HomeMy WebLinkAboutCubberley-2759-15-04-16-12
City of Palo Alto (ID # 2759)
City Council Staff Report
Report Type: Action Agenda Meeting Date: 4/16/2012
April 16, 2012 Page 1 of 2
(ID # 2759)
Summary Title: Cubberley Guiding Principles
Title: Recommendation to Adopt Revised Draft Cubberley Guiding Principles
From: City Manager
Lead Department: City Manager
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the revised draft Cubberley
Guiding Principles. Staff will also provide an update on the City Manager’s
appointments to the Community Advisory Committee, and will be prepared
to respond to questions regarding the conceptual site plans prepared
jointly by the staff at the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) and the
City of Palo Alto.
Background
The City Council considered staff’s recommendations on the Cubberley
Guiding Principles at its meeting on April 9, 2011. At its meeting, Council
modified the principles as reflected in the attachment to this item. The
City Council directed staff to make these changes to the Guiding Principles
pursuant to the discussion and continue the item to its April 16, 2012
Council meeting.
Discussion
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide to the City Council the
revised draft Cubberley Guiding Principles based on the direction provided
to staff at the April 9, 2012 City Council meeting. Attachment A provides a
revised draft of the Guiding Principles with tracked changes.
As new information becomes available, staff will update the City Manager’s
appointments to the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and will
April 16, 2012 Page 2 of 2
(ID # 2759)
provide an updated roster to the City Council at the April 16, 2012 meeting.
Staff would like to reiterate that the site plans are conceptual drafts and
are intended to present alternatives as a starting point for subsequent
discussions with the CAC.
At the meeting on April 9, 2012, the City Council discussed how to
reconcile the Council’s adoption of the Cubberley Guiding Principles with
similar actions by the PAUSD. Staff intends to provide a recommendation
to the City Council about this alignment for your consideration and
approval on April 16, 2012.
As the City Council knows, our intent is to initiate the first meeting with the
CAC in early May. It is the goal to have the Cubberley Guiding Principles
approved both by the City Council and the PAUSD in advance of this first
meeting.
Attachments:
Attachment A: Cubberley Guiding Principles Revised (PDF)
Attachment B: April 9, 2012 Cubberley Staff Report (PDF)
Prepared By: Sheila Tucker, Assistant to the City Manager
Department Head: James Keene, City Manager
City Manager Approval: ____________________________________
James Keene, City Manager
Attachment A
[1]
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DRAFT
City Council Cubberley Policy Advisory Committee
City Manager Community Advisory Committee
Guiding Principles
Adopted April 9, 2012 April 16, 2012
The Cubberley Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) consists of two Palo Alto Unified School District
(PAUSD) Board members appointed by the School Board President and three City Council
members appointed by the Mayor. The PAC shall be the primary advisor to the Council and the
School Board on issues related to the lease and possible re-use or joint use of the Cubberley
campus.
The Cubberley Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) is appointed by the City Manager and shall
represent a broad cross section of Cubberley, neighborhoods, Schools and city-wide
representatives. The CAC shall review Cubberley background and history and provide the PAC
with community input including but not limited to possible re-use scenarios, alternative lease
arrangements, site plan configurations, possible funding plans, identification of joint use
opportunities and compatibility standards.
In order to ensure consistency with existing City Council positions and policies, both the PAC
and the CAC will be guided by the following principles:
1. The Committees shall maintain open and transparent processes at all times.
Members of the public shall be invited to all meetings. The meetings are to be
recorded and minutes completed. (Costs of minutes to be cost-shared with theCity
and PAUSD).
2. Documents, architectural drawings and other written communication provided to
the Committees shall be made available to the general public as soon as possible.
3. The City and PAUSD areis supportive of Cubberley remaining a major cultural,
educational and non-profit resource very important to the community’s health and
vitality.
4. The City and PAUSD seeks to work cooperatively with PAUSD to explore all practical
means to jointly re-use the Cubberley campus for both educational and community
services.
5. The City and PAUSD recognizes that both entities have significant financial interests
in the Cubberley campus which should be evaluated as equal priorities. open and
sympathetic to the interests of the other party.
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Attachment A
[2]
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6. Both The City and PAUSD and the City have ownership interests in portions of the
campus: PAUSD owns 27 acres and the City owns 8 acres. The parties may consider
relocation of its ownership interests within the site to facilitate optimal site layout
and efficiency.
7. To the extent possible, facility planning, architectural design, economic analysis or
other expert service costs should be shared equally between the City and PAUSD for
2012-2013.
