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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2505-4639CITY OF PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL Special Meeting Tuesday, May 27, 2025 Council Chambers & Hybrid 5:30 PM     Agenda Item     6.PUBLIC HEARING / QUASI-JUDICIAL. 4075 El Camino Way [23PLN-00202]: Recommendation on Applicant’s Request for an Amendment to a Planned Community Zone District (PC-5116) to Allow for Modifications to an Existing 121-Unit Assisted Living and Memory Care Facility. The Additions Would Include 16 Additional Assisted Living Units and 172 Square Feet of Additional Support Space. Environmental Assessment: Exempt from the Provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in Accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Modifications to Existing Facilities). Zoning District: PC-5116 (Planned Community). (Continued from 5/5/2025 - On May 5, 2025, the Council Received Presentations and Public Testimony; the Item Will be Continued to May 27 for Council Deliberation and Action - No Public Testimony Will be Heard on May 27.) Public Comment City Council Staff Report From: City Manager Report Type: ACTION ITEMS Lead Department: Planning and Development Services Meeting Date: May 27, 2025 Report #:2505-4639 TITLE PUBLIC HEARING / QUASI-JUDICIAL. 4075 El Camino Way [23PLN-00202]: Recommendation on Applicant’s Request for an Amendment to a Planned Community Zone District (PC-5116) to Allow for Modifications to an Existing 121-Unit Assisted Living and Memory Care Facility. The Additions Would Include 16 Additional Assisted Living Units and 172 Square Feet of Additional Support Space. Environmental Assessment: Exempt from the Provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in Accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Modifications to Existing Facilities). Zoning District: PC-5116 (Planned Community). (Continued from 5/5/2025 - On May 5, 2025, the Council Received Presentations and Public Testimony; the Item Will be Continued to May 27 for Council Deliberation and Action - No Public Testimony Will be Heard on May 27.) RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends the City Council take the following actions (consistent with the prior report): 1. Find the project exempt from CEQA in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15301; 2. Adopt the ordinance in Attachment B, amending Planned Community Ordinance 5116; and 3. Approve the Record of Land Use Action in Attachment C based on findings and subject to conditions of approval. BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS On May 5, 2025, the City Council considered this item and voted to continue it to a date uncertain. At this meeting, City Council heard the staff presentation, applicants’ presentation, and public comments. The prior report and attachments are available online here: https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=16065 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT As the item was continued to a date uncertain, the Palo Alto Municipal Code requires notice of this public hearing be published in a local paper and mailed to owners and occupants of property within 600 feet of the subject property at least ten days in advance. Notice and postcard mailing in advance of a public hearing for this project was published in the Daily Post on May 15, 2025, which is 13 days in advance of the meeting. ATTACHMENTS APPROVED BY: From:Betty Howell To:Council, City Subject:The Commons Date:Friday, May 23, 2025 7:19:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Channing House - 850 Webster -Palo Alto, California May 23, 2025 Dear Mayor Lauing and members of the Palo Alto City Council, As a Channing House resident I attended the City Council meeting on May 5. I listened, as you did, to neighbors protesting housing for seniors and felt patronized by speakers who assured us they were most respectful of elders, just not these elders and making room for them. I sincerely support The Commons request to add 16 new units. The owners and managers, to their credit, have made a number of changes requested by neighbors 2 years ago. None of the protestors acknowledged any changes, the same voices from 2 years ago told the same, sometimes incorrect, story. As a Channing House resident, I know how important the services The Commons offers are essential for the aging who need more than respect. Please consider the future of our city. We are all aging, that is the future. Optimistically, Betty Howell This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Carolyn Schwartz To:Council, City Subject:Housing Date:Friday, May 23, 2025 4:42:55 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Council Members, The most serious need in our community, if we are to continue to have enough workers to support us, is housing. And, perhaps, our children and/or grandchildren would like to live here someday! I write in support of the additional 16 units at The Commons. I attended the City Council meeeting (my first time!) on May 5th and listened to the arguments pro and con. While I sympathize with some of the owners nearby, I don’t believe their arguments have enough merit to convince me. Some of the claims that neighbor groups made were not