Palo Alto commission forwards revised 660 University plan to council with tree, parking and loading conditions

The Palo Alto Planning & Transportation Commission on Oct. 8 recommended that the City Council consider approving the proposed six‑story mixed‑use development at 660 University Avenue, forwarding the draft final EIR, comprehensive plan amendment and a record of land‑use action with conditions intended to protect a prominent coast live oak and limit neighborhood parking spillover.

The commission’s action (5‑1) followed hours of staff and applicant presentations, and public comment from both neighbors describing safety, parking and tree‑health concerns and housing advocates who supported the project’s downtown location and its 20% below‑market‑rate requirement.

Why it matters: The project would add up to 70 residential units (an applicant alternative of 66 units was offered to reduce encroachment on the tree), provide two levels of below‑grade parking with 78 stalls and roughly 1,900 square feet of ground‑floor commercial space. Staff presented a revised final Environmental Impact Report concluding the current design would not cause new or substantially more significant environmental impacts than those analyzed previously. The commission conditioned its recommendation on measures intended to preserve the tree, provide space for possible future city transportation improvements, and require monitoring and…