Palo Alto
Vol. XL, Number 9 Q November 30, 2018
Self-driving cars elicit caution, enthusiasm Page 8
w w w. P a l o A l t o O n l i n e.c o m
INSIDE THIS IS SUE
Donate to the HOLIDAY FUND Page 24
Spectrum 21 Eating Out 28 Movies 29 Puzzles 42 Q Arts One-woman show brings Hollywood icon to life Q Home Prepping houses for sale is its own industry Q Sports M-A, Sacred Heart in CCS football title games
Page 26 Page 30 Page 40
When it matters most, patients turn to Stanford Health Care “The care that I got at Stanford is the reason I’m sitting here today.” –Cindi U.S. News & World Report, again, recognizes Stanford Health Care in the top 10 best hospitals in the nation.
When Cindi woke up, unable to speak or move her left side, doctors at her local hospital told her it was too late for treatment for the stroke she suffered in her sleep. Instead, they arranged for her transfer by helicopter to Stanford. Brain-imaging software developed at Stanford identified that Cindi could benefit from a surgical procedure to remove the clot in her brain, despite the number of hours that had elapsed since her stroke. “I am literally standing on this Earth as a wife and a mother because of that procedure,” said Cindi. “It saved my life.”
Page 2 • November 30, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
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Page 4 • November 30, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
Upfront
Local news, information and analysis
Documents reveal secret dealings over President Hotel Using tenants as leverage, developer pushes to speed city approvals by Gennady Sheyner hen Adventurous Journeys Capi- “grandfathered facilities” provision that tal Partners notified the tenants of specifies that old buildings that are out of the President Hotel Apartments in compliance with zoning can only be renodowntown Palo Alto in June that they would vated if they maintain the same use. be evicted in November so that the iconic Although Interim Planning Director Jona1929 building could once again serve as a than Lait sent AJ Capital the July letter stathotel, the pushback from Palo Alto residents ing that the conversion would run afoul of the and city leaders was strong and swift. “grandfathered facilities” provision — and Tenants and housing advocates turned despite the council having had no intervening up at City Hall en masse to urge the City discussions on the matter — city planners are Council to stop the conversion and prevent now suddenly recommending that the clause evictions from the 75 apartments. City plan- be removed from the city’s zoning code. ners told AJ Capital in July that the proposed As a result, a project that only months ago hotel project would violate a city law that re- was broadly unpopular, legally dubious and quires a “grandfathered” building undergo- contrary to the council’s officially adopted ing renovation to retain its current use — in goal of creating more housing now appears this case, housing. to be on the fast track toward approval. In a Many critics argued that AJ Capital’s plan city where even mundane developments take would destroy a diverse community that has years to germinate, the turnaround has been flourished for decades at the historic Birge nothing short of remarkable. Clark-designed building. John Vermes was How did this happen? Documents obtained one of dozens who pleaded with the coun- by the Weekly in response to a Public Recil in July to do what it could to prevent the cords Act request shed light on what has been community from becoming a “footnote to going on behind the scenes: The corresponhistory.” dence makes clear that since July, AJ Capital Others pointed out the paradox of elimi- has been both actively lobbying and privately nating 75 apartments amid a shortage of negotiating with tenants, top City Hall staff housing that prompted Palo Alto to set a goal and at least one member of the council, with of adding 300 housing units per year — a tar- the goal of getting a green light for its project get that the city’s nowhere close to meeting. by the end of this year. The company’s repreKatja Priess, a President Hotel resident, ar- sentatives and consultants have sparred with gued at the council’s July 30 meeting that, in the city over entitlements while AJ Capital’s an area with exorbitant housing costs, “each attorney both threatened the city with litigasubstantial loss of housing becomes a moral tion and negotiated with tenants with the goal issue.” of silencing their opposition. Most members of the council appeared to AJ Capital’s multi-pronged strategy has share these sentiments, having discussed for already borne some fruit. Most of the tenthe better part of a year the need to protect ants in late October signed an agreement tenants facing the loss of in which they consented housing. In August the not to oppose the hotel council approved an urproject in exchange for gency ordinance increas- ‘The establishment money and a few more ing relocation assistance of a hotel at months at the President. for displaced tenants and this location, Council members have directed its Policy and been mum on the project, Services Committee to as described, is fearful of saying anything discuss other policies that impermissible that could hinder the city could help renters. in a potential lawsuit. And But despite the public based on existing city staff is now preparoutcry and the council’s regulations and site ing to change the zoning desires to see more hous- characteristics.’ code, prompting questions ing built and to prevent and concerns from Palo — Jonathan Lait, Alto’s land-use and goodtenants from being evictinterim planning director, government observers. ed, the hotel conversion city of Palo Alto on July 17 proposal has somehow Winter Dellenbach, who picked up momentum led the effort from 2012 to since the summer. 2017 to prevent the closure Dozens of units are now vacant; the ten- of Buena Vista Mobile Home Park and who ants are no longer speaking out; and the has been talking with President Hotel tencity is preparing to consider in the coming ants, is one of several residents who find the weeks two zoning changes that would pave city’s upcoming discussion of the two zone the way for the hotel. One is the removal of changes suspicious. 350,000-square-foot limit on non-residential “The overriding question for us is: Why is development downtown, a threshold that the the city even contemplating doing this? Why city is on the cusp of reaching and that the is the city contemplating even entertaining President Hotel conversion would exceed. these items, given that the proposed changes Another is the removal of the would convey such massive new entitlements
Veronica Weber
W
The President Hotel, built in 1929 and converted to 75 studio and one-bedroom apartments 50 years ago, was bought by Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners in June with the intention of turning it back into a hotel. and financial benefits to AJ Capital and only short-term limited relief to remaining hotel residents?” Dellenbach wrote to the Weekly.
The grandfather clause
J Capital has been gunning for the zoning changes ever since they were identified during the summer, much to the developer’s surprise, documents show. Before that — in a June 7 meeting of AJ Capital’s application team, Lait and City Manager Jim Keene — a company consultant had indicated that AJ Capital would “only need to address parking and obtain design review approval” for the conversion to go ahead, according to Lait. Keene himself told the council in June that hotel uses are permitted downtown “by right.” The following week, however, Keene said staff was still exploring the pertinent zoning laws to determine whether the project could legally proceed. The bad news for AJ Capital came in the July 17 letter from Lait. “The city has conducted a review of the property and determined that the establishment of a hotel at this location, as described, is impermissible based on existing regulations and site characteristics,” Lait wrote. “Specifically, the (code provision) precludes the remodeling, improving or replacement of site improvements together with the conversion of an existing non-complying facility in the subject property’s Downtown Commercial CD-C district to a different land use.”
A
While AJ Capital immediately contested the city’s finding, an attorney hired by the tenants supported the city’s determination. Heather Minner, an attorney with the firm Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, LLP, noted in a July 27 letter to the city that based on the plain language of the grandfather provision, “remodeling non-complying facilities is permitted only for ‘continual use’ of the ‘same use’ that currently exists.” “If AJ Capital wishes to develop a luxury hotel in Palo alto, it must do so in a manner that complies with the city’s zoning-code regulations,” Minner wrote. “The city’s determination that the code prohibits converting residential apartments in an oversized building into a new hotel use is well supported by the plain language of the code and by legal precedent. Any other determination would contravene the Comprehensive Plan’s housing policies, deepen the city’s housing crisis, and frustrate efforts to improve traffic congestion for all residents.” AJ Capital, meanwhile, was preparing its legal response, a 15-page letter from David Lanferman of the Palo Alto law firm Rutan & Tucker, sent to Lait on Aug. 20, that asserted numerous reasons why it believed the “grandfathered facilities” provision stood in conflict with other city regulations and should be done away with. Specifically, Lanferman argued that the city’s interpretation of the code is “fatally inconsistent” with the Comprehensive Plan provisions that allow hotels in commercial (continued on page 12)
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 30, 2018 • Page 5
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—Craig Perlov, brother of murder victim Leslie Perlov, on seeing alleged killer in court 45 years after the crime. See story on page 10.
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Upfront
THIS LITTLE PIGGY ... She’s small, she’s adorable and she’s looking for a new home. Piggy Smalls, a stray pig spotted wandering in East Palo Alto earlier this month, is now available for adoption, the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA announced Wednesday. East Palo Alto police found the adult female pig at Alberni Street and Laurel Avenue on Nov. 8. She has since been placed under the care of the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA Center for Compassion in Burlingame. No one has come forward to claim her. “We are committed to finding her a loving home where she will be kept as a pet, not a source of food, just like the other two pigs we received earlier this year,� SPCA spokeswoman Buffy Martin Tarbox said in a press release. Named by shelter staff, who wasn’t able to determine her age, the roughly 45-pound Piggy Smalls has become a sucker for apples. Whoever adopts her must have ample space as she may continue to grow. Anyone interested in meeting Piggy Smalls, whose adoption fee is set at $100, can contact the Peninsula Humane Society/SPCA at 650-340-7022. FULL-COURT PRESS ... Palo Alto’s elected leaders will have a tough decision on their hands on Monday, when they consider — for the umpteenth time — Elizabeth Wong’s proposal for a mixed-use development at 429 University Ave. Years in the making, the project has already been denied, appealed, approved on appeal (with conditions), partially denied (based on failure to meet on conditions) and appealed yet again. The project seemingly scored a victory in 2017, when the council rejected an appeal from a neighbor, Michael Harbour, and approved the project, with the condition that the developer make some modifications to a decorative
wall, add landscape details and revise building materials, colors and craftsmanshiprelated detailing. Last month, the Architectural Review Board and interim Planning Director Jonathan Lait each “partially denied� Wong’s revisions, prompting her to appeal. Meanwhile, Wong is threatening a lawsuit if the project doesn’t win approval. Timothy V. Kassouni, the attorney for Wong’s company, Kipling Post, LP, submitted a complaint on Nov. 13 accusing the two Architectural Review Board members who voted against the project — Robert Gooyer and Osma Thompson — of “overt bias� because of their broad objections to the project. Kassouni also criticized Lait for refusing to “intervene and restore some semblance of objectivity and discretion� to the board’s process. SHOWING GRATITUDE ... On the eve of Thanksgiving, Palo Alto University professor Christine Blasey Ford took time to thank the nearly 14,000 people who supported a GoFundMe campaign to pay for housing and security expenses she and her family accrued since she went public in September with her sexual-assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, who has since been confirmed to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. “Although coming forward was terrifying, and caused disruption to our lives, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to fulfill my civic duty. Having done so, I am in awe of the many women and men who have written me to share similar life experiences, and now have bravely shared their experience with friends and family, many for the first time. I send you my heartfelt love and support,� she wrote in a Nov. 21 update on the page. The fundraiser closed with a total of $647,610, well above its $150,000 goal. “Your tremendous outpouring of support and kind letters have made it possible for us to cope with the immeasurable stress, particularly the disruption to our safety and privacy,� she wrote. Once all security costs have been paid, Ford plans to donate leftover funds to organizations serving trauma survivors. Q
Upfront HOLIDAY FUND
Volunteers work to level the playing field Buena Vista Homework Club creates a welcoming learning environment for kids
wice a week after school, a rather mundane trailer in the midst of colorfully decorated mobile homes at Buena Vista Mobile Home Park becomes a lively clubhouse for neighborhood children. The Buena Vista Homework Club, which started in a carport in September 2017, has blossomed into a place where Stanford University students and local educators engage academically and socially with students of all ages. “What’s equally important to the homework part of it is the community,” said Deborah Farrington, the program’s founder. The club serves Buena Vista children attending Barron Park Elementary School, Fletcher Middle School and Gunn High School. The south Palo Alto neighborhood is home to more than 400 residents, including about 100 children. Between 10 to 16 students attend the after-school program on any given day. On a recent visit, there was hardly room to walk around in the clubhouse, whose walls are decorated with bright neon artwork. Conversations filled the air, with about 10 students at desks receiving one-on-one help with their homework while others shared drawings with volunteers. Some students played games outside. The program, supported by the Caritas Foundation, strives to reduce the academic achievement gap among young students while also occasionally hosting educational games, reading competitions and events, such as a Dr. Seussthemed party. This year, the program received a $10,000 grant from the Palo Alto Weekly’s Holiday Fund to help create a better learning environment for the children, who often lack the resources of their peers at school. So far, funds have been used to install Wi-Fi, create a utility sink for food or art projects, buy healthy snacks and furniture, and enlarge the space. Future plans include building a small play area, creating a garden, establishing shade and decorating the building’s walls inside and out. Allison Pope, a Stanford sophomore, was one of the program’s earliest volunteers and now works as its managing director. “Getting to know the people that live in this community and share their stories and hear what they have to say — it brings me a lot of joy,” she said. Since Farrington now works as a principal at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Redwood City, Pope has been overseeing the semiweekly sessions. Before Farrington approached the Buena Vista Residents
by Christine Lee
T
CityView A round-up
of Palo Alto government action this week
City Council (Nov. 26)
Pets In Need: The council approved a five-year contract with Pets In Need to take over operations at Palo Alto Animal Services. Yes: Unanimous Housing: The council began its discussion of zoning revisions to encourage housing. After a motion to move the discussion to next year failed 3-6, with DuBois, Holman and Kou supporting, the council voted unanimously to continue the discussion on Dec. 3. Yes: Unanimous
Council Rail Committee (Nov. 27)
Grade separation: The committee discussed a design alternative for grade separation that would include at-grade tracks for freight trains and below-grade tracks for passenger trains. Action: None
Veronica Weber
Parks and Recreation Commission (Nov. 27) Stormwater: The commission heard an update on the city’s Green Stormwater Infrastructure Plan. Action: None Cubberley: The commission heard an update about the proposal to replace the synthetic turf at the playing field. Action: None
Council Finance Committee (Nov. 28) Stanford University undergraduate Rachel Vaughan reads with Sophia Ramirez, 5, at the Buena Vista Homework Club in Palo Alto on Monday. Association with her idea to form a homework club, she and her husband, Amado Padilla, a professor at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education, had been supporting residents in their five-year fight to preserve Buena Vista from being redeveloped. After the Housing Authority of Santa Clara County purchased the property in 2017, thus preserving the park as affordable housing, Farrington approached the residents association with her idea. Maria Martinez, a member of the residents association and current manager of the homework club, said that at first she was skeptical but became relieved when volunteers from Stanford, Los Altos High School and Gunn High School arrived. Soon after the club opened, Caritas, the park’s management company, offered the group the community trailer for its clubhouse. Today there are anywhere from five to 12 retired educators and students who visit twice a week. Stanford senior Paulina Nava sees enormous potential and a unique skill set in the students with whom she works. For instance, many are bilingual and some trilingual. Over the summer, she became especially close with fifth-grade best friends Sophia and Liliana. “I went to their school play this past week. ... They had their lead roles,” she said. “I appreciate seeing young women, especially young women of color, taking up so much space.” Sophia, who was shy and quiet when she first came to the club, earned first place in a competition by reading 38 books in one summer. She’s now opened up and is always talking with the volunteers. Another former student became the first in his family to attend college. Pope recalls helping him with his essays, talking about her own college experience and mentoring him through the
process. When he went to San Francisco State University, the entire community was proud of him. “Getting to help him with his schoolwork now, and seeing him be a mentor for children in the park and them seeing that that level of education is possible and attainable and something they should strive for is really meaningful,” Pope said. Most importantly for the program, Farrington said, the volunteers have earned trust of the parents, who have seen the volunteers’ consistency and commitment and are now making sure their kids attend. “It’s very hard for the immigrant parents to help their kids because some of them don’t speak English. They didn’t even go to school, like my mom; she probably only went until third grade,” Martinez said. In many cases, the students don’t have any other place to do their homework. “In the house, there’s often one small bed where two of them sleep on the same bed, and there’s no space to actually do homework,” Martinez said. But for many students, the club is clearly more than a space to be in. It’s a place for their potential to be nurtured, Pope said. “These kids are so insanely brilliant … just giving them the chance, and the materials and the means to learn and use their knowledge to the fullest is critical to this area, and to these students, and it brings me so much joy and pride to be a part of that.” Q Editorial Assistant Christine Lee can be reached at clee@ paweekly.com. This year’s Holiday Fund goal is to raise $350,000 for programs serving kids, families and others in need. More stories about the work of funded nonprofit agencies and instructions for donating to the fund online are posted at PaloAltoOnline.com/holiday_ fund. Or go to page 24 of this edition.
