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2026-03-23 City Council Emails
DOCUM ENTS IN THIS PACKET INCLUDE: LETTERS FROM CITIZENS TO THE MAYOR OR CITY COUNCIL RESPONSES FROM STAFF TO LETTERS FROM CITIZ ENS ITEMS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ITEMS FROM OTHER COMMITTEES AND AGENC IES ITEMS FROM CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND REGIONAL AGENCIES Prepared for: 3/23/2026 Document dates: 3/16/2026 - 3/23/2026 Note: Documents for every category may not have been received for packet reproduction in a given week. 701-32 From:Asha Weinstein Agrawal To:Council, City Subject:Recommendation to NOT close Churchill Date:Monday, March 23, 2026 10:38:14 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City of Palo Alto Councilmembers, I am writing as a resident in Palo Alto (1181 Forest), the parent of a Paly student, and a professor of urban planning at San Jose State University who specializes in transportation research. I strongly urge the council not to close the Churchill crossing. In the long run, a grade- separated solution would be ideal. However, until that becomes possible, closing the current crossing would be highly detrimental to the city and could even lead to more community deaths. The recent teen suicides are tragic, but closing the tracks is not an appropriate option due to the many negative impacts that such a closure entails. Requiring vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles to travel a considerable extra distance to cross the tracks will not only lead to seriously increased traffic congestion at numerous city locations but also raises public health concerns: The increased miles driven by drivers who need to cross the tracks raises the risk of additional traffic crashes, injuries, or fatalities (more miles driven equates to an increased crash risk) Increased danger to school children commuting to school who must now travel father on city streets to bicycle or walk to school. This includes not only Paly students but also some Greene students. Increased response time for emergency responders traveling to medical emergencies and fires Sincerely, Asha W. Agrawal Professor of Planning, San Jose State University 510-847-1895 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:UTL-Customer Service To:Mariela Morales; City Mgr; UTL-Customer Service; Council, City Cc:Silva, Rui Subject:RE: URGENT: Formal Notice of Dangerous Condition & Utility Dispatch Failure Date:Monday, March 23, 2026 7:51:14 AM Attachments:image001.png image002.png IMG_2718.jpeg IMG_2717.jpeg Hello Mariela, Thank you for your email and for sharing the photos. I have forwarded them to our WGW Operations team so the issue can be addressed promptly. I apologize for the inconvenience and am working to assess and resolve the situation as quickly as possible. Sincerely, Lorraina Alvarez Customer Service Specialist Lead Utilities Customer Service (650) 329-2161 | lorraina.alvarez@PaloAlto.gov www.PaloAlto.gov From: Mariela Morales <mariela323@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, March 20, 2026 10:00 PM To: City Mgr <CityMgr@paloalto.gov>; UTL-Customer Service <UtilitiesCustomerService@PaloAlto.gov>; Council, City <city.council@PaloAlto.gov> Subject: URGENT: Formal Notice of Dangerous Condition & Utility Dispatch Failure CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. To the City Manager and Director of Utilities, This email serves as formal notice of a dangerous condition on public property located at 460 Margarita Avenue Palo Alto California 94306. An open utility vault (water meter box) is currently flooding a public sidewalk, creating a se i This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report CGBANNERINDICATOR Powered by Mimecast To the City Manager and Director of Utilities, This email serves as formal notice of a dangerous condition on public property located at 460 Margarita Avenue Palo Alto California 94306. An open utility vault (water meter box) is currently flooding a public sidewalk, creating a severe slipping and tripping hazard for pedestrians. I contacted the Utilities Emergency Dispatch at (650) 329-2579 today at 9:29P.M. to report this issue. The dispatcher instructed me to "call back tomorrow at 8:00 AM" because staff were at home. This response is unacceptable for a 24-hour emergency line and leaves a known hazard unaddressed in a high-traffic area. Pursuant to California Government Code Section 835, the City of Palo Alto now has actual notice of this dangerous condition. Should any individual suffer injury or property damage due to this hazard, this email and the recorded phone call will serve as evidence of the City’s failure to take reasonable protective measures after being notified. I request an immediate dispatch to secure the vault and stop the water flow. Please provide an incident or service request number for my records. Best regards, Mariela Morales Please consider the environment before printing this email. CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE TO RECIPIENT(S): This e-mail communication and any attachment(s) may contain information that is confidential and/or privileged by law and is meant solely for the intended recipient(s). Unauthorized use, review, duplication, disclosure or interception of this e-mail is strictly prohibited and may violate applicable laws including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. If you received this e-mail in error please notify us immediately of the error by return e-mail and please delete this message and any attachment(s) from your system. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. From:Sri Meduri To:Council, City Subject:Allergies in Palo Alto Date:Sunday, March 22, 2026 5:36:04 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, I hope this email finds you well. My name is Sri, and I am a student studying anthropology. I am writing to raise a community health concern that has been observed by myself and others in the community: strong allergy symptoms in Palo Alto. These symptoms often improve when they leave the area, suggesting that Palo Alto’s environmental factors or plant treatment practices may be playing an important role. Specifically, I am interested in whether urban tree selection, pollen density, or the use of pesticides and herbicides in landscaping could contribute to increased allergy symptoms. As part of a small research project, I asked friends and family about the issue, and there appears to be a pattern among several respondents reporting stronger allergy symptoms in Palo Alto. Taking this into account, I would like to ask whether the City Council has considered: - Monitoring or publishing local pollen data - Reviewing the types of trees and plants commonly used in urban landscaping - Evaluating pesticide and herbicide practices in public spaces and publishing geographic data on herbicide use across the city More research and attention to this issue could help improve quality of life for residents and visitors alike. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Sri 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:Planning Commission; Council, City Subject:Churchill crossing Date:Sunday, March 22, 2026 12:01:29 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i To Councillors and Commissioners: I am a friend of Steve Rosenblum who also wrote you a letter about Churchill. I agree with him completely. I believe it is a terrible idea to even think about closing Churchill to traffic. Most of the city residents appreciate that route and use their cars to cross the tracks for whatever reason at one time or another. The same applies to pedestrians and bicyclists. If someone wants to die, they will find a way, one way or another. To properly deal with this problem of grade separation, we actually need elevated rails the length of Palo Alto. I believe that any of you who may vote for the closure of Churchill will not be re- elected in the following election. Sincerely, Tom Martin -- Tom Martin Palo Alto, Ca Home phone 650-324-7489 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Alice Smith To:Council, City; Clerk, City; City Mgr Subject:Why can"t I finish the survey for Fabian Way? I could not get past the 2nd page. Date:Saturday, March 21, 2026 3:56:04 PM Attachments:Screenshot 2026-03-21 at 3.48.45 PM.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I wrote this comment on the comment section and you seem to prevent me from continuing after I press to continue: In addition, you fail to describe what high rise means: for some of us 160 feet to 250 doesn't compare to the height of say City Hall . How high is a 3 story building? or an 8 story building. The facts seem vague to me in terms of helping one gauge the reality of the building when answering this survey. I do not support buildings higher than 3 stores on the edge of Palo Alto, near the flyover into the baylands because it is former swampland, will harm to birds and the fauna who pass through this area, already impacted by Bayshore. I want the area to be a dark skies jurisdiction with no lights allowed on outside such as holiday deer etc making it unsuitable so near the baylands, our valuable asset. I am a housing advocate but your questions do not allow gradation ... I want NO buildings higher than 3 stories east or north (not sure of directions) of Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. The wetlands have already been drained and destroyed on one side of the bayshore freeway and we need to stop destroying more open space. We must ensure no artificial turf is allowed on the development. I want family housing with open space and lots of green. Not cemented areas ... Hold a contest for architects to design a suitable development to enhance the proximity to one of the most important birding areas in North America. Stop and think and be wise is my counsel. You didn't do that at Geng Street and already are impacting our baylands. We don't want to be a concrete village. Alice Alice Schaffer Smith 850 Webster Street #520 Palo Alto, CA 94301 (c) 650 283 2822 “If the meanest man in the republic is deprived of his rights then every man in the republic is deprived of his rights.” —Jane Addams, 1903 From:Hannah Ennerfelt To:Council, City Subject:Request review of Redwood trees being removed from 751 Waverley St. Date:Saturday, March 21, 2026 2:05:16 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hello, I live at 735 Waverley St (less than 600 feet away from the redwoods your department