8. While the Policy Advisory Committee planning should occur as cooperatively as
possible, the City Council representatives and the PAUSD Boardmembers will retain
independent recommending authority should consensus not be reached.
9. School quality and capacity is a significant City-wide issue considered essential to the
maintenance of educational opportunities and excellence, and the overall health
and well-being of our community.
10. The types of Cubberley programs enrich the community and criteria should be
developed to prioritize and/or retain existing uses as well as assess prospective new
uses. offered by the City and its contractors and sub-tenants at Cubberley enrich the
community and should be preserved and enhanced wherever possible.
11. The City and PAUSD recognizes the potential to re-use the site as a joint City/PAUSD
facility could result in stronger educational and cultural programs provided more
efficiently.
12. The City Council representatives on the Policy Advisory Committee shall report, not
less often than bi-monthly, provide regular reports to the full Council on Cubberley
planning activities.
13. The City and PAUSD should work to continue community access to Cubberley to the
extent possible. Recreation facilities provided at the Cubberley campus produce
important services benefitting the community at large.
14. The residential neighborhoods surrounding Cubberley are significant factors in
determining the compatibility of possible building changes on the Cubberley
campus.
15. Transportation issues and access to and within Cubberley shall be considered in
evaluating possible re-use options including improved bicycle and pedestrian
facilities.
City of Palo Alto (ID # 2736)
City Council Staff Report
Report Type: Action ItemsMeeting Date: 4/9/2012
April 09, 2012 Page 1 of 5
(ID # 2736)
Summary Title: Cubberley Guiding Principles
Title: Recommendation that Council Adopt the Draft Cubberley Guiding
Principles, Accept the City Manager’s Appointments to the Community Advisory
Committee (CAC) and Review the Conceptual Site Plans Prepared Jointly by the
Staff of the PAUSD and City of Palo Alto
From: City Manager
Lead Department: City Manager
Recommendation
Staff recommends that Council adopt the draft Cubberley Guiding Principles,
accept the City Manager’s appointments to the Community Advisory Committee
(CAC) and review the conceptual site plans prepared jointly by the staff of the
PAUSD and City of Palo Alto.
Executive Summary
In November of 2011, the City Council established a process and timeline to
engage the community in a discussion regarding the future of Cubberley. The
timeline anticipated achieving a group consensus on a vision for the future of the
Cubberley site one year prior to the City’s current lease expiration in 2014. The
process included by the end of 2013 (the City’s lease terminates in 2014) forming
three groups: the Technical Advisory Committee made up of top executive staff of
School District and the City; a Community Advisory Committee to be appointed
jointly by the City Manager (with recommendations from the School
Superintendent); and a Policy Advisory Committee composed of three
Councilmembers (Yeh, Shepherd and Klein) and two School Board members
(Mitchell and Townsend).
The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) met the first three months of this year to
establish baseline information regarding school enrollment and facility needs.
April 09, 2012 Page 2 of 5
(ID # 2736)
The TAC worked jointly to produce a set of conceptual site plans showing several
Cubberley re-use alternatives. These concepts are intended to solicit Council
comments in advance of discussion by the Community Advisory Committee (CAC)
scheduled to begin meeting in early May. The Council’s action in November 2011
scheduled the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) to begin meetings shortly after
the CAC was up and running (in June 2012). The Council also requested a CAC
report to the full Council in October 2012.
The Council’s November action also requested that staff return to Council with a
set of Guiding Principles for use by the PAC and CAC during their discussions. The
Guiding Principles to reflect community values of transparency ensuring that the
public is invited to meetings and offered opportunities to interact with both
groups. In addition, the Guiding Principles set up very broad objectives to clarify
that the process is intended to be collaboration between the City and the School
district emphasizing joint use of the facilities where possible.
Cubberley is a significant element of the City’s complete infrastructure needs.
Both the on-going maintenance and the anticipated capital improvements are
estimated to be an excess of $10 million over the next four years. The work the
City and School District are doing to plan for the future community and
educational needs will be important factors for the Council and community to
understand as our infrastructure backlog is quantified.
Background and Discussion
In establishing the Cubberley process and timeline, the City Council raised the
following issues (see Excerpt Minutes attached) in its discussions:
Brown Act
Because the PAC is a standing committee of the Council and the School Board
configured to last longer than 6 months, it will be subject to the Brown Act.
Primarily, this means its meetings will have regular agendas posted 72 hours prior
to regular scheduled meetings and 24 hours prior to special meetings. Minutes
and staff reports will be attached to agendas and made available to the public at
or prior to meetings.
