[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6634170,"mediaKeyId","3393654-87350c10f052d39dd1cb93e5a2129073","parentId",3393654,"title","Palo Alto confirms new utilities director; council and staff welcome leadership","audioSeconds",98,"startMs",18577000,"endMs",18675000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3393654-87350c10f052d39dd1cb93e5a2129073&start=18577&end=18675","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3393654-87350c10f052d39dd1cb93e5a2129073/thumbnail_18577000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6634170/Palo-Alto/Santa-Clara-County/California/Palo-Alto-confirms-new-utilities-director-council-and-staff-welcome-leadership","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6634170-b0179dff8de694183a23dda102f6d2a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1776655572&Signature=JfQULXBjpHC44B48qTxEOVm8McMTV9pUbtf6fAQ0UPmO6vkscQfh9yJwdjze3bOXxC0RrD5vmrWySzdseH0EZ~Am4DCIl5x~7MqMKbEIvDbCTsONQ-BvmDHy2IuAT10FK7O~Ck5utp~Y9xDvGTJ4RaerehbmjIFvUoBJzQcAaERRxthkizUOEVSJJ2EYPgms4O4W8pAj~~4814NDz7mWWkFcOQGoULxcHD-DQx8UyksSEUh4TDaWfWtMtzdzX42IKFb95pmQ8cMyA4BpbfNPzWbJJ7Vs02GAQi8UOSrfTlzExzq2r19naYluLfT2YOB4xc2O4axJy7lWXCcNEdaVEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Palo Alto City","date","2025-05-19T00:00:00Z","article","The Palo Alto City Council approved, on consent, the appointment of a new utilities director at its May 19 special meeting.

City Manager David Shikada (title from transcript) introduced the item and asked the new director to address the council. The appointee, addressed in the meeting as Mr. Kuratore, thanked the mayor and council and said he was “grateful and honored” to take the position. He said his priorities would include reliability and resiliency, emergency preparedness and advancing the city’s grid‑modernization and master‑planning efforts.

Council members welcomed the appointment. Vice Mayor Vinker and other council members noted Mr. Kuratore’s prior regional experience and said they looked forward to working with him on utilities, climate and infrastructure initiatives. The appointment was approved as part of the consent calendar and recorded as unanimous.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting - May 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The council approved a consent item appointing the city’s new utilities director. The new director emphasized reliability, emergency preparedness and grid modernization in brief remarks.","taxTitle","Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California","taxId",3867,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6634174,"Palo Alto restores architectural‑review step for larger small‑cell proposals and directs gap studies on setbacks",7517,18929000,26446000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3393654-87350c10f052d39dd1cb93e5a2129073&start=18929&end=26446","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3393654-87350c10f052d39dd1cb93e5a2129073/thumbnail_18929000.jpg","/articles/6634174/Palo-Alto/Santa-Clara-County/California/Palo-Alto-restores-architecturalreview-step-for-larger-smallcell-proposals-and-directs-gap-studies-on-setbacks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6634174-c5d5352e2b4ec068ccc58729f5d02ba1/orig.mp4?Expires=1776655572&Signature=jYCdGidj6cgkMboIjbQCctNvJxSr1PVeegxzT-wZ4kDGIIxChO2VIkMERqwE8FpXbDvOMIEgR9BiVa9POfs2wXP2wftv4QDseRVJvhn3B~sQ3q5jnPqwkm92sCpdgz3Hql0~VyyHrIUOoQ7bYSbc-4WpwDYec8eNQqzWXv7-lSKa6sM1iRBky089DcKtjRzOvfviK7Ae6MVSDR~wdMmr~O-RN9hOpB~VJ-n~HWNxkZUnznfeo2r4gUFUYK5URewU~0mhpayaFCZ1k1IsLYJFxvFAMZyPGhfLJM1TZdtztJTSylDXJ6cz1wZBGT7ZXRtQxOaEdNaCLz~Ikghh-~7Kew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Palo Alto City Council voted unanimously on May 19 to adopt a temporary ordinance restoring discretionary architectural review for mid‑sized wireless communications facilities in the public right‑of‑way and removing the city’s objective design standards for some tier 2 installations, a step council members said is intended to bring more public transparency and design scrutiny to how small‑cell equipment is sited.

Jonathan Lake, the city’s director of planning and development services, told the council the ordinance would “remove the objective standards for tier 2, remove the objective standards for wireless communication facilities in the public right of way, and restore the architectural review board process for tier 2 and tier 3 applications in the right of way.” He cautioned staff about meeting federal shot‑clock timelines and the potential for increased workload if many tier 2/3 applications arrive at once.

The ordinance was the focal point of extended public comment, with dozens of residents, design professionals and labor and industry representatives speaking to the council. Speakers favoring the change urged restoration of ARB review and more public hearings; United Neighbors and other community groups emphasized visual impacts and asked the city to prioritize locating antennas further from homes. Jeanne Fleming, representing United Neighbors, told council members: “Please require applicants to locate their cell towers as far as possible from homes, preferably 100 feet,” and also asked the council to require independent technical review when carriers assert technical infeasibility.

Industry representatives urged the council to retain objective standards and cautioned about delay and uncertainty. Paul Albritton, outside counsel for Verizon, said objective standards give cities flexibility and predictable review and noted the planning director already has discretion to refer applications to ARB. AT&T’s representative told council members that subjective standards had generated multiple rounds of design changes and uncertainty in earlier ARB proceedings.

