City Council - March 10, 2025

Council approves one-year early-demolition process

The City Council unanimously approved a one-year expedited process allowing qualifying contaminated properties to be demolished or deconstructed before a replacement-project building permit is issued. Demolition must be necessary for a cleanup plan approved by an environmental oversight agency.

Qualifying properties must be subject to a corrective-action order or similar oversight and meet site-specific requirements. The process also calls for a director-approved maintenance plan, limits on tree removal and security for replacement landscaping. Existing residential uses are excluded. Staff identified roughly 180 sites on a corrective-action list, although each property would still have to establish eligibility.

Council members supported accelerating remediation while asking about resident safety, cleanup timelines and the protection of below-market-rate housing. Staff will review the housing-replacement requirements with legal staff and return with a permanent ordinance through the regular Planning and Transportation Commission and council process.

Council advances priorities and narrows airport planning pause

The council unanimously approved the first two sections of its annual objectives as discussed, covering economic development and retail vibrancy as well as climate action, adaptation and the natural environment. Staff will return with a codified version for later approval, while discussion of the remaining sections will continue at a future meeting.

The direction included a narrowed pause in the principal Airport Master Plan effort during 2025 while staff defines alternatives and seeks an extension from the Federal Aviation Administration. Staff said the planning obligation remains and anticipated that the main effort could resume around early 2026. Work on an airport fee study, fixed-base-operator lease, unleaded-fuel measures, noise monitoring, a microgrid study and a weather-observation station will continue.

Council members also sought explicit continuity for battery-storage and microgrid analysis and retained downtown cleanliness as a funding priority, with proposed funding due to return during the June budget process. They pressed for clearer priorities and measurable milestones in the final objectives. The council separately approved reverting the Climate Action and Sustainability Committee to a non-Brown Act ad hoc committee.

Permanent car-free street designations remain pending

The council considered but did not take final action on permanently reclassifying portions of Ramona Street and California Avenue that have been temporarily closed to vehicles since June 2020. Staff proposed designating about 200 feet of Ramona Street as pedestrian-only and California Avenue from El Camino Real to Birch Street as a community street.

Public comment was divided. Supporters cited safer family activity, business foot traffic and community events, while opponents raised concerns about parking, loading, emergency access, garage turnarounds, trash, restrooms and maintenance. Several council members supported retaining the car-free configuration but sought changes, including bicycle speeds below the proposed 15 mph on California Avenue, additional accessible parking and drop-off space, clearer controls at the Ramona dead end and improvements to nearby alleys.

California Avenue already has $825,000 for near-term improvements. Ramona Street improvements would be considered through the fiscal 2026 budget and could be completed before year-end if funded. Staff identified two replacement accessible spaces on Ash Street and was considering a third location. Ramona stakeholder outreach is expected to continue before a return to the council in May, while merchant outreach and planning for California Avenue will also proceed.

County funding will expand Geng Road safe parking

The council voted 7-0 on the consent calendar to approve an agreement accepting up to $447,849 from Santa Clara County for expanded safe-parking operations at 2000 Geng Road through Sept. 15, 2026. The funding will support an expansion of the county’s operating agreement with Move Mountain View.

The action also allocated PLHA Activity 6 funds for expanded case management and approved related fiscal 2025 budget amendments. One commenter questioned whether Palo Alto funding should support participants from elsewhere in the county and asked for greater scrutiny of eligibility priorities; the council approved the agreement without changes.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting agenda