Affordable Housing Project Divides Neighbors

PALO ALTO, CA - City leaders may laud affordable housing as a pressing need in Palo Alto, but at least some residents remain concerned and skeptical. No one denies that the city's laborers and service workers need places to live. But for many residents, proposed developments lose their luster when they're slated to open up just few doors down. So when the Planning and Transportation Commission began its public hearing on the city's latest affordable housing proposal, neighbors focused on what they said were its flaws. Despite the criticisms, the commission unanimously endorsed the project.

Of the roughly 20 area residents who attended the public hearing on the 35-unit proposal, several said they would welcome the new community into their neighborhood while most said they'd rather see it go elsewhere. The new complex, dubbed the "Tree House" because of its proposed location on a leafy residential lot, would be developed by the Palo Alto Housing Corporation, a non-profit that runs affordable housing complexes throughout the city.

The project would include 34 studios and a one-bedroom apartment that would house the property manager. The structure would be located at 488 W. Charleston Road, near El Camino Real, nestled amidst about two dozen oak trees. It would house low-income residents and would include a recreation room, a lounge, a laundry room, and offices for resident service and management.

Traffic and parking were by far the most prevalent concerns of opponents. Residents argued that the complex's 33 proposed parking spots would not accommodate the influx of new cars entering the neighborhood. "Traffic is already so congested and unsafe in this area," said Jenny Zhang, a resident of nearby Arbor Real development, said. She brought a petition signed by more than 75 neighbors opposing the project. "We really have to consider our children's safety," she said.

George Thompson, who also lives in the area, criticized the project for not having a turnaround zone for large trucks. He was one of several speakers to bemoan the lack of parking in the area. But resident Jeff French called the proposed development "a chance we cannot pass up." He said he expects the new complex to improve the city. He was one of about half dozen residents who expressed enthusiasm about the Tree House. "We are affluent Palo Altans," French said. "We have to put ourselves into the place of the people who would be living in this complex."

The site currently houses the Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, a nonprofit organization. Should the Tree House get all the necessary approvals, the organization would move to a new location. For the project to proceed, the commission had to initiate a Planned Community (PC) zone change, a process that was triggered by Wednesday's public hearing. The proposal will now be further reviewed by the Architectural Review Board before it returns to the Planning and Transportation Commission. The planning board would make a recommendation to the City Council, which can grant final approval.

At last month's council meeting, several area residentscomplained that the 40-foot-high building would be unsightly. Since then, the applicant changed the building's design, creating a tiered two- and three-story structure at the building's front and rear while maintaining four stories at the sides, which are less conspicuous to neighbors. The redesign apparently satisfied some opponents. On Wednesday, there were no major complaints from area residents about the building's size or design.

Commissioner Arthur Keller noted that while public concerns remain, the project's opponents were more subdued this week than they were last month. "I was at the council hearing and I certainly heard more of an earful then than I did now," Keller said.

Though some commissioners expressed concern about the building's large size and uncertainty about parking, none opposed the proposed development. Commission Vice Chair Samir Tuma proposed initiating the needed zone change, a motion the rest of the board endorsed. "I do think the large numbers of affordable housing units do provide us with a major public benefit," Tuma said. "This is something that the people in this community value."