Fall & Winter 2022 Palo Alto Newsletter

UPLIFT
PALO ALTO
Residential Newsletter FALL/WINTER 2022
www.cityofpaloalto.org
Rinconada Park, Palo Alto Junior
Museum & Zoo Celebrate Official
Openings, Magical Bridge Reopens
COMMUNITY
MESSAGE FROM
THE MAYOR
Dear Neighbors,
New Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo.
This summer, the City celebrated the official openings of the newly renovated
Rinconada Park, new Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo, and new free outdoor
solar system exhibit. The north end of Rinconada Park was completely renovated
with a brand-new play structure and upgraded pathways. The project improved the
park’s amenities, facilities, irrigation, drainage, and accessibility. The Palo Alto Junior
Museum & Zoo was recently rebuilt and the new facility is almost twice as large as the
original, and allows for a reimagined visitor experience. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
INSIDE
COMMUNITY ACTION
NEEDED
Details on recent Council
endorsement of
proposed sustainability
actions.
PALO ALTO HOUSING
BY THE NUMBERS
Homekey Palo Alto gets
needed investment and details
on the draft Housing
Element, the City’s
housing roadmap.
EXPANDED LIBRARY HOURS
COMING SOON
All Palo Alto library branches
have reopened, many
have expanded hours,
and more service
enhancements
coming soon.
3 5 6
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I’m pleased to share this new
newsletter, Uplift Palo Alto, with
you. Whether you are looking
for ways to connect with the City
through upcoming community
meetings, or each other through
local events, engage in policy
discussions, or learn about
expanded services, there is
something for everyone.
In this edition, we hope you will
learn more about the Council’s
recent adoption of key milestones
on sustainability and climate
action, and that you consider
switching your home appliances
from gas to electric. The City is
launching a new program to make
this switch easier by upgrading
your water heater.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

UPLIFT
PALO ALTO
COMMUNITY MESSAGE FROM
THE MAYOR (CONTINUED)
FROM PAGE 1
Critically, doing so is important for your
family’s health too. And, on November
12, the City co-hosted a “Climate
Collaboration Summit’ and workshop at
Gunn High school. The event featured
the United States Assistant Secretary
of Energy along with state, local, and
scientific leaders. If you missed the
event it was well attended and there
will be more ways to engage on climate
action in 2023.
Ribbon cutting ceremony for Rinconada
Park, the Solar System Exhibit and Palo
Alto Junior Museum & Zoo.
Recently, we secured State and County
grant funding for Homekey Palo Alto, the
City’s interim housing facility with the
capacity to serve over 200 individuals
and 100 families annually, including
providing the essential medical, social,
and other services needed for these
residents to transition from being
unhoused to permanent housing. Also,
the 59-unit Wilton Court affordable
housing project will be opening this
fall. We have several other affordable
housing projects in progress; 50 units
of low-income housing at 525 East
Charleston (including full support
services for adults with special needs),
a project currently going through
approvals for 129 units of very lowincome
housing for individuals and
families at El Camino and Portage, and
the 110-unit teacher housing project
at 231 Grant near the north County
Courthouse. Together, these make up
the largest set of affordable housing
projects in our community in decades.
Lastly, the city is wrapping up its Housing
Element based on the state mandate to
plan for over 6,000 new housing units at
various income levels over the next eight
years. There are several ways to share
your input on our Housing Element and
read the newsletter article for ways to
engage on this process.
In addition, as we look to a new year,
the Council continues to make progress
on achieving fiscal sustainability, notably
CITY COUNCIL’S
2022 PRIORITIES
• Economic Recovery & Transition
• Climate Change: Protection
& Adaptation
• Housing for Social
& Economic Balance
• Community Health & Safety
To address and track these
priorities, the City Council
adopted a workplan for each. The
workplans include projects that
are currently underway, scheduled
to begin this year, or are planned
but not yet scheduled.
For more about the City Council’s
2022 priorities, visit
www.cityofpaloalto.org/
CouncilPriorities
restoring City services such as library
hours, and key positions like fire and
police officers.