Because the CAC is appointed by the City Manager, it is not a standing committee
of the Council and therefore not technically subject to the Brown Act. The
April 09, 2012 Page 3 of 5
(ID # 2736)
Council, however, directed that the CAC function to the extent possible as if
Brown Act regulations applied to meeting agendas. This means that agendas and
written materials would be made available to the public at or prior to meetings.
Members of the public would be invited to attend meetings and would be given
time to address the CAC.
Guiding Principles
Staff prepared the attached draft principles to guide both the PAC and the CAC
over the course of their discussions. The intent is to establish both committees as
fully transparent and publically accessible groups. Because the CAC is appointed
by the City Manager and not a Council standing committee, it would not
technically fall under the Brown Act. The Guiding Principles make it clear that the
CAC’s business would always be open to the public who would have opportunity
to interact with the CAC on a regular basis at their publically noticed meetings.
Process and Timeline
The City’s Cubberley lease expires in December 2014. At that time, the lease may
be extended an additional 5 years upon mutual consent of the City and the
District. The City’s schedule assumes providing the District notice of its intentions
regarding renewal of the lease at the end of 2013 to provide the District with one
year’s notice prior to the lease expiration. The Council and PAUSD process
focuses on reaching a consensus on whether to renew by the end of 2012. This
would leave much of 2013 for the City and the District to work through lease
renewal discussions prior to the un-official Cubberley December 2013 extension
notification deadline. Council also directed that the PAC begin meeting shortly
after the CAC was up and running in June 2012. Council envisioned the PAC and
the CAC’s work running roughly parallel enabling regular communication between
the two groups prior to the Council and School Board decision making. The City
Council directed that the CAC provide at least one status report to the full Council
in October 2012.
Technical Advisory Committee Status and Conceptual Options
City and District staff established the conceptual baseline school growth needs
based on District growth projections. The square footages used in the conceptual
site plans equate to one additional elementary school (500 student), one middle
school (600 student) and a small (500 student) High School. The conceptual plans
show the elementary school located on the 525 San Antonio property, which was
April 09, 2012 Page 4 of 5
(ID # 2736)
recently purchased by the District and outside of the Cubberley area. Option 1
shows the Middle and High School developed stand alone and independent of any
city community uses. Subsequent Options show increased use of joint facilities
such as gym, theater and studio/classroom spaces. Joint use reduces overall
development and parking needs as well as a lower total construction cost.
The preliminary options developed jointly with PAUSD and their architect
should be considered conceptual drafts intended to present alternative for
subsequent discussions. The options only provide some high level detail as to a
foundation and starting point for the Cubberley vision process.
Connectivity
The City Council directed that the CAC mission include addressing the connectivity
of school sites in the general vicinity of Cubberley and requested that a member
of the Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee (PABAC) be made a CAC member.
Staff has reached out to PABAC which is still deliberating on who the
representative will be. The CAC’s discussions regarding connectivity will be a part
of the CAC’s conceptual site planning review.
Planning and Transportation Role
The Council deferred the role of the Planning and Transportation Commission
(PTC) in the Cubberley decision making process. While the Council may decide to
proactively involve the PTC during or after the CAC completes its work, staff will
include a PTC liaison on the CAC to provide consistency when the Council engages
the PTC over the course of the CAC and PAC discussions later this year.
Timeline
As discussed above, the CAC and PAC are scheduled to meet over the course of
2012 concluding its recommendations to Council in early 2013. This timeline
allows the Council to engage in lease negotiations with the School District two
years prior to the expiration of the lease in 2014. The timeline anticipates a
decision on the lease by the end of 2013 providing a one year notice period if
either party decides to not exercise the 5 year option to extend the lease.
Environmental Review
Environmental review will be required for any project anticipated for Cubberley.
The anticipated discussion of conceptual plans, however, will not require
April 09, 2012 Page 5 of 5
(ID # 2736)
environmental review. Once there is agreement and the project is no longer
speculative, environmental review will be required.
Attachments:
Attachment A: Draft Guiding Principles (DOCX)
Attachment B: Cubberley Community Advisory Panel (PDF)
Attachment C: Cubberley Site Options (PDF)
Attachment D: 11-01-11 Cubberley Excerpt Minutes (PDF)
Prepared By: Steve Emslie, Deputy City Manager
Department Head: James Keene, City Manager
City Manager Approval: ____________________________________
James Keene, City Manager
Attachment A
DRAFT
City Council Cubberley Policy Advisory Committee
City Manager Community Advisory Committee
Guiding Principles
Adopted April 9, 2012
The Cubberley Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) consists of two Palo Alto Unified School
District (PAUSD) Board members appointed by the School Board President and three
City Council members appointed by the Mayor. The PAC shall be the primary advisor to
the Council and the School Board on issues related to the lease and possible re-use or
joint use of the Cubberley campus.
