HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2410-3651CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
Special Meeting
Monday, December 02, 2024
Council Chambers & Hybrid
5:30 PM
Agenda Item
12.Approval of the Second Amendment to Lease Agreement Between Palo Alto Unified
School District (PAUSD) and City of Palo Alto for a Portion of the Cubberley Site at 4000
Middlefield Road through December 31, 2029, Not-to-Exceed $2,500,000 in Rent per
Year; CEQA Status—Not a Project
City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Administrative Services
Meeting Date: December 2, 2024
Report #:2410-3651
TITLE
Approval of the Second Amendment to Lease Agreement Between Palo Alto Unified School
District (PAUSD) and City of Palo Alto for a Portion of the Cubberley Site at 4000 Middlefield
Road through December 31, 2029, Not-to-Exceed $2,500,000 in Rent per Year; CEQA Status—
Not a Project
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve and authorize the City Manager, or their
designee, to execute the Second Amendment to Lease Agreement by and Between Palo Alto
Unified School District, as Landlord, and City of Palo Alto, a California Chartered Municipal
Corporation, as Tenant, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that the
City Council unanimously approved on October 7,2024.
BACKGROUND
Cubberley Community Center has been operated by the City of Palo Alto since 1990. Space is
available for rent by the hour, either one-time or on a regular basis for community meetings,
seminars, social events, dances, theater performances, music rehearsals and athletic events.
Cubberley is also occupied by organizations that provide services to the community in areas of
education, health, childcare, dance, and music instruction.
A portion of the Cubberley site is owned by the City and the remainder is owned by PAUSD, as
shown in Exhibit B to the attached agreement (Attachment A). The City currently leases a
portion of the PAUSD-owned part of Cubberley on a 54-month term lease agreement that was
approved by the City Council on June 23, 2020 and is scheduled to expire on December 31,
20241. The agreement contains an option to modify the leased area and rent accordingly and
was exercised when the City Manager executed the First Amendment on June 28, 2022.
1 City Council, 6/23/2020, Staff Report # 11460, https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-
minutes-reports/reports/city-manager-reports-cmrs/year-archive/2020/id-11460.pdf
On October 7, 2024, the City Council unanimously passed a motion authorizing the City
Manager to execute a MOU with PAUSD for the purchase and lease of land at Cubberley and
directed staff and a Cubberley Ad Hoc Committee to proceed with next steps including but not
limited to resumption of master planning for the Cubberley site and undertaking the
development of formal agreements including a new lease agreement and a purchase and sale
agreement2.
ANALYSIS
Staff has negotiated an amendment with PAUSD in accordance with the MOU under the basic
terms summarized below.
•Premises: As detailed in Revised Exhibit B of the Second Amendment. Room M3 is being
added to the current premises leased by the City, as PAUSD will allow the City to use the
space at no cost on a first-come, first-served basis as part of an agreement that allows
PAUSD to use the pavilion free of charge for student gym classes.
•Term: Extended through December 31, 2029. However, should the bond measure
referenced in the MOU not be placed on the ballot or fail to pass, either party may
terminate the lease on or after June 30, 2027. Prior to the termination date, the parties
will meet and discuss alternative plans, which could include extending the termination
date of the lease or entering into a new lease for a portion of PAUSD’s property.
•Base Rent: Equivalent to $2,000,000 annually. Upon the PAUSD’s discontinued use of its
property at the site (except access to Greendell and associated parking), base rent will
increase to $2,500,000 annually. In recognition of previous disputed responsibility for
PAUSD’s contribution of maintenance costs arising before the extension date, PAUSD
will credit the City $1,000,000 in base rent over a six-month period starting on July 1,
2026.
•Utilities: City will continue to be responsible for all utilities.
•Maintenance and Repair: City will maintain the premises it rents and the common areas
on the property. City is not responsible for the maintenance of all areas of the Property
that are not part of the premises or common areas. For buildings in which City leases
only one (or some) rooms as part of the premises, the City will maintain the entire
building except for the interior spaces of the rooms that are not part of the premises.
2 City Council, 10/7/2024, Staff Report # 2409-3500,
https://recordsportal.paloalto.gov/Weblink/DocView.aspx?id=6500
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
ATTACHMENTS
APPROVED BY:
SECOND AMENDMENT TO
LEASE AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT AS LANDLORD AND CITY OF PALO ALTO, A CALIFORNIA
CHARTERED MUNICIPAL CORPORATION AS TENANT
THIS SECOND AMENDMENT TO LEASE AGREEMENT (“Second Amendment”) is made
and entered into as of the date of its full execution, by and between Palo Alto Unified School
District (“Landlord”) and City of Palo Alto, a California chartered municipal corporation
(“Tenant”). Landlord and Tenant are collectively referred to herein as the “Parties”.