I hope you enjoy catching up with what’s
going on. As the holidays approach,
we look forward to seeing you at our
upcoming special events and around
town.
Sincerely,
Mayor Pat Burt
UPLIFT
PALO ALT
FEATURED EVENTS
Car Free Streets Community Meeting
December 7 from 6 – 7 p.m.
Help shape a study of street
configurations and options related to
Cal Ave. and Ramona St. at an in-person
meeting at PerformanceGaines Gym:
310 California Avenue
For more events to go to
www.cityofpaloalto.org/calendar
Shop and eat local in Palo Alto
this holiday season! We’ve
made it easy with a list of local
discounts and promotions.
Holiday events are right at
your fingertips too.
GO TO UPLIFTLOCAL.ORG TO START CELEBRATING THE SEASON WITH US!
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CLIMATE CHANGE – PROTECTION AND ADAPTATION
FALL/WINTER 2022 | www.cityofpaloalto.org
City Council Adopts Series of Actions to Address Climate Change
Consistent with the City Council’s
priority, Climate Change – Protection
and Adaptation, the Council endorsed
several proposed actions focused on
updating the Sustainability and Climate
Action Plan (S/CAP) to help the City
meet its sustainability goals, including its
goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels
by 2030. The Council’s actions included
adopting an ambitious goal making the
City carbon neutral by the year 2030 and
endorsing updated goals and key actions
of the Sustainability and Climate Action
Plan, which will serve as a roadmap to
achieve the new carbon neutral goal and
other important steps. For more go to
www.cityofpaloalto.org/sustainability.
New Resources to Switch from Gas to Electric Appliances at Home
Palo Alto has long been a leader in
sustainability, making impressive progress
towards reducing its carbon impacts,
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and
resource consumption. Through rebates,
programs, and revised permitting
processes, the City is offering streamlined
tools to electrify your home. These
resources are available to help you make
better choices when thinking about
home upgrades, electrification, and
reducing GHG emissions. Looking to
support the environment and not sure
where to start in your home? Learn about
rebates, project assistance, and why
electrifying your home and lifestyle can
have a positive impact on your health,
your wallet, and the community at www.
cityofpaloalto.org/GoElectric.
New options rolling out soon include a
full-service solution with a rebate where
a City contractor installs the electric
heat pump water heater and you choose
between two different payment types:
lump sum or partial on-bill financing.
The other option is a “Do It Yourself”
application for a rebate and you choose
your own contractor to complete the
water heater installation.
In addition, recognizing that installation
of heat pump water heaters may
sometimes conflict with certain
residential zoning regulations, staff is
recommending to the Planning and
Transportation Commission in December
and shortly thereafter to the City Council,
changes to allow these and other
electrification-related systems to partially
encroach into garage parking areas and
exterior side and rear yards.
Go to www.cityofpaloalto.org/
upgradeyourwaterheater to learn more
and sign-up ahead of the program launch
later this year.
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UPLIFT
PALO ALTO
COMMUNITY HEALTH & SAFETY
Rinconada Park, Palo Alto Junior
Museum & Zoo Celebrate Official
Openings, Magical Bridge Reopens
FROM PAGE 1
The Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo
installed a free outdoor exhibit in
Rinconada Park titled the Voyage
Solar System Model. This exciting
new exhibit invites visitors of all ages
to experience a large-scale model of
the solar system. The City is delighted
to share these newly rebuilt or
renovated family-focused amenities
and encourage the community to
visit and experience new features
celebrating inclusive learning and
encouraging play. Learn more at
www.paloaltozoo.org.
Magical Bridge Playground is set
to reopen in early December after
a series of renovations. The City’s
capital investments support a series of
upgrades to the popular playground.
Enhancements include more shading,
rubberized resurfacing, turf and
railing replacements, a new net on
Newly renovated Magical Bridge
Playground in Palo Alto.
the spinner, painting and planting
enhancements, and the addition of
a new accessibility feature called a
“magic map” that will help visitors
who are visually impaired orient
themselves in the playground.