Budget: The committee discussed and recommended approving a staff proposal for reducing the 2019 budget, which includes eliminating a performance auditor position and savings on position vacancies. Yes: Unanimous
Online This Week
These and other news stories were posted on Palo Alto Online throughout the week. For longer versions, go to www.PaloAlto Online.com/news.
Man’s mishap leads him to help robbery victim
A Town & Country Village employee searching for his glasses happened to be at the right place at the right time in Palo Alto on the night of Nov. 23, when he helped a 22-year-old man found badly beaten on a deserted bike path after a robbery. (Posted Nov.
29, 9:38 a.m.)
Swastika-like symbol found at Stanford
A swastika-like symbol found on a piano at Stanford University’s Bing Concert Hall is under investigation by the Department of Public Safety as a hate crime, university officials said Wednesday. (Posted Nov. 29, 9:38 a.m.)
Tree-trimming company fined for fatal accident
A Hayward-based company has been ordered to pay thousands of dollars in fines for safety violations related to the death of a tree trimmer at the Stanford West Apartments last May, according to public documents (Posted Nov. 27, 6:43 p.m.)
Third seat on school board still undecided
The tight race for the third open seat on the Ravenswood City School District Board of Education is still undecided, though only 200 ballots remain uncounted across San Mateo County.
(Posted Nov. 27, 5:59 p.m.)
Residents divided over zoning revisions
Palo Alto’s effort to revise its zoning code to promote more residential development received a mixed reaction from a crowd of residents on Monday night, with some calling the proposed revisions a much-needed measure to address the ongoing housing crisis and others arguing that the new rules would worsen the city’s parking problems while doing little to address affordability. (Posted Nov. 27, 9:31 a.m.)
City reaches deal with Pets In Need
Palo Alto’s small and scrappy animal-services operation is preparing for a big change after the City Council approved on Monday night an agreement with Pets In Need, a Redwood Citybased nonprofit that will take over the East Bayshore Road facility. (Posted Nov. 26, 10:38 p.m.)
Ada’s Cafe seeks $3M to build kitchen
Facing increases in labor costs, rent and minimum wages, Ada’s Cafe in Palo Alto is launching a $3 million capital campaign to build its own commercial kitchen on the Peninsula.
(Posted Nov. 26, 9:10 a.m.)
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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 30, 2018 • Page 7
Upfront TRANSPORTATION
Caution, enthusiasm mix at Waymo meeting Residents question independent review of the autonomous technology’s safety capabilities by Sue Dremann lthough the self-driving technology company Waymo was granted permission to launch autonomous cars without a human driver on Midpeninsula streets by the Department of Motor Vehicles earlier this month, some local residents at a public meeting in Palo Alto on Tuesday night vowed to put the brakes on the project while others embraced the technology wholeheartedly. Waymo representatives met with about 50 residents to allay fears about public safety and describe how the driverless cars work. Though it has the DMV’s permission, the company does not plan to have cars operate fully autonomously in Palo Alto and other local cities in the near future, said Sydnee Journel, local policy and community manager. But when it does, it will notify city officials and the DMV. Mountain View-based Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has spent a decade gathering data and putting its technology through the paces. In 2009, it tested the technology in Toyota Priuses, assisted by back-up human drivers, on 100-mile routes that included all Bay Area bridges, she said. It tackled freeways in
Veronica Weber
A
Joe Fredrick of Palo Alto, second from left, Chacko Neroth, of Sunnyvale, far left, and other Peninsula residents gather to look at a Waymo self-driving car and inspect its LiDAR and radar sensors following the company’s presentation at Cubberley Community Center about the technology, which will be tested on local streets. 2012 using Lexus cars and Bay Area city streets in 2013. It developed a fully driverless car, the Firefly, this year — the first vehicle to no longer have a steering wheel and pedals. The company received permission from DMV to run a fleet of 39 cars in Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and
Sunnyvale. Palo Alto resident Penny Ellson asked what sources of thirdparty safety data the company has and how the data was independently validated for Waymo’s technology. Journel said the company follows federal government vehicle-safety regulations and state rules and local regulations
S A R A H G R A H A M T R U N K S H OW
regarding public safety. It also adheres to federal Department of Transportation guidelines for autonomous vehicles and the Society of Automotive Engineers’ industry standards for autonomous vehicles. The company is also working with the National Safety Council, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Department of Transportation and DMV to set parameters, Journel said. The company is also working with local law enforcement. The technology has clocked 10 million self-driving miles on public roads, worked through 20,000 scenarios using National Highway Transportation Safety Administration data to ensure the cars can handle most common scenarios leading to collisions and tested the cars in 25 cities. The cars are programmed to pick out individuals out of a crowd of hundreds of people so it can distinguish each individual’s or object’s movements, Journel said. Currently, the cars can also send a message through cellular systems to a dispatch center, where humans direct the vehicles, whenever there’s confusing or unknown situations, she said. Waymo launched an “early rider program” in Phoenix, Arizona in early 2017, providing residents access to the fully self-driving fleet each day throughout an area twice the size of San Francisco, she said. When a school bus in the Phoenix area held an evacuation drill with children exiting the vehicle, a Waymo car near the scene sent a message to the company’s dispatch center, which radioed to all other Waymo vehicles in the area
to avoid the scene, she said. But some Palo Alto residents had concerns that the Waymo cars will cause accidents. One resident, who declined to be named, said he and his neighbors plan to file a lawsuit to prevent the cars from being on Palo Alto streets. He said he saw an accident at a traffic island near Alma Street and San Antonio Road, where the Waymo car went to the island’s left instead of right. A child on a bicycle fell over and hit her head, he said. The driver assisting the autonomous vehicle left the scene and, when later confronted by residents, refused to provide his name, the man said. “This is a burden on our city. I’m not against technology, but we’re going to storm City Hall if these cars come to Palo Alto,” he said. Waymo officials said that cities couldn’t choose to keep the autonomous vehicles off the road. The decisions come only from the state through DMV. Noah Durant, an operations team driver who assists the Waymo vehicles while traveling in the city, said the car can compensate for another driver’s bad behavior. “The car is very conservative of its surroundings” when taking any action, he said. Q Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be emailed at sdremann@ paweekly.com.
TALK ABOUT IT
PaloAltoOnline.com There’s a lively discussion going on about this topic. Read comments and share your own on Town Square, the community discussion forum at PaloAltoOnline.com/square.
Correction
The Nov. 23 article “Palo Alto looks to sweeten the deal for housing developers” incorrectly stated the month the City Council approved an “affordable housing” zone. It was in April. The Weekly regrets the error. To request a correction, contact Editor Jocelyn Dong at 650-2236514, jdong@paweekly.com or P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302.
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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 30, 2018 • Page 9
Upfront CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Public Agenda
Victim’s sister confronts alleged killer
A preview of Palo Alto government meetings next week CITY COUNCIL ... The council plans to meet in a closed session to discuss a claim against the city from Keith Bunnell. The council also plans to appoint candidates to the Architectural Review Board, the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Planning and Transportation Commission and to continue its public hearing on zone changes to encourage housing development. The closed session meeting will begin at 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 3, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. Regular meeting will follow at 5:30 p.m. or as soon as possible after the closed session. COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE ... The committee is tentatively scheduled to consider the Fiscal Year 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, discuss expenditures relating to capital projects at the Regional Water Quality Control Plant; and consider A/V upgrades to the Council Chambers. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, in the Community Meeting Room at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. BOARD OF EDUCATION ... The school board will vote on a revised memorandum of understanding with the Palo Alto Police Department; take action on a general counsel; discuss a first interim budget report, an amendment to a cost-share agreement with the City of Palo Alto related to the Cubberley Community Center master plan and hear updates on Title IX, the Public Records Act and the district’s homework policy. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at the district office, 25 Churchill Ave. UTILITIES ADVISORY COMMISSION ... The commission plans to consider a recommendation to continue the 2018 Utilities Legislative Guidelines to 2019; discuss CPAU’s role in community resilience; and provide feedback on community requests for fully undergrounded utilities. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD ... The board plans to consider proposals from Verizon and Crown Castle for installation of wireless equipment; and review the designs for a seven-unit mixed-use project at 4115 El Camino Real and for a proposed residential development at 3705 El Camino Real, which would have 59 below-market-rate units. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave.
Leslie Perlov’s family members speak about the impacts of her homicide by Sue Dremann
acing her beloved sibling’s alleged killer for the first time on Monday, the sister of Stanford University graduate and homicide victim Leslie Perlov spoke of the impact her violent death has had on the family over the decades. Diane Perlov asked Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Cynthia Sevely to withhold bail for John Arthur Getreu, 74, of Hayward, who was being arraigned for the slaying. The judge agreed. “Murder does not just affect the deceased. It takes many lives. It changes many lives forever,” Diane Perlov said, looking directly at Getreu. He didn’t look back, she later said. Bringing her sister’s alleged killer to trial “is the least we can do,” Perlov told the court. Getreu is being charged with first-degree murder with an allegation of attempted rape. His Nov. 20 arrest marks the end of a 45-year investigation. DNA evidence linked Getreu to the crime, in which Leslie Perlov, 21, was strangled with a scarf in the foothills near the present-day Stanford
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Dish on Feb. 13, 1973. Diane Perlov said that Leslie, who was 14 months older, had been her and their younger brother’s protector. She was the smartest of the siblings — a caring and loving person who introduced her to philosophy and poetry and the anti-war movement. They shared a room, clothes, secrets and laughter. “We would laugh so hard my sides would ache. No one else could make me laugh so hard.” When her sister left for Stanford, Diane Perlov said she cried. But with Leslie’s death, their loving relationship came to an end for no reason, she said. “The scarf tied around her neck that day was mine. I cannot walk alone in the woods. After work, I will not walk through the deserted parking garage. I won’t let anyone touch my neck. These things have become second nature to me,” Diane Perlov said. Diane Perlov’s son, who was born 10 years to the day of her sister’s death on Feb. 13, has named his daughter, now 5, after his aunt. An oil portrait of Leslie,
commissioned by her mother after she died, still hangs on his wall. When the family recently evacuated from the Woolsey Fire in Southern California, that painting was among the cherished items they stuffed in their small car, Diane Perlov said. Leslie was unable to fulfill her life’s ambitions and dreams, Perlov said, looking at Getreu. She was never able to attend the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she had intended to earn a law degree and to help people in need. Their mother, who died four years ago, never wanted to seek grief counseling because the hole in her heart could never heal, Perlov recalled. Craig Perlov, three years younger than his slain sister, was a sophomore at the University of California, Davis in 1973. “I still miss Leslie. She was a brilliant, kind and loving person,” he told reporters outside of the courtroom. Viewing Getreu in the courtroom made him nervous, he said. “Seeing the person who is likely my sister’s killer is a difficult thing,” he added. Diane Perlov said she kept in touch with cold-case investigators for 45 years. But she never thought she would finally get the call she received this month from Detective Sgt. Noe Cortez, who said, “Diane, we got him,” she recalled. Q Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be emailed at sdremann@ paweekly.com.
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Page 10 • November 30, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 30, 2018 • Page 11
Upfront DEVELOPMENT
President Hotel: Developer seeks parking exemptions
AJ Capital requests waiver of more than $13 million in parking in-lieu fees by Gennady Sheyner
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hotel conversion (which the city is now preparing to reconsider), told the Weekly that the hotel building remains “mostly not parked,” which is allowed for certain older residential buildings that are considered “grandfathered.” However, AJ Capital would need to provide the parking — or at least pay for it — when proceeding with the conversion. Levinsky estimated that the building would require 198 spaces (other estimates range from 174 to 204 spaces). “That’s a lot of money if you’re using the in-lieu program,” Levinsky said. Unlike AJ Capital’s other demands — namely, the lifting of the downtown cap on non-residential development and the elimination of the “grandfathered facilities” provision that requires renovated non-conforming buildings to retain the same use — the waiving of parking fees is currently not on the council’s docket in the coming weeks. Nor is it clear that the city is entertaining AJ Capital’s request for a waiver. (Interim Planning Director Jonathan Lait did not respond to the Weekly’s inquiry about whether the city is considering parking exemptions for the hotel project.) In addition to seeking the exemption, AJ Capital has been making a case that its project would need far fewer parking spaces than the city code requires. In late October, Steve Emslie, a land-use consultant who is advising AJ Capital, submitted to the city a parking-demand study from the transportation-consulting firm Fehr & Peers. The study claims that the city’s required parking rate in the downtown district — one parking space for 250 square feet of space for all uses except residential — is “substantially higher than most industry standards and recent hotel parking data collected in surrounding communities.” It is also higher than it would be for hotels outside of downtown, where the city requires one space per guest room, with additions for eating and drinking, banquets and other ancillary uses. According to the Fehr & Peers study, which the Weekly obtained through a Public Records Act request, the hotel would have 100 rooms and 30 full-time employees, spread out over three shifts. The study states that the city’s existing requirements for the downtown area result in 174 spaces, or 1.74 spaces per room. If the hotel were located in a different area, the ratio would be one space per room, or 100 spaces. Even that, however, is higher than necessary, the report states. For that determination, it relies on the Institute of Transportation Engineers parking manual, which lists the average peak parking demand for “business hotels” at 0.60 spaces per room. Those hotels at the upper end of the demand scale (the 85th percentile) had rates of 0.75 spaces per room. “Therefore, a relatively conservative parking demand for a typical business hotel would range between 0.6 and 0.75 spaces per room,” the study states. The study also makes the case that companies like Uber and Lyft have changed how people travel. Hotels, the consultants wrote, “are reporting a trend where travelers elect to use (ride sharing) over rental cars when traveling by air.” The use of these companies, the report states, has a “direct impact of reducing hotel parking demand.” The Fehr and Peers report concludes that the city’s parking requirement in the downtown area is “substantially higher than the actual parking demand expected based on industry standards and locally surveyed parking demands for hotels.” Q
Page 12 • November 30, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
Katja Priess packs up her apartment, which she shares with her daughter and dog, at the President Hotel Apartments on Nov. 6. She told the City Council in July that the mass loss of housing — in this case, 75 apartments — is “a moral issue.”
President Hotel (continued from page 5)
districts; that encourage preservation and restoration of historic structures; and that urge seismic safety improvements. The city’s findings on the “grandfathered facilities” clause, he wrote, clashes with a different section of the zoning code, which explicitly permits renovations to non-conforming buildings, provided these alterations accommodate a conforming use — namely, in this case, a hotel. “This project easily meets that provision, by restoring the President Hotel to a conforming use and not increasing the existing degree of nonconformity,” Lanferman wrote.
