The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutStaff Report 2601-5856CITY OF PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL Special Meeting Monday, April 13, 2026 Council Chambers & Hybrid 5:30 PM Agenda Item 4.Adoption of a Resolution Vacating an Easement at 700 Hansen Way; CEQA Status – Exempt under Cal. Code Regs. Title 14, Section 15305 City Council Staff Report From: City Manager Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR Lead Department: Administrative Services Meeting Date: April 13, 2026 Report #:2601-5856 TITLE Adoption of a Resolution Vacating an Easement at 700 Hansen Way; CEQA Status – Exempt under Cal. Code Regs. Title 14, Section 15305 RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution ordering the summary vacation of a public service easement for utilities located on the commercial property at 700 Hansen Way in Palo Alto, CA. ANALYSIS The public utility easement affecting the property at 700 Hansen Way was granted to the City of Palo Alto by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University and recorded on November 14, 2007, as Document No. 19652500 in the Official Records of Santa Clara County. The Real Estate Division in the Administrative Services Department received the owner’s request that this easement be vacated. The City’s Utilities, Planning, Public Works Departments and City Attorney’s Office, have reviewed and approved this easement vacation. The easement has been abandoned and is excess; it has been replaced with a new public utility easement recorded on December 4, 2025, as Document No. 25913934 in the Official Records of Santa Clara County. Therefore, the easement may be vacated in accordance with the summary proceeding authorized in Section 8333 of the California Streets and Highways Code. FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT The Summary Easement Vacation Processing fee of $2,083, as set forth in the FY 2025 Municipal Fee Schedule, has been paid by the owner. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT The Real Estate Division in the Administrative Services Department collaborated with the owner and their representatives, the City’s Utilities, Planning, Public Works Departments and City Attorney’s Office, for necessary reviews of language and exhibits. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW Council action on the summary vacation of the public service easement is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Section 15305 as a minor alteration in land use limitations. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Resolution Vacating a Public Service Easement at 700 Hansen Way APPROVED BY: Lauren Lai, Administrative Services Director Recorded at no charge in accordance with Streets & Highways Code Section 8336 at the request of and when recorded return to: City of Palo Alto Real Estate Division 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 SPACE ABOVE LINE FOR RECORDER’S USE APN: 142-20-078 Address: 700 Hansen Way Palo Alto, CA 94304 SUMMARY VACATION RESOLUTION NO. ____ RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO SUMMARILY VACATING A PUBLIC SERVICE EASEMENT AT 700 HANSEN WAY, PALO ALTO, CA WHEREAS, Section 8333 of the Streets and Highways Code authorizes the City Council to summarily vacate a public service easement in any of the following cases: (a) the easement has not been used for the purpose for which it was dedicated or acquired for five consecutive years immediately preceding the proposed vacation, (b) the date of dedication or acquisition is less than five years, and more than one year, immediately preceding the proposed vacation, and the easement was not used continuously since that date, (c) the easement has been superseded by relocation, or determined to be excess by the easement holder, and there are no other public facilities located within the easement; and WHEREAS, on March 16, 1977, the Parcel Map for 700 Hansen Way, Palo Alto, CA 94304 (APN 142-20-078) was filed for record in Book 390 of Maps at Page 51, Records of Santa Clara County; and WHEREAS, an easement on said property was granted to the City of Palo Alto for public utility purposes by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University and recorded on November 14, 2007, as Document No. 19652500 in the Official Records of Santa Clara County; and WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto Utilities, Planning, Public Works Departments and City Attorney’s Office, have evaluated and determined that the public utility easement located on said property has been abandoned and is excess; it has been replaced with a new public utility easement recorded on December 4, 2025, as Document No. 25913934 in the Official Records of Santa Clara County; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Palo Alto intends to summarily vacate the public utility easement as more particularly described in Exhibit “A” attached to this resolution and depicted on the plat map attached as Exhibit “B” to this resolution; and NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council does hereby RESOLVE as follows: SECTION 1. This vacation is made under the authority of California Streets and Highways Code Chapter 4 of part 3 of Division 9, commencing at Section 8333 et. seq. The public utility easement described herein on Exhibit “A” and depicted on the plat map attached as Exhibit “B” is excess and has been superseded