Architectural Review Board - September 18, 2025

Board seeks wider options for San Antonio Road growth

The Architectural Review Board asked staff to test a broad range of housing, employment, open-space and transportation choices as the city develops the San Antonio Road Area Plan. Members encouraged ambitious housing scenarios in appropriate areas while also seeking ways to retain light-industrial businesses and manufacturing jobs. The board did not select a preferred alternative or take a vote.

The roughly 275-acre plan area covers about two miles of San Antonio Road and is intended as a 20-year vision. The Housing Element identified 53 opportunity sites there with capacity for 1,559 housing units, while staff reported about 750 units in the development pipeline. The area also contains 40% of Palo Alto’s manufacturing jobs but 4% of all city jobs. Board members raised concern that housing conversions could displace locally important industrial businesses.

Before alternatives are prepared, members requested finer-grained analysis of public and private ownership, parcel aggregation and near-term redevelopment potential. They also sought attention to flood and sea-level-rise risks, infrastructure and school capacity, and safe access to the San Antonio Caltrain station. Staff reported 143 collisions in the plan area over the past decade, and members asked planners to weigh on-street parking against safer walking, bicycling, transit and ride-share access.

Open space and neighborhood services were another focus. Staff said the area lacks parks or community gathering places; board members asked staff to explore a larger central park, smaller distributed spaces and publicly accessible private open space, including possibilities around Commercial Street and Industrial Avenue. Members also discussed concentrating neighborhood-serving retail around visible gathering places rather than requiring commercial space throughout the corridor.

Staff plans a community workshop on October 23, 2025, followed by an alternatives report around the end of 2025 or beginning of 2026. The city is targeting selection of a preferred alternative by June 2026 and completion of the plan by early 2028. Staff also plans to discuss capacity with local school districts.

Board delays Page Mill Road wireless proposal for redesign

The board voted 5-0 to continue AT&T’s proposed wireless-facility modification on a city-owned streetlight pole west of 1661 Page Mill Road to October 16, 2025, rather than recommend approval. It directed the applicant to clarify the project’s total equipment volume and return with a design that co-locates the radios as much as feasible using available technology.

AT&T proposes to remove an existing canister antenna and radio unit and install two antennas, three convection-cooled radio units in shrouds, a disconnect box and required signage. Staff had recommended approval and said the equipment would be painted to coordinate with the gray-silver pole.

The dispute centered partly on a 28-cubic-foot threshold for a small wireless facility. Staff’s rough calculation of 10.76 cubic feet covered only the proposed pole-mounted equipment, while public commenters calculated more than 31 cubic feet after including the existing cabinet and other associated equipment. Staff later said the code definition may require existing associated equipment to be counted and acknowledged that the required calculation was not in the plans.

Board members also requested a more concealed or consolidated equipment configuration and more information about whether the disconnect switch could be relocated. Commenters generally supported a wireless facility at the site if redesigned but opposed the submitted design. Staff said a 60-day review clock expires October 28, 2025; commenters argued that their higher volume calculation would trigger a 90-day clock, an issue the board did not resolve at the hearing.

Two board representatives appointed for transit-center study

The board appointed two members to represent it in stakeholder interviews for a long-term Urban Land Institute study of the Palo Alto Transit Center. The interviews are scheduled for October 21, 2025, and are expected to include about 100 stakeholders from across the city and Stanford area.

The City, Valley Transportation Authority and Stanford University are sharing the study’s $135,000 total cost. Its scope includes the transit center, VTA bus depot, Palo Alto train station, MacArthur Park and 400 Mitchell Lane, with attention to potential uses, nonvehicular access, capacity, financing, phasing and implementation.

Board members emphasized safe pedestrian and bicycle connections, accessible waiting areas, mixed-use amenities, public space and possible community-serving uses. They also called for preserving and activating the historic MacArthur Park structure as the broader transit-center area is considered. Staff clarified that no proposal to move the Caltrain station underground was before the board.

The Urban Land Institute panel is scheduled to conduct its study during the week of October 19 and present recommendations on October 24, 2025. A nearby property owner asked to be included or kept informed during the engagement process.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting packet