Side conversations
ven as AJ Capital was meeting with city staff, it was also having side conversations with at least one council member — and trying to hurry up the process. According to email correspondence obtained by the Weekly, Tim Franzen, president of Graduate Hotels (a division of AJ Capital), reached out to Councilman Greg Scharff on Sept. 13 to update him about AJ Capital’s effort to reach an agreement with President Hotel tenants — a deal that would require the tenants to stop opposing the hotel conversion in exchange for money and an extension of their stay at the building until June 16, 2019 (see sidebar, “The deal and the deadlines”). The correspondence makes clear that Scharff and Franzen held several discussions about the topic in September and that, at least in one case, Franzen was seeking advice from Scharff on how to proceed. The emails indicate that the two talked about the potential agreement on Sept. 23. The following day, Franzen emailed Scharff a document that he said “outlines what I walked you through yesterday in terms of both additional time and financial assistance to the residents, along with what we’ll
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need from the city in terms of project approvals.” Franzen told Scharff that he had asked the company’s attorney to call the tenants’ attorney to walk him through AJ Capital’s proposal to tenants, which he said appears to be “very much in line with what they asked for at the end of last week.” “We would also like to schedule a call with (City Attorney) Molly Stump, but we’ll await your OK before doing so,” Franzen wrote. The Sept. 24 document, which the Weekly has obtained, makes clear what AJ Capital expected from the city, as well as the link between the city’s actions and the tenants’ potential benefits. Under its terms, residents would be allowed to stay in their apartments until June 16, 2019, and receive additional relocation payments if the city effectively stands down and gives AJ Capital what it wants in a timely manner. “The spirit of this agreement is that, in exchange for additional time and financial assistance granted to the residents of the President Hotel Apartments by AJ Capital, the city will take the following actions and will generally work in good faith with AJ Capital to remove all impediments, and to not cause any unusual or unreasonable delays or impose and unusual or unreasonable conditions, to AJ Capital’s receipt of any and all permits or approvals necessary for AJ Capital’s planned conversion of the Hotel President back to its original use as a hotel,” the document states. Specifically, the city would have to “accept and approve” AJ Capital’s interpretation of city’s provision on grandfathered facilities (as articulated by Lanferman in the Aug. 20 letter); exempt Hotel President from parking requirements (see sidebar on parking on page 12); expedite the approval of a conditional use permit for alcohol sales at the hotel; and approve access to the “entire usable area of rooftop” for use by Hotel President. The proposed agreement also notes that the city would have to pass the changes by Oct. 8. If not, the document states, “AJ Capital will keep its non-renewal date
Veronica Weber
hen a developer proposes a project in Palo Alto, it’s a safe bet that parking will emerge as the main issue of contention. Just this week, as the City Council took up a proposal to revise its zoning code to encourage more housing, the council discussion was exclusively on the methodology of the parking study that accompanied the staff report. For the dozens of residents who criticized the new housing rules, which included relaxed parking requirements, the city’s parking congestion once again emerged as “Exhibit A” in their opposition. And as the city considers a proposal by the developer Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners (AJ Capital) to return the President Hotel, a 75unit apartment building at 488 University Ave., to its original use as a hotel, parking is once again the subject of discussions — albeit, private ones. The issue will have major ramifications for AJ Capital, which in June bought the 89-year-old building. Under the current zoning laws, a new hotel would be required to provide a parking space for every 250 square feet of space. In the case of President Hotel, that would amount to about 200 spaces. But because the iconic Spanish Colonial building existed before the current laws, it only includes 10 basement-level parking spaces. The city’s zoning law also allows commercial developers who are unable to actually build parking spaces to pay “parking in-lieu” fees. As the AJ Capital team is trying to advance its project, one of the questions that the city is weighing is whether to require the developer to pay these fees. In the downtown area, the fees equal $70,094 for each space not provided. A favorable decision — namely, an exemption from the fees — would thus save AJ Capital more than $13 million in in-lieu fees. Parking fees are mentioned repeatedly in AJ Capital’s correspondence with city officials, which the Weekly has obtained, and are featured prominently in the developer’s Oct. 26 agreement with the tenants, which offered them more money and an extended stay (until June). It is also listed as a key issue in the two different term sheets that AJ Capital drafted and submitted to the city. One term sheet, which Tim Franzen, president of AJ Capital’s Graduate Hotels division shared with Councilman Greg Scharff on Sept. 24, states that for the agreement with tenants to take effect, the City Council must approve “exempting Hotel President from parking requirements no later than Oct. 8, 2018.” Further, it states, the city must approve two loading spaces on Cowper Street adjacent to the hotel by Jan. 31, 2019. The company dropped the provision for the loading spaces in the one-page term sheet that AJ Capital later put together — a list of demands that Councilwoman Lydia Kou said made her “furious.” Even so, AJ Capital requested that by Dec. 10 the city reach a “binding consensus” to approve “applicable parking issues to allow the President Hotel restoration project to proceed without payment of in-lieu parking fees.” The term sheet, to which Kou alluded at this week’s council discussion of zone changes, also offers residents additional relocation assistance, with the exact amount based on when the tenant vacates the building. This additional assistance, however, is conditioned on whether or not an “agreement with the city is reached on parking,” the sheet states. Jeff Levinsky, a land-use watchdog who first alerted the city to zoning code that prevents the
Upfront of Nov. 12, 2018, and reserves its rights to challenge the applicability and legality of the (relocationassistance) emergency ordinance to it.” (The council had passed an ordinance in August stating the conditions under which property owners have to provide evicted tenants with relocation payments.) When asked about his exchanges with Franzen, Scharff said he approached the developer in early September at the behest of President Hotel tenants. One tenant, Michelle Kraus, invited Scharff to meet with a group tenants, who asked him if there was anything the city could do to extend their stay. “It became clear that the tenants really wanted to stay past November and this was a huge hardship for them,” Scharff told the Weekly. “I said I’d reach out to Tim Franzen and see what we can do to get them to be able stay at least through January.” After having conversations with Franzen, he received from AJ Capital the list of actions that the city would need to take in exchange for deferring the evictions. Scharff said he immediately rejected these terms. “I told him that the city doesn’t make deals and that it’s an open process,” Scharff said. After making the introductions, Scharff said he stepped back from the negotiations process and did not have any further discussions with AJ Capital. Franzen said his company does not wish to comment at this time. Steve Emslie, a consultant with Lighthouse Public Affairs who helped facilitate meetings between AJ Capital and City Hall, also said the company does not wish to comment.
A shifting stance
he documents released to the Weekly provide a papertrail of AJ Capital’s active negotiations with both the city and with tenants — and its use of former City Hall insiders to try to gain access. On Oct. 3, on behalf of AJ Capital, Richard Hackmann, who used to work under Keene in the city manager’s office, reached out to Assistant City Manager Ed Shikada and City Attorney Molly Stump, trying to arrange meetings with AJ Capital officials. On the same day, Emslie, Palo Alto’s former planning director and deputy city manager, reached out to Lait to try to schedule an Oct. 10 meeting with the AJ Capital team, which was coming to town. “Do you think it would be a good idea to schedule a face-toface meeting sometime Wednesday in an attempt to make significant progress or even to wrap up issues?” Emslie wrote to Lait. The meeting between AJ Capital Partners and city staff occurred on Oct. 22, Stump told the Weekly. At that meeting, AJ Capital gave the city a one-page summary of an agreement they told the city they had reached with the President Hotel tenants
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DEVELOPMENT
President Hotel: The deal and the deadlines AJ Capital offers tenants thousands of dollars, and an extended stay, if city cooperates by Jocelyn Dong and Gennady Sheyner hen tenants of the President Hotel received eviction notices from new building owner AJ Capital on June 12, they were promised help finding new housing, along with $3,000 in relocation assistance. Now four months later, the tenants — aided by attorneys and the Palo Alto City Council — could walk away with upwards of $20,000 in cash and/or reduced rent, based on their individual circumstances. The increase was sparked at least in part by zoning roadblocks that are preventing AJ Capital from moving ahead with the downtown building’s conversion into a hotel, providing the company with incentive to negotiate with tenants and the city. Public outcry over the evictions also may have greased the negotiation wheels. Lawyers for the tenants and AJ Capital started discussing the terms of an agreement in late summer, culminating in an Oct. 26 deal. According to the terms, tenants would be allowed to stay through at least Jan. 31, 2019, and possibly until June 16, 2019, rather than be evicted on Nov. 12; pay only half of their rent from November through January (or through June); and receive voluntary assistance payment in multiples of half of their rent, depending on when they move out. The agreement is notable, however, for the benefits it gives to tenants if the city officials give AJ Capital what it wants by two deadlines: Dec. 10 and Dec. 17.
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and updated staff on their project. “There was a general discussion of city processes and requirements,” Stump wrote. By mid-November, city officials began to signal that they were willing to reconsider the grandfather clause that stood in the way of AJ Capital’s plans, issuing a “tentative agenda” indicating that the council would discuss the provision at its Dec. 3 meeting.
‘Do you think it would be a good idea to schedule a faceto-face meeting ... to make significant progress or even to wrap up issues?’
—Steve Emslie, AJ Capital consultant, to the Palo Alto interim planning director on Oct. 3
In addition, at least some council members were privately updated on the negotiations between the tenants and the developer, which culminated in an Oct. 26 developertenant agreement that barred tenants from voicing any opposition to the conversion plan and identified
The voluntary assistance payment would kick in only if the city and the company “reach binding consensus on or before Dec. 10, 2018, on the applicable parking issues and planning department approvals” needed for the conversion, according to the Oct. 26 tenant agreement. If the council were to approve two separate zoning changes by Dec. 17 (see main story), then tenants would be allowed to stay through next June 16. New documents released by the city of Palo Alto in response to a Public Records Act request filed by the Palo Alto Weekly give a glimpse inside the negotiating process. Just before Labor Day, the developer offered to reduce tenants’ rents by half and extend their tenancy through June 2019. According to an update that David Lanferman of law firm Rutan & Tucker provided to AJ Capital on Sept. 12, the tenants had been “mollified” by the proposal but wanted “MORE $$$ and more time.” Lanferman said he indicated some “incredulity” as to the tenants’ proposal, particularly their desire to get a $25,000 payment upon execution of the settlement agreement, eight months before they would have to relocate. The tenants’ attorney, Scott Emblidge, reportedly acknowledged that he had “cautioned the tenants about the legal vulnerability of their fairly extravagant demands” and the constraints of Ellis Act, according to
Dec. 17 as a deadline set by AJ Capital for gaining certain city approvals. After hearing about the agreement, Councilwoman Lydia Kou told the Weekly on Nov. 2 that she was “furious” about it, though she declined to discuss the terms. Last week, planning staff released a report making a case, for the first time, for abolishing the grandfather clause, a strong indication that AJ Capital’s lobbying and threats of litigation may be paying off for the company. The staff report stated that the grandfather clause “for continual use and occupancy, by the same use” was mistakenly added in January 2016 as part of a broader ordinance revising the zoning code. Lait told the Weekly that city planners appeared to have made the change by inadvertently copying-and-pasting text from a different code provision that relates to grandfathered uses. “Clearly, the President Hotel conversation surrounding AJ Capital has caused us to be aware of this code provision and now that we’re aware of it, we’re seeking to address it,” he told the Weekly. When the council approved the zoning ordinance in January 2016 that included this provision, the change was not highlighted in the ordinance and the accompanying staff reports “included no reference
Lanferman. (The Ellis Act ensures certain conditions and rights related to when a property owner closes a rental property and evicts all tenants.) By October, a final deal had been struck: Residents who signed it agreed that they “shall withdraw all existing objections to, and shall not future contest, protest or otherwise interfere or attempt to interfere with, directly or directly, any permit application(s) or other submittals made by AJ CP to the city concerning the President Hotel restoration project.” The tenants are also forbidden by the contract from taking “any other action, directly or indirectly, that would potentially hinder, impede or delay the President Hotel restoration project,” according to the contract. Costing AJ Capital more money beyond the Oct. 26 agreement, the council adopted an urgency ordinance on Aug. 27 that required certain Palo Alto property owners to pay evicted tenants between $7,000 and $17,000 in relocation assistance, depending on the size of their rental. As an urgency ordinance, it applied only to those tenants making below the area median income, a restriction proposed by Councilman Greg Scharff. But on Sept. 17, when adopting a permanent ordinance, the council agreed to remove the income restriction, ensuring that every President Hotel tenant would be eligible for some additional compensation. As the council considered the ordinance, AJ Capital strenuously objected, with Lanferman submitting a letter arguing that such an ordinance would be illegal. Adopting the ordinance “may needlessly expose the city to the risk of costly legal proceedings by many affected parties,” Lanferman warned. The Oct. 26 agreement, however, did include the city-mandated $7,000 in relocation assistance for President Hotel tenants in studio apartments, $9,000 for those in one-bedroom units, with an additional $3,000 given to persons who are of low-income, elderly, disabled or have a minor child living with them. Q
or policy analysis related to the change,” the planning report states. The report also argues that President Hotel isn’t the only building that is impacted by the “same use” provision and cited a few others, including the Cheesecake Factory building on University Avenue and the former North Face building on Alma, both of which had trouble getting a new tenant. The report claims that the clause has had various “negative impacts,” including frustrated property owners. “If the council decides not to amend the code, the city can expect additional downtown property owners objecting to the standard and frustrated by an inability to remodel to fill tenant spaces based on market demand and subject to the city’s other regulatory requirements.” The report also states that without changing the law, other downtown properties that don’t comply with the city’s height and density regulations would be “prevented from remodeling, improving or replacing their facilities to change from existing land uses to other permitted or conditionally permitted land uses, including a change from non-retail to retail, which other city policies support.” The report also mentions that AJ Capital “has asserted that
application of the current code would run afoul of the Ellis Act, among other state laws.” (The Ellis Act ensures that property owners are able to close a rental property and evict all tenants without a local municipality preventing it.) The staff recommendation is remarkable for several reasons. The council has never publicly discussed the removal of the grandfather clause, and planning staff is generally loathe to take on new projects without council direction. (It’s far more common for Keene and other top executives to cite their daunting workload as a reason for why they cannot pursue new initiatives.) Also, zone changes are typically vetted by the Planning and Transportation Commission before going to the council. In this case, staff deemed the removal of the “grandfather facilities” provision critical for preserving “public health, safety and welfare.” As such, it is going straight to the council for approval on a temporary basis. Only after that will the planning commission discuss a permanent code change. Housing advocates have also pointed out that the conversion clearly runs counter to the city’s housing priorities, noting that 75 (continued on page 14)
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 30, 2018 • Page 13
Upfront
President Hotel: Lobbying at a glance Adventurous Journey Capital Partners (AJ Capital) consultants meet with City Manager Jim Keene and Interim Planning Director Jonathan Lait to discuss a proposal to convert the President Hotel Apartments back into a hotel. A consultant states his belief that AJ Capital need only “to address parking and obtain design review approval.”
JUNE 7
Keene publicly announces at the City Council meeting the proposal to convert President Hotel. Hotels, he says, “are uses permitted by right downtown.”
JUNE 11
President Hotel (continued from page 13)
apartments would be eliminated. While not technically low-income housing, rents at the President ranged from $1,200 to $2,400 a month, according to signage at the building. Jeff Levinsky, who in June alerted city officials and residents about the proposed hotel’s inconsistency with the “grandfathered facilities” clause, told the Weekly that he
found it striking that the city is now considering abolishing the phrase, which could enable the loss of more housing. If the city were to remove the restriction, other historic properties in the downtown area — including the 85-unit Stalling Court (formerly Laning Chateau), a 1929 multi-family complex at Gilman Street and Forest Avenue — would also be eligible to switch from residential to commercial use, he said. “Our grandfathering laws downtown are pretty strict,” Levinsky
Page 14 • November 30, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
Veronica Weber
Known as the Hotel President when it opened in 1929 (and later renamed President Hotel Apartments), the building includes ground-floor businesses: Gyros Gyros Mediterranean Cuisine, Yogurtland, President Barber Shop, Norzin Collections, Pluto’s and Hemingway Cigars and Tobacco.
AJ Capital notifies tenants of President Hotel Apartments that they will be evicted on Nov. 12.
