HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-06-30 City Council (6)TO:
City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL 3
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: Planning and
Community Environment
DATE:
SUBJECT:
June 30, 1997 CMR:302:97
SAND HILL CORRIDOR - INITIATION OF A JOINT CITY-
STANFORD LONG-TERM PLANNING PROCESS
REQUEST
On June 2, 1997, the City Council adopted a motion to initiate a process to pursue long-term
planning questions associated with future development in the Sand Hill corridor, including
how potential development will impact the functioning of the Corridor as a regional
transportation system. The motion indicated that the initial process will involve Palo Alto
and Stanford University, but in the future, the process would likely expand to include other
jurisdictions. This staff report is an initial response to the Council action.
RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended that the Council adopt a motion directing the Mayor to appoint a less-
than-quorum number of Council Members to be an ad hoc committee charged with meeting
with City staff and University representatives to explore a process to implement the
Council’s June 2, 1997 motion regarding Sand Hill Corridor planning issues.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Appointment of an ad hoc Council Committee is consistent with past City practice of having
ad hoc committees explore issues of concern to the Council.
DISCUSSION
Since the June 2 Council meeting, City staff and University representatives have had an
initial conceptual discussion of the Council’s motion. City and University staff are in
agreement that the desired discussions should focus on land use, transportation and their
interlinking impacts, benefits and costs. Transportation includes traffic as well as transit,
bicycle and pedestrian issues. It is also apparent that numerous process and content issues
(e.g., number of participants, timing, needed staff and possibly other resources, extent of the
area to be studied as part of the process, etc.) still need to be explored. To facilitate that
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explgration, staff recommends that the Council direct the Mayor to appoint an ad hoc
Council committee to work with City staff and Stanford representatives on the Council’s
motion. The ad hoc committee will likely function over a six to twelve month period and
include responsibility for making recommendations on the content and structure of a
subsequent formalized process.
ALTERNATIVES
Altematives to the recommended action include relying on future development applications
to provide the forum for consideration of Sand Hill Corridor issues or moving directly to the
establishment of a formal City-University or multi-jurisdiction-University process.
FISCAL IMPACT
The initial City-University discussions will not have a fiscal impact. A future process could
involve the need for additional staff/consultant resources.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
Appointment of an ad’hoc committee is not a project under the California Environmental
Quality Act and no environmental analysis or finding is necessary.
STEPS FOLLOWING APPROVAL
Staff will meet with the Council Committee and coordinate with University representatives
to identify a series of meeting dates.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
PREPARED BY:Kenneth R. Schreiber, Director of Planning and Community
Environment
DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW:
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
KENNETH R. SCHREIBER
Director of Planning and
Community
CMR:302:97 Page 2 of 3
CC:Stanford University (Larry Horton, David Neuman, Andy Coe)
Stanford Management Company (Curtis Feeny, Bill Phillips, Diane Healey)
Santa Clara County (Leode Franklin)
City of Menlo Park (Jan Dolan, Don de la Pefia)
San Mateo County
Town of Portola Valley
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