[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6509605,"mediaKeyId","5422808-8a31664a4e16ac95673ab6b8372cb74f","parentId",5422808,"title","Palo Alto ARB reviews Cubberley master plan concepts; staff to refine diagonal-based option and study phasing, parking and circulation","audioSeconds",5970,"startMs",3648000,"endMs",9618000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5422808-8a31664a4e16ac95673ab6b8372cb74f&start=3648&end=9618","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5422808-8a31664a4e16ac95673ab6b8372cb74f/thumbnail_3648000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6509605/Palo-Alto/Santa-Clara-County/California/Palo-Alto-ARB-reviews-Cubberley-master-plan-concepts-staff-to-refine-diagonal-based-option-and-study-phasing-parking-and-circulation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6509605-35e6adf24ceef67728390d4c9ace05dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770968423&Signature=li8jjtDc8USDYopuYlKL8Wq4ZfoPc4YzsA-UErmDapnO9hOuIqyrEcesreYiUIaYWOdg~K35N2lh~QOI-32bFOQ7RehCzgqJZA~pK2vpF~kazDB9WUFWaJdvB-poXF3udyRN5K~InBp9ect38~3jWItOW14F4bWiZvLBhdIpDiQfD90~ehYU8dv6b2PzbttR~kr562HgHjJCKO4ow8LQvdlKBjj8PXAPzCXYo2KeD9eCucuutP93M7URVMv0GbA7lmiwNgiIYHZ20S6rZPtIuwaxPZKu4HEINzPMq5QsGivHYiwIP4tJulRIK3Is81HvzkuDcin-rkC3dOdDWrdknA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Palo Alto City","date","2025-07-17T18:25:31.583Z","article","The Palo Alto Architectural Review Board on July 17 held a study session on conceptual layouts and circulation for the Cubberley master plan at 4000 Middlefield Road, providing detailed feedback that staff and the city's master planning consultant will use to refine a preferred concept for the third community meeting and a December city council presentation.

Why it matters: Cubberley is a 35-acre campus with complex ownership and uses; the master plan seeks to realign programming, parking, pedestrian and bike circulation, and long-term phasing. The site includes city-owned land and parcels leased from the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD), and the city’s current purchases are contingent on a voter bond in November 2026.

What was presented
City staff (Amanda Demmel, assistant director for community services, and Kristen O'Kane, director of community services) and Concordia (lead consultants Steven Bingler and Elizabeth Chen) presented three concepts—diagonal, grid and linear—each with three options showing (1) all-new construction with partially underground parking, (2) partial renovation of larger concrete buildings plus partially underground parking, and (3) all-new construction with above-ground structured parking. The team said all three concepts increase indoor and outdoor space and parking capacity compared with existing conditions.

Key technical points and program notes
- Site size and ownership: the Cubberley campus totals about 35 acres; the city currently owns about 8 acres and leases the remainder (about 27 acres) from PAUSD. An MOU between PAUSD and City Council outlines a possible city purchase of seven additional acres contingent on a successful November 2026 bond measure.
- Parking and circulation: consultants showed a partially submerged parking option along Middlefield plus a back-area at-grade lot with tennis courts proposed on the roof of that lot. The team said the deck/roof approach helps meet field parking demand while keeping some parking closer to active fields. Staff added a proposed \"mobility hub\" for drop-off/pick-up near the rear lot to reduce conflicts at peak times.
- Pedestrian and bicycle priority: Concordia proposed a widened diagonal promenade linking Nelson Drive and Middlefield, with separated pedestrian-only paths and two-way bike lanes flanking an amenity zone; the design team said meeting comments favored separated paths for safety.
- Renovation vs. new construction: the consultants said three larger concrete buildings (the pavilion, theater and Building I) were identified as candidates for renovation in option 2 because they have more substantial structural systems; consultants and staff emphasized that cost and condition surveys will drive final decisions and that renovation can sometimes be more or less expensive than new construction.