JUNE 12
JUNE 25 Keene tells the council that city staff is evaluating whether the proposed conversion would violate the city’s zoning code. JULY 17 City staff conclude that the planned conversion would, in fact, be illegal. Lait informs AJ
said. “The idea is that you have these giant buildings that in no way would have been allowed to get built today. So if you have them, you have limited rights with what you can do with them.” Despite Levinksy’s and Dellenbach’s suspicions that the staff recommendation to change the code now is tied to the President Hotel project and December deadlines set by AJ Capital, Lait denied the connection. “This isn’t about the President Hotel,” Lait said. “This is about an
Capital President Tim Franzen that the city’s code “precludes the remodeling, improving or replacement of site improvements together with the conversion of an existing non-complying facility in the subject property’s Downtown Commercial CD-C district to a different land use.” AJ Capital notifies tenants that the company “respectfully disagree(s) with the city’s current reading of the municipal code provisions” and says it will continue its discussions with the city in the coming days.
JULY 23
JULY 27 Heather Minner of Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, who represents the hotel tenants, sends a letter to the city agreeing with staff’s determination that the conversion project would violate zoning codes. AUG. 20 AJ Capital attorney David Lanferman sends a 15-page letter to the city arguing for change of the “grandfathered facilities” clause, to allow the conversion.
inadvertent code change that we need to fix.”
A controversial cap
hough the council agenda item to scrap the grandfathered-facilities provision seemed to emerge out of the blue, the recommendation to remove the downtown cap on non-residential development from the city’s municipal code has been nearly two years in the making. The idea to eliminate the cap,
T
which has been in place since 1998, first emerged on Jan. 30, 2017, during a contentious and controversial council meeting over the pending update of the Comprehensive Plan. By a 5-4 vote, the downtown cap, which limits non-residential development built in the downtown area since 1998 to 350,000 square feet, was eliminated from the plan. The policy, however, has not yet been implemented because the actual ordinance is still on the books. For AJ Capital, whose President Hotel conversion would not be
Upfront AUG. 27 Lanferman submits a letter to the city claiming that a proposed relocation-assistance ordinance would violate AJ Capital’s property rights by “discriminating against certain property owners.” Palo Alto City Council passes an urgency ordinance that requires certain Palo Alto landlords to provide relocation assistance to evicted tenants based on the size of the rental. A permanent ordinance adopted in September applies to the President Hotel.
AUG. 27
Lanferman emails Franzen to say he’s made a proposal to the tenants through their attorney. The offer is for the tenants to stay through May 2019 plus receive a 50 percent rent discount, but tenants want more money.
SEPT. 12
SEPT. 23 Franzen and Councilman Greg Scharff discuss AJ Capital’s proposed agreement that offers financial assistance and an extended stay to the residents, but also specifies demands by AJ Capital of the city in terms of project approvals. Franzen indicates he’d like to talk with City Attorney Molly Stump but “we’ll await your OK.” AJ Capital consultant Richard Hackmann seeks to set up a 60-90 minute meeting of Assistant City Manager
OCT. 3
allowed with the development cap still in place, time is of the essence. (Only about 19,000 square feet of commercial development can be built under the cap, according to staff. The hotel renovation would encompass more than 50,000 square feet.) The five council members who want to eliminate the downtown cap — Cory Wolbach, Greg Tanaka, Scharff, Liz Kniss and Adrian Fine — likewise are facing a ticking clock. Wolbach and Scharff will both be off the council next year, and the newly elected member, Alison Cormack, has been less keen than the current pro-growth
‘So, we’re solving a non-problem today, and it’s something that’s just wildly contradicted in the Comprehensive Plan.’
—Asher Waldfogel, planning commissioner, about eliminating the downtown cap
majority to eliminate the cap. Cormack has not expressed any strong views about the city’s commercial restrictions, but when asked by the Weekly about the downtown cap shortly before the election, she said she saw no reason to do away with it. The fact that the other three council members who will continue on the council, Vice Mayor Eric Filseth, Tom DuBois and Lydia Kou, have all vociferously opposed removing the downtown cap suggests that the new seven-member council of 2019 is much less likely to repeal it than the nine-member council of 2018. In addition to the political opportunity to get the downtown cap formally removed, AJ Capital faces other opposition on this zoning change: The city’s Planning and Transportation Commission considered the repeal of the downtown cap on July 25, and, in a rare move,
Ed Shikada and Stump with Franzen to “provide you with an update and make sure that everyone is on the same page.” AJ Capital consultant Steve Emslie emails Lait to request a meeting between AJ Capital and Lait on Oct. 10 “in an attempt to make significant progress or even to wrap up issues.”
OCT. 3
OCT. 8 Original date by which AJ Capital hoped to secure city zoning changes so that conversion can proceed. AJ Capital meets with city staff to update them on the project and provide a one-page summary of the agreement AJ Capital had reached with the tenants. “There was a general discussion of city processes and requirements,” Stump told the Weekly.
OCT. 22
exchange for tenants’ lack of opposition to hotel project. The original date given for the evictions of President Hotel tenants.
NOV. 12
The original date that the council was scheduled to consider changing the “same use” clause of the “grandfathered facilities” zoning code and also eliminating the downtown development cap, two zoning changes that AJ Capital needs.
DEC. 3
New date that council will consider the “grandfathered facilities” zoning change, according to Keene.
DEC. 10
Deadline that AJ Capital set for the city and the company to come to a “binding consensus” on parking issues and other planning approvals. If city complies, hotel tenants will get more money.
DEC. 10
OCT. 24 Transportation consultant Fehr & Peers produces report for AJ Capital stating that city’s required parking for the President Hotel is higher than will be needed and higher than other municipalities require.
DEC. 17
OCT. 26 AJ Capital offers tenants an agreement that extends their residency into 2019, subsidizes their rent and potentially provides voluntary assistance payments in
JANUARY 2019 Month that council may consider eliminating downtown cap, Keene says on Nov. 28.
voted to keep it in place and to punt the issue back to the council. Commissioners noted that much had changed since January 2017, when elimination of the cap made more sense to some: Housing became a more pressing priority; a ballot measure was proceeding this summer to slash in half the nonresidential development allowed by in the Comprehensive Plan (the council ultimately adopted the citizen initiative, obviating the need for a vote on it in November); and the President Hotel tenants were on the verge of eviction. Chair Ed Lauing said that increasing housing should “take the highest priority.” “That’s what we need to work on for the rest of the year and that needs to be done before we look at this thing in front of us tonight in a vacuum,” Lauing said. “Because we don’t know what the impacts are.” Commissioner Asher Waldfogel questioned the timing of the policy change, which he argued contradicts the council’s goals of encouraging housing and protecting neighborhoods from commercial intrusion. Allowing more office space, he noted, is not a stated priority. “So, we’re solving a non-problem today, and it’s something that’s just wildly contradicted in the Comprehensive Plan,” Waldfogel said. Opposition is also almost certain to come from residents concerned about commercial growth in the city. Several addressed the planning commission in July and cited the plight of the President Hotel tenants. Joe Hirsch, co-founder of the grassroots group Palo Altans for Sensible Zoning, told the commission that by removing the cap, the commission will become a “part of a process that will, in essence, evict the tenants.” Margaret Heath, a College Terrace resident, called President Hotel “a perfect example of the kind of housing that we need downtown. “Indeed, there may be other housing units downtown that would also be eliminated,” Heath said. Though the downtown cap is scheduled for council discussion in
December, Lait disputed the notion that the city’s timing has anything to do with AJ Capital’s proposed timelines. City staff has a goal of implementing the Comprehensive Plan directions within a year, Lait said. The plan update, he noted, was adopted in November 2017, and it has taken some time for staff to find a slot on the council agenda to take up the change, he said. “AJ Capital has its own interests, and they want to see progress be made,” Lait said. “That’s independent of what we’re able to do and willing to do.”
Deadlines looming
p until this week, council members had not publicly acknowledged the existence of AJ Capital’s offer to the city or its negotiations. Scharff said Tuesday that he rejected AJ Capital’s terms immediately after Franzen sent them. Scharff provided as evidence a Sept. 24 email that he had sent to the tenants’ attorney, Scott Emblidge. Referring to AJ Capital, Scharff wrote that he has to “set them straight on the city process.” “They clearly don’t understand,” Scharff said. On Monday, Kou alluded to the agreement when she fervently objected to taking up any proposed zone changes, including the grandfathered-facilities clause and the downtown cap, until next year. Considering these changes now, she said, “is going to further mistrust from the general public.” She referred obliquely to the deadlines of a downtown property owner, a veiled reference to AJ Capital. “I find it highly unethical to be doing this, especially with the dates of Dec. 10 and Dec. 17 over our heads in making decisions,” Kou said. Since its Sept. 24 proposal to the city, AJ Capital has scaled back its demands, eliminating references to the rooftop deck and the conditional-use permit to serve alcohol, according to an updated term sheet that was obtained by the Weekly. It still calls for the city to eliminate the downtown cap and the grandfathered facilities clause and to
U
Deadline that AJ Capital set for the city to approve of both zoning changes. If city complies, hotel tenants will get additional time in the hotel.
waive in-lieu fees for parking, with a deadline of Dec. 17, the council’s last meeting before the council’s winter break. If that deadline is met, the term sheet states, tenants will be allowed to live in the building until June 16, 2019. If the deadline is not met, tenants will face a Jan. 31, 2019, eviction. Lait was cautious when asked whether the confluence of the council’s consideration of the two zoning items and the deadlines in the AJ Capital term sheet is a “coincidence,” only reasserting that
the city would have pursued these changes regardless of the President Hotel project. “Scheduling this hearing before the date on AJ Capital’s term sheet gives the council an opportunity to correct an error and, if approved, extend the time that residents living at the President Hotel can stay in their apartments,” Lait wrote in an email, adding that other downtown property owners are “impacted by this inadvertent change.” (continued on page 16)
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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 30, 2018 • Page 15
Upfront
President Hotel (continued from page 15)
President Hotel tenant Iqbal Serang stands in the apartment where he has lived and worked more than 30 years as an architect. Serang has expressed shock that he and the others could be evicted so suddenly and is worried about finding a comparable rental, given the expensive local housing market. zoning items that were scheduled for Dec. 3 would be postponed. The council’s discussion on Monday of a different zoning issue was continued to Dec. 3, pushing the “grandfathered facilities� item forward to Dec. 10. And as for the downtowncap ordinance, it’s unlikely the council will be able to consider it before the end of the year, given the council’s upcoming agendas, he said.
Scharff, for his part, said that even if staff had decided to put the zoning issues on the agenda to accommodate AJ Capital’s deal with tenants, there is nothing improper about that. He also noted that the council had not discussed the proposed AJ Capital’s terms in any closed sessions (though it had talked about AJ Capital’s threatened legal challenge).
Veronica Weber
The publicly noticed hearing, he wrote, will give the council a chance to decide to retain the language, modify it or restore it to the pre-2016 standard. “In any event, such action would be intentional and transparently discussed in an open public meeting, which to this point has not occurred,� Lait wrote. Keene also rejected the notion that AJ Capital’s plans had anything to do with setting the council’s agenda. The main consideration when scheduling the grandfathered-facilities issue, he said, is to find a date when the council’s busy agenda can accommodate an important item like that. Keene said he has not seen the AJ Capital’s deal with its tenants and was not influenced by it in any way. “Bringing these items forward before the council goes on a break at the end of the year ... is more about the fact that we have a lot of work we need to do with the council and when we have the opportunities to get stuff on the agenda,� Keene told the Weekly. In fact, by Wednesday, it became increasingly likely that the two
“I would not say it’s inappropriate for the council, in an open process, to make the choice about whether or not to do that now, which would help the tenants, or whether to deal with it after this time frame,� Scharff said. “If I had a choice on that, I’d say bring it forward early because I think the council should make those choices.� Dellenbach sees it differently. “As someone said, ‘coincidence’ is the word we use when we can’t see the levers and pulleys,� Dellenbach told the Weekly. While the council has not entertained AJ Capital’s offer, those tenants that remain in the building appear to be honoring their Oct. 26 agreement with the building’s new property owner. The Nov. 12 deadline has come and gone and those who remain in the building have been watching their words carefully of late. In June and July, dozens talked about the devastation that the President Hotel’s conversion would wreak on their lives. During a June 18 council meeting, tenant Alex Smaliy, who works in tech, said it would be “very difficult to imagine that anyone of these residents will find housing in this area.� Another resident, Mary Riordan, told the council that there is
THERE’S MORE ONLINE PaloAltoOnline.com On this week’s “Behind the Headlines,� Weekly journalists will discuss the documents released by the city about the President Hotel. Watch the webcast on YouTube.com/paweekly/ videos or listen to the podcast on Apple iTunes or Google Play. Both will be posted Friday evening.
nothing in the area anywhere near price range of the President Hotel rents. “I would have to leave Palo Alto,� Riordan said. But on Oct. 23, just as AJ Capital was finalizing its deal with the residents, Riordan reached out to council members with a different message. In an email, Riordan thanked them for their recent efforts on behalf of renters and made an unusual request. “Moving forward, I hope that you will assess any proposal with regard to the property at 488 University Ave. solely on its merits,� Riordan said. Q Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner can be emailed at gsheyner@ paweekly.com. About the cover: Photo illustration by Doug Young. Photographs by Veronica Weber and Getty Images.
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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 30, 2018 • Page 17
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Pulse A weekly compendium of vital statistics
POLICE CALLS Palo Alto
Nov. 21-Nov. 27
Violence related Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Domestic violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Robbery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Sex crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Theft related Commercial burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Grand theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Identity theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Vehicle related Auto recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Bicycle theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Driving w/ suspended license. . . . . . . . 8 hit and run. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Lost/stolen plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Misc. traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Vehicle accident/mnr. injury . . . . . . . . . 3 Vehicle accident/prop. damage . . . . . . 4 Vehicle impound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Alcohol or drug related Driving under the influence . . . . . . . . . . 4 Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Possession of paraphernalia . . . . . . . . 2 Under influence of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Miscellaneous Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Misc. penal code violation . . . . . . . . . . 5 Missing person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Prowler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Psychiatric subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Resisting arrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Suspicious circumstances . . . . . . . . . . 1 Trespassing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Warrant/other agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Menlo Park
Nov. 20-Nov. 27
Violence related Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Theft related Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Petty theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Residential burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Vehicle related Auto burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Bicycle theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Driving w/ suspended license. . . . . . . . 5 Hit and run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Misc. traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Theft from auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Vehicle accident/mnr. injury . . . . . . . . . 1 Vehicle accident/no injury. . . . . . . . . . . 3 Vehicle tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Alcohol or drug related Driving under the influence . . . . . . . . . . 1 Drunk in public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Possession of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Possession of paraphernalia . . . . . . . . 2 Under influence of drugs . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Miscellaneous Coroner case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 CPS referral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Domestic disturbance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Found property. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Info case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Lost property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Mental evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Resisting arrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Trespassing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
VIOLENT CRIMES Palo Alto
E. Meadow Drive, 11/19, 12:47 p.m.; sex crime/indecent exposure. 2100 Birch St., 11/20, 9:12 a.m.; battery/peace officer. California Avenue, 11/20, 3:55 p.m.; domestic violence/battery. San Antonio Road, 11/21, 3:03 a.m.; domestic violence/battery. Ben Lomond Drive, 11/21, 5:20 p.m.; arson/misc. 855 El Camino Real, 11/23, 8:14 p.m.; robbery/strong arm.
