue from R-1 to.C-1, and on the application of the Barrett &.Hilp Development Company to rezone their five -acre tract of land on Newell Road near Embarcadero Road from R-1 to C-2. The Mayor announced that the Council would hear first representatives of Mary C. Greer, and then representatives of Barrett & Hilp. The Planning Officer would then submit his report and..proposal, and following his presentation opportunity would be given to people in the audience to speak. The Mayor advised that no action would be taken by the"::ouncil at this meeting. Lorenz Costello, attorney representing Mary C. Greer, addressed the Council in support of the application for rezoning of the -Greer property, and submitted a sketch of the proposed shopping area to be known as "Crescent Center". George Nolte, engineer -who prepared the plan, also spoke, presenting a report on the proposal and a petition with 92 signatures from people living in the general area endorsing the proposed plan and the rezoning. Edward E. Hardy, :attorney, addressed the Council on behalf ofthe Barrett & Hilp:Development Company, explaining their proposal for a shopping center on their property on Newell Road near Embarcadero Road, advising that while they had requested C-2 'zoning, they were willing to follow a different plan in accordance with the wishes of the Council, and were ready to conform to a P -C district if that is considered desirable. He pointed out that they proposed to provide plenty of parking area,_and would maintain proper landscaping and set the buildings back from the street. Birge Clark, architect for Barrett & Hilp, submitted a sketch of the general.,plan for development of the area, and Larry Wise, a planning consultant, pointed out that the proposed shopping center is'in the center of the neighborhood plan developed by the late L. Deming Tilton, and is in the center of the major street and highway plan of Palo Alto. Mr. Wise stated that in his opinion there would be no great increase in traffic flow as a result of the establishment of the. proposed.ehopping area, and gave information on traffic counts on adjacent streets. 97 James M. Campbell, Planning Officer, reviewed the studies which had been made and discussed the P -C zoning which he had recommended for the Barrett & Hi.lp property, explaining that certain commercial uses would be allowed only after approval by the Council of a complete plan; that the Council may require whatever ratio of parking space they think is proper, and has control over the location of buildings, area to be covered by the buildings and thetype of business to be carried on, and may also require proper landscaping and building height limitation. He pointed out thata maximum loor area of 9,000 square feet has been recommended :for ally one store, with the total building coverage to be".30,000 square feet. Elton Andrews, Assistant Planning Officer, presented several sketches and charts, one sketch being a tentative master, plan of commercial areas, and one showing the frontage development on Newell. Road and land use in the area. The hearing was then opened to the public, with persons in the immediate zone of interest permitted to speak first. Thomas H. Carmody, .1411 Arcadia Place, addressed the Council objecting to the rezoning of the Greer property, and presented a petition signed"by 572 property owners and residents of the Channing-Newell area requesting that no change be made in the zoning of the property. He advised that the petitioners feel that there is no need or demand for a shopping center'in that area'and that any commercial uses would increase the traffic problem. They asked that only single family residences be. permitted on the property in 'question. Others who spoke in support of Mr. Carmody's statements and objecting to the rezoning of the Greer property included the following: E. G. Bergren, 1+91 Arcadia Place Ralph Olpin, 1+50 Arcadia Place Earl Schultheiss, 1340 Channing Avenue Joseph Eichler Mr. and Mrs. Louis Fasani, 880 Newell Road R. 1% Sorensen, 860 Newell Road John Ackerman W. L.,Burkhardt, 1578 Channing Avenue Ronald Williams, 100 Island Drive, spoke in favor of a shopping center on. the Greer property. Kenneth Johnson, attorney representing Joseph Greer and Mary Greer, spoke 4n support of their application and in favor of the rezoning. Frank Rack, 186 Walter Hays Drive, speaking on behalf of the Crescent Park Woods Association, opposed any commercial zoning on the Barrett &Hilp property. He submitted a petition and a map indicating that about 80% of the residents in Crescent ;Park Woods were opposed to the rezoning. Others who addressed the Council expressing opposition to the rezoning for any uses ;other than single residential dwellings included the following: Richard D. Brumbaugh, 846 Embarcadero Road Frank Roberts,, 159 Newell Road Barbara MacKenzie, 156+ Walnut Drive Harry Ashley, 1544 Walnut Drive Mrs. Sam Wilson, 15+0 Walnut Drive Glenn J. Warniof, 1580 Walnut Drive Mrs.. Eliot Bolten, 286 Walter Hays Drive Charles Pennypacker Smith, 836 Embarcadero Road A. B. Mayfield, 10 Jordan Place Harry Miller, 1087 Newell Road 98 CC Mrs, A. B. Mayfield, 10 Jordan Place Richard Lamb, 30 Jordan Place Homer Martin, 280 Walter Hays Drive David Langley, 1550Walnut Drive John Baumeister, "1534 Walnut Drive Richard Ford, 155+ Walnut Drive Joseph Larson,: 1045 Newell Road Harry Springer, 1167 Stanley Way William R. Ray, 747 Tennyson Avenue Duncan McLeod, Jr., 1730 Guinda Street Gerard Vanderhoeven, 1825 Mark Twain Eliot Borten; 286 Walter Hays Drive W. A. Brown, 1514 Walnut Drive Stephen Chelbay, 1832 Mark Twain Street, spoke on behalf of a group of property owners in Embarcadero Oaks Tract who objected to the commercial zoning proposed, and submitted, a petition of residents in that area opposing any commercial use on the Barrett &-Hilp property. The following spoke in favor of a shopping area on the Barrett & Hilp property: John F. Brennan, 1530 Walnut Drive John Conklin, -Walter Hays Drive Charles. Ruggles, 141 Walter Hays Drive Jeanne Beecher 941 Newell Road, Walter Baum, 140 Lois Lane Benton'Bejack, 85 Erstwild Court Helen Bone, 152 Walter Hays Drive Kenneth Bayha, 1673 Edgewood Drive Mrs. Frank Petty, 1823 Edgewood Drive A number of those who spoke in favor of the rezoning stated that representatives of Barrett & Hilp had informed them when they purchased their domes that a shopping center was ,planned for that area. On motion of Gaspar and Marshall, the Council adjourned. ATTEST: The hearing was then declared closed.