HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-05-01 City Council (9)TO:
FROM:
City of Palo Alto
CITY COUNCIL
City Manager’s Report
CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT
DATE:MAY 1, 2000 CMR:238:00
SUBJECT:RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO
APPROVING "LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFICATION OF EL CAMINO
REAL" AS A CITY PRIORITY
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that City Council approve the attached Resolution (Attachment A).
BACKGROUND
State Ronte 82 (El Camino Real) is designated as a conventional highway by the State of
California and is under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans). Caltrans maintains the infrastructure and pays a token amount to the City of
Palo Alto to maintain the landscaped medians.. This amount does not provide for
upgrades of any significance. A request by Parks Department for a Landscape Design
Study is currently under budget review as a Capital Improvement Project. For over a
year, a working group has met regularly consisting of community advocates and citizens
from other communities to discuss how to beautify the visual character of E1 Camino
Real.
DISCUSSION
E1 Camino Real represents a historic and major present day commercial and commute
thoroughfare in the City of Palo Alto. Major upgrades to physically enhance the visual
quality and to improve and beautify the streetscape infrastructure by converting exposed
asphalt and barren areas to shade has been long overdue. To date, several Caltrans
restrictions have prevented local agencies from implementing these changes, the primary
restriction being a policy that refuses to allow more trees in the medians of El Camino
Real. Ongoing efforts to negotiate an agreement with Caltrans are currently being
pursued to develop a landscape-planting plan.
This Resolution acknowledges the City of Palo Alto’s commitment towards this goal and
recognizes key challenges that must be met. The Councils of the Cities of Redwood City
and Menlo Park have also adopted a similar Resolution reflecting this commitment. The
CMR:238:00 Page 1 of 2
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City of Palo Alto wishes to work in close regional cooperation with these cities, Senator
Byron Sher of the 1 lth District of Califomia and Caltrans.
RESOURCE IMPACT
There are no .resource impacts from the adoption of this Resolution. Future budget
implications of specific projects is unknown but would be incorporated at that time.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
The resolution supports other programs to maintain and upgrade right-of-way areas of E1
Camino Real that are currently in place, and do not represent any change to existing City
policies.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This Resolution is not a project under he California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Resolution
Prepared by: Dave Dockter; Managing Arborist, Planning Division
DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW:
G. ~D~¢~ G’A~F
Director of P!anning and Community Environment
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
EMIi SON
Assistant City Manager
CMR:238:00 Page 2 of 2 2
RESOLUTION NO.
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO
ALTO APPROVING "LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFICATION OF EL
CAMINO REAL" AS A CITY PRIORITY
WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto desires
environmental improvements to the E1 Camino Real;
to make
WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto desires to improve the
visual quality of the major transit way named E1 Camino Real;
WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto wishes to encourage
property owners to make improvements to their businesses and
properties by the City undertaking and demonstrating improvements
in the public right-of-way of E1 Camino Real;
WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto wishes to upgrade the
quality of life in the neighborhoods adjoining E1 Camino Real by
upgrading the appearance of E1 Camino Real;
WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto wishes to work with
Caltrans to achieve a landscape planting plan that will best
represent the design plans of our City which include significant
numbers of trees and major street tree plantings in the center
median and left turn pockets; and
WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto is committed to making
these plans a reality.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does
hereby RESOLVE as follows:
SECTION I.The Council of the City of Palo Alto
herein resolve to make the landscape beautification of E1 Camino
Real a priority for our City.
SECTION 2.The City of Palo Alto in the spirit of
regional cooperation will work collaboratively with the cities of
Menlo Park and Redwood City and in close cooperation with Senator
II
II
II
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Byron Sher of the IIth District of California and with Caltrans
to achieve the above improvements to E1 Camino Real.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST:APPROVED:
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Mayor
City Attorney
City Manager
Director of Planning &
Community Environment
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