has put signs on to remove outside the Thomas Aquinas church). These redwoods are an important part of our neighborhood. I would like to formally request that this action be reviewed and appealed. These trees are precious to us and surrounding neighbors and should be designated heritage trees in accordance with city policies. Thank you, Hannah Ennerfelt This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:pol1@rosenblums.us To:City Mgr; Planning Commission; Council, City; Transportation Subject:A proposal for the Temporary Closure of the Churchill Crossing to Pedestrians and Bicycles Date:Saturday, March 21, 2026 1:14:51 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Councilmembers, Planning and Transportation Commissioners, City staff: The recent listening session on the temporary closure of the Churchill rail crossing has aroused concerns about the access of pedestrians and bicyclists to the train tracks. Since motor vehicles are not involved in the suicides in any way it seems fair to exempt them from a temporary closing while closing the crossing to pedestrians and bicycles. To start, we should remove bike access to Churchill by installing signage at the corner of Bryant and Churchill stating that the Churchill crossing at Alma is closed to through bicycle and pedestrian traffic. We should remove the bike lane striping from Churchill between Bryant and Alma to avoid attracting cyclists to the crossing. We should eliminate pedestrian crosswalk striping and pedestrian crossing signage at the Alma/Churchill intersection and put a fence around the pedestrian track crossing areas on all 4 corners of the intersection with signage saying “No peds or bikes” but leave the vehicle traffic lanes fully open. There should also be signage and appropriate fencing along the bicycle paths on Churchill next to Paly stating that the crossing is closed to pedestrians and bicycles. A human guard should be posted 24/7 to ensure that no pedestrians or bicycles are allowed to cross the tracks. The guard should be empowered to issue citations for continuing to cross the tracks on foot or by bicycle after being warned not to do so. This method of temporary closure would allow Paly students to demonstrate that they can safely get to school without using the Churchill pedestrian/bike crossing while allowing time for the city to come up with a better solution until a permanent grade separation can be effected. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Stephen Rosenblum Old Palo Alto From:Darius Massoudi To:Council, City Subject:Mosquito issue in Palo Alto Date:Saturday, March 21, 2026 10:39:57 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i To whom it may concern, I believe that introducing dragonflies into our local ecosystem would be beneficial as they are an ancient species with expertise in the aerial hunting of mosquitoes. As well as an important food source for birds. Best regards, A neighbor on Ramona This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:mike@mikeforster.net To:Transportation; Council, City Subject:No "daylighting" parking tickets yet Date:Saturday, March 21, 2026 9:43:44 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i March 21, 2026 Everyone: Below is my Letter to the Editor published in the Palo Alto Weekly on March 20, 2025. Mike Forster 420 Stanford Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94306 650 464 9425 mike@mikeforster.net ===== Palo Alto should NOT ticket drivers who park their cars in parking spaces defined by painted parking stripes, even if that puts them within 20 feet of the intersection which became illegal in January 2025. If the City designates a parking space with stripes, drivers should be able to rely on the City that this is a legal parking space that satisfies all state, county, and city laws and regulations. Any other interpretation is irrational. Only when the City has painted applicable curbs red should parking tickets be given for those locations. In the meantime until painting progresses, the City could simply place orange cones or other markers in all such parking places and other appropriate locations to prevent parking until the red painting is This message needs your attention No employee in your company has ever replied to this person. Mark Safe Report Mike Forster, Evergreen Park, Palo Alto From:City Mgr To:Council, City; Shikada, Ed Cc:Executive Leadership Team; City Mgr; Clerk, City Subject:Council Bundle - March 21, 2026 Date:Saturday, March 21, 2026 7:10:00 AM Attachments:image001.png image002.png Fw Fabian Bike Lane - - Action Needed!.msg RE Public comment March 16.msg FW High Speed Concerns ON Channing Ave.msg RE Fw IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED URGENT DEMAND TO ADDRESS ILLEGAL RV PARKING AND ENCAMPMENTS.msg Dear Mayor and Council Members, On behalf of City Manager Ed Shikada, please see the attached staff responses to emails received in the Council inbox through March 21, 2026. Respectfully, Danille Danille Rice Administrative Assistant City Manager’s Office|Human Resources|Transportation (650) 329-2229 | danille.rice@PaloAlto.gov www.PaloAlto.gov From:Mariela Morales To:City Mgr; UTL-Customer Service; Council, City Subject:Re: URGENT: Formal Notice of Dangerous