by relocation. SECTION 2. Based upon the findings made in Section 1 of this Resolution and the provisions of Section 8333 of the Streets and Highways Code, the City Council does hereby order that the public utility easement as shown on the said Exhibits “A” and “B” shall be summarily vacated. SECTION 3. The City Clerk, acting by and through the Real Property Manager, is hereby directed to record at the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder’s Office a certified copy of this Resolution, including the Map. SECTION 4. The public utility easement described in Exhibit “A” and depicted in the plat map attached as Exhibit “B” will no longer constitute a public utility easement from and after the date of recordation of the documents identified in Section 3 of this Resolution. SECTION 5. The Council finds that the summary vacation of the public utility easement is exempt from review under the California Environmental Act pursuant to Title 14 California Code of Regulations section 15305 as a minor alteration in land use limitations. INTRODUCED: PASSED: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTENTIONS: ATTEST: ______________________________ ______________________________ City Clerk Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED: ______________________________ ______________________________ Deputy City Attorney City Manager ______________________________ Director of Administrative Services EXHIBIT "A" Legal Description PUBLIC UT ILITY EASEMENT VACATrON 700 Hansen Way, Palo A lto, CA December 18, 2024 BKF No. 20241624 Page I of 1 Real property in the City of Palo A lto, County of Santa Clara State of California, and described as fo llo ws: Being the same easement to be vacated , described in that certain Grant of Easement and Agreement, conveyed from The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, a body having corporate powers under the laws of the State of Ca li forn ia to the City of Palo Alto , a chartered city and municipal corporat ion, recorded on November 14 , 2007 as Document No . 19652500 , Official Records of Santa Clara County, and more particularly d escribed as fo llo ws: Commencing at the most easterly comer of said Parcel B, said comer also being a point on th e northwesterly lin e of Hansen Way , being 80.00 feet in width, as said Parcel and Way are s ho wn on that certain Parcel Map, filed for record on March 16, 1977 in Book 390 of Map at Page 51 , Records of Santa C lara County; Thence leaving said comer and along the 11011heasterly I ine of sa id Parcel B, North 56 °39'00" West , 238 .68 feet; The nce leaving said line , South 33 °2 1 '00" West , 6.67 feet to the POI T OF BEGINNING of this legal description ; Thence leaving sai d point and along a s trip of land 10 .00 feet wide, un less othcnvisc state d , the centerl in e thereof described as follows: North 56°39'00 ' West , I 0.00 feet to where said str ip ofland becomes 5.00 feet wide for the fo ll owing two courses: South 74 ° I 7'07" West, 36.15 feet" South 50 °28'30" West , 167 .11 feet to a po in t on the westerly line of sa id Parcel B, said point also being the POINT OF TERMINUS of this legal d escription. The sidelines of said casement to be vacated at the point of beginning shall be perpendicular to the centerline of said easement and at the po in t of tenninus shall be lengthened or shorte ned as to reach the weste rl y lin e of said Parcel B of sa id Parcel Map (390 M 51 ). Containing an area of I , 117 square feet , more or le ss. Said easement being vaca ted is shown on attached plat Exhibit "B" and made a part hereof. BASIS OF BEARJNGS: The bearing North 33 °21 '00" East of th e northwesterly line of Han se n Way , as said bearing and line are shown on that certain Parcel Map , fi led for record on March 16, 1977 in Book 390 of Maps at Page 5 1, Records of Santa Clara County, California. This lega l de sc ription was prepared by me or und er my direc t s up erv is ion . John Koroyan P.L.S. No. 8883 Date: Pee. I B, Zl> 24- BASIS OF BEARINGS THE BEARING N33'21 '00"E OF THE NORTHWESTERLY LINE OF HANSEN WAY, AS SAID BEARING AND LINE ARE SHOWN ON THAT CERTAIN PARCEL MAP , FILED FOR RECORD ON MARCH 16, 1977 IN BOOK 390 OF MAPS AT PAGE 51, RECORDS OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA . NO. L1 L2 L3 PARCEL B 390 M 51 700 HANSEN WAY PALO AL TO, CA APN 142-20 -078 NOTE: LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT, PER DOC. 19652500, TO BE VACA TED ; IS DESCRIBED ALONG ITS CENTERLINE. S56'39'00"E 317.03' N56 '39 '00"W r ,._ 238 .68' CENTERLINE OF / :::i P.U.E., PER DOC . / / 2 L2 I 19652509; // / ,-.....J P.O.B. 20' WIDE S.D.E. C663 O.R . 86 i n/ I /,./ r---- 1 ~/v I LINE TABLE I /// ; DETAIL // / I 1"=20' 1 r-1 , DIRECTION LENGTH S33'21 '00"W 6.67' N56'39'00"W 10.00' LEGEND S74i7 '07"W 36 .15' S.F. SQUARE FEET P.0.C. POINT OF COMMENCING 120 P.0.B. POINT OF BEGINNING P.O.T. POINT OF TERMINUS P6C . 1e, 2.DZ4 0 0 <ri 0 N 01--I __ ,o __ jo ! P.U.E. PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT S.D.E. STORM DRAIN EASEMENT EXHIBIT •e• ( SCALE IN FEET ) APN ASSESSOR'S PARCEL NUMBER PER ROLL YEAR 2023-2024 PLAT TO ACCOMPANY LEGAL DESCRIPTION A 1730N . FIRST ST REE T SUITE 600 SAN JOS E, CA 95 11 2 -~.... 408-467-9 100 _,..,....1111111111 www.bkf.com Subject PUBLIC UTILITY ES~H. VACATION 700 HANSEN WAY, PALO ALTO, CA Job No. _2_0_24_1_6_24 __________ _ By DIS Date 12-18-2024 Chkd ._JVK __ PAGE 1 OF 1