Palo Alto planners weigh big change on San Antonio Road: up to 7,400 new homes, parks and worries about traffic

City planning staff presented a draft San Antonio Road area plan on March 25, kicking off a months‑long debate over building heights, transportation and how much office space the corridor should keep.

Principal Planner Robert Kaine told the Planning & Transportation Commission the study area covers roughly 275 acres from Alma to the Bay, including the San Antonio Caltrain station and four subareas staff identified as the likeliest places for change. Staff laid out three height/density scenarios — roughly 60 feet, 90 feet and a high‑rise option — that would create a planwide theoretical capacity ranging from about 3,800 units on the low end to roughly 7,400 on the high end, though Kaine emphasized that not all capacity would be built quickly.

Why it matters: The plan aims to add housing near transit while improving mobility, parks and economic vitality, but residents and commissioners warned the scale of change will require large investments in traffic mitigation, parkland and community services. ‘‘This plan could represent a 25% increase in citywide dwelling units,” said resident Penny Elson during public comment, arguing the scale ‘‘requires massive investment in infrastructure and community facilities’’ and urging a defined EIR traffic scope that includes cumulative regional projects.

What staff proposed: The presentation proposed a policy framework and implementation tools rather than a single zoning map. Staff asked commissioners whether to: keep a 60‑foot limit common in the corridor; allow an economically feasible 90‑foot mid‑rise (about eight stories); or include taller, steel‑frame high‑rises in limited locations. Staff also presented options for parks (one consolidated neighborhood park versus dispersed smaller parks), ground‑floor retail strategy and mobility alternatives ranging from on‑street bike lanes to fully separated, sidewalk‑level bikeways that would require curb reconstruction.

Commissioners’ concerns: A major theme in the discussion was whether to allow new net office space in the plan area. Multiple commissioners warned that adding office without matching housing would worsen Palo Alto’s jobs‑housing imbalance and create more peak‑period vehicle trips and parking demand. ‘‘If we build as much new office as some scenarios envision, the extra impact on parking and transportation demand would be huge,’’ Commissioner G said, citing recent consultant analysis of office employee density that can vary dramatically by sector.

Traffic and Caltrain access: Commissioners and residents urged staff to prioritize Caltrain station access and crossings. Transportation staff flagged a separate, ongoing diagnostic on a possible temporary closure of the Churchill Avenue at‑grade crossing, a measure raised by community safety advocates because of youth access to the tracks.

Parks and open space: Residents and several commissioners pushed for larger consolidated parks rather than multiple small parklets, at least where land can be aggregated. Staff said some sites — particularly a large ‘‘Maxar’’ parcel in North Fabian — could accommodate parks of multiple acres if parcels consolidate.

Next steps: Staff asked the commission for high‑level policy direction; Kaine said the council will receive the commission’s feedback at upcoming study sessions and staff expects to begin drafting policy language that could return for more detailed review later in the year, with environmental review and final adoption anticipated toward 2027–2028. The commission’s detailed comments will be transmitted to council as part of the record.

What’s next for the public: Staff encouraged residents to follow the project web pages and surveys in April and to participate in the April study sessions before the council, which will also schedule election of PTC officers for the coming year.