Menlo Park
1300 Block Willow Road, 11/20, 8:23 p.m.; battery.
Frances Stephani Pierce June 30, 1943 – November 9, 2018 Frances Stephani Pierce, our beautiful, loving, lightfilled, cherished wife and mother, died November 9th at Half Moon Bay. She was 75. She walked into the sea at Martin’s Beach, a final end to a harrowing and swiftly deepening depression brought on by bi-polar illness that had quite literally consumed her in the last two weeks of her life. Her family is stunned and heartbroken. Frannie was born June 30, 1943 in Richmond, Virginia to Stephani Gallaher and Dr. John A. Gallaher, originally of Louisville, Kentucky and California, Missouri, respectively. She was raised in Walnut Creek, graduating from Las Lomas High School in 1961. She and her husband Bob met when both were teenagers in Walnut Creek, fell deeply and permanently in love, and married in 1965. Fifty-three years later, they still held hands at the movies. She had a wonderful sense of humor and was always laughing. Bursting with life, to Frannie everything was the best thing she had ever eaten or the most gorgeous thing she had ever seen, and her grandchildren were the most brilliant people she had ever met. She loved her friends, speaking of them with immense affection. For forty-five years, Frannie was an intensely committed and well-loved teacher in local public schools, teaching grades K through 12, and specializing in art, English, and history. She had sixth graders performing the Oresteia and lit her students up with her enthusiasm, whether they were six or 16. Frannie held a M.A. in History from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, focusing on Art Nouveau, and a second M.A. from San Francisco State University in English, focusing on Chaucer; both degrees were pursued while teaching. Her work ethic in everything she did was stupendous. She loved art and art museums, literature, gardening, movies, and travel. She especially loved Paris, where she and Bob lived in 1966 and, with their children, in 1980. She was passionate about progressive politics. In books, Frannie particularly loved Chaucer, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf. She had a fascination with the ancient mother goddess religions and became an expert in the subject. She loved traveling to the archaic goddess sites that became Europe’s cathedrals and loved collecting goddessinspired objects from around the world. She had a reverent love of annunciation paintings. Frannie was profoundly generous and indefatigably giving in her love for her family. To say she was a devoted mother is a great understatement. Frannie’s love for her children and grandchildren inspired great feats of dedication that she would undertake constantly. She filled her children with confidence, making them feel capable of success. She is survived by her husband Bob Pierce, of Portola Valley, her daughter Stephani Pierce Shanske of Davis, her son, Dr. Brendan Pierce, of Portola Valley, her son-in-law Darien Shanske, her daughter-in-law Dr. Lindsey Pierce, her grandchildren, Juliet and Catherine Pierce, and Margaret and Alexander Shanske, as well as her sister, Ruth Lisha, of Palo Alto. A non-denominational celebration of her life is planned for December 1st at 11 am at the Valley Presbyterian Church in Portola Valley, the town where she lived for the past forty-three years. A reception will be held afterward across the street at Windmill School. Donations in her memory may be made to Planned Parenthood and/or NAMI (National Association for Mental Illness). PAID
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Bernard Friedman Rubin Oct. 30, 1922 – Nov. 17, 2018 Resident of Palo Alto Bernard “Bud “ Rubin, world traveler, nuclear engineer, generous supporter of Israel, avid Stanford sports fan, musical theatre lover, dedicated volunteer, and award-winning runner, died in his home at age 96 surrounded by his loving family. Bud was born in Harrisburg, PA to Ivy and Irvin Rubin. He met his beloved wife, Helen, of 53 years, at Penn State University where he received his BS in Metallurgy. He was a WWII Navy veteran. He later attended night school and received his M.S. in Economics of Engineering and his M.S. in Metallurgical Engineering. Bud moved to Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1956 and worked at Westinghouse, Bettis Field Atomic Power Lab. He moved to Palo Alto, California in 1966 and worked for G.E. Electric Nuclear Energy Group. Bud enjoyed many activities including travel, aerobics, biking, hiking, running, line dancing, Toastmasters, improvisation, plays and musicals, serving at local food banks, tutoring at local schools, and volunteering with developmentally delayed adults. He loved running and completed a half marathon at 80 and continued to run 10ks until age 93. Bud was an active member of Congregation Beth Am. He participated in Torah study and volunteered bringing Jewish music to seniors and food to the poor and sick. Bud was beloved by his late wife Helen, his children Jerryl Lynn (Mandy), Kenneth, Sandra (Stan), Mitchell (Rhona), his grandchildren Anya Rubin-Mcquinn (Ramsey), Iliana Rubin, Ocean, Jesse Silvertrees, Matt Johnson (Marlena), Alan Johnson, Makkeda Deloney (Michael), Jazmine Hall (Anthony), Elijah Rubin, his great grandchildren Kirin, Taurean, Santiago, his brother Ted (Bunny) Rubin, and many others. Bud was kind, generous, wise, and a true “mensch.” Donations in his memory may be made to: Congregation Beth Am Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund, HIAS, or American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science. PAID
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Karl Knapp April 27, 1959 – October 23, 2018 Karl Knapp died peacefully in his home in Palo Alto, CA after a courageous battle with ALS; his wife, Holly, and his two daughters, Haley and Tyler, were by his side. Karl was born in Ann Arbor, MI, the son of Marjorie Knapp Floro and the late Dr. Donald Knapp. He grew up in Lexington KY, where he developed his zest for life, enjoyed creating fun memories with his siblings, and made lasting friendships. He cultivated his love of learning at Sayre School and then moved west to attend Stanford University where he earned three degrees: BS ’81/ MS ’82 in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD ’99 in Engineering Economic Systems and Operations Research. Karl’s entire professional career focused on making the world a better place through developing renewable energy resources. Working with other nerdy, brilliant and fun people, he honed his craft, earning patents for machinery used to produce solar cells (Arco Solar), providing insight and operating at the nexus of energy, environment and economics (E3), and developing contracts for large-scale wind power resources and local solar energy as well as designing the voluntary PaloAltoGreen program (City of Palo Alto Utilities). While working as the VP of Sustainable Energy Education at MAP, he also shared the gifts of his knowledge with the next generation of “renewable energy warriors” by serving as an adjunct professor at Stanford co-teaching a class titled “Understanding Energy” and taking students on life changing fieldtrips both locally and in China. Karl had many talents. He could paint dice on the tiny fingernails of Haley and Tyler while contemplating a complex variable math problem set, but his greatest accomplishments were manifest in his deep and abiding love of family and friends. Karl created annual Halloween costumes with Tyler, sewed last minute snaps on Haley’s prom dress, and fixed everything Holly broke. He brewed beer with his daughters, was a spirited sports fan, reveled in humorous puns with his siblings, and hosted the most marvelous tailgates and parties. He loved bluegrass and the Grateful Dead, camping in Big Sur, scuba diving in Fiji, and reading technical journals at the beach in Catalina. He wrote heartfelt notes to those he loved, never judged others, and made decisions using data. Our world today could use more “Karls.” Karl was a remarkable man who combined wicked intelligence with fun beyond compare. He will be sorely missed. A celebration of Karl’s life will take place on Sunday, December 2nd, 1-4 pm at the Stanford Arrillaga Alumni Center, McCaw Hall. In keeping with Karl’s life view, it will be tailgateesque; casual and informal. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to the Karl Knapp GoEV program or the Stanford University Karl Knapp Energy Fellow in City Government. http://www.karlknapp.org PAID
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Transitions Births, marriages and deaths
Joan Carolyn Marx
Joan Carolyn Marx, a 26-year resident of Palo Alto, died Oct. 15 at her home after being diagnosed with amyloidosis in late August. She was born in Manhattan on Oct. 24, 1939 to Stephen and Elaine Marx, and had four younger brothers. She lived in South Carolina, Oregon and Alabama, before attending Wellesley College, where she studied English literature. She also earned a Ph.D. at U.C. Berkeley, specializing in Elizabethan drama. At Berkeley, she met her husband
George Irwin, a graduate student in physics and avid backpacker. They would have two sons and go on many trips throughout their life together. She went on to teach English literature and writing at institutions such as Claremont McKenna and Stanford. After returning to the Bay Area, the couple lived in Menlo Park, and moved to Barron Park in 1992. She left academia but remained an active writer through plays, short stories and poetry. She also loved organic gardening. She helped found and run the GOFAST organization to promote alternative transportation at Gunn High School, and it won the Bay Area Clean Air Award for Transportation in 2005. For many years
George Patterson George Patterson died at his home in Palo Alto on Monday, October 29, 2018. He was 76 years old. George, a fourth generation Californian, was the son of William Donald Patterson, Jr. and Dorothy Elizabeth Wilcox. George’s great-grandfather, George Washington Patterson, came to California from Indiana in search of gold in 1849 and shortly thereafter turned to farming. Today the Patterson house and land, Ardenwood, is an historic working farm operated by the East Bay Regional Park District in Fremont. George was also a descendent of Abner and Lucy Wilcox, missionary teachers, who settled on the island of Kauai in 1846. George was active with the Society of California Pioneers for thirty-two years and served as Vice President, Director, and Governor. He was a loyal volunteer and ardent supporter of the Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto. He was also a member of the California Historical Radio Society As his cousin, Bruce Patterson, wrote: “George was one of a kind. His unbounded inquisitiveness was as fascinating as it was contagious. The world was his oyster and over the years, he came it’s pearl. His life was a long journey for answers to questions and the desire to experience life at its fullest. He had friends from all over the world whom he loved and they gave back that love in equal measure. His zest for life took him to exotic places and, like that oyster’s grain of sand, he took on layers of experience and wisdom, which slowly grew with the passage of time making him the unique person we knew and loved. George was truly an adventurer traveler, historian, a gentle man and a gentleman.” Although George was a world traveler, his lifelong residence was the mid-peninsula, Atherton and later Palo Alto. George is survived by his brothers, William “Bill” D. Patterson III, (wife Doris) of Sacramento, Wilcox “Wil” (wife Sandy) Portola Valley, sisters, Grace Green (husband Gerald), Wilsonville, Oregon, and Eden Salomon, Redwood City as well as three nieces and three nephews. A memorial service will be held at Ardenwood on Sunday March 10, 2019 at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Society of California Pioneers or the Museum of American Heritage. PAID OBITUARY
she helped organize Bike Palo Alto and was named “Citizen of the Year” by the Palo Alto Transportation Department. In 2016-2017, she worked to protect a 300-yearold valley oak tree next door to her house being threatened by new development. She is survived by her sons Benjamin Irwin of Palo Alto and Amos Irwin of Baltimore, Maryland. A memorial service will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1. Memorial contributions can be made to the Sierra Club.
Wei-ling Dai
Wei-ling Dai died Oct. 13 at the age of 85. She was born in Nanjing, China to a diplomatic family. This led to her living in Vancouver, Johannesburg, Taipei and the Dominican Republic. She majored in English at National Taiwan University and did a year of study at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. She then attended the University of Washington’s Information School and graduated with a Masters of Library Science. From there she began a long career in librarian work. Beginning at Brooklyn Polytechnic School of Engineering, it was in New York that she met Victor Shen-yu Dai, a political science professor, who she married in 1959. With him, their careers brought them to Illinois, Colorado, Ohio and Pakistan before they landed in Palo Alto. At Stanford University, she worked with Research Libraries Group. She had two daughters. She then moved with her family to Liberia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, before returning to the Bay Area in Sunnyvale. While living in Sunnyvale, she worked at SRI, where she assisted on the CJK project, developing a keyboard that allowed librarians to catalog works in Asian languages. After her tenure at SRI, she moved to Santa Barbara and was a librarian at UC Santa Barbara. She was a board member of the Chinese American Librarians Associations. She was also on the board of the Santa Barbara-Weihai sister city commission as well as the affirmative action committee at UCSB and advised the Chinese association student group. She greatly enjoyed travel, gardening and Chinese food. She is survived by her daughters Cynthia Dai of San Francisco; and Vivian Dai of Berkeley; her grandchildren and her brother and sister. Her celebration of life has passed. Memorial donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Editorial A broken system
Audit gives city code enforcement a well-deserved failing grade
our new back-fence neighbor has demolished the existing single-story home on his property and is replacing it with the largest allowable two-story house and “accessory” buildings under the city’s complicated rules. In Palo Alto, property owners who are either building a new home or adding a second floor to an existing home must post a sign, notify neighbors and are subject to a formal design review and appeals process if a neighbor objects. This has encouraged early discussion with neighbors and created an incentive for resolving concerns amicably. After examining the plans for your neighbor’s new house, you have no objections. The proposed house and detached garage appear to fully conform with the setback and daylight plane requirements, which protect against unreasonable encroachment on the privacy of immediate neighbors. Much to your surprise, however, when the garage and a storage building are actually built, more than a year later, they aren’t consistent with the plans that were approved by the building department. Both buildings were constructed too close to the property line, are too tall and violate the daylight plane, creating a 10-foot high wall just inches from your property. What happens next in such circumstances is one of the many issues examined over more than a year by the Palo Alto City Auditor’s office during an audit of how the city goes about enforcing code violations. The city auditor, who is appointed by the City Council and is accountable to the council and not the city manager, issued a highly critical report earlier this month that describes a broken and ineffective compliance program badly in need of a complete overhaul. From complaints such as the one described above to the less consequential but most frequent complaint — about noisy and often illegally operated gas-powered leaf blowers — the auditor found that citizens are frequently frustrated by a process that often doesn’t resolve the problem, doesn’t provide for timely feedback to the complainant and only rarely result in any fines or enforcement action. The range of complaints are vast and the city staffing devoted to investigating them minimal. The city auditor focused on those that have attracted public and media attention, such as non-retail businesses located in ground-floor space that is required to be retail, construction projects that are dormant for months or years, nonpermitted uses in residential neighborhoods and commercial projects that haven’t provided the public benefits that were required when they were approved. Numerically, most citizen complaints pertain to noise (mostly leaf blowers) or violations of the hours construction is permitted. The auditor’s office was handicapped by poor and inconsistent record systems, making it difficult to compile and analyze data. But auditors found plenty that needs fixing, from the various systems that are intended to keep track of complaints and their resolution to unclear responsibilities, staffing shortages and multiple reorganizations of enforcement duties. They also pointed to the miniscule number of cases that result in anything beyond warnings and “don’t do it again” admonitions — outcomes that rarely satisfy citizens who have tried to get a violation remedied. The audit points to other cities that handle code enforcement and citizen complaints much better and more transparently and recommends many specific improvements, virtually all of which incoming City Manager Ed Shikada embraced in his formal response to the findings. That’s a good start. The failures of the city’s code-enforcement program are part of a broader problem that we hope Shikada’s operations and engineering experience will solve: ineffective implementation of technology to carry out city functions and priorities. The business registry and parking-permit systems, two significant and exhaustively discussed council initiatives, have both been poorly implemented through a messy combination of staff work and outside consultants. Anyone who has attempted to utilize either of these online systems knows how poorly they function, leading to user frustration, inefficient use of city staff and an erosion in confidence in government. The city manager and each council member should try to use these online systems and experience first-hand what their constituents go through. Part of the problem is that staff attempt to implement overly complicated policies, and they demonstrate little or no user experience testing to ensure a smooth process or quality data. That’s unacceptable in a community immersed in technology and innovation. So what happened to that homeowner whose neighbor’s garage was built too tall and too close to the property line? After making a complaint to the city and numerous meetings, emails and phone calls, more than a year later the city concluded that the building inspector missed the problem when he signed off on the construction and that nothing could be done because it would be unreasonably costly to force the homeowner to move the garage. C’est la vie in Palo Alto. Q
Y
Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions
Entrapment zones a real problem