The Cubberley Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) is appointed by the City Manager and
shall represent a broad cross section of Cubberley, neighborhoods, Schools and city-
wide representatives. The CAC shall review Cubberley background and history and
provide the PAC with community input including but not limited to possible re-use
scenarios, alternative lease arrangements, site plan configurations, possible funding
plans, identification of joint use opportunities and compatibility standards.
In order to ensure consistency with existing City Council positions and policies, both the
PAC and the CAC will be guided by the following principles:
1. The Committees shall maintain open and transparent processes at all times.
Members of the public shall be invited to all meetings.
2. Documents, architectural drawings and other written communication
provided to the Committees shall be made available to the general public as
soon as possible.
3. The City is supportive of Cubberley remaining a major cultural, educational
and non-profit resource very important to the community’s health and
vitality.
4. The City seeks to work cooperatively with PAUSD to explore all practical
means to jointly re-use the Cubberley campus for both educational and
community services.
5. The City recognizes that both entities have significant financial interests in
the Cubberley campus which should be evaluated as equal priorities.
Attachment A
6. Both PAUSD and the City have ownership interests in portions of the campus:
PAUSD owns 27 acres and the City owns 8 acres. The parties may consider
relocation of its ownership interests within the site to facilitate optimal site
layout and efficiency.
7. To the extent possible, facility planning, architectural design, economic
analysis or other expert service costs should be shared equally between the
City and PAUSD.
8. While the Policy Advisory Committee planning should occur as cooperatively
as possible, the City Council representatives and the PAUSD Boardmembers
will retain independent recommending authority should consensus not be
reached.
9. School capacity is a significant City-wide issue considered essential to the
overall health and well-being of our community.
10. The types of programs offered by the City and its contractors and sub-
tenants at Cubberley enrich the community and should be preserved and
enhanced wherever possible.
11. The City recognizes the potential to re-use the site as a joint City/PAUSD
facility could result in stronger educational and cultural programs provided
more efficiently.
12. The City Council representatives on the Policy Advisory Committee shall
provide regular reports to the full Council on Cubberley planning activities.
13. Recreation facilities provided at the Cubberley campus produce important
services benefitting the community at large.
14. The residential neighborhoods surrounding Cubberley are significant factors
in determining the compatibility of possible building changes on the
Cubberley campus.
15. Transportation issues and access to Cubberley shall be considered in
evaluating possible re-use options including improved bicycle and pedestrian
facilities.
Cubberley Community Advisory Panel
Group First Name Last Name
Neighborhoods
Fair Meadow Tom Vican
Walnut Grove Tom Crystal
Green Meadow Lanie Wheeler
Charleston Gardens Jean Wilcox
Midtown Sheri Furman
PAN Ken Allen
Commercial Retail
Charleston Plaza Tenant
Village Properties Damian Cono
PTA's
Fairmeadow Elementary Claire Kirner
JLS Middle School John Markevitch
Gunn High School Tracy Stevens
Palo Alto High School Susan Bailey
Cubberley Tenants
Child Care Rachel Samoff
Artist Lessa Bouchard
Non Profit ‐Cardiac Therapy Jerry August
FOPAL Jim Schmidt
Park and Rec Commission TBD after next Parks & Rec Meeting 4/24
PT&C Greg Tanaka
Acterra Michael Clossen
PABAC TBD after next Parks & Rec Meeting
City School Traffic Safety Penny Ellson
Recreation and Sports League
Soft Ball Mike Cobb
Other TBD
2
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Attachment D
EXCERPT MINUTES
Special Meeting
November 1, 2011
The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the Council
Chambers at 7:03 P.M.
Present: Burt, Espinosa, Holman, Klein, Scharff, Schmid, Shepherd,
Yeh
Absent: Price
ACTION ITEMS
6. Staff Recommendation for a Process and Timeline Addressing the
City’s and Palo Alto Unified School District’s (PAUSD) Interest in the
Cubberley Campus and Adjacent Properties.