Condition & Utility Dispatch Failure Date:Friday, March 20, 2026 10:05:03 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i See attached pictures for context. Please consider the environment before printing this email. CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE TO RECIPIENT(S): This e-mail communication and any attachment(s) may contain information that is confidential and/or privileged by law and is meant solely for the intended recipient(s). Unauthorized use, review, duplication, disclosure or interception of this e-mail is strictly prohibited and may violate applicable laws including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. If you received this e-mail in error please notify us immediately of the error by return e-mail and please delete this message and any attachment(s) from your system. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. On Fri, Mar 20, 2026 at 10:00 PM Mariela Morales <mariela323@gmail.com> wrote: To the City Manager and Director of Utilities, This email serves as formal notice of a dangerous condition on public property located at 460 Margarita Avenue Palo Alto California 94306. An open utility vault (water meter box) is currently flooding a public sidewalk, creating a severe slipping and tripping hazard for pedestrians. I contacted the Utilities Emergency Dispatch at (650) 329-2579 today at 9:29P.M. to report this issue. The dispatcher instructed me to "call back tomorrow at 8:00 AM" because staff were at home. This response is unacceptable for a 24-hour emergency line and leaves a known hazard unaddressed in a high-traffic area. Pursuant to California Government Code Section 835, the City of Palo Alto now has actual notice of this dangerous condition. Should any individual suffer injury or property damage due to this hazard, this email and the recorded phone call will serve as evidence of the City’s failure to take reasonable protective measures after being notified. I request an immediate dispatch to secure the vault and stop the water flow. Please provide an incident or service request number for my records. Best regards, Mariela Morales This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Please consider the environment before printing this email. CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE TO RECIPIENT(S): This e-mail communication and any attachment(s) may contain information that is confidential and/or privileged by law and is meant solely for the intended recipient(s). Unauthorized use, review, duplication, disclosure or interception of this e-mail is strictly prohibited and may violate applicable laws including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. If you received this e-mail in error please notify us immediately of the error by return e-mail and please delete this message and any attachment(s) from your system. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. From:Mariela Morales To:City Mgr; UTL-Customer Service; Council, City Subject:URGENT: Formal Notice of Dangerous Condition & Utility Dispatch Failure Date:Friday, March 20, 2026 10:01:37 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i To the City Manager and Director of Utilities, This email serves as formal notice of a dangerous condition on public property located at 460 Margarita Avenue Palo Alto California 94306. An open utility vault (water meter box) is currently flooding a public sidewalk, creating a severe slipping and tripping hazard for pedestrians. I contacted the Utilities Emergency Dispatch at (650) 329-2579 today at 9:29P.M. to report this issue. The dispatcher instructed me to "call back tomorrow at 8:00 AM" because staff were at home. This response is unacceptable for a 24-hour emergency line and leaves a known hazard unaddressed in a high-traffic area. Pursuant to California Government Code Section 835, the City of Palo Alto now has actual notice of this dangerous condition. Should any individual suffer injury or property damage due to this hazard, this email and the recorded phone call will serve as evidence of the City’s failure to take reasonable protective measures after being notified. I request an immediate dispatch to secure the vault and stop the water flow. Please provide an incident or service request number for my records. Best regards, Mariela Morales Please consider the environment before printing this email. CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE TO RECIPIENT(S): This e-mail communication and any attachment(s) may contain information that is confidential and/or privileged by law and is meant solely for the intended recipient(s). Unauthorized use, review, duplication, disclosure or interception of this e-mail is strictly prohibited and may violate applicable laws including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. If you received this e-mail in error please notify us immediately of the error by return e-mail and please delete this message and any attachment(s) from your system. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report View this email in your browser. Reminders & Changes Change of plans: due to schedules being a tad over-busy, we're moving the immigration interestconversation into our Coffee, Chat & Connect eventon 3.26. Thank you - and see you there! From:LWV Palo Alto To:Council, City Subject:LWVPA Immigration Chat moved to Coffee Time Date:Friday, March 20, 2026 9:19:10 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. Make a sign TOMORROW and join us! Join us for a SIGN-MAKING PARTY!Saturday, March 21, 11am-2pm Raptor Room at the League office, 3921 E Bayshore, Palo Alto Brings ideas and embellishments - we will have basic supplies. LUNCHABLE NIBBLES PROVIDED. CAN'T ATTEND, BUT A FRIEND WILL? HAVE THEM MAKE YOU ONE! NO KINGS 3 - March 28, 2-4pm @Embarcadero & El Camino Real Do join us - we'll bring any extra signs just in case you need one! (folding chair, hats, sunscreen and water suggested) "Coffee, Chat and Connect" Date: Thursday, March 26, 9:30-11am Place: 480 Gary Court, Palo Alto Join us for a morning of connectivity, socializing, exchanging ideas, and sharing experiences. Let us hear from you about your concerns as Palo Altans and members of the broader community. Learn about our recent activities and discover ways to get involved while mingling with fellow members. The League is our voice in this political landscape, and we want to make sure that we pursue the issues and priorities that matter most to you. We want to better understand the experiences, needs, and perspectives of our members and how we can expand our impact in democracy and civic life Help us choose the topic(s) for our next “Coffee, Chat, and Connect” next month. See you and your guests on March 26th! For more information, please call, text, or email Sunny Dykwel, Membership Director, 650.400.6960 sunny.dykwel@gmail.com LWVPA Voter Registration & Tabling TrainingSession Friday, April 10, 2026 at 4 PM -OR- Saturday, April 11 at 10 AM (select one of the options below) PCC Raptor Room, 3921 E Bayshore Rd, Palo Alto Every year, the League has many opportunities to table at community events. Upcoming events include the Earth Day Rally on 4/24, the Civic Impact Summit on 4/25, and the May Fete Parade & Fair on 5/2. At these events, we register voters and encourage With the June primary approaching, we will discuss what’s on the ballot and answer questions about the election. To help us engage and empower voters, we need volunteers who can table at one event or several, depending on their availability. Join us for one of two Voter Registration and Tabling training sessions so you’ll be ready to jump in and help at our next event. The one-hour training will be informative and interactive. We look forward to seeing you there! RSVP Coming up! MARCH 2026 3/21: Sign-Making Party for NK3, 11am-2pm, Raptor Room 3/24: Board Meeting, Chamber Office, 7pm 3/26: Coffee, Chat & Connect , 9:30am (incl. Immigration interest convo) 3/27: Grand Jury Applications Due 3/28: No Kings 3, 2-4pm APRIL 2026 4/10: Voter Registration & Tabling Training (option 1) - 4pm 4/11: Voter Registration & Tabling Training (option 2) - 10am 4/24: Earth Day Rally (tabling) 4/25: Civic Impact Summit (tabling) MAY 2026 5/2: May Fete Parade & Fair (tabling) SAVE THE DATE! Sunday, May 31: LWVPA Annual Meeting Community Room, Lucie Stern Center, 1:30-3:30pm PRIMARY ELECTION DATES 5/18: last day to register to vote for the June 2 Primary Election 5/4: Ballots mailed 5/5: Ballot drop-off locations open 5/23: Vote centers open for early in-person voting 6/2: ELECTION DAY 6/9: Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by June 9, 2026. Come join our fabulous team of volunteers - everyone 16 and up is welcome! Learn more about our teams and programs on our website. Stay Informed! Sign Up for LWV California & LWVUS News & Alerts Click here to sign up for LWVC Newsletter and LWVC Action Alerts Click here to sign up for LWVUS Email News (at bottom) and LWVUS Action Alerts Facebook Website Instagram Copyright © 2026 League of Women Voters Palo Alto, All rights reserved. From Voter Recipient List Email us at lwvpaoffice@gmail.com Our mailing address is: League of Women Voters Palo Alto 3921 E Bayshore Rd Ste 209 Palo Alto, CA 94303-4303 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Questions? Please contact communications@lwvpaloalto.org. From:Evite To:Council, City Subject:Please RSVP to PTAC Honorary Service Awards 2026 Date:Friday, March 20, 2026 4:19:10 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious ofopening attachments and clicking on links. evite Submit Your RSVP PTAC Honorary Service Awards 2026 View & RSVP 20 guests attending. See Who's Coming Event details Friday, April 24, 2026 5:30PM - 8:00PM Add to calendar The Hub 3215 Porter Street Palo Alto, CA 94301 View Map This email was sent to city.council@paloalto.gov because you have been invited to an event by Palo Alto Council of PTAs. Even if you have opted-out of receiving Evite marketing communications, you may still receive emails with relevant information based on your From:Larry Alton To:Council, City Subject:fire inspection bill $488 for a retired senior 91 years old living in a 4plex Date:Friday, March 20, 2026 3:24:50 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor and Councilmembers, We are being charged an annual fire inspection bill of $488 by the Palo Alto Fire Department. I am a retired senior, 91 years old living in a downtown fourplex that we have owned and managed for 34 years. We have fire