Editor, Thank you for Jay Thorwaldson’s recent piece in the Palo Alto Weekly regarding parking entrapment zones. I have lived in downtown Palo Alto for 35 years and have seen our sleepy streets turned into overflow parking lots. I was not happy to pay for parking permits to park in front of my house and realized that it is a money making scheme. If you do not place the hangtag in exactly the right place, pay $46. Every other Tuesday, we need to remember to move cars to the other side of the street. If anyone forgets, due to vacation, sickness, life’s twists and turns ... $46. Last year I had knee surgery and needed an aide to help me. She took our extra hangtag and hung it backwards on her mirror and got a ticket. I contested that one, and it was dismissed. Meanwhile the aide was so upset, she said she would never work in Palo Alto again because she had had it with all these restrictions. My husband took his truck to the car wash and forgot to re-hang the parking placard ... $46. My feeling has become this: This city is making money off of human nature. The signage is another great issue. I received a ticket on Alma Street. The sign saying “No parking from here to Hamilton” was small and obscure. I took pictures of the spots and periodically check and notice that many other people park there as well. The city would not dismiss that one. It helped to read Thorwaldson’s piece because no one wants to be the only one complaining. Perhaps his connection to the city will get some action regarding signage and painting, but I’m not holding my breath. Susan Meade Byron Street, Palo Alto
Need support for neighborhoods
Editor, During this year’s and last year’s poor air-quality days, my neighborhood association, funded by $10 donations from neighborhood residents, purchased and distributed N95 masks to our residents. The neighborhood associations could put financial support from the city to good use for many purposes. We could outfit a neighborhood emergency shed. We could fund an annual picnic. We could have N95s on hand. We could buy the best radios. The City Council should demonstrate support for the neighborhoods by allotting a dollar amount to each of the associations each year. Since the council has blessed
the fledgling Cool Block program with a million dollars (or, likely much, much more) over the next decade, the council should also support the long-established volunteer neighborhood associations with untethered funding. The $200,000 to date given to amply paid employee(s) of Cool Block could have funded countless benefits in the neighborhoods. It is very, very wrong that the Palo Alto City Council fails to fund the neighborhoods. CeCi Kettendorf Grove Avenue, Palo Alto
I ditched Palo Alto
Editor, One answer to the question posed in the Nov. 9 Weekly on how the City Council can rebuild trust: Read and heed Jay Thorwaldson’s “Off Deadline” column (Nov. 9) regarding parking entrapment in Palo Alto. Jay may have been given some professional leeway in the past 40 or 50 years considering his splendid reporting and insights. I, on the other hand, gave up trying to park and conduct business in Palo Alto more than 20 years ago and enjoy the merchants in Los Altos. Linda Hollister Old Trace Road, Palo Alto
My logic on housing
Editor, I spent last night listening to Palo Alto residents sharing their opinions of zoning and ordinance changes intended to speed up the process of building more housing. Most of the comments in opposition consisted of “More housing
brings more people, which brings more cars and worse traffic.” What I don’t understand about this kind of thinking is all those cars and traffic are already here in the form of commuters. If you want to reduce car use, you have to build as much housing near employment as is reasonably possible. The corollary complaint is we have no public transportation structure to go with increased population. But it’s dense housing that makes public transportation feasible. If you want R-1 zoning everywhere, there is no other option than sprawl, with its horrendous traffic and ecologically unsustainable mechanics. According to George Manbiot (columnist for The Guardian), an ecologically sustainable earth requires the preservation of half the land surface as open, wild spaces. This doesn’t include land necessary for food production. With that idea in mind, R-1 housing is a disaster. The radical solutions necessary for the preservation of a sustainable planet while accommodating all of humanity should probably include eliminating about two-thirds of the R-1 in the Bay Area with a significant portion of land now used by R-1 being converted to public open space. There are probably only a handful of people in Palo Alto who would agree with me. But I prefer that idea to the suffering and misery of others that has been created by our cultural stubbornness when it comes to taking proper responsibility for creating a world for the benefit of all. Deb Goldeen Birch Street, Palo Alto
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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 30, 2018 • Page 23
Support our Kids with a gift to the Holiday Fund Last Year’s Grant Recipients 10 Books A Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15,000 49ers Academy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Able Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Acterra. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Ada’s Café . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Adolescent Counseling Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,500 All Students Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 Art in Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Art of Yoga. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Bayshore Christian Ministries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Buena Vista Homework Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 CASSY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 Downtown Streets Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,500 DreamCatchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 East Palo Alto Kids Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 East Palo Alto Tennis & Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,500 Ellen Fletcher Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,000 Environmental Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Family Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,500 Foundation for a College Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,500 Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,000 Friends of Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Get Involved Palo Alto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 Health Connected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Hidden Villa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 JLS Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,000 Kara. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,500 Live in Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Marine Science Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Music in the Schools Foundation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 New Creation Home Ministries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 New Voices for Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,000 Nuestra Casa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,500 One East Palo Alto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Palo Alto Art Center Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Palo Alto Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,000 Peninsula Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Peninsula HealthCare Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Project WeHOPE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15,000 Quest Learning Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Ravenswood Education Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 Rosalie Rendu Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,500 Silicon Valley FACES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Silicon Valley Urban Debate League . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 St. Francis of Assisi Youth Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Stanford Jazz Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,500 YMCA East Palo Alto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,500 YMCA Ross Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Youth Community Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15,000 Youth Speaks Out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15,000
E
ach year the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund raises money to support programs serving families and children in the Palo Alto area. Since the Weekly and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation cover all the administrative costs, every dollar raised goes directly to support community programs through grants to non-profit organizations. And with the generous support of matching grants from local foundations, including the Packard, Hewlett, Peery and Arrillaga foundations, your tax-deductible gift will be doubled in size. A donation of $100 turns into $200 with the foundation matching gifts. Whether as an individual, a business or in honor of someone else, help us reach our goal of $350,000 by making a generous contribution to the Holiday Fund. With your generosity, we can give a major boost to the programs in our community helping kids and families.
Give to the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund and your donation is doubled. You give to non-profit groups that work right here in our community. It’s a great way to ensure that your charitable donations are working at home. As of November 26, 104 donors have contributed $37,125 9 Anonymous ...................... $3975 David Labaree .......................... 300 Bruce Campbell........................ 200 Janis Ulevich ............................. 100 Mike Gordon............................ 250 Bill Reller........................................* Ellen & Mike Turbow ................ 200 Xiaofan Lin ..................................50 M D Savioe....................................* Ron Wolf.................................. 200 Marcia & Michael Katz ............. 200 Tom Goodrich .......................... 100 Leif & Sharon Erickson ............. 250 Stephen Levy ........................... 500
Enclosed is a donation of $_______________ Name__________________________________________________________ Business Name __________________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip ___________________________________________________ Email__________________________________________________
Credit Card (MC, VISA, or AMEX)
All donors and their gift amounts will be published in the Palo Alto Weekly unless the boxes below are checked.
__________________________________________Expires _______/_______
T I wish to contribute anonymously.
Phone _________________________________________________________
T Please withhold the amount of my
Child Care Facility Improvement Grants Children’s Center of the Stanford Community . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Children’s Pre-School Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Friends of Preschool Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Grace Lutheran Preschool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 The Learning Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Palo Alto Community Child Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000 Palo Alto Friends Nursery School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Parents Nursery School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000 Peninsula Family Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000
Non-profits: Grant application & guidelines at www.PaloAltoOnline.com/holiday_fund Application deadline: January 4, 2019
John & Meg Monroe................ 500 Daniel Cox ............................... 200 Richard Zuanich........................ 200 Kieschnick Family ..........................* Deborah Williams..................... 500 Joan & Roger Warnke ...................* Havern Family ........................ 5000 Bill Johnson & Terri Lobdell ..... 1000 Mike & Jean Couch .................. 250 Tony & Judy Kramer ......................* Peter Stern ....................................* Dorothy Saxe............................ 100 David & Nancy Kalkbrenner ..... 100 David & Lynn Mitchell .............. 450
contribution. Signature ______________________________________________________ I wish to designate my contribution as follows: (select one)
Send coupon and check, if applicable, to:
T In my name as shown above T In the name of business above OR:
T In honor of:
T In memory of:
T As a gift for:
_____________________________________________________________ (Name of person)
Page 24 • November 30, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
Please make checks payable to: Silicon Valley Community Foundation
01 – Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund c/o Silicon Valley Community Foundation P.O. Box 45389 San Francisco, CA 94145 The Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund is a donor advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization. A contribution to this fund allows your donation to be tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Public Notices 995 Fictitious Name Statement
Barbara Riper ................................* Nancy & Joe Huber .................. 100 Sue Kemp ................................ 250 Richard Baumgartner & Elizabeth Salzer ..........................* Sally & Craig Nordlund ............. 500 Ted & Ginny Chu...........................* Stev & Mary Chapel ....................50 Ruth Hammett ......................... 100 Drew McCalley & Marilyn Green ....................... 100 Roy & Carol Blitzer ........................* Judith Appleby ......................... 200 Carolyn Brennan ...........................* Susana & Doug Woodman ...........* Jody Maxmin.................................* Pat Burt .................................... 250 Larry Baer ................................. 500 Arthur Keller .................................* Lawrence Naiman .................... 100 Pamela Mayerfeld .................... 100 Eileen Brooks............................ 500 Scott & Jan Kilner ..................... 500 Andrea Smith ........................... 100 Braff Family .............................. 500 Eugene & Mabel Dong............. 200 Debby Roth .............................. 200 Phil Hanawalt & Garciela Spivak .................... 1000 Lani Freeman & Stephen Monismith............... 100 Tom & Ellen Ehrlich................... 350 Robert & Barbara Simpson ............* Gwen Luce....................................* Robert Aulger................................* Pat & John Davis .........................50 Art & Peggy Stauffer ................ 500 Kroymann Family ..................... 250 Mahlon & Carol Hubenthal ...........* Karen & Steve Ross .......................* Wileta Burch .................................* Mandy Lowell ...............................* George & Betsy Young ..................* Tom & Pat Sanders ........................* Gerald & Joyce Barker .............. 200 Brigid Barton & Rob Robinson .. 400 Jim & Alma Phillips ................... 500 Peggy & Boyce Nute......................* Michael & Cathie Foster ........... 500 Diane Moore .................................* Linda & Steve Boxer ......................* Chuck & Jean Thompson ......... 100 In Memory Of Er-Ying & Yen-Chen Yen .......... 250 Janet Hermsen ......................... 200 Ray Bacchetti............................ 250 Nancy & Bob Lobdell .....................* Ruth & Chet Johnson ....................* Tracy & Alan Herrick ................. 100 Bob Fenster ...................................* David, Zoe & Ken ..................... 100 Mrs. Nancy Yih..............................* Thomas W. & Louise L. Phinney ....* Leo & Sylvia Breidenbach ..............* Corrine Aulgur ..............................* Duncan Matteson .................... 250 Pam Grady ............................... 300 Elliot Eisner ....................................* Nate Rosenberg ....................... 200 In Honor Of Melissa Baten Caswell ...................* Businesses & Organizations Alta Mesa Cemetery & Funeral Home .................................. 2000 Bleibler Properties................... 1000 Communications & Power Industries............................... 500
PEACENAV FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: FBN648004 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Peacenav, located at 955 Escalon Avenue Apt. #407, Sunnyvale, CA 94085, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: An Individual. The name and residence address of the registrant(s) is(are): NAVID IRANPOUR 955 Escalon Avenue Apt. #407 Sunnyvale, CA 94085 Registrant began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on N/A. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on October 30, 2018. (PAW Nov. 9, 16, 23, 30, 2018) TRIVIAL PURSUITS FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: FBN647973 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Trivial Pursuits, located at 3943 El Camino Real Apt. 14, Palo Alto, CA 94306, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: An Individual. The name and residence address of the registrant(s) is(are): HARSHIKA VEERENDRA AMIN 3943 El Camino Real Apt. 14 Palo Alto, CA 94306 Registrant began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 10/01/2018. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on October 30, 2018. (PAW Nov. 9, 16, 23, 30, 2018) DANCING CRANE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: FBN648093 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Dancing Crane, located at 133 North Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos, CA 95030, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: A Corporation. The name and residence address of the registrant(s) is(are): THAO MY CORPORATION 133 North Santa Cruz Ave. Los Gatos, CA 95030 Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on November 2, 2018. (PAW Nov. 16, 23, 30; Dec. 7, 2018) PALO ALTO WATER POLO CLUB FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: FBN648725 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as: Palo Alto Water Polo Club, located at 1401 Parkinson Avenue, Palo Alto CA 94301, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: An Unincorporated Association other than a Partnership. The name and residence address of the registrant(s) is(are): ETHAN ANDERSON LOOK 1401 Parkinson Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 BRYAN ANDERSON LOOK 1401 Parkinson Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 Registrant began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on 11/19/2018. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on November 21, 2018. (PAW Nov. 30; Dec. 7, 14, 21, 2018) NORTH HANNA FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No.: FBN648585 The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as:
1.) North, 2.) Hanna, located at 133 North Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos, CA 95030, Santa Clara County. This business is owned by: A Corporation. The name and residence address of the registrant(s) is(are): THAO MY CORPORATION 133 North Santa Cruz Ave. Los Gatos, CA 95030 Registrant began transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed above on N/A. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Santa Clara County on November 16, 2018. (PAW Nov. 30; Dec. 7, 14, 21, 2018)
997 All Other Legals NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: DONALD VICTOR DRURY Case No.: 18PR184844 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of DONALD VICTOR DRURY aka DONALD V. DRURY. A Petition for Probate has been filed by: JOANNE HOLMAN STINE in the Superior Court of California, County of SANTA CLARA. The Petition for Probate requests that: JOANNE HOLMAN STINE be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A HEARING on the petition will be held on February 28, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. in Dept.: 12 of the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, located at 191 N. First St., San Jose, CA, 95113. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58 (b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner: Kathleen A. Durrans Aaron, Riechert, Carpol & Riffle, APC 900 Veterans Boulevard, Suite 600 Redwood City, CA 94063 (650) 368-4662 (PAW Nov. 30; Dec. 7, 14, 2018)
Call Alicia Santillan at 650-223-6578 or email asantillan@paweekly.com for assistance with your legal advertising needs.