City Manager, James Keene stated that the Staff had been working
with the Palo Alto Unified School District’s (PAUSD) School
Superintendent on a proposal regarding the School District’s interest
and plans for the Cubberley site. The proposal had two components:
1) to focus during calendar year 2012, alternatives on issues leading
to joint recommendations on plans, and calendar year 2013 on lease
renewal issues, and 2) to layout during the first year, a recommended
process on how to work through issues related to site planning.
Deputy City Manager, Stephen Emslie clarified that Staff Report
ID#2249 had indicated that Council had directed Staff to setup a
special recreation fund when the rental income from the City’s
payments to the District no longer was required. He said the direction
was for consideration only.
Herb Borock said it would be helpful to obtain a history of the
payments the City made to the School District for the past 25-years
for the Cubberley site as well as the City Improvement Program (CIP)
expenditures. The information would help the Council in their decision
to move forward on a lease renewal and the covenant to not develop
Attachment D
at other sites. Additionally, the public may want to see the
information.
Council Member Klein asked who would be appointing the members for
the Community Advisory Committee (CAC).
Mr. Emslie stated that Staff envisioned for the School Board Members
and City Staff to work together in appointing a panel of members.
Council Member Klein stated it would be a Staff appointed committee
and not subject to the Brown Act.
Mr. Emslie said that was correct but the Brown Act rules could be
adopted if the Council desired.
Council Member Klein asked if the list of community organizations was
meant to be exclusive or welcoming of more.
Mr. Emslie said it was welcoming of more.
Council Member Klein stated that the role of the CAC would be to work
on issues at the same time as the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC).
He asked how that would work.
Mr. Emslie stated Staff envisioned the meetings to be driven by site
planning and architectural issues of how the campus could be shared.
One committee could react on a proposal and provide input to the
other. The PAC could send issues and questions to the CAC to explore.
The two committees would run in parallel and blend together.
City Manager Keene stated that the Technical Advisory Committee
(TAC) would work independently. Once the PAC and CAC were up and
running, a decision could be made on how things should be staged or
sequenced.
MOTION: Council Member Klein moved, seconded by Council Member
Shepherd to direct Staff to form a:
1. Collaborative PAUSD and City Process Timeline on Cubberley.
An initial 14 month process which anticipates reaching City and
PAUSD consensus on a Cubberley Master Plan by the end of
2012. Such Master Plan may include alternative scenarios.
Attachment D
2. A Technical Advisory Committee to be established, co-chaired by
the City Manager and Superintendent, focusing on developing
the technical foundations for eventual policy decision making.
TAC members would also include City departmental
representatives including Community Services, Administrative
Services, Planning, Attorney’s Office and Public Works, and their
PAUSD counterparts.
3. A Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) is proposed to be comprised
of two PAUSD Board Members and three City Council Members
appointed by the Mayor and Board President.
4. Community Advisory Committee (CAC) will be a cross section
group of community stakeholders (15-20 members).
FURTHERMORE, that the Ventura and Greendell school sites and
connectivity issues shall be included in the study; that the
representatives of the Chamber, PACC and one or more
environmental organizations should be included as part of the CAC;
that the CAC commence meeting in February or March 2012 and
report to the PAC no later than October 15, 2012 which shall
commence its discussions on receipt of the CAC report; the CAC be
appointed by City and PAUSD staff and not be covered by the Brown
Act although its processes shall be transparent and similar to the
Brown Act.
Council Member Klein raised concerns regarding the effectiveness of
two committees working in parallel. He preferred the traditional
practice for committees to work in accordance to a timeline, report
back to the Council, and in this instance to the School District as well,
and then move forward.
Council Member Shepherd asked that the Greendale School site be
included in the planning process. She asked how transparency would
work without Brown Act rules.
Mr. Keene said Staff would look at options to keep the Council and the
community well informed through communication and a webpage.
Council Member Shepherd stated she did not want decisions to be
made behind closed doors.
Mr. Keene stated that Guiding Principles would need to be established
on how the process would work and how business would be conducted.
Attachment D
Council Member Shepherd asked about the 8-acres. She said the city
owned them and the community does not consider them part of the
public school portion of the Cubberley. She said this may limit
development prospects and asked how quickly that issue could be
addressed.
Mr. Keene stated that could take place during the initial period when
the TAC assembled statistical information and programming needs.
Council Member Shepherd said she felt the Motion was even-handed
and placed the School District and the City on a level for input and
exploration of the site. She noted that the 8-acres were obtained by
the City 10-years ago to build something such as a community center.
This process was a fresh way of looking at the site. She hoped that
the School Board and the City would articulate on what public
education could look like and to work through the community center
inspired at that location. She expressed the need for transparency as
the process moved forward.