After debate the council approved a motion that: (1) adopted the temporary ordinance restoring ARB review for tier 2 and tier 3 right‑of‑way installations and repealed the objective standards in the municipal resolution; (2) directed the Architecture Review Board to review existing objective and prior subjective standards and return recommendations; and (3) asked staff to seek a consultant to study feasible setback distances from residences and other sensitive uses and to return recommendations “to the extent permissible by law.” Mayor Ed Lauing, co‑author of the colleagues memo that prompted the council item, said: “It’s clearly time to review and update the standards being used for cell towers.”

Council members and legal staff noted that federal law and FCC shot‑clock rules constrain local decision‑making on radiofrequency exposure and timetables for review; staff and outside attorneys also advised the council on practical processes to avoid running afoul of federal statutory limits. The temporary ordinance will be effective for two years while staff, ARB and the Planning & Transportation Commission consider a permanent replacement. The council recorded a unanimous roll‑call vote in favor of the ordinance.","After months of debate and dozens of public comments, the City Council approved a temporary ordinance to remove objective standards for certain right‑of‑way wireless facilities, restore Architectural Review Board (ARB) review for tier 2 and tier 3 applications, and directed ARB and staff to revise standards and study feasible setback distances.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6634179,"Palo Alto council hears prescreenings for two San Antonio Road housing projects; no formal decisions",6058,1054000,7112000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3393654-87350c10f052d39dd1cb93e5a2129073&start=1054&end=7112","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3393654-87350c10f052d39dd1cb93e5a2129073/thumbnail_1054000.jpg","/articles/6634179/Palo-Alto/Santa-Clara-County/California/Palo-Alto-council-hears-prescreenings-for-two-San-Antonio-Road-housing-projects-no-formal-decisions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6634179-ee6e589d76e17331f803c2c33ac5edc6/orig.mp4?Expires=1776655572&Signature=I5rsCzDUe1NT92bk2qvdi9ipLkOO6cw7YGl9wsY1AUtofbryw955Z9KMiON1Dzshdf8VTzpmgiUyUHo0LwISIJmNBYcT-h6Qmrv4j-udXXn6KwiXmLvp5tM5KOmDv6m2SO0CEDxbBu5cbHFwe3J7fTz13L5u7B439AdXHgNzbG41d7dx8yyhWVD3msSIb0hyyhFwPiUAU9r3GOb1ib7nFXkJniisZKFSuf02rDTmSF7prD6COiXJZGEldyzPwh3lM~CKrNY~9fUzcq-9e5~TMYXMDZBivnE6cwd3slkWb2PXNGEbGwbWyjO~6di-a1sau7xEIFQpJSmbWNPrxnEbrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City of Palo Alto planners and two developers presented prescreenings on May 19 for projects at 788 and 800 San Antonio Road that would rezone parcels to allow denser housing, and council members used the session to give early feedback but made no formal decisions.

The presentations opened with Jonathan Lake, director of planning and development services, and senior planner Emily Callas describing the process and key differences between the current entitlements and the proposed projects. Callas said the prescreening “is required for proposed legislative changes, including rezonings” and emphasized that “no formal decision is being made tonight.” The larger of the two proposals would seek Planned Home Zoning (PHZ) and replace an earlier entitlement that allowed ownership condominiums.

The first applicant, represented by Megan Watson of Grubb Properties, described an eight‑story rental project with above‑grade parking and a reduced parking ratio compared with the prior entitlement. “We are a national multifamily developer owner operator,” Watson said. “We intentionally are not a luxury developer. We are specifically focused on trying to provide housing for the missing middle.” She told council that rising construction costs, higher interest rates and park impact fees had affected feasibility and driven the design changes.

Speakers from labor and community groups urged conditions or changes. Jaime Vasquez, a field representative for Carpenters Local 405, asked council to “prioritize labor standards” and support apprenticeships and local hiring on large developments. Public commenters from the neighborhood and housing advocates described the projects as critical to the city’s housing pipeline but pressed for more family‑sized units, retail, and transportation‑oriented design.

Council members pressed the applicants and staff on several recurring themes: building height and stepbacks, parking ratios and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) commitments, below‑grade versus podium parking costs, the distribution and form of Below‑Market‑Rate (BMR) units under PHZ rules, loading and service vehicle staging, and the relationship of the projects to the forthcoming San Antonio Coordinated Area Plan. Council Member Stone asked for clarity on how increased unit counts would be handled for RHNA when permits are issued; Callas said new units would count “upon the building permit being issued.” Several members, including Council Member Lue and Council Member Liu, urged stepbacks or varied massing so taller facades do not create canyon effects on San Antonio Road.

Staff repeatedly reminded council that PHZ requires a 20% inclusionary housing commitment but noted multiple distribution options for income bands and potential off‑site mitigation options. Callas said: “There is a requirement for 20% inclusionary as a part of the PHZ. The applicant would have to meet that standard.” Applicants indicated a willingness to comply with PHZ requirements but said pro forma and financing conditions could affect unit mix and whether the project would be rental or ownership.

Council members also encouraged applicants to continue coordinating with staff on traffic, right‑of‑way improvements and the San Antonio plan so that future multimodal facilities and neighborhood commercial services are preserved. Several members urged the developers to discuss labor standards with unions and to provide stronger, concrete TDM commitments if parking is reduced.

The prescreenings were informational; no land‑use approvals or binding commitments were made. Staff told council any formal applications returning under PHZ would go through the standard review process, at which point formal public hearings and required environmental and design reviews would occur.","City staff and two developers presented preliminary plans to rezone parcels on San Antonio Road for midrise housing. Council offered feedback on height, parking, affordable units and labor standards; no votes were taken at the prescreening.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Palo Alto confirms new utilities director; council and staff welcome leadership

Palo Alto restores architectural‑review step for larger small‑cell proposals and directs gap studies on setbacks

Palo Alto council hears prescreenings for two San Antonio Road housing projects; no formal decisions