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Arts & Entertainment A weekly guide to music, theater, art, culture, books and more, edited by Karla Kane
Susan Claassen keeps style icon’s legacy alive by Janet Silver Ghent
W
ith eight Oscars on her shelf and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, costume designer Edith Head (1897-1981) dressed such legends as Mae West, Clara Bow, Bette Davis, Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly during a six-decade career. She also fashioned her own inimitable image: severe bangs and chignon, dark-rimmed glasses and tailored suits in neutral colors, and a sparrow-like appearance that could not subdue an opinionated, larger-than-life personality. Told she would never be beautiful, she opted to be distinctive. “She really came up with this persona and she was like a sponge. She learned it and kept redefining herself,” award-winning actress Susan Claassen said during a phone interview from Coronado, where she was performing in “A Conversation With Edith Head.” The show’s Bay Area premiere runs Dec. 7-16, with a Dec. 6 preview, at Mountain View’s Pear Theatre, where Claassen will be joined onstage by local actor Michael Saenz, who serves as host. Because tickets are selling out quickly, the Pear added additional matinees and a Sunday evening performance. The largely one-woman show, written by Claassen and Paddy Calistro, author of “Edith Head’s Hollywood,” opened in 2002 at Tucson’s Invisible Theatre, where Claassen is in her 48th season as managing artistic director. Since then, Claassen has toured as Head throughout the country as well as to London, Edinburgh and Tbilisi, Georgia. But the local premiere is somewhat of a homecoming, as Head received her undergraduate degree at U.C. Berkeley
Susan Claassen stars in the Bay Area premiere of “A Conversation With Edith Head” at the Pear Theatre. Photo by Michael Craig. in 1919 and her master’s in Romance languages the following year at Stanford University. In addition, Claassen has a long professional and personal association with Pear artistic director Betsy Kruse Craig, formerly of Tucson. “Susan Claassen has been a mentor and friend since 1992, when I did my first show at the Invisible Theatre in Tucson,” Kruse Craig wrote in an email. “I have been fortunate enough to see her tour-de-force performance as Edith Head a number of times. When we were planning the current season at the Pear, it seemed like a perfect fit for our patrons and our space.” While the script grew out of Calistro’s authorized biography, co-written with the designer but published after her death, Claassen spent months researching Head, including studying the designer’s books, “The Dress Doctor” and “How to Dress for Success,” and hours of audiotaped interviews. In the process, she discovered information that the designer guarded during her lifetime. She knew everybody’s secrets but she never repeated them and she was cagey about her own backstory. “There haven’t been any kiss-and-tell books about Edith,” said Claassen, who unveils some of these secrets. For one, Head was a notorious liar. In fact, during a late 1970s interview with this reporter, before one of her touring fashion shows for Vogue patterns, she said her first film was the 1933 “She Done Him Wrong” with Mae West. However, a decade earlier,
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she had designed an elaborate costume of fruits and flowers for an elephant in “The Wanderer,” which the elephant ate. Confronted during a follow-up interview, Head looked this writer in the eye and said unabashedly, “I lied! What’s wrong with making yourself a little younger as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody?” Previously untrained as a costume designer, Head managed to garner a summer job at Paramount in 1923 by submitting sketches “borrowed” from other students at her art school. In addition, like many 20th-century actresses, she concealed her Jewish background. Born Edith Claire Posener to Jewish parents in San Bernardino, California, she took on the surname Spare when her mother remarried. However, the surname that stuck was that of her first husband, Charles Head. In 1940, four years after her divorce, she married art director Wiard (Bill) Ihnen, a marriage that lasted until his death in 1979. Claassen, herself active in Arizona’s Jewish community, enjoys outing the designer, but with flair. In character as Edith, she tosses out a few barbs, grumbling that legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland “told the Hollywood Reporter that I was Jewish. Diana is impossible! Vogue was right to get rid of her. What difference does it make that I was born Jewish? I’m now an ardent Catholic. My mother always told me to blend in.” Said Claassen, “Whenever we have
a Jewish audience, that line gets a great laugh.” Taking on the role of Edith Head was serendipitous. As artistic director at Invisible Theatre, she has watched numerous biography shows seeking ideas for oneperson shows for other actors, “but I never did anything for myself,” she said. However, when she watched Head’s story, she was bowled over. “She was an executive woman before there was such a thing,” she said. Then she did a double take. “Gosh, I look like her!” Reading everything about Head that she could get her hands on, she stumbled upon Calistro’s book, found her phone number “the old-fashioned way, through information,” flew to Santa Monica to meet her, and she and Calistro developed the show. “We were like two magnets,” she said. Sixteen years after its Tucson opening, Claassen has performed “Conversations” nearly 400 times, developing a routine to transform herself into her character. On the day of an evening performance, she stops all tasks unrelated to the show at 2 p.m. Then she has a light meal, goes over the script twice and goes to the theater early, donning a custom-made wig and emulating Head’s voice and posture long before curtain time. After the performance, she continues in character to answer questions from the audience. “Most people know I’m not Edith, but (continued on page 27)
Arts & Entertainment
Edith Head (continued from page 26)
they want to suspend belief,” she said. “I stay as Edith after the show. ... I feel comfortable being able to improvise and answer all their questions.” Over the years, Claassen has had a number of encounters with people who knew the designer, either at Paramount, where she worked until 1967, or at Universal, where she completed work on “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” just weeks before her 1981 death. “People would say she was the biggest attraction on the Universal Studios tour,” Claassen said. “When she heard the ‘beep-beep’ (of the tourist tram as it passed her bungalow), she would grab a sketchpad and go out there. She was so accessible to the public.” In fact, after a performance in What: “A Conversation With Edith Head.” Where: Pear Theatre, 1110 La Avenida St., Mountain View. When: Dec. 7-16, Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., plus Sunday, Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. and preview Thursday, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. Cost: $35, with senior and student discounts. Info: Go to thepear.org or phone 650-254-1148.
Phoenix, a former tour driver at Universal asked “Edith” if she remembered her. “Of course,” the actress replied, recalling the woman’s distinctive beep. Because of questions from the audience, and visits from people who knew Head, “every show is different,” said Claassen, who gives fashion critiques to audience members, much as Head would have. (In fact, the late designer told this reporter her skirt was too long and she had on too many layers.) Before a performance in Solana Beach, near San Diego, Claassen learned that an elderly woman who had modeled for the designer at Paramount would be attending. She brought her into the show. As Edith, she addressed the former model: “We always had an argument about what color you were going to wear. And who won, Gladys?” The woman replied, “You did, Miss Head. You did.” Said Claassen: “It’s such an honor to keep her legacy alive.” Q Freelance writer Janet Silver Ghent can be emailed at ghentwriter@gmail.com.
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For Karla Kane’s review of “K2” at the Dragon Theatre, go to PaloAltoOnline. com/arts.
Music, theater, dance, and more in the heart of Silicon Valley
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Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers
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Called by JazzTimes “the finest jazz-cabaret singer around,” the beloved Bay Area jazz vocalist Paula West offers a program of Bob Dylan and other American standards
Five-time Grammy-winning jazz legend Dianne Reeves brings music from her album, Christmas Time is Here, to the Bing
Two-time Grammy winner Gregory Porter sings the timeless songs of his greatest influence, Nat “King” Cole, in fresh arrangements by Vince Mendoza
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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 30, 2018 • Page 27
Veronica Weber
Maum co-chefs Michael and Meichih Kim stand amid rows of vegetables grown in a Los Altos Hills backyard for the Korean restaurant.
Seeking Korean produce, Maum’s chefs turned to backyard farming in Los Altos by Elena Kadvany he chefs were three months from their restaurant opening, and they had a big problem. Husband-and-wife team Michael and Meichih Kim were expanding what had been a private restaurant for months into an ambitious, tasting-menu only Korean restaurant in the heart of downtown Palo Alto. The problem? Despite the abundance of fresh produce in the Bay Area, quality Korean produce is incredibly hard to come by. “Almost nationwide you either grow it yourself or know people that grow it,” Michael said. They had been pleading with local farmers to custom grow for the 16-seat restaurant, with little luck. “At that point, three months before the restaurant opened, it didn’t look very good for us to get good quality product,” Michael said. One of the farmers the couple had approached was Tarun Marya, a former chef who had recently left the Bay Area to work on a farm in Maui. When that fell through, he returned and reconnected with the two chefs, agreeing to work for them on the land he had access to: the large backyards of his mother and her neighbor’s homes in Los Altos Hills. A partnership was born, and Maum opened on University Avenue in July with the backyard gardens serving as the restaurant’s private farm. The farm and the relationship it engenders enables the kitchen to operate at full creative capacity and to deliver on a menu that is at once modern and nostalgic, marrying the flavors of Korean and Northern California culinary traditions. The sloping hillside behind Marya’s mother’s house, dubbed Luna Vez Farm, now grows daikon
T
Answers to this week’s puzzles, which can be found on page 42.
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radish, shin dong ha (a Korean radish), perilla and minari (Korean watercress, spawned in water from a bundle Michael’s dad brought from his Southern California backyard). There’s also lettuce, Napa cabbage, Hachiya persimmons, a 15-year-old avocado tree, turmeric, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, bee hives (to pollinate the fruit) and two coops of chickens, housing breeds that are known for producing rich eggs. Steps away down a cul-de-sac and through a hole in a wire fence into a neighbor’s backyard is another half-acre of land lined with long rows of colorful peppers, cherry tomatoes, basil, lemon cucumbers, flowers and other produce. “The products that we grow here are the basis for food at the restaurant,” Michael said. The shin dong ha becomes kimchi, diced and sautéed for kkakdugi brisket rice, served at Maum’s long communal table in a massive, shallow bowl reminiscent of paella. Head lettuces serve as vessels for galbi (grilled ribs), kimchi, ssamjang dipping sauce and perilla in the restaurant’s ssam course. With the persimmons, “we’re doing what every chef does in the fall,” Michael said: peeling and drying them. Called gotgam in Korean, they serve the dried Hachiya in a post-dessert course. Ingredients that don’t make it onto the menu are used for Maum’s family meal, feeding the restaurant staff. It’s the farm-to-table relationship of most chefs’ dreams. Michael visits the farm every two to three weeks and Meichih, about once a month, both to check in and for inspiration. On a recent drive to the farm, they pondered how to use impossibly sweet Penelope peas, shelling peas
that Marya taught them can be harvested in the fall rather than spring. They bring their whole staff for farm days and are constantly in communication with Marya, who drops off produce at the restaurant three times a week. They talk frequently about “what’s next or how we can progress at the farm,” Michael said. “That’s how we progress at the restaurant, too. Whenever I’m in a bind for inspiration I just come down here (and) walk around.” Marya, who goes by Runi, was born in Mountain View but spent the majority of the first 18 years of his life in the south of France. He started college in a pre-med program but dropped out and started learning about permaculture and organic farming while working at restaurants. He went on to pursue a degree in environmental studies at the University of San Francisco, started a business building edible backyards, and worked on organic farms and as a pastry chef. He also grew vegetable and grain seeds for food production, selling the seeds in recent years at a stand at the Mountain View and Los Altos farmers markets, where he first met the Kims. Growing Korean crops, though, was mostly a new frontier for Marya. He said he’s drawn on techniques he learned over time — including about Korean natural farming, which focuses on “building a healthy soil biology by using what can be found on the farm or local flora” — and is learning alongside the co-chefs “about new crops and how to integrate them into our food system here.” They’re all excited about 2019, when they’ll be able to plan farther ahead for specific varieties and ramp the farm up to full production. The farm allows Maum, which Michael said means “heart and soul,” to be the fullest expression of itself. Michael is a KoreanAmerican Los Angeles transplant who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena and cooked at Craft in Los Angeles, SPQR in San Francisco and was the opening chef for Namu Gaji, a Korean restaurant in San Francisco. Meichih, who was born in Japan but grew up in Orange County, also comes with fine-dining experience, including at the three-Michelin-star Per Se in New York City and the three-starred Benu and the nowclosed RN74 in San Francisco. Their goal at Maum is to elevate Korean cuisine while honoring the fundamentals. Neither would be possible without the humble ingredients Marya is nurturing just a few miles away. Email Elena Kadvany at ekadvany@paweekly.com.
MOVIES NOW SHOWING Century 16: Fri. - Sun. A Star is Born (R) ++1/2 Century 20: Fri. - Sun.
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2.0 (Not Rated)
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The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (PG) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun.
Bohemian Rhapsody (PG-13) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Boy Erased (R) ++1/2
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Along for the ride
‘Green Book’ follows black pianist and his white driver through the Deep South 001/2 (Century 16 & 20)
Who woulda thunk sexuality, each taken as OPENINGS that Peter Farrelly— a threat by someone. half of the “Farrelly Brothers” And so the stage is set for a tidy team behind movies like “Dumb fable of prejudice confronted and and Dumber” and “There’s overcome. In our “MAGA” times, Something About Mary”—would “Green Book” serves as a remindmake a film that finds itself in the er of our supposedly great but acOscar conversation? But he has. tually fraught past. Sure, dig those His new comedy-drama “Green clean-cut fashions and sleek cars, Book,” an amiable film based on but recall, as the film does, that a true story, follows the thorny blacks valued the advice of “The but ultimately rosy friendship Negro Motorist’s Green Book” between a black pianist and his for help in “traveling while black” white driver forged on the road in and finding accommodating hothe Deep South during the 1960s. tels and restaurants. At a climacThough breezily entertaining, tic moment, “Green Book” also this cinematic vehicle also lurch- recalls how Nat King Cole took es in and out of the usual racial a beating from the Klan on a Birpotholes, making its song of the mingham, Alabama stage in 1956. South — and North — catch in Shirley insisted on his Southern the throat. tours anyway, out of stubbornness Viggo Mortensen stars as Frank and, the film suggests, righteous Anthony Vallelonga, a.k.a. Tony civic duty. Lip, a bouncer at the Copa in Apart from these serious con1962. A thick slab of meat work- siderations, though, “Green ing a plush nightclub, Tony Lip Book” largely runs on mishas earned a rep as a stand-up matched buddy comedy (also guy both uptown and in his na- resonant in a society still hung tive Bronx, within white social up on elitist versus common man circles that only admit blacks as a distinctions), with Ali the Felix to matter of necessity. As such, Tony Mortensen’s Oscar. casually tosses off racial slurs and In corny fashion, the two gestures, as when he throws out broaden each other’s horizons, a glass his wife has offered to a but “Green Book” also queablack home repairman. But his sily brushes against white-savior work suddenly dries up, prompt- tropes, and the script (partly ating Tony to interview for an un- tributed to Valellonga’s son) privlikely job driving and protecting a ileges the viewpoint of Tony by black recording artist on an eight- making him the protagonist and week concert tour well below the the lonely, alcoholic and closeted Mason-Dixon line. Don his emotionally dependent That artist is Jamaican-Amer- foil (a couple of Shirley’s surviican pianist and composer Don vors have denounced the film Shirley (Oscar winner Mahershala on this basis). Ignore that, and Ali), a man who typically strives “Green Book” easily amuses to live above it all in his ostenta- and heart warms, gaining crucial tious apartment above Carnegie buoyancy from its terrific leading Hall. The minute he walks in the performances. But it’s hard not to film, you can see he is a man of feel “Green Book” sells Shirley’s distinction, and although he clear- story short, and for a film so conly regards Vallelonga as uncouth cerned with racial justice, that’s a (which he is, to put it mildly), conspicuous failing. Shirley also cannily recognizes Rated PG-13 for thematic conthe man’s value as someone with tent, language including racial an “innate ability to handle trou- epithets, smoking, some violence ble.” And there will be trouble, and suggestive material. Two because of Shirley’s conspicuous hours, 10 minutes. otherness of race, refinement and — Peter Canavese
Free Solo (PG-13) Guild Theatre: Fri. - Sun.
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Green Book (PG-13) ++1/2 Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun.
Robin Hood (2018) (PG-13) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun. Sons of the Desert (1933) (Not Rated) Stanford Theatre: Fri. - Sun. Way Out West (1937) (Not Rated) Stanford Theatre: Fri. - Sun. Widows (R) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun.
Century 20: Fri. - Sun.
+ Skip it ++ Some redeeming qualities +++ A good bet ++++ Outstanding
Aquarius: 430 Emerson St., Palo Alto (For recorded listings: 327-3241) tinyurl.com Aquariuspa Century Cinema 16: 1500 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View tinyurl.com/Century16 Century 20 Downtown: 825 Middlefield Road, Redwood City tinyurl.com/Century20 CineArts at Palo Alto Square: 3000 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (For information: 493-0128) tinyurl.com/Pasquare Guild: 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park (For recorded listings: 566-8367) tinyurl.com/Guildmp ShowPlace Icon: 2575 California St. #601, Mountain View tinyurl.com/iconMountainView Stanford Theatre: 221 University Ave., Palo Alto (For recorded listings: 324-3700) Stanfordtheatre.org
Find trailers, star ratings and reviews on the web at PaloAltoOnline.com/movies
THE CHRISTMAS BALLET Leap into the holidays! “SHEER JOY!” – SF Chronicle
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Viggo Mortensen, front, and Mahershala Ali star in “ Green Book.”
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (PG-13) Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun.
Ralph Breaks the Internet (PG) +++ Century 16: Fri. - Sun. Century 20: Fri. - Sun. ShowPlace Icon: Fri. - Sun.
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 30, 2018 • Page 29
Home&Real Estate
OPEN HOME GUIDE 39 Also online at PaloAltoOnline.com
A weekly guide to home, garden and real estate news, edited by Elizabeth Lorenz
Home Front HOME GIFT IDEAS ... The Palo Alto Art Center will host a jewelry and ceramics sale on Saturday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The proceeds benefit the participating artists, studios and the Palo Alto Art Center Foundation. The sale will be at the Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road, Palo Alto. Admission is free. For more information, call 650-329-2366.
