[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-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",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_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",6468688,"mediaKeyId","5781895-093bf1d34aad3c5dab21982402054760","parentId",5781895,"title","Palo Alto agrees to buy 50 MW share of NCPA 'Trolley Pass' battery project, council cites capacity and climate benefits","audioSeconds",2143,"startMs",13934000,"endMs",16077000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5781895-093bf1d34aad3c5dab21982402054760&start=13934&end=16077","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5781895-093bf1d34aad3c5dab21982402054760/thumbnail_13934000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6468688/Palo-Alto/Santa-Clara-County/California/Palo-Alto-agrees-to-buy-50-MW-share-of-NCPA-Trolley-Pass-battery-project-council-cites-capacity-and-climate-benefits","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468688-ac2639895b7da5dc5fd984946fc8268d/orig.mp4?Expires=1776629435&Signature=ZbNvxcglxhN9mIp2dHOH-wttfntG~AzoDR39dPDKS61rIjkRd1t0cyeCg5yRCbYzFnI6CMnIOiP62Ey8p49aMxgZzSFPe5i3x~9FBLB0nTPiyT6blyfq5wmlw1ceToNu0WSmSewAnzpXPlPfzRi8fn8RDysLiDqZ7bG-EFsIPkaw5ds3vne5Pehpc48QOdTTi9phLJqKhYBISC8c6SGVHo8KGKUofxOltfv8GbroYw7ZKJY1Px-6vw6iOnk-nVak40qnkHxu1U-AOc7~-mhjCyTElagNaZL0Cq2P4tM-9WorWxHD91ZvoCuR~FQHbWFGCRAlcBg0wn1kJrz4SfpZWw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Palo Alto","date","2025-09-17T00:31:53.65Z","article","Palo Alto’s City Council unanimously approved participation in a 50‑megawatt share of the Northern California Power Agency’s 400‑megawatt Trolley Pass battery storage project on Sept. 15, adopting staff recommendations to enter a 20‑year agreement that starts in 2029.

Director of Utilities Alan Kuretori and senior resource planner Dr. Jim Stack described the Trolley Pass project as a battery‑only resource sited in Southern California. Staff recommended a 50 MW share — part of a 400 MW facility being subscribed by multiple NCPA members — to replace potential future capacity shortfalls and to capture market value from daily energy price differentials. The proposed contract price is $12.71 per kilowatt‑month (about $7.6 million per year for Palo Alto’s share) subject to a narrowly defined industry cost‑adjustment mechanism developers are invoking in the current market.

Stack said the project’s revenue streams include energy arbitrage — charging batteries during lower‑priced midday hours and discharging into higher‑priced evening hours — and resource‑adequacy (RA) capacity credits. He told the council that in Southern California, heavy midday solar generation can push wholesale prices negative, making midday charging particularly valuable. NCPA staff and consultants modeled the contract and projected a net positive value to Palo Alto of approximately $4.5–$8.0 million annually under current assumptions; staff noted that those results remain favorable even if a developer invokes a contract price adjustment of up to 6 percent tied to tariffs or tax‑policy changes.

Kuretori and Stack described procurement challenges in California’s market — long grid interconnection timelines and recent tariff and tax‑incentive uncertainty — which have complicated negotiations on other solar+storage offers; they said Trolley Pass was attractive in price and structure compared with other offers they reviewed. The Utilities Advisory Commission and the Utilities Oversight Coordinating Committee both recommended approval; NCPA’s governing commission had approved the project in June.

Council members asked about risk: whether prices could fall in future years, the contract’s obligations and whether being short on RA would create penalties if the city lost expected hydro capacity in a later compliance year. Staff said the city is obligated to pay the contract capacity charge once the contract is executed and that the project will be operated to optimize energy and capacity value; staff also acknowledged uncertainty but said the offer remained attractive against market alternatives.

The council voted unanimously to approve the contract and related authorizations for the city manager to execute the agreement and any ancillary documents through NCPA. The recorded vote was unanimous; the motion carried.

