HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 10364
CITY OF PALO ALTO OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
June 10, 2019
The Honorable City Council
Palo Alto, California
Colleagues Memo on Safe Parking at the Los Altos Water Treatment
Plant Located on 1275 San Antonio Road
Issue and background:
The number of people living in vehicles has grown substantially in the last
decade. RVs and other vehicles can be found on main thoroughfares and
quiet residential streets for extended periods of time. The City of Palo Alto
must address this matter from a health and safety standpoint. The effort
must be made to find immediate short and long term solutions. The
ultimate goal is to provide assistance to people to get them back on the
path to stable housing.
The goal is to understand who is living in vehicles, the needs of those living
in vehicles and to provide a managed program with safe spaces for
overnight parking for low income individuals. The managed program should
be run by an organization supported by the city (similar to East Palo Alto).
We also need to understand if there are higher incomes or transient
workers who are using vehicle dwelling as a lifestyle choice who should be
directed to other types of residences or locations.
Recommendation:
Refer this item to Policy and Services and/or create a sub-committee or
task force to craft program details to bring back to Council. Such a
program should include elements such as:
1. Identify and determine interest in expanding vehicle dwelling
management and transition services with local area nonprofits such
as Project WeHope, Samaritan House, Life Moves, and Abode
Services, who can partner with the city to manage a Vehicle Dweller
program.
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2. Identify large commercial lots that could be used for a managed
overnight program such as on Bayshore and in the Research Park
and a plan to reach out to property owners.
3. Seed the program using city-owned land located at 1237 San Antonio
Road, formerly known as the Los Altos Water Treatment Plant and/or
other potential sites. Explore bathroom construction and/or portable
bathroom/shower services on identified Palo Alto city sites.
4. Engage the County of Santa Clara to explore funding assistance and
for additional programs to support enabling individuals to find
employment and housing.
5. Staff should propose additional steps to distinguish between high and
low income individuals, and manage parking on streets once
managed spots are available for low income individuals.
Resource Impact:
A new program addressing the regional issue of RV parking and living in
vehicles more broadly has the potential to require significant city
resources. Staff will advise the City Council through its discussions to
scope steps ahead in order to manage resource needs. As this is not
currently a budgeted activity, resources would need to be identified and
appropriated by the Palo Alto City Council. The associated costs could
include, but are not limited to: research into options and results of
programs in other cities, community outreach to the public at large as well
as to those living in vehicles, capital costs for improvements required to
modify city-owned property for overnight parking use, negotiation of
agreements with public agencies and private partners, ongoing
management of a program, and any associated enforcement
responsibilities.
A number of specific issues would need to be addressed regarding the City
property at 1237 San Antonio Road. There are a number of current and
episodic City uses of the site that would likely be impacted by the proposed
use. This includes use by the City’s refuse collection contractor Green
Waste for staging, revenue-generating leases to private firms, and planned
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construction staging for the upcoming 101 Bike/Pedestrian Bridge project.
Given the land’s proximity to wetlands, construction activities or increased
intensity of use may require permits from regulatory agencies and possibly
environmental review. Other city-owned and privately-owned sites may
also be candidates for the proposed use, such as the City-owned property
at 2000 Geng Road. Further analysis is necessary to determine suitability
for any specific location, including outreach to nearby property owners.
Department Head: Beth Minor, City Clerk
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