February 10 City Council Agenda Items #3 and #9

 

Dear Mayor Fine and Council Members:

 

With regard to item #9 on Monday, February 10’s Council agenda, PAN’s members voted to urge the city to correct the penalty schedule to the intended amount, beginning at $2,157 per day. Correcting and collecting fees when developers renege is the City’s best way to make sure that developers provide the public benefits promised to the community in exchange for relaxing the building standards under PC zoning.

 

With regard to item #3, the property owners are suing the city to avoid paying the fines which they owe the city by law? The tail is wagging the dog. PAN urges Council to send the owners the clearest signal possible that the city intends to collect lost penalties of approximately $250,000. First, we’ll show the owners we mean business so they better provide the promised market and in a hurry, and second these funds will come in handy and could be used to the public’s advantage.

 

We all remember the debacle of Edgewood Plaza, and here we have a similar situation with College Terrace.

 

However, if the City were to course correct and demonstrate its willingness to enforce the law, insist on the community benefit and collect fines, then the residents of this City would have much more confidence in our planning and zoning processes.

 

Thank you for your kind consideration.

 

Becky Sanders
Sheri Furman
Co-Chairs, Palo Alto Neighborhoods