Board feedback and public comment
Board members praised the promenade concept and asked detailed questions about phasing, drainage, trash collection, fire and emergency vehicle circulation, parking distribution (short-term vs. long-term), and how to preserve existing active tenants during construction. Board members also encouraged explicit phasing plans showing which uses and buildings would be built or renovated first to avoid disrupting current programs.

Two members of the public spoke. Elizabeth Alexis, a long-time neighbor and volunteer with the Friends of the Palo Alto Library, urged a highly visible, accessible drop-off for frequent donations and described the library group's operational needs. Eli Robles, representing NorCal Carpenters Local 405, urged that the city incorporate labor standards—prevailing wage, apprenticeship and safety—into the project as it advances.

Next steps and staff direction
Staff told the board they will analyze input from this study session and other summer outreach (including the June 12 community meeting with roughly 130 attendees) and return a refined preferred concept at Community Meeting 3 on Sept. 17 and to City Council on Dec. 8 with a proposed master plan, cost estimates and phasing scenarios. Staff also noted the master plan will undergo CEQA review.

Quotes
\"The diagonal promenade is still the main design feature, which celebrates that bike and pedestrian route,\" Elizabeth Chen said when the refined concept was shown.
\"When we say sustainable design, it's not only like gas versus electrics, it's all other aspects related to the same issue, like material selections and water conservations,\" Vice Chair Chen said during the discussion on broader sustainability considerations.

Ending
No vote was taken; the ARB's comments will be incorporated as staff and Concordia refine the preferred concept for further public review and formal council consideration later in 2025 and into 2026.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Architectural Review Board - July 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At a July 17 study session the Architectural Review Board reviewed three conceptual site layouts and circulation plans for the Cubberley master plan at 4000 Middlefield Road and gave detailed feedback on circulation, parking, flexibility, programming and phased implementation. No formal action was taken.","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},6509610,"Palo Alto ARB recommends approval for Cedar & Sage storefront, outdoor dining and canopy revisions at Stanford Shopping Center",2219,1107000,3326000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5422808-8a31664a4e16ac95673ab6b8372cb74f&start=1107&end=3326","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5422808-8a31664a4e16ac95673ab6b8372cb74f/thumbnail_1107000.jpg","/articles/6509610/Palo-Alto/Santa-Clara-County/California/Palo-Alto-ARB-recommends-approval-for-Cedar-Sage-storefront-outdoor-dining-and-canopy-revisions-at-Stanford-Shopping-Center","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6509610-8579e4ace5f9866e6a4a673beee63019/orig.mp4?Expires=1770968423&Signature=i80gDfgF2c1kiwS00xWjC-xodpWdD1zMFgbafiOz1rk6nket5OW-DmusdWLSMP6l1Aa63x6FNL5raEG-rdAZeQwe-1ABjyTR~y1hdmpkYrP9BBDOxODWqCNCYMlnIM86-9oiPjlre2X2dYjvaei3E2O-KQWDYRohCItpX5xyZ90EqJdBRb8uXb526gZwTQRPEwUk3fWFW~XDVXEWEpSgmBcy6-3hDF0iZJsGs9PbSLQaWVCEvmt0c08AqArJAG7a8jJceXPea9gErhmmJpGpFukjPNGgRgaOplg7pgjKh5Tx9LdCEEd2ahZDZSLSr4dIS5Er2LxlJ9TIkvRMg~RX4Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Palo Alto Architectural Review Board members voted 3-0 on July 17 to recommend that the director of planning and development services approve a major architectural review application for Cedar & Sage at 180 El Camino Real at the Stanford Shopping Center.