Council Member Schmid raised concerns regarding moving forward on
setting up committees without a clear sense on what they would be
working on. He felt the focus of attention should be clarified prior to
voting. The City was dealing with a lease and a covenant to not
develop. He stated the document covered three issues: the City’s
lease at the Cubberley site; an agreement to not develop other school
properties in town, and to have City-sponsored child-care at each
campus. He asked what the Committee’s involvement would be in
these issues. He spoke of the $7 million payments from the City that
had been divided between the three aspects of the lease and covenant
and asked if the Committees would be dealing with these issues.
Mr. Keene stated that was not the intent. The proposed process was
to separate the planning and land use demands from the lease and
covenant discussions. Staff and the Council would revisit the process
after land use scenarios were developed to help with the lease and
covenant issues in calendar year 2013.
Council Member Schmid stated that Greendale was a pre-school, an
elementary school, and day-care located on the property and asked
how the City would address the School District’s needs since they
conflicted with City issues.
Mr. Keene stated it would be difficult to address those issues at this
point. A clear understanding would need to be made on what the
Attachment D
drivers and implications were which would be part of alternative
scenarios.
Council Member Schmid said it was important to have a clear
understanding of what was being done during the first year prior to
moving forward. He said the Staff Report noted that the School
District was asked to update their school population predictions. He
noted that the Housing Element was 4-years overdue; the City had not
given public notice of how many houses would be built by 2014, and
was in the process of committing to the Regional Housing Needs
Allocation (RHNA) process regarding a 25-year growth rate that could
bring the Palo Alto’s population to 80,000. He said it would be difficult
for the School District to come up with a plan without an idea of what
the City’s long-term forecast was for the community. The City should
have a clear statement on the City’s current Housing Element and
what the City was going to do with the future RHNA allocations before
the technical processes begin.
Mr. Keene agreed with the challenges outlined by Council Member
Schmid. He said Staff anticipated having scenarios rather than a plan
during the first year. He said implications could be made if the City
was fortunate to see the future numbers in growth by March 2012. He
felt the City should use alternative assumptions rather than hold up
the scenario planning process if those numbers were not reached.
Council Member Schmid noted the PAC would consist of three Council
Members and two Board Members. He raised concerns regarding the
statement “PAC’s mission to forward a recommendation.” He asked if
the Council had the right to say that the Committee had a majority
that would forward a recommendation. He felt there should be some
sensitivity to the School District and to consider the PAC’s mission to
reach consensus or to have both sides agree to a recommendation.
Mr. Keene said the Staff report noted that Staff viewed the Council and
the Board Members to be intermediaries between Staff and the
governing bodies. Staff did not see the Board Members having
authority to make decisions on behalf of the governing bodies. They
were to keep the lines of communications open and flowing. There was
a need for mutual interest and consensus between the School District,
the City, and stakeholders in order for the process to work correctly.
Council Member Schmid suggested changing the verbiage from “a
recommendation” to “joint recommendation.”
Attachment D
Council Member Shepherd stated it was her understanding there could
be a conflict if a member lived within a certain radius of the site. She
asked for the City Attorney to clarify the issue.
City Attorney, Molly Stump a process could be established to not have
conflict issues. If the Council used the procedure to setup a multi-
member body that doesn’t trigger the Brown Act it did not mean you
had to have closed meetings.
Council Member Holman said the meetings should be disseminated to
groups and publicly noticed. She did not want to see a website
developed where citizens would need to check daily to see if a meeting
was scheduled for the following day. She asked if the Maker of the
Motion had accepted to include the Greendale School site in the
planning process.
Mr. Keene confirmed that it was accepted.
INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF
THE MAKER AND SECONDER to add the Bicycle Advisory Committee
to the list of representatives.
Council Member Holman noted that the PAC was expected to report
back to the Council and the Board but was not identified as a
systematic process. She favored a more iterative process. She
suggested that PAC report out to the City Council and the Planning and
Transportation Commission (P&TC), who would comment on the
progress as the process moved forward.
Mr. Keene stated that Staff envisioned issues to unfold as the process
moved forward. The PAC would report back to their governing bodies
with periodic updates to the Council. He said a specific date had not
yet been determined to appoint the PAC and that the Council may
want to wait until there was feedback from the community.
Council Member Holman stated that the Staff Report noted that Staff
envisioned the PAC to work under the Guiding Principles adopted by
the Council and the School District. She asked where the Guiding
Principles were.