true, but they kept repeating them anyway. Yes, the managers of the Commons need to continue to work with neighbors on their issues, but it seems they have already made a number of accomodations to improve their project. I often drive up East Meadow on to El Camino Way to El Camino and have not seen the parking problems they describe. What I do see is a mess of traffic backed up to the Goodwill and beyond, due to Keyes School parents waiting to pick up their children. That is a real traffic mess that should be addressed. But this issue on your agenda is mainly about housing, and the reality is: we need more housing, we need more senior housing, and these 16 units will help a little. We have SO much more to do. Thank you for your consideration, Carolyn Schwartz 55-year resident of Palo Alto This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Katherine Remsen To:Council, City Subject:The Commons Date:Friday, May 23, 2025 3:26:19 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i I attended the meeting on May 5th. It was made clear to me that it is important to add 16 units to the Commons. I live in senior housing and the wait to get into my retirement house is now 3-5 years. It is obvious that we need more housing in this area. Much of the information provided by those who opposed the project, was not true. Please vote to add the 16 units to the Commons. Thank you for your consideration, Katherine Remsen This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Mildred jones To:Council, City Cc:Patty Irish Subject:The Commons Date:Friday, May 23, 2025 2:54:51 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i This letter is written in support of the request made by The Commons to expand their capacity to meet much needed services. It is clear that the demographics of the area suggest an aging population is growing and providing excellent care is essential; The Commons has been doing so for many years. On May 5, 2025, I attended my first ever meeting of the City Council to be better able to understand the issues . It was quite clear that objections to the expansion had been addressed . There did not seem to be objections raised that should result in a denial of the request to make a well thought out expansion of The Commons. As a resident of Channing House for six years, I am keenly aware of the needs of the elders in the community. My life is enriched because of the support and care I receive. And, I know that The Commons meets that same standard of excellence. I urge you to approve the request for expansion of The Commons. Thank you. Mildred Jones This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Tom Martin To:Council, City Subject:PA Commons - yes Date:Friday, May 23, 2025 2:31:13 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Council members, I urge you to vote for the Commons addition of 16 units which is greatly needed for failing older residents of our city. There are not enough of these kinds of places in our town. I was at the last meeting when it was not voted on and I see no significant problems with the plan. This council needs to produce more housing units for Palo Alto. Thank you for your support. Tom Martin Tom.J.Martin@gmail.com Tom Martin 850 Webster St. Apt 807 Palo Alto, Ca 94301 Home phone 650-324-7489 Cell phone 650-404-7842 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Stephen Reller To:Council, City Subject:16 Additional units at Palo Alto Commons Date:Friday, May 23, 2025 9:06:01 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Mayor Lauing and City Council, We, Palo Alto Commons, are proposing to add 16 senior assisted living units to an existing residential care facility for the elderly. This would increase the total units from 121 to 137, less than a 15% increase. The increase in total square footage would be less than 5%. 9 of the proposed units would be along the property line we share with our Wilkie Way neighbors. The original proposal was for 18 units all located along the Wilkie Way side of the building, some of which would have projected into the setback and the daylight plane. The current proposal includes a reduction from 18 units to 16 and the removal of any projections into the daylight plane or setback. To further alleviate privacy concerns, we have removed some balconies and reduced or otherwise altered windows facing the neighbors. Additionally, we have consulted with our neighbors and landscape designer about how best to preserve and/or create privacy for our residents and our neighbors (privacy is a concern on both sides of the fence.) Like I mentioned the other night at the council hearing, you will likely never hear about another multifamily proposal with fewer impacts than this project, especially having to do with traffic. The neighbors have come out against this project primarily due to the perceived traffic it will add to the neighborhood. The addition of 16 units for individuals that don’t drive, plus the addition of 1-2 employees and periodic visitors to those residents, will not add a noticeable number of additional car trips to the area spread throughout the day. This message needs your attention This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast That being said, we have heard our neighbors loud and clear. While