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Hearing on 530 Barron Avenue project continued after neighbors protest removal of redwood grove
Summary
A City of Palo Alto director’s-review hearing for a proposed house at 530 Barron Avenue was continued after neighbors and heritage advocates urged preserving a century-old redwood ring; staff said critical financial-feasibility information and arborist/public-works review are still missing.
A City of Palo Alto planning hearing on a proposed new house at 530 Barron Avenue was continued after nearby residents urged the city to preserve a ring of century‑old redwood trunks that they said functions as a grove rather than a single tree.
Hearing officer Jonathan Late, director for planning and development services, explained he would not make a decision that day and would continue the matter so staff and the applicant could provide additional information, including the developer’s project valuation and any financial‑feasibility analysis required by the municipal code. “I will…continue this to a date, uncertain,” Late said, asking staff to work with the applicant and to move the review expeditiously.
Why it matters: The dispute centers on Palo Alto’s protected‑tree standards. Neighbors say the five‑trunk redwood ring provides irreplaceable canopy, habitat and neighborhood character and that a design alternative in the application packet (listed as Section G) could preserve most trunks…
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