Palo Alto is changing. Some areas of the City used to be undeveloped or simple one-story shops but today can be multiplex housing or office buildings. The Density Bonus Law, a state mandate, can supersize projects by adding 35% building size when affordable housing is included. To change this experience and find a better balance to development and growth, Palo Alto has to finish the update to the 1998 Comprehensive Plan, which expired in 2010.
Palo Alto is changing. Some areas of the City used to be undeveloped like the former Elks Lodge woods which is now a neighborhood of multiplex housing and townhomes. Other areas have historically been one-story shops along El Camino Real but today can be turned into office buildings. The Density Bonus Law, a state mandate, can supersize projects by adding 35% building size when affordable housing is included. To change this experience Palo Alto has to finish the update to the 1998 Comprehensive Plan, which expired in 2010.
As Mayor, I have focused my work on this update to our city's "land use bible" which encourages growth. We need community input and I have championed the stakeholder outreach program called: "Our Palo Alto, a community conversation about our future." This brings the community together to have rigorous conversations about where we are today, where we are headed, and what changes we might make today to affect our tomorrow. I understand how critical this issue is to all of us. My top priority is to find solutions that achieve a balance between reasonable development and quality of life.
I realize that working and raising families makes it difficult to attend meetings or serve on committees. To make it easier to weigh in on critical city issues, instead of holding meetings at night in City Hall, meetings are held where you are: at a coffee shop, the farmers' market, a library or the senior center. This is important, I want to hear from you to help guide the right decisions that will affect our future.
Ideas from this program will be used to update the 1998 Comprehensive Plan, and build vision statements, policies and programs to help Palo Alto secure our future. The State requires us to have this plan, and it fortifies us from projects like High Speed Rail. We currently have a timetable to complete the Comprehensive Plan by the end of 2015. Once complete the city can update zoning and policy documents to reflect Palo Alto's priorities and vision. This will bring security to residential neighborhoods without the current ambiguity in our documents so many find flawed and used by developers to get project approval.
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