Mr. Keene stated there should be a process or period when the Guiding
Principles would be adopted as the group was formed and opened to
any input from the Council. He said Staff could move forward and
Attachment D
setup the CAC if the Motion passed. The first order of business would
be to structure the Guiding Principles.
Council Member Holman stated that the project was enormous for Palo
Alto. The process needed to be well thought-out, transparent, and
done correctly. She wanted to make clear that the 8-acres at the
Cubberley site was not referred to as “the 8-acres”. “The 8-acres”
described a specific piece of land that contained irregular boundaries
around buildings and would not allow flexibility to swap pieces with the
School District during the planning phase.
Mr. Keene stated that Staff would be obligated to come back to the
Council for direction on how to work through any technical issues.
Council Member Holman asked that Charleston Plaza and Green
Meadow neighborhood be included for planning purposes.
AMENDMENT: Council Member Holman moved, seconded by Council
Member XXX to include Charleston Plaza and the Green Meadow
neighborhood as part of the land-use planning component.
AMENDMENT FAILED DUE TO LACK OF A SECOND
Council Member Holman stated she hoped that the Green Meadow
neighborhood would be heard by the CAC for good connectivity to the
school site.
INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF
THE MAKER AND SECONDER for the sake of clarity that the PAC
shall report out regularly and systematically to the City Council.
Council Member Holman asked that the P&TC have an active role in
land use planning. The site had many issues that included horizontal
mixed use, site planning on site, connectivity issues with commercial
development and residential neighborhood. To add the P&TC only
made common sense.
INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF
THE MAKER AND SECONDER that the Planning and Transportation
Commission have an active role in land-use planning to be determined
at a future date.
Attachment D
Council Member Burt asked Staff how they would integrate the P&TC
into the process with their normal role as an advising body to the
Council.
Mr. Keene stated that Staff could not say at this point what the
alternatives, scenarios, and plans would be at the end of the year. He
preferred an approach where the Staff would report back to the
Council and for the Council to give direction that the issue was at an
appropriate stage for the P&TC to handle.
Council Member Burt asked if the item would be coming back to the
Council after scenarios and plans were determined.
Mr. Keene said yes.
Council Member Burt stated that would be the appropriate time for
Staff to provide the Council with better guidance of what was being
proposed for the P&TC’s role.
Mr. Keene said he would like to get the TAC started as soon as
possible and for Staff to return to the Council in January 2012 for
direction.
Council Member Burt stated that the P&TC was alluded to as one of the
Commissions under the CAC. The P&TC was an advisory body in terms
of land use and transportation and suggested that Staff consider
having the P&TC’s role under the PAC. He clarified the suggestion was
not a Motion or a recommendation but as a suggestion for
consideration.
Council Member Klein stated he was not in favor of the process and
felt it was overkill. He said the matter was not a land use issue and
ran the risk of annoying the School Board. The District was not
subjected to the City’s land use planning and the P&TC was not
experienced in planning school sites. The School District did not have
a P&TC and one of the goals was to run in parallel in terms of
processes. There would be a great deal of negotiations between the
City and the School District with regard to finances, ownerships, and
decision-making. He felt two P&TC members would be sufficient for
the CAC.
Council Member Shepherd stated the matter was focused on the shape
of the property for the School District’s use and what the City would
keep for the Community Center. That would be a task for the TAC
Attachment D
group. She felt the only way the P&TC could help with the task was to
have borders and boundary issues. She was in favor of Council
Member Burt’s concept to go to the P&TC deliberatively as issues come
up.
Council Member Holman said there would be a point in time when Staff
would determine the P&TC’s involvement. She spoke of
interconnectivity issues and how they related on and offsite, which was
more reason for the P&TC to get involved. She did not want to
develop an insular site or one without good pedestrian and bicycle
connectivity. The goal was not to interfere but to supplement the
School District.
Council Member Burt said there were eight City acres that would be
repurposed or redeveloped with more intensification in use, which
would pull the P&TC into the project. Connectivity should be
considered and that transportation elements and connectivity issues
required P&TC’s involvement.
Council Member Shepherd stated safe routes to schools had its own
values and would be part of the project.
Council Member Scharff did not disagree with the P&TC getting
involved, but raised concerns of what the project would look like. He
felt the discussion should take place in March 2012 after the TAC had a
chance to narrow down the issues. He understood the comments
made by Council Member Burt and Holman; however, the School
District was not under the P&TC in developing a school site. He
advised looking at the project with caution and felt the discussion was
premature.
