Planning & Transportation Commission - December 10, 2025

Commission recommends 145 Geng Road townhomes

The Planning & Transportation Commission voted 7-0 to recommend that the City Council approve a 145-unit, for-sale townhome project at 2100-2400 Geng Road. The commission recommended approval of the Site and Design, Conditional Use Permit and Vesting Tentative Map applications, along with a finding that the project is exempt under California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15183.

The builder’s-remedy proposal would replace an existing four-building office complex on approximately 11 acres with 65 three-story buildings. Nineteen homes, or 13% of the total, would be below market rate for households earning 50% to 80% of area median income. Plans include 332 parking spaces.

The commission added a condition requiring compliance with Palo Alto’s new dark-sky ordinance. It also directed staff to work with the applicant to increase the percentage of native trees and to review document corrections raised during the hearing, including references to tree removal and replacement. Plans call for removing 218 on-site trees and planting 648 replacements.

Public comment was mixed. Supporters emphasized the addition of ownership housing and the conversion of office space, while critics raised concerns about the affordability level, flood and sea-level-rise risks, fill, greenhouse-gas impacts, wildlife lighting and trees. One commenter alleged that the affordable homes would be clustered; the applicant said they would be dispersed throughout the site and divided among three- and four-bedroom units. Staff said the applicant is pursuing federal flood-map revisions after raising portions of the site by approximately 2 to 6 feet.

At the meeting, the project was tentatively scheduled for Architectural Review Board consideration on Jan. 15 and City Council consideration in March. A separate parkland-improvement matter involving potentially affected trees on city property was scheduled for Parks and Recreation Commission review on Dec. 16.

Panel narrows bird-friendly ordinance in 5-2 recommendation

The commission voted 5-2 to recommend that City Council adopt a narrowed bird-friendly design ordinance. The proposed amendments would exempt residential portions below 35 feet in urban areas, remove the 300-foot stream buffer from the definition of a Bird Sensitive Area and generally exclude replacement windows while retaining requirements for replacement bird-hazard installations.

The recommendation would keep the proposed requirements in non-urban areas including the Baylands and hillside areas. It would also remove accreditation and five-year experience requirements for alternative-compliance professionals and retain a draft exemption for first-floor commercial spaces. The commission asked City Council to compare the costs and benefits of mandatory rules with voluntary guidelines before acting.

Commissioners and members of the public disagreed over whether available evidence sufficiently documented bird collisions in Palo Alto and whether the proposed treatments would be effective. Environmental advocates supported protections based on collision research, migration and risks near natural areas. Homeowners, business representatives and developers raised concerns about cost, product availability, aesthetics and the lack of local data. Staff estimated that manufactured bird-friendly glazing could cost approximately $7 to $10 per square foot above commercial rates, while bird-safe films could cost $4 to $15 per square foot before installation.

Todd James and Bart Hechtman voted against the recommendation after questioning the evidence and the ordinance’s breadth. The amended proposal will now go to City Council, which will decide whether to adopt an ordinance or pursue guidelines.

South Palo Alto crossing options head toward January review

The commission is tentatively scheduled to review the South Palo Alto Bikeway Connectivity Project at its first January 2026 meeting. Staff reported that City Council had narrowed eight alternatives to one location near Alma Street and El Dorado Avenue and directed staff to advance two variants.

Alternative A1 would create a signalized bicycle and pedestrian crossing at Alma and El Dorado, while Alternative A2 would build a tunnel beneath Alma Street and the Caltrain tracks. Staff reported a slight preference for the tunnel option. The update did not include a commission decision.

Staff also said the final transportation plan was expected to be presented to City Council for adoption in early 2026. A Planned Home Zone project at 808 San Antonio Road was tentatively scheduled for the same January commission meeting.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting packet