we cannot attempt to manage the traffic and parking issues caused by other businesses on El Camino Way - The Goodwill, the two pet hospitals, the ongoing construction project, the five restaurants, the child care center, etc. - we are doing our part at Palo Alto Commons to make a difference. Before hearing from our Wilkie Way neighbors, we did not have any sort of parking policy. It was simply the way it has been for 35 years. We have since implemented the following measures to reduce car trips and better utilize our onsite parking. Comprehensive Transportation & Parking Initiative – Actions Implemented Parking Policy – Staff, Resident Families, and Visitors 1. Redesigned Parking Lot Zoning o Clearly designated and labeled parking areas for: § Staff § Resident families/visitors o Improved signage to minimize confusion and misuse. 2. Color-Coded Parking Decal System o Issued color-coded decals to staff and visitor vehicles for identification and enforcement: § Staff: Specific color & assigned location § Visitors: Limited-time decals or designated visitor zones o Logged decal assignments to track compliance. 3. Visitor Parking Management o Reserved easily accessible spaces for family and visitors. o Instructed front desk staff to monitor visitor parking during peak hours. o Valet service implemented at the front entrance Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM, to assist family members and visitors with parking and improve accessibility. This is an incremental cost to us of $85k per year. 4. Parking Policy Communication o rooms and common areas. o Visitors and families informed via welcome packets, signage, and posted notices. Staff Transportation Program 6. Revised Staff Participation Agreement o Created a concise, one-page agreement covering: § Parking expectations § Use of alternative transportation § A new clause requiring completion of the Staff Transportation Log per shift. 7. Staff Transportation Log 8. Required log-in of transportation method (carpool, public transit, walking, biking, etc.). o Logs made accessible at all time clocks. 8. Sustainable Transportation Incentives o Rolled out recognition and rewards (e.g., gift cards, public acknowledgment) for staff who use: § Public transit § Carpools § Biking/walking These incentives represent an additional cost to us of $140k per year. 9. Supervisor Oversight o Department heads assigned to perform random checks on staff parking compliance and transportation log entries. o Monthly review of patterns and participation. 10. Training & Awareness · Staff education on: o o Importance of accurate transportation logging o Respecting visitor/family space · Visitor/family education included in orientation and communication materials. Additionally, if the parking situation on Wilkie Way and beyond is truly a problem, our neighbors can apply to the city for a RPP. We would fully support this and believe it would be the most effective way to prevent overflow parking from ALL of the businesses on and around El Camino Way. The need for these units, and many more, is unquestionable. There will be many more thousands of Palo Altans in their 80s in the coming years and many of them will need the services that Palo Alto Commons provides. 16 units is a drop in the bucket but every drop counts. Thank you for your consideration. Steve Reller Palo Alto Commons From:Bill Reller To:Council, City; Lauing, Ed Cc:Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Lu, George; Burt, Patrick; Reckdahl, Keith; Stone, Greer; Veenker, Vicki Subject:Palo Alto Commons Expansion Date:Thursday, May 22, 2025 1:52:23 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Lauing and other members of the city council: I would urge you to approve Palo Alto Common’s rezoning application to provide an additional 16 units. After almost two years this process is concluding. Hurray! Palo Alto Commons has been successfully operating for 35 years, serving several thousand residents of varying needs. Surprisingly, approximately 85% of the residents or their families live in Palo Alto. We are proud of our reputation that has been achieved through hard work to provide the utmost comfort for our residents in all their varying needs. Through this rezoning process we have responded to various operational criticisms, particularly as relates to parking. Modifications have been made to the daylight plane as relates to neighbors. The older adult population is increasing significantly, such that there will be a 50% increase over the next 15 years. While our proposal is a modest addition of units, it is, an addition, nevertheless. It is an opportunity. We have attempted to work with our residential neighbors though we are near their back yards. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Bill Reller From:Bill Reller To:Council, City; Lauing, Ed Cc:Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Lu, George; Burt, Patrick; Reckdahl, Keith; Stone, Greer; Veenker, Vicki Subject:Palo Alto Commons Expansion Date:Thursday, May 22, 2025 1:46:56 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Mayor Lauing and other members of the city council: I would urge you to approve Palo Alto Common’s rezoning application to provide an additional 16 units. After almost two years this process is concluding. Hurray! Palo Alto Commons has been successfully operating for 35 years, serving several thousand residents of varying needs. Surprisingly, approximately 85% of the residents or their families live in Palo Alto. We are proud of our reputation that has been achieved through hard work to provide the utmost comfort for our residents in all their varying needs. Through this rezoning process we have responded to various operational criticisms, particularly as relates to parking. Modifications have been made to the daylight plane as relates to neighbors. The older adult population is increasing significantly, such that there will be a 50% increase over the next 15 years. While our proposal is a modest addition of units, it is, an addition, nevertheless. It is an opportunity. We have attempted to work with our residential neighbors though we are near their back yards. Thank you for your consideration. This message needs your attention This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Sincerely, Bill Reller From:Eileen Altman To:Council, City Subject:The Commons Date:Thursday, May 22, 2025 12:33:05 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Greetings City Council members: I attended the Council meeting on May 5 to be there in support of the request of The Commons to add 16 new units. I was also there to transport Ruth Carleton, a member of my congregation, who spoke in favor of the addition, sharing her experiences visiting a now deceased member of my congregation at The Commons weekly for several years. I listened carefully to all of the public comments and understand that the neighbors on Wilkie Way oppose this project. Nonetheless, I think it’s important to note that their talking point that suggests that a rapacious, profit seeking, out-of-state operator is behind The Commons is inaccurate. The Commons is locally owned by members of my church and is a community they have dedicated themselves to over the last 35+ years. The owners contract the service provision to WellQuest, but they retain a deep interest in the community and the people who live there. Unlike senior communities that are owned by hedge funds, where profit is a much higher priority than the care of those who live there, and are dependent upon the quality of care provided, The Commons is a community gem where the residents are treated as beloved neighbors. Several members of my church have lived at The Commons and I have been consistently impressed by the sense of home and care they experience. I also have visited church members in other facilities in our community that are far from the quality of care The Commons provides. I repeat: The Commons is a community gem. These 16 new units are needed by the growing senior population in our community. WellQuest, the operator of The Commons has made a number of accommodations to improve their project and respond to the requests of neighbors on Wilkie Way to reduce traffic and parking issues, including by adding valet service. I encourage you to vote in favor of their application. Peace be with you, Eileen The Rev. Dr. Eileen Altman (she/her/hers) This message needs your attention This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast Associate Pastor First Congregational Church, UCC 1985 Louis Road Palo Alto, CA 94303 650-388-9507 (office phone) 831-345-3830 (cell) http://www.fccpa.org/ https://calendly.com/eileen-altman Friday is my day of rest/respite from email. From:Lois Fowkes To:Council, City Subject:New units at the Commons, rezoning along El Camino Date:Thursday, May 22, 2025 8:47:43 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council, I do not usually attend Council meetings, nor write letters, but the housing issue in Palo Alto should not be opposed at every turn. Palo Alto, with its aging population, needs to do its fair share. So I attended the May 5 Council meeting, and here I am, writing a letter. I presently live at Channing House, but lived in south Palo Alto from 1962-2019. When we first moved in, I heard the train at night—for about a week. I would guess that also to be true of the Wilkie Way opponents of the Channing House expansion, so it is hard to understand their opposition to the 16 new units proposed by the Commons, which will be considerably quieter than trains. (The residents there are not known for all-night carousing!) My mother lived at the Commons for four years, and we found them to be caring and considerate of neighbors in every way. I was given my mother's spot in the basement garage so I wouldn't add to the parking problem. The Commons has already made significant adjustments to their building plans, and I believe they should be allowed to go ahead. The residents on Wilkie Way, whom I listened to carefully, did not always state how long they have lived in that neighborhood, but I believe they knew it was a busy one when they moved in. I also believe their arguments to be classic NIMBY ones. I urge Council to give the Commons the go-ahead, and also to approve the rezoning along El Camino to accommodate the great housing need in our city. Thank you for your consideration, Lois Fowkes This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Jean Pressey To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Commons Date:Wednesday, May 