extinguishers and smoke detectors installed around the building and did not have any problem handling the only small stove fire that has occured during these many years. We ask for some relief on these high fees for seniors who own, manage, and have lived in their small buildings for many years. We appreciate your service to our wonderful city! Best Wishes, Larry Alton From:June Fuji To:Council, City Cc:Sproat, Derek Subject:Trees Date:Friday, March 20, 2026 12:25:10 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council, I need to commend your tree caring team: Frankie, Francisco and Pablo. When we chose to live in this city more than fifty years ago, a major appeal was the canopy of trees provided throughout the town. Our Marion Avenue camphor tree has been looking a bit sad with dead branches accumulating. I kept thinking the crews that usually cared for all the trees on the block on a regular basis seemed late. I then found out that the number of crews in that department have been diminished in number so the regularity has been pushed out by several years. Concerned, I phoned and after waiting several weeks, the tree would has been looked after. I am so happy with what they did to take care of the tree. I was truly amazed to see the number of branches that needed to be removed. I appreciate Frankie, Francisco and Pablo’s professionalism and expertise. Thank you for our arborist and tree department. Sincerely, June Fuji From:June Fuji To:Council, City Cc:derek.sproat@paloalto.org Subject:Trees Date:Friday, March 20, 2026 11:54:38 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council I want to commend your tree caring team Frankie, Francisco and Pablo. When we chose to live in this town more than fifty years ago, one of the appeals was the canopy of trees in this city. Our Marion Avenue camphor tree has been a bit sad with dead branches accumulating. I thinking that the crews that usually pruned the trees on a regular schedule was late. Then I found out that the number of crews in that department has diminished in number and the schedulesd pruning has been delayed by several years. Concerned, I phoned and after waiting many weeks, the tree was cared for today. I am pleased and was amazed at the number of dead branches that needed to be removed. I appreciate Frankie, Francisco and Pablo’s professionalism and expertise. Thank you for our arborist and tree caring teams. . Sincerely, June Fuji Sent from my iPhone From:slevy@ccsce.com To:Council, City Subject:Tom Friedman op ed on "neighboring" Date:Wednesday, March 18, 2026 3:44:43 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ! https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/15/opinion/columnists/minneapolis-ice-trump- neighbor.html Tom Friedman's op ed on "neighboring" It is inspiring and also a guide to how we in PA can act when ICE oversteps legitimacy Steve This message could be suspicious The sender's email address couldn't be verified. Mark Safe Report From:Ellen Hartog To:Council, City Subject:Thank you Date:Wednesday, March 18, 2026 12:54:47 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Honorable Council members, Thank you for truly listening to our community on the Palo Alto Commons project and for taking those voices into account in your vote. It meant so much to see our concerns not only heard, but thoughtfully considered in your decision. Your compassion and willingness to stand with neighbors made a meaningful difference, and it did not go unnoticed. Moments like this build trust and remind us how important engaged, community-centered leadership is. We are sincerely grateful for your support and hope you will continue to stand with residents and represent our community with the same care and integrity. Warmly, Ellen Hartog Sent from my iPhone From:Martin Frankel To:Council, City Subject:Written Public Comment for PA City Council: Urgent Resident Concern Oversized Vehicle Impacts on Acacia Avenue Date:Tuesday, March 17, 2026 1:29:22 PM Attachments:image.png image.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Mayor and Members of the Palo Alto City Council, My name is Martin Frankel, and I am a homeowner on Acacia Avenue. I am writing to you because the conditions on our street related to oversized vehicles have reached a point materially impacting daily life and basic quality of living for residents, including myself. Both my primary bedroom window and the dining area connected to my kitchen face Acacia Avenue. Oversized vehicles (vans, RVs, and vehicles with trailers) are regularly parked not only outside these windows, but directly outside my front door. Many of these vehicles are clearly being lived in. Throughout the night and early morning hours there is repeated engine starting and idling, doors opening and slamming, and people coming and going at all hours. The noise and disruption are constant. On average, there are approximately six oversized vehicles parked on a roughly 120‑yard stretch of Acacia Avenue, which already only allows parking on one side of the street. This effectively consumes most of the available parking, changes the character of the block, and creates a level of congestion and disturbance that feels entirely out of scale for my street. What has been particularly discouraging is that this situation appears to be the result of policy displacement rather than resolution. Oversized Vehicle restrictions and signage have been installed in nearby neighborhoods, and as a result, the activity has simply been pushed into streets like Acacia Avenue where those signs do not exist. Quite frankly, it seems that the burden this council has tried to address has not been reduced, but instead has merely been shifted. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast It is also consistently observable that the same oversized vehicles rotate between Acacia Avenue and the frontage near the Equinox gym on Portage. This rotation allows technical compliance with time limits while maintaining a near‑constant presence on both streets. From a resident’s perspective, the impact is continuous. I want to be very clear that I raise this concern with empathy. I understand that housing insecurity and vehicle habitation are complex issues, and I do not take that lightly. At the same time, residents should not be expected to absorb round‑the‑clock noise, loss of parking, and erosion of livability simply because their street was excluded from an initial phase of enforcement or signage. Acacia Avenue should not become a default overflow location simply because it lacks the same protections already extended elsewhere in the neighborhood. We are experiencing the same impacts and deserve the same consideration. I respectfully ask that the City address this as soon as possible, including extending restricted overnight Oversized Vehicle signage and management measures to Acacia Avenue and other similarly affected streets to alleviate this issue. Without timely action, the current approach does not solve the problem, but instead has merely relocated it. Thank you for your time and for your service to our community. I hope the City will act quickly to restore balance and livability to our street. Sincerely, MJ Frankel Acacia Avenue Homeowner Palo Alto From:Robyn and David Smith-Bronstein To:Council, City; Veenker, Vicki; Stone, Greer; Burt, Patrick; Lythcott-Haims, Julie; Reckdahl, Keith; Lu, George; Lauing, Ed; Bulatao, Eric; DaveBronstein (davebronstein@gmail.com) Cc:Robert Marinaro Subject:East Meadow Circle?Fabian Way Motorhomes and trailers Date:Tuesday, March 17, 2026 11:07:01 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Members of City Council, There is a problem and it is your job to fix it!!! Robyn and I have been owners of 1070/1072 East Meadow Circle since 1981. The Circle has always had an ambience of days past: Slow traffic, Pedestrians, Trees and gardens and a campus like quality. This is gone. It now resembles a “Flea Market” for used, oversized vehicles. Before we had security cameras operational we found cigarette butts in the front patio and garden. We had assorted junk dumped in our refuse receptacles. A hose was attached to our outside faucet for??? The vehicles block line of sight when cars leave our building. What are you going to do about this!!! Regards, David and Robyn Smith-Bronstein This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:herb To:Council, City; Clerk, City Subject:March 16, 2026 City Council Meeting, Agenda Item #12:: 2100-2400 Geng Road [24PLN-00356 & 24PLN-00357] Date:Monday, March 16, 2026 4:11:24 PM Attachments:Attachment #2_2.pdf Attachment #1.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. MARCH 16, 2026 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AGENDA ITEM #12 21--2400 GENG ROAD [24PLN-00356 & 24PLN-00357] Prior to approving this proposed project, I urge you toevaluate the environmental affects that are particular to thisproject that have not been evaluated in the staff report andthe Environmental Assessment. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Regulation 15183requires you "to examine whether there are project-specificsignificant effects which are peculiar to the project or itssite". The City of Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan 2030 Map S-3(Liquification Risk) shows that this site has a very highliquefaction potential.(See Attachment #1). The very high liquification risk is unique to the site and mustbe evaluated to determine its effect on the proposed projectdesign. The Palo Alto Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) adopted by theSanta Clara County Airport Land Use Commission identifies theAirport Influence Area (AIA) that requires each transfer deedto include a deed notice that the property being transferred issubject to "inconvenience, annoyance or discomfort arising fromthe noise or sight of such operations" and that "residents alsoshould be aware that the current volume of aircraft activitymay increase in the future". (See Attachment #2) In addition, that statement should be included in the TentativeMap for subdivision approval. Staff is proposing that the deed restriction language shouldappear only on the Tentative Map, but that does not replace therequirement that the statement appear on each transfer deed. Therefore, as a condition of approval, you should require thatthe deed notice required by the Palo Alto CLUP be included ineach property transfer and subsequent property transfer. The CLUP also requires construction standards to mitigateairplane