Palo Alto ARB delays ad hoc townhome objective-standards report to March 6

The Palo Alto Architectural Review Board voted to continue an ad hoc committee report on objective design standards for townhomes to a date certain of March 6, 2025.

The motion to continue was made during the board’s Feb. 20 meeting by Chair Rosenberg and carried unanimously, 4-0. Board Member Balte, Board Member Hirsch, Vice Chair Chen and Chair Rosenberg voted yes.

Board members and staff described the history of the effort and said more time is needed to finalize recommended revisions. The objective design standards, adopted in 2022, were sent to an ad hoc committee composed of Board Member Hirsch and Vice Chair Chen to review outstanding items and prepare final language for presentation to planning staff and inclusion in the application packet.

Steven (staff) told the board the item has come before the ARB multiple times—citing prior hearings in November and December 2022 and April 2023—and that the ad hoc needs additional time “to kind of wrap this up and be fully presented back to the board.” Board Member Hirsch said she is filling out the report and asked planning staff to allow additional time so EMC’s revisions can be incorporated before submission to planning.

The board debated whether to take public comment on the continued item; staff noted the item was agendized but no public speakers were present. With no public comments and a second to the motion, the board approved the continuance.

Staff and the ad hoc are to return the updated report on March 6, 2025. The board did not adopt any portion of the ad hoc’s draft at this meeting and offered no additional policy direction beyond scheduling the continuation.