Council Member Schmid raised concerns regarding the process being
set up for a six-month period of time with a TAC made up of Staff, the
CAC appointed by Staff, and a PAC that would report to the Council
and the School District at some point. He asked when the public
would have the opportunity to become engaged. He stated the PT&C
would bring focus to the community on certain issues.
INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF
THE MAKER AND SECONDER to add “to be determined at a future
date” regarding the Planning and Transportation Commission’s active
role.
Attachment D
Council Member Burt asked if Mr. Keene was describing Guiding
Principles that were process based and not outcome based.
Mr. Keene said they were process based.
Council Member Burt stated the Guiding Principles were self-governing
rules as opposed to predetermining outcomes at a higher level.
Mr. Keene said that was correct.
INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF
THE MAKER AND SECONDER the meetings will be open to the public
and posted on the internet where feasible, advanced information will
be available to the public, and outcomes from the meetings be
available to the public
Council Member Scharff asked if Council Member Burt was asking for
Senses Meeting Minutes.
Council Member Burt said no. He clarified that outcomes from
meetings should be summarized and made available to the public.
Council Member Schmid asked if “open” meant open communication
from the public.
Council Member Burt said it meant open for participation at the
meetings and that participation needed to be addressed in the Guiding
Principle.
Council Member Shepherd asked to include “meetings to be publically
noticed.”
Council Member Burt said that was a formality with legal ramifications.
Council Member Shepherd asked how can “meetings publically noticed”
be included.
Ms. Stump stated the Council could decide if you want to have a public
notice requirement. There was balance was between providing formal
notice for the public, and decreasing flexibility. She suggested that
when the meeting time was set it shall be posted on the internet to let
the public know about the meeting. Council Member Shepherd stated
to include “open to the public and posted on the internet where
feasible.”
Attachment D
Council Member Burt said that was acceptable.
Vice Mayor Yeh asked if there was a mechanism where people could
subscribe or opt to be notified of different City activities.
Mr. Keene stated that Staff would review vehicles and ways to inform
the public. He said consensus and agreements needed to be built in
for the project to work. The public needed to be informed, be
knowledgeable, and involved in order for that to happen. Staff will
bring back a communication plan.
Mayor Espinosa stated that the public now had the ability to sign up to
receive information on regular basis via e-mail. The feature would be
enhanced when the new website rolled out in the New Year.
INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF
THE MAKER AND THE SECONDER to add “and connectivity issues
shall be” to the Motion as a study component.
Vice Mayor Yeh stated he was in favor of the process and the capability
to engage in communication with all stakeholder groups. He said the
City had a relationship and a partnership with the School District to not
create an environment with surprises. He supported the Motion.
Council Member Scharff felt the process would work once the TAC
convened and narrow down the issues in reaching agreements. It
was important to stay on track and meet the March 2012 target date
to establish the foundation for the CAC.
Mr. Keene stated it was an issue for the TAC to have City Staff and the
School District on the same page in terms of requirements and could
mean having to bring in outside assistance to make that happen. The
School District’s Superintendent had agreed to cost-sharing if
assistance was needed.
Mayor Espinosa stated that the Council would want the City to develop
a process in partnering with the School District to come up with a
comprehensive and a long-term plan and to be transparent and
inclusive.
Council Member Schmid said his understanding was that the Cubberley
contract expired at the end of 2014 and a 12-month notice needed to
be given by either party setting a hard deadline for 2013 for
Attachment D
conclusion. He raised concerns of the CAC working on its own for six
months and felt it would be beneficial to have overlap with the PAC.
AMENDMENT: Council Member Schmid moved, seconded by Council
Member XXX that the Policy Advisory Commission would start in June
with opportunity for interactions with Community Advisory Commission
AMENDMENT FAILED DUE TO LACK OF A SECOND
INCORPORATED INTO THE MOTION WITH THE CONSENT OF
THE MAKER AND SECONDER that the PAC will start in June 2012
and receive a report from the CAC midway through the CAC meeting
period.
Council Member Holman noted that Council Member Klein had
requested to add Acterra to the process and did not see that added.
Council Member Klein stated the language was changed and added the
verbiage “one or more environmental organizations.”
Council Member Holman asked if the Guiding Principles would come to
Council for adoption.
Mr. Keene said yes, with a caveat that there was another party in the
process and amendments and clarifications would be made as the
process unfolds.
Council Member Holman stated the Motion had many parts. She asked
that the Motion be added to the Staff report that comes back to the
Council for quick reference and clarity.
Mr. Keene said that could be done.
MOTION PASSED: 8-0 Price Absent