RECITALS
A. Landlord and Tenant are parties to that certain Lease, dated July 1, 2020, as amended by
that certain First Amendment to and Partial Termination of Lease Agreement, dated June 28,
2022 (collectively, the “Lease”);
B. Pursuant to the Lease, Landlord has leased to Tenant comprising approximately 51,846
square feet of rentable building area and 15.94 acres of outdoor recreational area (“Premises”) of
the Cubberley School (“Property”);
C. The Term under the Lease expires on December 31, 2024;
D. On October 28, 2024, the Parties executed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”)
setting forth the Parties’ mutual understanding of the steps each would take pursue the
redevelopment of the Cubberley Community Center and District schools. The MOU, set forth in
Exhibit C attached to this Second Amendment, contemplates the Parties would execute an
extension to the Term under the Lease;
E. The Parties desire to extend the Term under the Lease on the following terms and
conditions.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained
and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby
acknowledged, Landlord and Tenant agree as follows:
SECTION 1. The following attachments to the Lease are hereby amended and replaced
and each is hereby incorporated in full into this Second Amendment and into the Lease by this
reference as follows:
Basic Lease Information of the Lease is hereby amended to read as set forth in Exhibit
A to this Second Amendment;
Exhibit B of the Lease (Premises) is hereby amended to read as set forth in Revised
Exhibit B to this Second Amendment.
SECTION 2. Section 2.1 (Premises) of Article 2 (Premises) of the Lease is amended to
read as follows:
2.1 Premises. The Premises demised by this Lease are as specified in the Basic Lease
Information. The Premises have the address and contain the square footage specified in the
Basic Lease Information; provided, however, that any statement of square footage set forth in
this Lease is an approximation which Landlord and Tenant agree is reasonable and no economic
terms based thereon shall be subject to revision whether or not the actual square footage is more
or less. Tenant shall have the right to reduce the Premises by surrendering the S Building back to
Landlord upon 30 days written notice.
The portion of the Property including, but not limited to, parking, walkways, and other portions
of the Property which are non-exclusive are collectively referred to herein as the “Common
Areas”. Tenant shall have the non-exclusive right during the Term to use the Common Areas
along with others having the right to use the Common Areas. Landlord shall have exclusive use
of the restrooms in Building A and B.
SECTION 3. Article 3. (Term) of the Lease is amended to read as follows:
3. TERM. The term of this Lease (“Term”) shall be for the period specified in the Basic
Lease Information, commencing on the Commencement Date (“Commencement Date”). This
Lease shall terminate at midnight on December 31, 2029 (“Expiration Date”), unless sooner
terminated or extended as hereinafter provided.
SECTION 4. Paragraphs (b) and (c) are added to Section 4.1 (Base Rent) of Article 4
(Rent) as follows:
(b) If Landlord discontinues its use of the Property and Tenant and Landlord
agree that Tenant shall lease the full Property, the Base Rent shall be $2,500,000 per year.
Landlord shall provide Tenant with written notice of its decision to discontinue its use of the
Property at least ninety (90) days in advance of such discontinuance. If written notice is not
provided at least ninety (90) days in advance, the increase in Base Rent shall not increase until
90 days from the date of the written notice. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Landlord shall retain
a right of access to and parking for Greendell School.
(c) Landlord shall provide Tenant with a credit of $1,000,000 for disputed
maintenance costs incurred prior to December 31, 2024. The credit shall be provided against the
Base Rent in six equal monthly installments of $166,666.67 each, commencing on July 1, 2026.
SECTION 5. Section 8.1 (Maintenance and Repair by Tenant) of Article 8
(Maintenance and Repair of Premises) of the Lease shall be amended to read as follows:
8.1 Maintenance and Repair by Tenant. Tenant shall maintain the Premises and
Common Areas on the Property in substantially the same condition as of the Extension Date of
this Lease Term. (Tenant is not responsible for the maintenance of all areas of the Property that
are not part of the Premises or Common Areas). For buildings in which Tenant leases only one
(or some) rooms as part of the Premises, the Tenant shall maintain the entire building except for
the interior spaces of the rooms that are not part of the Premises. Tenant’s repair and
maintenance obligations include, without limitation, repairs to: all interior and exterior work and
Common Areas on the Property, and all janitorial, pest control, plumbing, fire sprinkler, sewage,
heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, roof repair and replacement, electrical and lighting
facilities, irrigation systems, fences, landscaping, litter collection and removal. Tenant shall
further, at its own costs and expense, repair or restore any damage or injury to all or any part of
the Property caused by Tenant or Tenant’s agents, employees, invitees, licensees, visitors or
contractors, including but not limited to repairs or replacements necessitated by (i) the
construction or installation of Alterations to the Premises by or on behalf of Tenant; (ii) the
moving of any property into or out of the Premises; or Tenant’s use and occupancy of the
Premises. In the event that any law, regulation or mandate requires the expenditure in excess of
$250,000 to bring the Property, or any portion thereof, into compliance the Parties shall negotiate
in good faith a cost sharing agreement as between Landlord and Tenant for any amount in excess
of $250,000. If no agreement is reached after ninety (90) days from the commencement of
negotiations, the Parties agree to resolve the matter through the option available in Section 22.7
of this Lease.
