Category: CTRA Meetings

CTRA Spring 2019 Newsletter

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By now, most College Terrace residents should have received a copy of the CTRA’s Spring newsletter “Views from the Terrace” on their doorstep. (Thanks to Erika Enos and her band of volunteers for delivering the newsletters!) If you didn’t receive one, or prefer to read it online, you can download the newsletter here.

The newsletter includes a piece on “Life in College Terrace” by CTRA Social Coordinator Taylor Brady, as well as reports from Stanford Observer Pria Graves and City Observer Margaret Heath (writing about Khoury’s Market). California Avenue Observer Ann Balin contributed a piece about the coyotes that visited College Terrace last year. Thanks to CTRA Communications Director Jens Jensen for putting the newsletter together and to Susan Wilson for doing the layout.

At the end of the newsletter are short biographies of the nominees for the 2019-20 CTRA Board of Directors. The election will be held at our annual meeting this Saturday, March 23rd, at 10am at University Lutheran Church. If you can’t attend, but still want to vote in the election, you can download an absentee ballot (see the ballot for submission instructions).

We’re still looking for volunteers for a handful of positions including Secretary, Research Park Observer, and Social Coordinator. If you’re interested in serving on the board, please email current CTRA president James Cook, or just come to the meeting and volunteer. It’s a fantastic way to serve your neighborhood and community!

Volunteers Needed for the CTRA Board

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The annual meeting of the College Terrace Residents Association (CTRA) is coming up on Saturday, March 23, at 9:30am at University Lutheran Church (1611 Stanford Ave at Bowdoin). Palo Alto mayor Eric Filseth will give an address and Q&A, residents will elect the 2019-20 CTRA board, and there will be pastries and muffins provided by Khoury’s Market.

We are still looking for volunteers for a few open positions on the CTRA board for 2019-20 – no experience necessary, just an open mind and generous spirit. If you are a College Terrace resident and are interested in serving on the board, please email current CTRA president James Cook, or just come to the meeting and volunteer. It’s a small time commitment and a fantastic opportunity to serve your neighborhood and community.

Here’s a tentative schedule for the annual meeting:

9:30 a.m. Coffee/pastries/socializing with neighbors old and new
10:00 a.m. Welcome and “State of the Terrace” address by current CTRA President James Cook
10:15 a.m. Election of new CTRA board
10:30 a.m. Mayor Eric Filseth’s address followed by Q & A
11:15 a.m. Announcement of election results and appreciation of new board members
11:30 a.m. Meeting ends

CTRA Board Meeting Agenda: March 20, 2019

The next CTRA board meeting will be Wednesday, March 20, 2019, at 7:00pm at University Lutheran Church (1611 Stanford Ave at Bowdoin). Topics at this month’s meeting include Stanford construction in College Terrace, newsletter distribution, planning for the CTRA’s annual meeting and board election on March 23rd, and more. Read the agenda here.

All College Terrace residents are encouraged to attend. Hope to see you there!

CTRA Observer Reports for February

The College Terrace Residents Association has a group of board members known as “observers” who monitor relevant public meetings and news in their assigned area and then report back to the entire board on pertinent local actions and issues of interest to College Terrace. This month, we have updates from our Stanford and California Avenue observers.

California Avenue Business District

Khoury’s Market

The city has approved a permit application for exterior improvements to the building that include new paint, new storefront glazing, new lighting, and new planters to an outdoor seating/gathering area. The application was submitted in September and approved earlier this month.

The September application also included a proposal for exterior signage, however a decision was made to remove that item and re-submit it as a separate application. That occurred on February 8. It calls for the installation of two “Khoury’s Market” signs: one above the El Camino Real entrance way, and one on Oxford Avenue. The plans also show a horizontal illuminated, vertical projecting, “parking here” sign (i.e., a “P” within a circle above an arrow within a circle) just past the garage ramps.

Senior planning staff also informs us that:

  • The planner assigned “is working expeditiously with the applicant towards an approval, but there are no guarantees the application will be approved in March.”
  • Code Enforcement is looking into the bins that have replaced the dumpsters on Oxford Avenue across the street from the market.
  • While the roof globe lights were part of the original permit, the prior property owner had made a commitment to turn the lights off after the grocery store closes at night. Once the new owners get a building permit, they will be free to remove them.

Inside the market itself, grocery carts have been delivered and an Italian coffee machine is on order. Stop by and let a member of the Khoury family know your suggestions.

–Ann Balin

Stanford

Now that the holidays are over, things have picked up again! 

First, the County Historical Heritage Commission is continuing to look at the Historic Resources section of the GUP Application.  The County has hired a second peer review firm, JRP Historical Consulting, to address various questions about Stanford’s methodology for determining which structures are “historic”.  The HHC’s next meeting was pushed out from February 21st and is now scheduled for March 6 at 6:30 p.m. 

In addition, Supervisor Simitian approached PAST Heritage, requesting them to weigh in.  They have agreed to step up and craft a letter which will go initially to the HHC and then most likely to the County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.   

At a Community Resources Group meeting last fall, Stanford staff made the point of telling us that they had presented their historic analysis to Palo Alto’s Historic Resources Board.  But at the PAST board meeting last week, one of the HRB members expressed disappointment that this “presentation” was only a study session and they were not given the chance to make any recommendation to Council concerning this important item.  

On the main GUP path, the first two County Planning Commission study sessions have been scheduled for February 28th and March 14th, both at 1:30 p.m.  Supervisor Simitian continues to support full mitigation for impacts and a group of Stanford students have launched a petition requesting this too. 

Finally, regarding the zoning amendment in the San Juan area of the campus, the Board of Supervisors felt that there was no ground for them to deny the application.  Everything about it was consistent with the General Plan and Stanford Community Plan as they currently stand.  And since it was actually a down-zoning (from Academic Campus to Campus Residential-Low Density), they had to allow it.  However, Supervisor Simitian added an amendment directing staff to investigate possible changes to these overarching plans to give the Board tools that would allow them to deny future similar applications in the San Juan neighborhood.

–Pria Graves