The vote followed a staff presentation and applicant return visit addressing prior ARB direction on four items: an eight-foot clear exterior walkway, alternatives to gas heating, improved canopy integration with the building, and additional plaster material details. Tamara Harrison, Michael Baker International, told the board that \"the Simon team has agreed to relocate the existing bollards\" so the project will provide an eight-foot clear path and that switching to electric heaters would require installing new electric service \"at the cost of, like, approximately $90,000.\" Staff recommended the board confirm that the revised project meets ARB direction and \"recommend the director approve the project,\" Harrison said.

Why it matters: the item is a quasi-judicial review that controls the look and access at a high-traffic retail and dining node in the Stanford Shopping Center. The board's recommendation, if confirmed by the director of planning and development services, clears the applicant to move toward construction and tenant build-out while imposing the specified conditions of approval and required findings.

Board and applicant presentations
The project, replacing the former Terrain Café in Building DD Suite 1301, returned to ARB after guidance at a May 15 hearing. Applicant Jason Smith (Land Shark Development) said the team had \"addressed all the 4 items\" and was \"chomping at the bit and trying to get going and open before the end of the year.\" Architect Chris Canney (Arcanum Architecture) described a redesign that follows the building's curve, replacing an existing horizontal awning with a fixed canvas canopy to create a more cohesive façade and a continuous covered patio. Canney said the retractable sunshades between the telescoping window and the canopy remain, but the main awnings are now fixed.

On heating, staff explained the electrical service at the building could only support four electric heaters for the patio, which would be insufficient; upgrading service to support electric heating was estimated at about $90,000, so the applicant is proposing gas heaters while continuing to explore alternatives. The applicant also agreed to relocate bollards closer to the curb to create the eight-foot clear pathway the ARB requested.

Safety and materials discussion
Board members pressed the team on the proposed linear fire burner and windscreen. The designers said the burner would be surrounded by a 12-inch glass windscreen and that the glass \"easily be upsized\" (applicant team) to 18 inches or replaced with a custom glass piece if the board required a larger safety buffer. The board asked the applicant to consider increasing the glass height or adding other buffering details during construction reviews. The applicant showed revised plaster samples and indicated they would refine aggregate texture before final approvals.

Public comment and final action
No members of the public spoke on the item. After board discussion and design clarifications, Chair Rosenberg moved to approve, saying he would like to \"make a motion to approve the project proposed to the director of planning and development services based on the findings and attachment B and subject to the conditions of approval and attachment C.\" Vice Chair Chen seconded. The roll call recorded Board Member Hirsch: yes; Vice Chair Chen: yes; Chair Rosenberg: yes. The motion carried 3-0-2 (Board Members Joe Jarth and Adcock absent). The approval was made \"based on the findings\" and is subject to the conditions included in the project attachments.

What the approval requires next
The board's action is a recommendation to the director; staff noted they will update the plan set (including a parking spreadsheet) before final plan approval. The applicant was asked to document final material samples, the final gutter/drain details for the fixed canopy, and any design changes to the fireplace windscreen prior to building permit review.

Quotes
\"The Simon team has agreed to relocate the existing bollards...which thereby will allow for that 8 foot free and clear clearance around the tenant area,\" Tamara Harrison said.
\"We're kind of chomping at the bit and trying to get going and open before the end of the year,\" Jason Smith said.
\"I would like to make a motion to approve the project...based on the findings and attachment B and subject to the conditions of approval and attachment C,\" Chair Rosenberg said.

Ending
Staff will finalize plan-set edits and conditions; the director's approval and any building permits will determine the project's next steps and construction timeline.","The Architectural Review Board voted 3-0 on July 17 to recommend that the director approve exterior storefront revisions, a redesigned outdoor dining area and signage for new tenant Cedar & Sage at 180 El Camino Real, subject to findings and conditions of approval.","actionData","errors"]

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Palo Alto ARB reviews Cubberley master plan concepts; staff to refine diagonal-based option and study phasing, parking and circulation

Palo Alto ARB recommends approval for Cedar & Sage storefront, outdoor dining and canopy revisions at Stanford Shopping Center