Stanford University has terminated its contract with Flock Safety, a company whose license plate cameras have prompted backlash from privacy advocates across the U.S. Earlier this month, the university announced it ended its agreement with Flock and has replaced the Flock system with one that does not allow data to be accessible by any third...
Palo Alto train horn ‘quiet zone’ delayed over traffic concerns
Palo Alto residents living near the city’s northernmost Caltrain crossing will have to wait a bit longer for relief from the horn that blares each time a train passes by. The city has been pursuing “quiet zones,” a federal designation, at each of its four rail crossings where car and bike traffic intersect with the...
Stanford Terrace Inn owners sue Palo Alto to halt demolition
The owners of a dilapidated building that used to house the Stanford Terrace Inn are suing Palo Alto in federal court in an effort to overturn the city’s demolition order for the property. The lawsuit, filed July 16 in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, alleges city code inspectors “disproportionately singled out” the property...
Pipeline project will prompt trail closures at Palo Alto nature preserve
Visitors to the Arastradero Nature Preserve in Palo Alto may soon find their hikes disrupted by trail closures and heavy machinery as city crews embark on a two-year effort to stabilize a creek and relocate utility lines. The city has been planning this project since March 2023, when a hiker noticed the exposed gas line...
Final housing projects round out Palo Alto’s SB 79 window
As the deadline approached, two additional housing proposals in Palo Alto applied under a new state housing law that affords greater height and density to projects near public transit. As of July 16, Palo Alto’s local restrictions took effect, blunting the most significant impacts of Senate Bill 79 by exempting historic properties from the law and...
Palo Alto mayor to run for reelection in November
Palo Alto Mayor Vicki Veenker has filed the paperwork to run for reelection this fall, meaning that two of the three City Council seats up for a vote in November will see an incumbent in the race. Veenker, who was first elected to the council in 2022, will seek another four-year term. Councilmember Ed Lauing,...
Palo Alto condo proposal is 7th to use new state housing law
The latest housing proposal in Palo Alto to take advantage of a new state law that encourages denser projects near public transit envisions six for-sale family condominiums in the Downtown North neighborhood. The project at 340 Palo Alto Ave. abuts the city’s border with Menlo Park, but is still within the half-mile radius around the...
Palo Alto buries power lines amid wildfire season
Palo Alto received a stark reminder about wildfire danger on June 22, when about 4 acres went up in flames near Arastradero Road, near the Portola Valley border, prompting a regional response. The blaze, which began shortly before 5 p.m., was contained within the hour. While there were no structures involved, the areas were temporarily...
Builder looks to replace Palo Alto motel with housing
Taking advantage of a new housing law that went into effect last week, a developer is preparing to demolish the Coronet Motel on El Camino Real in Palo Alto and replace it with a six-story residential project. The San Francisco-based builder Bayhill Ventures just became the first developer in Palo Alto to take advantage of...
Palo Alto commission backs restoring ‘parkland’ status to Baylands site
The ribbon of land stretching along the southeast edge of Palo Alto’s wastewater plant has little to offer at first glance, but plenty on the second or third. It stretches between two critical environmental habitats, the Baylands Harbor Marsh on its northern end and the Emly Renzel Wetlands to the south. When Palo Alto voters...