Ending: Council described the purchase as a prudent step to strengthen capacity and to support Palo Alto’s carbon goals by improving the city’s ability to store and dispatch renewable energy when the grid needs it.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting - September 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Palo Alto will take a 50‑megawatt share of the 400‑megawatt Trolley Pass battery storage project through the Northern California Power Agency after the City Council approved the 20‑year agreement unanimously on Sept. 15.","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},6468708,"Palo Alto council hears prescreening for 414 California Avenue rezoning; no binding action taken",1303,3411000,4714000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5781895-093bf1d34aad3c5dab21982402054760&start=3411&end=4714","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5781895-093bf1d34aad3c5dab21982402054760/thumbnail_3411000.jpg","/articles/6468708/Palo-Alto/Santa-Clara-County/California/Palo-Alto-council-hears-prescreening-for-414-California-Avenue-rezoning-no-binding-action-taken","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468708-1bdec5ee875dff55992f847c132a685a/orig.mp4?Expires=1776629435&Signature=hqSy~fSq3abz5JCO~CVOz2DFpiv6wSTpB4oacPOX5zdJZ~QX1hTE7jHTtqjejYcKOv0qq3FXG--~b567jbnH-sYAJE1sfxt~n56w1lyXLoCu1mWS93irD22M5kPSKBUCd~eVJl0mbbca47RwoNvv3HrvQiCmuyWX1ui6tupo69xrqxWoLw~Y3k4nuqUQIEu0a5r0W3i29K-mF44CwE4RI2f2H0majtrZqHs9FIFBo-aJ0TaI2PfV~0lgvTYxDvYiDgkIV6bcpIxvLmJaLqiJpcfz4NLCyS5BrSHNOL08G24i81Q8NSdRICLE0t278s8U3kOqIhkKcPNnhNxK-E2ksQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Council members on Sept. 15 reviewed a prescreening request to rezone 414 California Avenue from community commercial to Planned Home Zoning to allow a six‑story building with ground‑floor retail and 37 housing units. The prescreening is an early, nonbinding step; council members gave informal feedback but took no formal vote.

The proposal would redevelop the former Bank of the West site near the California Avenue Caltrain station into a mixed‑use project with 14 rental units, 23 condominiums, about 16,000 square feet of retail/restaurant space and below‑grade parking. Senior planner Emily Callas told the council the conceptual design would exceed several development limits under the city's Housing Incentive Program: proposed height of 83 feet where 60 feet is the program maximum, a proposed floor‑area ratio of 3.57:1 where 2.6:1 would be allowed, and reduced or zero setbacks on Mimosa Lane where five feet is required.

Staff also said the project proposes 88 parking spaces (including credits tied to the California Avenue parking district) when 161 would be required under the housing incentive program and that a Transportation Demand Management plan would be required. Callas said the project’s usable open space calculation would not meet the base 150 square feet per unit standard because several balconies are too shallow to qualify under the city's definition.

Architect Zoltan Polly described the design as a \"truly urban project\" intended to animate the street with restaurants and retail and a mix of unit sizes. Polly said the team envisions a rooftop garden and building features inspired by local indigenous geometry and energy‑saving shutters: \"Our goal is that this building can perhaps approach net zero, but certainly gold and platinum on an energy usage standpoint.\" He asked council for feedback and said the applicant would refine the design.

Public commenters were divided. Business representatives including Tatiana, speaking for Country Sun, raised concerns about deliveries and the effect of closing or altering Mimosa Lane on their operations and asked for clarity about any proposed use of the right‑of‑way. Residents and nearby business owners voiced worries about the building’s scale, possible loss of alley access for trash and delivery staging, the mural on the Country Sun wall, and architecture that some called out of context with the street. Other speakers said the site is appropriate for housing because of its proximity to transit and retail and urged council to move forward to address housing needs.

Council members praised the site’s potential for housing near transit while repeatedly pressing staff and the applicant to resolve service, safety and right‑of‑way concerns. Council Member Rekdal called out the building’s scale relative to adjacent one‑story structures and urged protections for Mimosa Lane access and fire access. Multiple council members asked that the below‑market‑rate (BMR) units meet the 20 percent council target and said shared rooftop open space should be accessible to all residents rather than private decks for single units.

