Politics & Government

Visions of a World-Class R&D Park Inch Forward

Redevelopment along Highway 101 would attract top-tier firms, expand pedestrian and bike paths.

Palo Alto has moved one small step closer to creating a world-class research and development hub along Highway 101.

Citing the need to boost economic development by attracting top-tier commercial and industrial firms, city staff urged Council Monday night to move forward a redevelopment plan for the area around East Meadow Circle, Fabian Way and San Antonio Road.

The Council unanimously agreed to move the plan ahead, pending the results of a study that will analyze the feasibility of proposed retail development near San Antonio.

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The plan, which on February 1 was recommended for council approval by the Planning and Transportation Commission, would allow for new development in four areas, as summarized in a PTC staff report:

1. East Meadow/Fabian/West Bayshore Industrial Area: New development that attracts and retains high end research and development (R&D) uses and is tiered to ensure less development near existing single-family homes and more intensity near West Bayshore and the freeway.

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2. East of San Antonio Subarea: New commercial development that is revenue-generating, complements the new and large development in the vicinity (Mountain View), and provides a lively streetscape that accommodates vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

3. Charleston Road Subarea: rehabilitation and reuse of the Fairchild building and retention of other light industrial uses.

4. New paths and a year-round crossing to the Baylands to improve the pedestrian and bicycle network within the entire study area.

The second area, "East of San Antonio Subarea," provoked the most concern among council members Monday. The plan called for converting the area from industrial to commercial, eventually creating a 26-acre revenue-generating zone that includes retail, hotel and/or auto sales uses.

“The Plan envisions a lively streetscape that will complement the recent larger-scale projects in the vicinity and accommodate continued vehicle traffic as well as increased pedestrian traffic,” according to the report.

“At the moment I am not persuaded that we can really convert this area into a retail area," said Council Member Larry Klein, citing the difficulty of consolidating ownership of parcels there.

"The Four Seasons in East Palo Alto was done through a redevelopment agency, which had the power to consolidate ownership," he said. "We don’t have that here."

Vice Mayor Greg Scharff motioned to amend the proposal by directing staff to conduct a feasibility study of the San Antonio portion of the plan and make another recommendation to city council if they deemed it worthy of moving forward.

Planning Director Curtis Williams said he thought it would take staff 40 to 80 hours to complete the study.

The public was generally supportive of the plans, but a woman representing the League of Women Voters spoke out against reducing housing availability.

"Some housing should be accommodated in this area, especially as part of mixed-use development," said Phyllis Castle. "It is the mixed-use with housing that creates the lively pedestrian environment that the report is seeking."

Before the unanimous vote, Council Member Larry Klein said that his decision to run for council in the first place was motivated in part by his distaste for the influx of housing in the former light industrial zone in South Palo Alto.

"We were in the process of losing the light manufacturing R&D buildings on East Meadow Circle, and I thought that was going to be a loss for our community," he said, cheerful that Palo Alto might see the return of such buildings.

"I think that we’re direction we’re moving makes a lot of sense," he said.

By adding the rest of the plan to the Draft Comprehensive Plan Amendment, the redevelopment plan comes closer to being officially included in the City’s Comprehensive Plan, which would allow developers to begin construction according to the new vision.

The concept plan would effectively stop the spread of residential housing in commercial areas along Highway 101 near East Meadow, and lay the foundation to create a world-class commercial and industrial zone.

Luckily for city staff, public support has been strong for many parts of the plan. Most public input on the East Meadow/Fabian/West Bayshore Industrial Subarea supported preserving the area’s historical business park uses, according to the staff report.

“There has been substantial consensus about the Plan’s vision for this subarea,” according to the staff report. “The Plan responds to the evolution of Silicon Valley’s resilient, innovation-driven economy and Palo Alto’s premier location for innovative firms.”

The Charleston Road Subarea would retain its light industrial designation and protect the historic Fairchild building while making no changes to adjacent parcels.

Finally, the plan calls for expanding pedestrian and bike access across Highway 101 by adding a bridge across the freeway in addition to a number of feeder paths, as per the city’s Bicycle Plan, the final version of which will come to City Council this spring.

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