To find information about all Palo Alto
parks, go to www.cityofpaloalto.org/
parks.
UPLIFT
Safety Tips this
holiday season
and every day
This holiday season and throughout
the year, Palo Alto Police Department
recommends safety tips to promote
and enhance public safety. If you see
something suspicious, say something.
This holiday season, bring delivery boxes
inside immediately once delivered.
Generally, stay alert and trust your
instincts. Always lock your house, car
doors, and gates. Consider using motionsensing
lighting and a home alarm
system, and do not give identifying
information to anyone you have not
initiated contact with yourself. Contact
PAPD’s 24-hour dispatch center at (650)
329-2413 if you do see something
suspicious. In an emergency, call 9-1-1.
Find more crime prevention tips at
www.CityofPaloAlto.org/StopCrime.
PALO ALT
Palo Alto FireMed Membership Saves on Ambulance Ride
Costs & Supports Fire Department Operations
A recent Palo Alto FireMed participant
that was transported to the hospital
saved $1,974 on their bill. Even with
medical insurance, ambulance ride
costs can range from $200-$400 or
more. Save money and get peace of
mind during a medical emergency that
you are doing all you can to protect
your family and guests. A new program
for Palo Alto residents and businesses
makes sure you are not stuck with a
bill during an emergency. Palo Alto
FireMed is convenient and costeffective,
covering unlimited ambulance
rides within the Palo Alto city limits
for a low cost of $8 per household per
month. The membership also supports
Palo Alto Fire Department continuing
high-quality fire and emergency
medical services in the community.
Learn more and sign up today at
www.cityofpaloalto.org/FireMed.
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HOUSING FOR SOCIAL & ECONOMIC BALANCE
FALL/WINTER 2022 | www.cityofpaloalto.org
ROADMAP ON HOUSING
RELEASED, SHARE INPUT
THIS WINTER
The Council’s priority, Housing for Social
& Economic Balance, includes a focus
on housing priorities such as investing
in affordable housing and making it
easier for the community to find local
affordable housing options, increasing
housing production, and furthering
rental housing support and resources.
Since 2017, the City has contributed or
pledged $54 million from its affordable
housing fund or land value in support
of affordable housing projects such as
Homekey Palo Alto, Wilton Court, and
231 Grant Educator Workforce Housing.
Over the past 5 years, the City has
contributed or plans to contribute to
the construction of 218 affordable and
workforce housing units, 108 emergency
shelter rooms, and the City has preserved
117 affordable mobile homes at the
Buena Vista Mobile Home Park. An
additional 70 affordable housing units
were built as part of a development
agreement with Stanford University.
The City’s roadmap on housing related
efforts is called the Housing Element
and earlier this year the Council
provided feedback on several aspects of
this plan. Input received to date will be
incorporated into the draft 2023-2039
Housing Element, which is available for
public comment through December 7.
The community is encouraged to share
input on this guiding document on
the City’s housing priorities for several
years to come. For more, go to www.
cityofpaloalto.org/housing.
Progress on Housing Priorities
Draft Rendering of the Homekey Palo Alto.
HOMEKEY PALO ALTO GETS
NEEDED INVESTMENT
THANKS TO THE STATE
AND COUNTY
This fall, both the State of California and
the County of Santa Clara announced
grant awards totaling $30.6 million
to further the City’s Homekey Palo
Alto. The State award of $26.6 million
and County grant funding in the
amount of $4 million will be combined
with local contributions from the
Palo Alto Community Fund, Sobrato
Philanthropies, and City of Palo Alto.
The City of Palo Alto dedicated half of a
2.6-acre City-owned parcel to provide
land for the Homekey Palo Alto site.
The full 2.6-acre site is valued at $9.3
million. These critical grant awards
will to be used to develop an interim
housing shelter with the capacity to
serve over 200 individuals annually with
on-site support services. Located at
1237 San Antonio Road in Palo Alto near
the Palo Alto Baylands, the Homekey
Palo Alto site will provide a dignified
transitional step for unhoused residents
on the path to stable housing. For
more go to www.cityofpaloalto.org/
projecthomekey.