Callas and other staff said the prescreening does not require environmental review and does not bind the city; a formal development application would trigger a full review under the California Environmental Quality Act and more detailed analysis of refuse staging, refuse room sizing, loading access, and transportation impacts. Council members requested additional information on refuse handling, fire access, the transportation impacts on adjacent alleys and the BMR distribution across building floors.

The council provided extensive informal feedback to staff and the applicant and did not take a final vote. The project may return as a formal PHZ application with the issues flagged by staff and council addressed.

Ending: The prescreening gave the applicant an early sense of council priorities, including transit‑oriented housing, BMR distribution, and protecting small local businesses and alley access; staff said the city will evaluate a formal application under CEQA and city codes before any approvals.

","City Council members on Sept. 15 reviewed a prescreening request to rezone 414 California Avenue from community commercial to Planned Home Zoning to allow a six‑story building with ground‑floor retail and 37 housing units.",{"_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},6468693,"Council upholds planning director’s interpretation on nonconforming residential changes and directs staff to prepare a de minimis code amendment",4577,9270000,13847000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5781895-093bf1d34aad3c5dab21982402054760&start=9270&end=13847","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5781895-093bf1d34aad3c5dab21982402054760/thumbnail_9270000.jpg","/articles/6468693/Palo-Alto/Santa-Clara-County/California/Council-upholds-planning-directors-interpretation-on-nonconforming-residential-changes-and-directs-staff-to-prepare-a-de-minimis-code-amendment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468693-7d089344b564f084d18e6e7893f597f7/orig.mp4?Expires=1776629435&Signature=X9GUxG1XE67~yVlm3V34VXOXl185NDkDX5k6odf-A4qLna5sOg3718nj88rWomKlu9VWnYRaGk3cnkM03~9H3jtXrPUzawI09~FdnYy7-vGwAYtlmE07Pcf-NCC1sxdUKoKbXmESiM6UGXJ3CiZd-khQOb68brx0etGTxI3O0TyFVeUziluoQEK6EIO4zzAge-HSrk7QdTZkKgxTYeqvd4d3lO4FuntGI-10OzA7r3iCTl8yONZ6mRs2ps-UixZ5hLlg6CMrJEsZAbKtvUsKoaa~0700Be3uU-73S8cVnMMVfuMXlSOE3w0lvHeBC5nU0W7BMxAemB-yDcepUOCwlQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Palo Alto’s City Council on Sept. 15 sustained the Planning Director’s formal interpretation governing how the city treats floor area on nonconforming residential properties, then directed staff to prepare a narrowly tailored amendment to the zoning code (a \"de minimis\" change) for council consideration within six months.

The appeal was filed by homeowners seeking to remove an unsafe permitted loft and convert the living space to a single‑story plan that reduces total floor area by 11 square feet while enclosing some previously permitted exterior covered areas. The homeowners argued their plan should be processed under the enlargement provision (section referenced in the transcript as \"18‑70‑80\"), which they said allows improvements that do not increase the degree of noncompliance. Planning staff and the director concluded the project was instead governed by a different section (transcript reference \"section 18‑7‑100\") and the director issued a formal interpretation that staff said did not permit the proposed reallocation of floor area.

The petitioner, Joseph Peterson, testified that staff had processed similar requests before 2016 and that the abrupt change in administrative interpretation had left homeowners in limbo. He asked council to either reverse the director's interpretation for his project or direct staff to prepare an ordinance on an expedited schedule (he suggested 90 days); he said the remodel is intended to make the house safer and allow the owners to age in place.

Council deliberations explored the textual differences between the two municipal code provisions, how the city has applied them historically, and the practical effect of either ruling. Some council members said the director’s reading better matched the plain language of the code and cited concerns about setting a precedent that could allow net increases in building size through relocation of floor area; others emphasized the homeowners’ hardship and the long‑standing administrative practice petitioners cited.

After a motion failed, the council adopted a substitute motion to uphold the Planning Director’s interpretation while directing staff to prepare the de minimis zoning amendment and return to council within six months. The final recorded vote on the substitute motion was 6 in favor, 0 opposed and 1 abstention (Council member Liu). The council’s direction allows staff time to craft regulatory language that could allow limited residential adjustments without creating broader precedents, and it preserved the director’s current interpretation in the interim.