noise that are not discussed in the EnvironmentalAssessment or staff report. In addition, at your recent meeting on Over-Sized Vehicles the Baylands Athletic Center adjacent to the subject site forparking those vehicles, and the effect of OSVs adjacent to theproject site should be evaluated. Thank you for your consideration of these comments. Herb Borock From:Adam Olshen To:Council, City Subject:Palo Alto Commons Expansion and the Parking Situation Date:Monday, March 16, 2026 3:56:13 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hi, My name is Adam Olshen. I live at 390 Maclane St, Palo Alto, CA 94306. My house is one house from being on the block of Wilkie that would be impacted by the proposed Palo Alto Commons expansion (as Wilkie dead ends on Maclane and I live on the first house of Maclane). I am in favor of the expansion. People of all ages need more housing in Palo Alto. One of the arguments against expansion is that there are parking problems on the impacted block of Wilkie. I do not agree with that argument, and I know because I walk my dog late at night on that block. Last night I counted that there were about ten parking spaces on the block at about 10pm. So there is no guarantee that one would find parking in front of their house, most of which have driveways, but one is very likely to find parking within a few houses. During the day there is even more parking on the block. A ten unit expansion should not impact that more than adequate amount of local parking. That is my two cents. Adam Olshen 390 Maclane Street This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Valen Varanasi To:Council, City Subject:Re: Public comment March 16 Date:Monday, March 16, 2026 2:44:58 PM Attachments:image001.png CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Thank you! On Mon, Mar 16, 2026 at 10:48 AM Council, City <city.council@paloalto.gov> wrote: Good morning, Received, thank you. We will display the provided slides while you speak under general public comment. Best, Belle Farias Administrative Associate III Office of the City Clerk P: 650.329.2630 | E: Belle.Farias@PaloAlto.gov www.PaloAlto.gov This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From: Valen Varanasi <valen.varanasi@gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2026 2:56 PM To: Council, City <city.council@PaloAlto.gov> Subject: Public comment March 16 CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10fjbdEEFCOVUVowTlBaml-2Kr2f1TVJQ/edit? usp=sharing&ouid=109192260781761581992&rtpof=true&sd=true Hi, These are slides for Valen V that I would like to present during public comment on Monday, March 16th. Thank you very much. From:Andie Reed To:Council, City Subject:4075 El Camino Way (Palo Alto Commons) Date:Monday, March 16, 2026 2:05:55 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Good evening Mayor Veenker and Council Members, May 16, 2026 I am Andie Reed and I live next to Castilleja school, so although not a direct neighbor ofPalo Alto Commons, we share the same plight as those residents. I support the PTC recommendation to allow for 7 new units, and the neighbors who havecompromised to agree to 7 units. I will address parking and the TDM. Since the existing parking will not be increased despite the addition of more units, this putsa strain on the already fraught parking on residential streets. The staff report states that ona recent visit, the required 97 “useable” parking spaces were observed, combining the 7surface spots for each of Avant and PAC and both of their underground garages. It did notreport how many gated parking spots were actually in use. My observation last year wasthat there were empty spaces going unused. What’s “useable”? Only 15 of the 97 parking spaces on site are ungated. 85% of parkingspots require a call to the front desk to open garages. Residents (of AVANT, since PACresidents don’t drive) and employees of both operations have keys. However, in-and-outvisitors, short-term medical or other services and deliveries will park anywhere convenient. Thus, parking on Wilkie Way takes the overflow. I supported my relative in a similar place for 10 years, and I can attest to how many visitorsand services are in and out. This is a busy operation, it is not a condo complex. Gatedgarages do not serve it well. The generic TDM measures “mode use” by surveying employees for 5 days each year. Self- reporting has weaknesses by its nature. Additionally, hoses over driveways will provide an annual count to compare to previous years. Again, only those vehicles going into driveways will be counted. We’ve already established that many cars will park on the streets, they don’t go over driveways and won’t be counted. Where is it specified that the neighbors get input into the measurement of the TDM's success? Palo Alto Commons could: 1.require employees to use other modes of transportation or to park underground.2.leave the underground parking area open during the day (locking interior doors),and DIRECT visitors into it.3.acquire off-site parking for employees4.require identifying stickers for employees’ vehicles Please respect the neighbors’ perspective and reduce the requested units by 4, and stiffenup the TDM. Thank you. -- Andie Reed Palo Alto, CA 94301 530-401-3809