PALO ALTO HOUSING
BY THE NUMBERS
Providing housing for all income levels is
a focus for all Bay Area cities, including
Palo Alto. Palo Alto has long been a
leader in the production of affordable
housing and currently has the second
highest inventory of affordable housing
in Santa Clara County (as a percentage
of total housing stock).
$54 million
CONTRIBUTED OR PLEDGED
TOWARDS AFFORDABLE HOUSING
APPROXIMATELY
2,300
DEED RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE
HOUSING UNITS PRODUCED TO DATE
SINCE THE CITY STARTED REQUIRING
INCLUSIONARY HOUSING.
OVER
1,000
HOUSING UNITS PERMITTED
IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.
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UPLIFT
PALO ALTO
ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND TRANSITION
Economic Strategy in Development & Upcoming
Effort Seeking Community Input on Car Free Streets
UPLIFT
PALO ALT
The City is working to enhance Palo
Alto’s community experience and
economic vibrancy, and further the City’s
Uplift Local effort. As part of this effort,
work is currently underway to develop
an economic development strategy. The
initial stages of this work include a full
study of the local market, an analysis
of constraints and opportunities for
improvement, and the development
of programs and projects to address
these findings. Next steps could include
changes to downtown streetscapes,
modifications to the current parklet
program, aesthetic enhancements, and
additional actions aimed at increasing
Palo Alto’s economic vitality.
Related to the economic strategy
and supporting small businesses, join
the conversation about the City’s
Uplift Local Car Free Streets program
at California Avenue and Ramona
Street. This effort supports outdoor
dining, retail, and personal services
in business districts such as California
Avenue and the downtown core.
California Avenue and Ramona Street
are currently open to pedestrians
and closed to vehicle traffic and will
remain that way through the end of
2023. The City is seeking community
input to determine the future of these
areas. Learn more and share feedback
at an upcoming community meeting in
December at www.CityofPaloAlto.org/
CarFreeStreets. Following this initial
community meeting, other community
engagement is in the planning stages for
early 2023.
Library Welcomes the Community
Back to All Branches & Enhanced Hours
All branches have reopened and many have expanded hours.
MITCHELL PARK
LIBRARY
TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY,
THURSDAY
Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
Open 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
SUNDAY & MONDAY
CLOSED
RINCONADA
LIBRARY
TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY
Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
THURSDAY
Open 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
SUNDAY & MONDAY
CLOSED
CHILDREN’S
LIBRARY
TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY,
& SATURDAY
Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
DOWNTOWN
LIBRARY
THURSDAY, FRIDAY,
& SATURDAY
Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
COLLEGE TERRACE
LIBRARY
THURSDAY, FRIDAY,
&SATURDAY
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This is an exciting step forward for the entire community
as it marks the longest open hours since the beginning of
the pandemic. Palo Alto Libraries will continue to expand
their hours throughout the year. For more information, visit
www.cityofpaloalto.org/Library.
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ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND TRANSITION
FALL/WINTER 2022 | www.cityofpaloalto.org
Palo Alto Fiber
Heads to Council
As They Consider
What’s Next
The City is assessing the feasibility of
providing locally owned and controlled
fiber internet services to all residents
and businesses. Since its conception in
the mid-1990s, fiber in Palo Alto has
gone through various phases of ideation
and implementation. The City Council
and Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC)
held a joint session on September 19 to
discuss the City’s fiber expansion plan
and Fiber-to-the-Premises. After receiving
feedback from the joint study session
and community, the City Council will
tentatively consider next steps at their
December 19 meeting. Learn more at
www.cityofpaloalto.org/PaloAltoFiber.
New Shuttle Coming
in 2023: Start and End
Almost Anywhere
in Palo Alto
Thanks to a VTA grant, a new shuttle
service is on track to start this Spring
in Palo Alto.