Ending: The homeowners' permit remains unresolved administratively while the de minimis code amendment is drafted; council asked staff to prioritize a narrowly scoped ordinance for residential nonconforming situations and return to the council within six months for formal consideration.

","The Palo Alto City Council on Sept. 15 upheld the Planning Director’s formal interpretation on how the municipal code treats floor area in nonconforming residential buildings and directed staff to draft a de minimis zoning amendment addressing narrow residential cases within six months.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6468698,"Residents, bird advocates urge Palo Alto to move quickly on a dark‑sky ordinance and bird‑friendly building rules",873,1539000,2412000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5781895-093bf1d34aad3c5dab21982402054760&start=1539&end=2412","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5781895-093bf1d34aad3c5dab21982402054760/thumbnail_1539000.jpg","/articles/6468698/Palo-Alto/Santa-Clara-County/California/Residents-bird-advocates-urge-Palo-Alto-to-move-quickly-on-a-darksky-ordinance-and-birdfriendly-building-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468698-365f0ca2d78336e54073850293b314fb/orig.mp4?Expires=1776629435&Signature=Ye0AIBouN8hOiZEAwiWocAkPLAoSg6v6llE62VaaankTkTSkeaX7x8UEF5p68Z6kJE1YAQnjXN26ntAKq9dICbqopmdqWz5ylNDMq5TNeuxGdzOiz6IzjcPb1gwkXxcd-YIvjUcW2TYqFcGM0DFB7cPv7ie0vrbeFN9Hno-reAc5TXu77ceC0MY1ZeeJatnqBq0Yt99iZX6wgt0LPn3Uml~AsZHKnv9AFpvJ2kfO66G8UPkQvN8lckkZOhyf5mQvQSF-o~Wt4SDm5yhONw6dmpWxPrEY2vJ6sL7qlE20Gtvg4TekHsHwq4cquLuNDDBvK6VfnAmy-YxSZ4Mh54l0pQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Multiple residents and environmental advocates urged the Palo Alto City Council on Sept. 15 to accelerate adoption of a dark‑sky ordinance and companion bird‑friendly building standards that they say would reduce light pollution, improve public health and lower bird collisions.

\"Darkness is medicine,\" said Ronnie Fisher, chair of the Environmental Action Committee for the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance, citing research linking artificial light at night to sleep disruption and long‑term health outcomes. Fisher urged staff to return to council with a first draft of a dark‑sky ordinance.

Speakers from local advocacy groups and schools emphasized ecological and educational effects. Diane McCoy, a volunteer naturalist, noted fall bird migration and cited estimates for bird mortality from building collisions; Junya Wang, a bilingual birding leader, and Junyaan Wang and others said Palo Alto is on the Pacific Flyway and that reduced lighting would help migrating shorebirds and other species. Sierra Club representative Dachshal Leeds (Loma Prieta chapter) said the ordinance has undergone Architectural Review Board and Planning and Transportation Commission review and urged the council to bring the ordinance forward for first reading.

High‑school students and youth climate advocates linked dark‑sky action to education and equity: Avro Shah of the Palo Alto Student Climate Coalition described seeing the Milky Way for the first time and called the experience \"humanizing\" and something all local children should be able to see. Timothy Lee and other student speakers said excessive nighttime lighting disrupts bird migration and diminishes local STEM learning opportunities tied to astronomy and ecology.

Speakers recommended specific technical fixes: fully shielded fixtures to direct light downward, timers or motion sensors to limit operating hours, warmer light temperatures (about 2,700 Kelvin), and clearer ordinance language so rules are comprehensive. Several speakers urged immediate staff direction for a first draft and quicker scheduling for a council first reading.

Ending: Council members heard repeated public calls to expedite a dark‑sky ordinance and to adopt bird‑friendly building measures; staff said previous review by advisory bodies has occurred and that the ordinance will return to the council for further action.