21, 2025 4:52:45 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Mayor and Council, I attended the hearing on May 5. I was surprised that the objections to the Commons' expansion all sounded the same, as though the neighbors were reading from a script. And it seemed to be the same script they had used years ago, without recognizing the mitigations that have been made. The Commons is not owned by an outside profit-making corporation, as you know. These 16 units are badly needed; their location at the rear of the building is due to the need to prevent patients with dementia from wandering. I am sure that during the construction phase there will be parking and noise, but it is a fact that the value of real estate in Palo Alto simply does not decline. The neighbors' worry about the latter is misplaced. I urge you to approve the current 16-unit addition to the Palo Alto Commons. Sincerely, Jean Pressey 850 Webster Ave. Palo Alto This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Margaret Rosenbloom To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Commons Senior Housing Expansion Request Date:Wednesday, May 21, 2025 4:25:17 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor and City Councillors I am writing in support of the proposal to add 16 new units at the back of the existing Commons structure at 4075 El Camino Way. I was aware of the Commons expansion proposal when it was originally made some years ago and COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT SUCH A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT BENEFIT FOR PALO ALTO SENIORS WAS STILL UNDER REVIEW. I attended the Council meeting on May 5th and was appalled to witness first hand a shocking example of the notorious “Palo Alto Way.” I sat for an hour through a tedious procession of complainants, each coming forward to make duplicate points against the proposal. Many of the complaints were outdated, untrue, and unfair. The Wilkie Way residents seemed unaware of or chose to ignore all the accommodations the developer and Commons management have made to minimize their impact on the neighborhood. For example, the Commons has opened up access to their underground garage, added valet service, and encourage ride sharing for their staff as possible. From the complaints, one would think the Commons is the only business operating in the neighborhood and responsible for every car parked in Wilkie Way. What about Goodwill and all the other businesses along El Camino Way? The Wilkie Way residents clearly hold you all, City Councillors and Mayor, in utter contempt. They subjected you to a repeat barrage of all the tired old complaints they have made previously. They treated you as heartless imbeciles unaware of the mitigations already made by the Commons and unmindful of the desperate need the City has to accommodate its growing population of care-needing elders. They seemed unaware of the concept that trade- offs are needed to solve difficult problems around housing. As an elder myself - happily living in a wonderful senior housing community that provides me with a continuum of care - I am heartbroken at the delay, delay, delay the Commons expansion has been subjected to. The result of further delay will be fewer available spaces for a critical growing need. More elders will be denied the opportunity of moving to housing where they can enjoy the benefits of socialization, and peace of mind that they will get additional care when they need it. I urge you to speedily finalize your review and approve the Commons expansion project. Respectfully Margaret Rosenbloom 850 Webster St Palo Alto From:Patty Irish To:Council, City Subject:Support for The Commons application Date:Wednesday, May 21, 2025 3:32:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Mayor and Council members, I am Patty Irish and live on Webster in Palo Alto. I write in support of the application by The Commons for 16 additional needed units for people who need Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing. I have attended 4 presentations of the project - 2 at Council and 2 at the Planning Commission. I have heard the owner respond to the requests of the neighbors. Better parking, windows installed higher, actual building not built to add height and many other things. I believe they have done what they can to make it the best possible. As we add new projects things will have to change some. And sometimes this even improves the neighborhood. Please express your support for the quality of what the Rellers do for our community and give them the go ahead so they can get started making these important additions. The neighbors in most cases were repeating the identical claims each time that ithey made almost 2 years ago. Not taking into account the 4 meetings and changes made on their behalf. Thank you for all you do. As I watch your work I appreciate all the time and effort it all takes to try to help our City be the best it can be. Housing and this project are key to our moving forward. Patty Irish -- This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report Patty Irish 850 Webster St. #628 Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-324-7407 650-245-3906 cell How do you tell a story that has been told the wrong way for so long?