Customers will
be able to take
trips that start
and end almost
anywhere in Palo Alto. 8-10 vehicles
will serve Palo Alto riders with each trip
estimated to cost $3.50, and $1.00 fares
available for disabled, low-income, youth,
and seniors. For more details, go to
www.cityofpaloalto.org/shuttleservice.
Newly renovated Rinconada Park playground.
Progress on Community Investments
in Public Safety, Parks & More
Improvements to parks, roads, public
safety infrastructure, and flood plans
are progressing, helping to further
Council priorities and community needs
addressing community health, public
safety, transportation and sustainability.
Since July 2016, the City has completed
87 individual community-serving
projects totaling over $284 million
in improvements. Since June 2022,
and despite the pandemic, significant
milestones have been achieved, such
as the completion of the Highway
101 Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge project
in November 2021, the start of the
Public Safety Building construction
and reopening of the Palo Alto Junior
Museum & Zoo.
Parks continue to be a priority, with
the Boulware Park construction and
expansion project beginning in early
2023. The Public Safety Building will
offer 56,000 square feet of space within
a three-story structure and operational
yard and is centrally located in the
middle of Palo Alto to enhance public
safety services to the community. It is
scheduled to be complete by fall 2023.
It will house the Police Department,
911 Emergency Dispatch Center, the
Emergency Operations Center, the
Office of Emergency Services, and
the administration needs of the Fire
Department.
Mitchell Park Fire Station No. 4 is being
replaced. The project is currently in the
Schematic Design phase, which includes
public outreach for input. Design work
is currently underway and construction
is anticipated to begin in April 2024.
Charleston-Arastradero Corridor road
improvements are in the third and final
phase, with much of the work currently
focused at or near El Camino Real.
The 2.3 mile Charleston-Arastradero
Corridor serves as an east-west
connector for the southern section
of Palo Alto, and has seen a major
upgrade to better serve the community.
The corridor will soon boast new
foliage, landscaped medians, curb
extensions/bulb-outs, enhanced bicycle
and pedestrian improvements, and
traffic signal modifications consistent
with the existing striping/roadway
configuration.
Caltrans-led improvements on El
Camino Real continue to be a focus
for some community members. Staff
has been communicating with Caltrans
about the upcoming plans to repave
El Camino Real with work currently
planned for 2023. We are aware of
challenging road conditions on parts of
El Camino Real and when a community
member shares concerns with us, we
send those directly to Caltrans staff. You
can also report safety concerns directly
by going to https://csr.dot.ca.gov. For
more details about the City’s capital
infrastructure projects, go to www.
cityofpaloalto.org/projects.
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UPLIFT
PALO ALTO
FALL/WINTER 2022 | www.cityofpaloalto.org
IMPORTANT CITY SERVICE PHONE NUMBERS
CONNECT WITH US
Police Non-Emergency (650) 329-2413
Fire Non-Emergency (650) 329-2184
Waste Collection Service (650) 493-4894
Issues; Service provider is
GreenWaste of Palo Alto
Recycle/Compost/ (650) 496-5910
Landfill Questions
Human Services/ (650) 463-4906
Homeless Services
UTILITIES
Customer Service (650) 329-2161
Electrical Problems or (650) 496-6914
Outages
Gas or Water Leaks (650) 329-2579
and Sewer Spills
Street Light Outages (650) 496-6914
Sewer Back Ups (650) 329-2579
Storm Drain Blockages, (650) 496-6974*
Mud Slides
Fallen Trees (650) 496-5953*
*After hours call (650) 329-2413
PALO ALTO 311 WEBSITE
& MOBILE APP
Use the Palo Alto 311 website or mobile
app to submit online service requests
UPLIFT
Follow us on social media and our
medium.com blog for community
updates, sign up for regular newsletters
and share feedback via regular online
survey forums, email us and more!
Connect at
www.cityofpaloalto.org/connect
Sign up for Newsletters at
www.cityofpaloalto.org/
newslettersignup
Online surveys and more at
www.cityofpaloalto.org/engage
Email the City Manager at
citymgr@cityofpaloalto.org
Email the City Council at
city.council@cityofpaloalto.org
PALO ALT
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
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