","More than a dozen public speakers urged the council to expedite a dark‑sky ordinance and stronger bird‑friendly building standards. Speakers cited health studies, bird mortality from collisions, educational and equity arguments and called for shields, timers, warmer lighting tones and clearer ordinance language for a first reading.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6468703,"Resident group tells council Linton Gardens emergency pull‑cords are unmonitored and life‑threatening",664,829000,1493000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5781895-093bf1d34aad3c5dab21982402054760&start=829&end=1493","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5781895-093bf1d34aad3c5dab21982402054760/thumbnail_829000.jpg","/articles/6468703/Palo-Alto/Santa-Clara-County/California/Resident-group-tells-council-Linton-Gardens-emergency-pullcords-are-unmonitored-and-lifethreatening","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468703-5e9f9038fc73d7301d14b7f63f614cba/orig.mp4?Expires=1776629435&Signature=fKoAJk3ZIpKZ5Fnc57DcjQAvIytTElxT0VjtGB8k0mLjK7SJ0PCHBuD9Vgh8Elp4Pc6WPgLRLGgl~S36AUuJEPqgTWiO1HaPv8NkzpQd-fVIO8WkOcHkeav0Sgzwe~jJ-eXpbrVBusluRwcZlVeNNwRtuKwV5lZmLtAiYXjKq9yfRl5MdhLVuOParrZhprHRu3wxvR5Nf8y~SSPeh51vyeWCYYiqHiO8FTw8Wa582jziK6VQSn5JsyKoJmCDUpiOUWD69L9Q1tMiFiggsDsQfpqUE2MZtuR9509bTYl7HPd-ekbUOe-aLHC2DUNQP6DAoqYVoeQfvjcXpKo7TPXd2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Linton Gardens resident and five accompanying residents told the Palo Alto City Council on Sept. 15 that the assisted‑living pull‑cord alarm system at their property is not being monitored or responded to and that the failure creates a life‑threatening hazard for hundreds of older or vulnerable residents.

\"I'm Peter Marling, and I live at Linton Gardens,\" he said during public comment, and he described conducting 16 tests over months where he said the alarm call system registered a red light but \"there was no monitoring and absolutely no responding.\" He told the council he documented the tests with photographs and said the management company and property owners had asked residents to sign a release of liability \"so that the owners and the property management company will be relieved of the burden of liability if we pull the alarm cord in our bathrooms and no one responds.\"

Marling said he and the residents he brought with him are among \"over 400 elderly and vulnerable people who live at Linton Gardens.\" He said the issue was categorized as an \"LT\" (life‑threatening) deficiency during a HUD inspection earlier in the year and that HUD requires a 24‑hour correction timeframe for such a designation. \"If they don't correct it within 24 hours, they fail the inspection,\" he told the council, and he urged the city to intervene to ensure 24‑7 monitoring and response.

Marling said he had pursued complaints with the Palo Alto Police Department and the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office but that those offices had closed his case. He characterized the release‑of‑liability request as tantamount to elder financial fraud because it would relieve the management and owners from responsibility while residents remain at risk.

Council members did not take formal action during public comment. Staff did not provide an immediate operational response during the meeting; Marling's remarks remained in the public comment record. The issue involves HUD inspection findings, property management practices, and resident safety; any enforcement or city intervention would be governed by housing and public‑safety authorities and potentially HUD rules.

Ending: Marling asked the council to \"follow the money\" and press for enforcement to restore a functioning monitored emergency call system and to protect the safety of more than 400 residents at Linton Gardens.

","A resident of Linton Gardens described repeated tests showing the facility’s resident call/ pull‑cord alarm system was not monitored and urged the council to act after a HUD inspection flagged life‑threatening deficiencies; he said residents were asked to sign releases of liability and that police and the county DA declined further action.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Palo Alto agrees to buy 50 MW share of NCPA 'Trolley Pass' battery project, council cites capacity and climate benefits

Palo Alto council hears prescreening for 414 California Avenue rezoning; no binding action taken

Council upholds planning director’s interpretation on nonconforming residential changes and directs staff to prepare a de minimis code amendment

Residents, bird advocates urge Palo Alto to move quickly on a dark‑sky ordinance and bird‑friendly building rules

Resident group tells council Linton Gardens emergency pull‑cords are unmonitored and life‑threatening