The next CTRA board meeting will be Wednesday, September 19, 2018, at 7:00pm at University Lutheran Church (1611 Stanford Ave at Bowdoin). This month’s meeting will include guest speakers presenting arguments both for and against Measure F.
All College Terrace residents are encouraged to attend. Hope to see you there!
Here are some recent news stories of interest to College Terrace and the surrounding area.
California Ave Public Safety Building and Garage Meetings
A community meeting will be held Wednesday, September 12, to discuss the project and upcoming street and parking changes to the area during the construction. The Public Safety Building will also be presented to the City Council and Architectural Review Board in the coming weeks.
Study: Stanford Can Triple Its Density (September 5)
How big can Stanford truly become? According to a study commissioned by Santa Clara County planners, Stanford can roughly triple its density and expand to 44 million square feet without infringing on the foothills.
Caltrain Launches Construction in Palo Alto (August 29)
After a year of work in other parts of the line, work on the electrification of Caltrain has finally started in Palo Alto. Local impacts include work performed at night (between 7pm and 7am), some weekend service disruptions, and the removal and pruning of trees.
When the College Terrace Market closed abruptly in December after just six months in business, many in the neighborhood wondered how long it would be before a new grocery store took its place. Wonder no more for, as reported earlier this week by both the Palo Alto Weekly and Palo Alto Daily Post, the former owners of JJ&F market are planning to open a new market in the same space later this year.
Joe Khoury bought JJ&F from the Garcia family in 2011 and ran the market until 2013 when the building was torn down to make way for the College Terrace Centre. Khoury has returned to run the new grocery store and “is looking forward to re-connecting with old friends here as we open our market with locally sourced produce, meats and, of course, our enduring emphasis on service.” It’s unclear what the new market will be called–the JJ&F name is still owned by the Garcia family–or exactly when it will open, but we’re looking forward to having a neighborhood grocery store again!
One of the topics at last week’s CTRA board meeting was an update on the Stanford General Use Permit (GUP) approval process. The GUP is intended to guide the growth and development of the university’s central campus through the year 2035. Stanford has asked for approval of 2,275,000 net new square feet of facilities and up to 3,150 units of housing, which is estimated to generate an additional 9,610 people on campus.
Journalists at the Palo Alto Weekly recently discussed the proposed campus expansion and the debate over how much housing the university should provide as part of its growth plan. If you haven’t been closely following the GUP process, the video is a good way to catch up.
The period for providing comments on the recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report (including the two alternative housing options proposed by the county) recently ended. Once the Environmental Impact Report is final, the project will go before the Santa Clara County Planning Commission for consideration and then to the Board of Supervisors for a vote. Here’s the current schedule for those workshops and hearings:
Planning Commission
Workshop, September 27
Hearing #1, October 11
Hearing #2, October 25
Hearing #3, November 1 (if needed)
Board of Supervisors
Hearing/Workshop, November 6
Hearing #1, November 13
Hearing #2, December 4
Hearing #3, December 18
Final Meeting #4, January 8, 2019
Check the county’s website for further information, including locations when they’re announced.
The outcome of the GUP approval process will have a profound impact on the surrounding area, and our neighborhood in particular, for years to come. (The majority of new on-campus housing forecast will be adjacent to College Terrace in Escondido Village.) So take time to read up on the issues (via the Weekly’s coverage, the county’s website, Stanford’s own GUP site, or elsewhere) and consider attending one or more of the above meetings to make sure your concerns are addressed.
The next CTRA board meeting will be Wednesday, August 15, 2018, at 7:00pm at University Lutheran Church (1611 Stanford Ave at Bowdoin). Topics on the August agenda include a discussion of the Stanford GUP, neighborhood coyote sightings, our upcoming Fall picnic, and more.
All College Terrace residents are encouraged to attend. Hope to see you there!