Council adopts RBD '4 Corners' ordinance after public speakers raise concerns about developer

The East Palo Alto City Council voted to adopt the RBD 4 Corners specific-plan ordinance and related municipal-code amendments after listening to public comment on the proposal.

Members of the public urged caution before finalizing the draft environmental and development approvals. Leland Francois, who identified himself as a historian of the Ravenswood community, said he opposed "any effort to finalize the draft DIR of this project" and highlighted the site's 6.88-acre history at 1675 Bay Road and its recent sale to Sand Hill Property Company. "This property…has been designated as a potential mixed-use residential hub," Francois said, adding that the community has a long history that he believes deserves protection.

Resident Gail Wilkerson also addressed the council and criticized the property's owner by name, saying he "owns 1,801 apartment units on the West Side" and calling him "a slumlord," noting rent-board hearings and long elevator outages at his properties. "If you go to the rent board hearings, you'll see where he and his property…offend tenants," Wilkerson said, urging the council to hold landlords accountable.

Council discussion that preceded the vote focused on the process of adopting the ordinance and accommodating public comment; the consent calendar motion (with pulled items) was handled consistent with standard procedure and staff provided a brief context for the RBD item before public testimony. The ordinance was adopted as presented on the night’s agenda.

The record shows community concern about tenant conditions and the project's ownership. Councilmembers did not change the ordinance on the floor; the item passed after public comment and the procedural motions on the consent calendar. The council directed staff and acknowledged that additional community outreach and monitoring typically follow large redevelopment projects.