Sand Hill pauses 4 Corners application, developers raise feasibility concerns

Mike Kramer of Sand Hill Properties told the council the company purchased the long-vacant 4 Corners site in 2019 and engaged the community, but that the draft specific plan’s updated standards and benefits tiers have made the site infeasible. "Therefore, we've asked staff to suspend our current project application for 4 Corners," he said.

Kramer said the update expanded scope beyond a simple data refresh and that Sand Hill’s suggested adjustments have largely been ignored; he asked that the Council consider revisions or remove the site from the plan so a feasible project can be advanced. Council and staff discussed the allocation window and the potential for a 'gatekeeper' model used in other Peninsula cities to manage limited development capacity — staff said such an approach can be deployed as an annual review to avoid immediate rushes of speculative applications, and that allocation requests would require a reimbursement fee and financial valuation of benefits.

Why it matters: the 4 Corners site has been a long-vacant, high-profile parcel for East Palo Alto; developer disengagement or prolonged suspension could delay activation and reduce the city’s near-term opportunities for jobs and community investments, while the Council weighs whether to prioritize near-term base-tier activation or reserve capacity for standard/exemplary projects that yield larger benefits.