SECTION 6. Section 19.4 is hereby added to Article 19 (Early Termination by Tenant)
of the Lease to read as follows:
19.4 Bond Measure. The Parties acknowledge Tenant’s intention to submit a bond
measure for voter approval to fund the purchase and redevelopment of a portion of the Property
in November 2026. The bond measure is contingent on Landlord and Tenant each creating
certain planning documents prior to the election. If such bond measure is not placed on the
ballot by the statewide November election of 2026, or if it is placed on the ballot and the
measure is not approved, either party may terminate this Lease early with an effective
termination date on or after June 30, 2027. The party seeking to terminate this Lease shall give
the other party at least one hundred eighty (180) days written notice prior to the effective
termination date. Prior to the termination date, the Parties will meet at least once in good faith to
discuss alternative plans.
SECTION 7. This Second Amendment is subject to the following terms:
This Second Amendment sets forth the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the
matters set forth herein. There have been no additional oral or written representations or
agreements.
7.2 Except as herein modified or amended, the provisions, conditions and terms of the
Lease shall remain unchanged and in full force and effect. In the case of any inconsistency
between the provisions of the Lease and this Second Amendment, the provisions of this Second
Amendment shall govern and control. The capitalized terms used in this Second Amendment
shall have the same definitions as set forth in the Lease to the extent that such capitalized terms
are defined therein and not redefined in this Second Amendment.
7.3 Each party represents and warrants that it has not dealt with any broker or agent in
the negotiation for or the obtaining of this Second Amendment, and agrees to reimburse,
indemnify, save, defend (at the indemnified party’s option and with counsel reasonably
acceptable to the indemnified party, at the indemnifying party’s sole cost and expense) and hold
harmless the other party for, from and against any and all cost or liability for compensation
claimed by any other broker or agent employed or engaged by it or claiming to have been
employed or engaged by it.
7.4 As of the Execution Date, each party represents and warrants to the other party
that, to its actual knowledge, (i) Landlord and Tenant are not in default of any of their respective
obligations under the Lease and (ii) no event has occurred that, with the passage of time or the
giving of notice (or both) would constitute a default by either Landlord or Tenant thereunder.
7.5 Each signatory of this Second Amendment represents hereby that he or she has
the authority to execute and deliver the same on behalf of the party hereto for which such
signatory is acting.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Landlord and Tenant have entered into and executed this
Second Amendment as of the last date of signature.
LANDLORD:
Palo Alto Unified School District
By: ______________________________
Name: ____________________________
Title: _____________________________
Dated: ____________________________
TENANT:
City of Palo Alto,
a California chartered municipal corporation
By: ______________________________
Name: ____________________________
Title: City Manager or Designee
Dated: ____________________________
Approved as to form:
______________________________
Tim Shimizu
Assistant City Attorney
Exhibit A
Revised Basic Lease Information
Lease Date: Dated as of July 1, 2020 for reference purposes only
Landlord: Palo Alto Unified School District
Landlord’s Address: Palo Alto Unified School District
25 Churchill Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Attn: Superintendent of Schools
Tenant:
Tenant’s Address:
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Attn: Manager, Real Property
Property:
15.94 acres of outdoor recreational area and an additional 11.54
acres of land improved with walkways, a parking lot, and 104,600
square feet of buildings, as depicted in Exhibit A (“Property”).
Usable Area:
acres (694,346 square feet) of outdoor recreational area and
104,600 square feet of buildings (“Usable Area”).
Premises:
consisting of the theater, pavilion, Gym A, Gym B, Rooms G5
and G8, City facilities within the G Building, S Building, FOPAL
and fields.
Landlord will allow the use of M3 at no cost on a first-come,
first-served basis as part of an agreement that allows Landlord to
use the pavilion free of charge for student gym classes. Use of
M3 will require compliance with a Use of Facilities permit per
statute and per District processes.
Length of Term:
Commencement Date:
Extension Date
Expiration Date:
Extension Option:
Base Rent: From and after the Extension Date, Tenant will pay to Landlord
$2,000,000 annually as Base Rent. Rent shall be paid in monthly
installments of $166,666.66 per Section 4.1. In recognition of
previous disputed responsibility for Landlord’s contribution of
maintenance costs arising before the Extension Date, Landlord
will credit Tenant $1,000,000 for disputed maintenance costs
incurred prior to December 31, 2024. The credit will be provided
against the Base Rent in six equal monthly installments of
$166,666.67 each, commencing on July 1, 2026.
If the Premises are expanded to include the entirety of the
Property, Base Rent will increase to $2,500,000 annually to be
paid in monthly installments of $208.333.33.
Security Deposit: $0
Permitted Use: Any use permitted by law
Brokers: None
Revised Exhibit B
Premises
Exhibit is for illustration purposes only. The Property is the approximate area outlined in red.
Landlord currently occupies the areas referenced by the legend as PAUSD and has exclusive
rights to the restrooms in Buildings A and B. The remaining areas are the Tenant’s Premises and
Common Area.
Exhibit C
Memorandum of Understanding
(see following pages)