Palo Alto ARB approves redesign of 975 Page Mill with conditions on setback encroachments

The Palo Alto Architectural Review Board on July 3 approved a major architectural review and related permits for a renovation at 975 Page Mill Road in the Stanford Research Park, voting 5-0 to accept the project with conditions limiting permanent encroachments into the 50-foot special setback along Page Mill Road and Hanson Way.

City planner Christina Dobkaviches told the board the applicant seeks approval to remodel an existing 50,527-square-foot office building, replace much of the façade with large-format white terracotta panels and zinc-accent elements, enlarge windows, add a new double-height entry curtain wall and convert 3,769 square feet of ground-floor office to an eating-and-drinking (café) use via a conditional use permit. The applicant also requested a design enhancement exception to allow thin sunshades and vertical shadow boxes to project about one foot into the required 50-foot special setback on the Page Mill and Hanson Way frontages.

Why it matters: The project is intended to increase ground-floor activity in a low-activity corner of the research park and to attract small companies and startup programs supported by Stanford Research Park. The board’s decision balances that goal against long-standing City policy reserving a 50-foot setback for possible future roadway or public-realm improvements.

What the board approved and limited - Approved: overall architectural changes, new terracotta rain-screen cladding, zinc accents, enlarged windows, a skylight and rooftop modifications to…