GARDEN POP-UP SHOP ... For the first time ever, on Tuesday, Dec. 4, from 4-8 p.m and Wednesday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Gamble Garden will host a Holiday Pop-Up Shop. Items will include home goods, art, jams, syrups and other sweets and more. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Gamble Garden, which is located at 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto. For more information, go to gamblegarden.org. HOLIDAY TREE COLLECTION ... For the four weeks following Christmas Day, holiday trees will be collected curbside in Palo Alto. Cut your trees in 4-foot lengths and remove tree stands, ornaments, tinsel and nails. Place the tree next to your green compost cart. Flocked trees will not be accepted. BE FESTIVE WITHOUT WASTE ... The city of Palo Alto has tips for hosting less-wasteful, but still festive celebrations available on its website. Hiring a caterer? Consider choosing one who uses reusable dishes and napkins. Ask the caterer to provide reusable trays that can be returned, or have food presented on your own trays or dishes. If you’re cooking or buying the food yourself, use your own dishes, cloth napkins and utensils. You also can borrow a Zero Waste Party Pack — which includes reusable dishware and utensils— from the city for free, or find a place to rent dishes, napkins, tablecloths and flatware. Skip utensils and plates entirely and serve finger foods. Make recycling convenient (set recycling containers next to garbage containers). For more party tips or information on how to rent a Zero Waste Party Pack, go to bit.ly/ ZeroWastePartyTips. Send notices of news and events related to real estate, interior design, home improvement and gardening to Home Front, Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302, or email elorenz@ paweekly.com. Deadline is one week before publication.
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All the home’s Getting tting a house ready to sell has become come an industry of its own by David Goll | photos by Veronica Weber
W
hen a real estate agent helps an owner put a Midpeninsula home on the market, besides carefully setting the price and scheduling open houses, there is now another universally standard practice that can boost the selling price of a home — staging. Preparing properties inside and out for prospective buyers can increase a home’s sale price and also cut time spent on the market. The practice has spawned a 21st-century industry. “It has become a very widespread practice in this area,” said David Barca, vice president of the Silicon Valley Region for Pacific Union International Inc. “I would say at least 80 percent of the homes listed in Menlo Park, Palo Alto and Atherton are staged to a greater or lesser extent.” As recently as the 1990s, the practice was virtually unheard of, Barca said. He recalled that his wife, Elyse Barca, currently a Realtor in the Menlo Park office of Pacific Union, handled a house sale in the 1990s where the property underwent a cleanup and improvement to make it look a bit less “lived-in” to potential buyers. “In those days, that was very unique,” he said. He said, however, that by the early- to mid2000s, home staging became far more accepted and common among local home sellers. “People listing their homes in our area are trying to optimize, or maximize, their selling price,” he said. “They can afford the expense of staging and for every dollar they spend, it can generate $5 to $7 in return, an increase of between 12 and 18 percent in the price.” The early 2000s is when Sally Shreve — a Palo Alto native, Stanford graduate and young business woman at the time — launched her home-staging company, Mountain View-based Van Cott Design Group. Shreve named her new company after her grandmother, who had long had an interest in design. “Unlike a lot of people in the (home-staging) business, I don’t have a background in design,” Shreve said. “My background was in business.” Big business. Shreve held management positions in the high-tech industry, managing companies ranging in annual revenue from $60 million to $350 million, for a quarter century before launching her new endeavor. Because of her background, Shreve focused her fledgling business on working most closely with real estate agents, making sure all of their needs were met. “We focused on the Realtors, and if we were staging a house for them in Menlo Park and they needed us to help them with a property in Fremont, we’d do it,” Shreve said. “And maybe it’s just some flowers or pillows or a mirror, but we specialized in always saying ‘yes.’” She credits that approach — and a whole lot of hard work by herself and others in her company — with expanding it dramatically over the past 16 years. Van Cott now has the inventory and personnel sufficient to stage 45 to 50 houses. Shreve regularly attends annual home furnishings shows in Las Vegas and New York to find the latest, trendiest decor to fit in with
Page 30 • November 30, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
The transformation: Top, the Los Altos living room is ready for staging. Bottom, Susan Bacchi places one last item on a table in the newly decorated space. today’s neutral residential palettes. Staging isn’t cheap: Shreve’s company charges both monthly rental and design fees. Monthly rental charges range from $6,000 to $7,000 for a 10,000-square-foot house that is fully staged — filled with new furniture, artwork, accessories and window treatments. For a small home or condominium, the monthly rental can run between $1,500 to $3,000. Design fees can run even higher, she said. This is all money well spent, said Xin Jiang, an agent in the Palo Alto office of Alain Pinel Realtors. “Staging is critical today,” said Jiang, who specializes in Palo Alto and Menlo Park neighborhoods, and has used the Van Cott Design Group’s services. “Prospective buyers can envision how a home can look, how they can use various rooms in the house.” Staging is strategic, she said. “Eighty percent of selling a home is in the presentation,” Jiang said. “When buyers walk into a house, they will often pay more attention to the more cosmetic things.” Jiang will use home-stagers to bring in new light fixtures, door handles, artwork, flower arrangements and rugs to update and refresh the look of a home. It helps during robust markets, as in the past few years, when staged houses might be snapped up in a week or 10 days. Or in slower markets, as some in the industry are predicting for this fall, when houses may linger for a month to six weeks or longer. When homes move quickly, staging companies double up on monthly fees by shifting furniture and decor to new locations. Jiang sometimes must call multiple staging
companies during the busy spring, summer and fall seasons. Another company she calls upon is Mountain View-based Susan Bacchi Design. Bacchi recalls the earliest days of her company more than a decade ago, when she would carry around her infant daughter in a front pack as she went about building her business. For Bacchi, staging is all about meeting the “aspirational goals” of potential buyers. She takes into account American buyers, but also those from China looking to buy on the Midpeninsula. She will add pops of vibrant color in flowers, accent pieces and even wall color to accommodate Asian tastes, as well as position furniture and accent pieces to appeal to feng shui concerns. “Buyers want to see if a certain-sized bed can fit into a room,” she said. “They want to see how parts of the house can be used for family activities, how they can incorporate play, family rooms and TV-viewing areas.” Staging can encompass all aspects of a property from window treatments and exterior paint color to landscaping, light fixtures and carpeting, Bacchi said. Though there are undeniable challenges, Shreve said in a robust, affluent market like the Midpeninsula, staging companies have found a home sweet home. “The market here has been strong a long time,” she said. “Staging helps properties sell faster at higher prices. In a down market, which is rare, people often want to stage their home to make it stand out.”Q David Goll is a freelance writer for the Palo Alto Weekly. He can be emailed at david.w.goll@gmail.com.
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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 30, 2018 • Page 31
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www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 30, 2018 • Page 33
LIVE SILICON VALLEY 3414 Kenneth Drive, Palo Alto Offered at $2,795,000 Gary Campi · 650.917.2433 License #00600311
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Page 34 • November 30, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
OPEN HOUSE SAT/SUN 1:00 - 4:00 PM
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2775 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94306 Phone: (650)321-1596 Fax: (650)328-1809 www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 30, 2018 • Page 39
Sports Shorts NCAA SOCCER ...The top-ranked and top-seeded Stanford women’s team opens its ninth appearance in the College Cup on Friday when it faces No. 5 Florida State in a national semifinal at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. The Cardinal (21-0-2) advanced to its eighth College Cup in 11 seasons by way of a 2-0 win over No. 10 Tennessee on Friday. Stanford rides a program-record 45-game unbeaten streak into Friday, the fifth-longest such streak in NCAA history and longest since 1998. Friday’s game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. on ESPNU . . . In the quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive season and eighth time in program history, threetime defending NCAA champion and No. 9 seed Stanford (12-3-5) hosts Akron (13-6-2) on Friday at 6 p.m.
NCAA WATER POLO ... No. 3 Stanford men’s water polo, the 2018 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Champions, will begin play in the NCAA Championships on Saturday, Dec. 1, at 3 p.m. at Avery Aquatic Center. Stanford is making its 32nd appearance in the NCAA Championships. COACHES WANTED ... Sacred Heart Prep has the following coaching opportunities for the upcoming spring season (Feb. 1st - May 15th): Baseball (varsity assistant coach and JV assistant coach); Boys Golf (varsity assistant and JV head coach); Coed Swimming (varsity assistant and JV assistant coach); Coed Track & Field (jumps coach and throws coach). Please contact Frank Rodriguez (frodriguez@ shschools.org or 650.473.4031) with questions or expressions of interest.
ON THE AIR Friday
College women’s soccer: Stanford vs. Florida State, 4:30 p.m., ESPNU College men’s soccer: Akron at Stanford, 6 p.m., Pac-12 Networks College women’s volleyball: Alabama State at Stanford, 7 p.m., Pac-12 Plus Live Stream
Saturday
College football: Stanford at California, noon, Pac-12 Networks College men’s basketball: Stanford at Kansas, 2:30 p.m., ESPN College women’s volleyball: NCAA second round at Stanford, 6 p.m., Pac12 Networks
Sunday
College women’s soccer: NCAA championship match, 10 a.m., ESPNU
www.PASportsOnline.com For expanded daily coverage of college and prep sports, visit www.PASportsOnline.com
Senior Deston Hawkins has become Menlo-Atherton’s most productive runner. The Bears hope he can produce again Friday night against Wilcox.
CCS OPEN DIVISION I
Menlo-Atherton focused on being successful
Undefeated Wilcox presents unique challenge by Glenn Reeves he Menlo-Atherton defense has been playing at a high level of late. Last week the Bears only allowed seven points to a Palo Alto team averaging 37 points per game in a 17-7 victory. This week M-A faces a unique challenge in No. 1 seed Wilcox (12-0) in the Central Coast Section Open Division I championship game Friday at 7 p.m. at Independence High. The Chargers run the veer, an offense that few teams run because of the difficulty in mastering the timing it requires. Wilcox
T
and De La Salle are two teams in the Bay Area that run it, both with great success. “It’s a hard offense to stop, for sure,’’ M-A coach Adhir Ravipati said. “It’s different from what we’ve seen all year. What stands out is how fast these guys get off the line of scrimmage. They snap the ball and just like that the running back is three or four yards down field or the quarterback has made his fake and is pitching it. It’s like death by small cuts, three or four yards at a time, eating up the clock.’’ Wilcox has had good teams
year in and year out, but this year has in large part avoided the fumble, often a bugaboo of the veer offense and the speed at which it tries to operate. And this season the Chargers are more effective than usual in the passing game. Quarterback Alex Adame, while still only asked to throw sparingly, has completed 50 passes for 1,085 yards and 17 touchdowns. The Wilcox running backs, as is usually the case, are the stars of the show. Paul Rosa, son of the head coach, has rushed for 1,292 yards and 16 touchdowns, Gabe Herrera for 1,162 yards and 17 TDs. “Herrera is so tough to tackle,’’
Ravipati said. “He’s thick and runs hard. He makes what looks like a 1-yard gain and takes it another 3 yards. But their best football player all-around is Rosa. He can kick, run, catch and throw. And as a free safety he can cover sideline to sideline.’’ Menlo-Atherton (10-2), the No. 2 seed, is on an eight-game winning streak. During those eight games the Bears have scored 284 points and allowed 53. With a win over Wilcox M-A would win its second CCS Open Division I title in the last three years. That 2016 team was also (continued on page 41)
CCS OPEN DIVISION III
A big test for Sacred Heart Prep defense
Gators hope to slow offensive-minded Aptos by Glenn Reeves he Sacred Heart Prep-Aptos Central Coast Section Open Division III championship game is shaping up as a classic offense vs. defense matchup. Aptos scored a combined 111 points in its two playoff wins, 6237 over Terra Nova and 49-6 over Palma. Sacred Heart Prep won a couple of much more defensiveoriented contests, 13-7 over St. Ignatius and 19-7 over Sacred Heart Cathedral. Aptos is the top scoring team in the CCS at 46.3 points per game.
T
Page 40 • November 30, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com
Sacred Heart Prep is allowing just 12.5 points per game. “It should be a great game, I think the most intriguing game of the whole weekend,’’ said Aragon coach Steve Sell, whose team has played both Aptos and SHP this season. “Both teams execute extremely well, tackle extremely well. But I’ll tell you, I don’t think there’s a team in the entire CCS playing offense as well as Aptos is right now. Sacred Heart Prep is going to have to play the defensive game of their lives to (continued on page 41)
Eric Taylor
READ MORE ONLINE
Bob Dahlberg
NCAA VOLLEYBALL ... Top-ranked and top-seeded Stanford (28-1) begins its quest for a record eighth national title this week, hosting the NCAA First and Second Rounds at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal faces SWAC champion Alabama State (2317) in the opening round on Friday night at 7 p.m. Saturday’s match is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Tommy Barnds has rushed for over 500 yards as part of a varied Gators running attack.
M-A football (continued from page 40)
playing great defense late in the season, turning in shutouts over Bellarmine and Milpitas in the CCS semifinals and finals. Offensively the teams are a little different. The 2016 offense was essentially a two-man gang with dual-threat quarterback Aajon Johnson and superb running back
Jordan Mims, who is now playing a starring role at Fresno State. The current team has more of a pass-first quarterback in Jack Alexander, who has played only four games due to injuries, and a deeper committee skill-position approach at running back and receiver. For much of the season, while Alexander was out, the Bears were forced to use receiver Justin Anderson and running back Jaeden Barker at quarterback and
Karen Ambrose Hickey
Karen Ambrose Hickey
Placekicker Anthony Waller has become a potent weapon for the Menlo-Atherton football team.
Menlo-Atherton quarterback Jack Alexander hands the ball off to Deston Hawkins.
were able to utilize only a fraction of their playbook. Alexander has thrown for 749 yards and 11 touchdowns in the four games he’s played. Deston Hawkins has emerged as a go-to option at running back. He rushed for 136 yards in the win over Palo Alto and leads the team in rushing on the season with 852 yards and nine touchdowns. Sophomore Troy Franklin leads the team in receptions with 20 for
354 yards and eight touchdowns. It might be expected that winning a second CCS championship in the last three years would be a major goal and a motivating factor for the M-A team, But Ravipati says that is not the case, that it’s all about focusing on the task at hand. “We don’t talk about champion-
ship game or championship week or anything like that.’’ Ravipati said. “We keep it at what we need to do to be successful against Wilcox. Be able to get stops and move the ball with some rhythm on offense, which is something we haven’t been doing, and winning on special teams.’’ Q
ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
SHP football (continued from page 40)
Eric Taylor
slow down Aptos.’’ Sacred Heart Prep coach Mark Grieb acknowledges how well his defense has been playing and the importance of continuing to do so against Aptos, but also pointed out the role his offense needs to play. “Our defense rose to the occasion last week, holding (Sacred Heart Cathedral) to seven points,’’ Grieb said. “We also had a phenomenal effort on offense. We started the game with an eight-minute drive. That really established the tone of the game. We have to bring that same mentality to have a chance against Aptos.’’ In other words, control the ball and clock with your offense and minimize the amount of time your defense spends on the field contending with the Aptos offense. Aptos runs the Wing-T, a very common high school offense. But the way Aptos runs it puts the Mariners in another category altogether. Coach Randy Blankenship is recognized as one of the top Wing-T authorities in the nation. “That’s as good a Wing-T offense as I’ve seen in a long time,’’ said Terra Nova coach Tim Adams, another coach whose team played both SHP and Aptos this season. “How do you replicate it in practice? I think it will be a competitive game. My heart will be with Sacred Heart Prep. I think Mark is a heck of a coach and a great guy. But I think any way you look at it Sacred Heart Prep has got to be considered the underdog.’’
Sacred Heart Prep’s Brian Tinsley plays many roles, including punter and punt returner. And that’s despite Aptos (10-2) entering the playoffs as the No. 5 seed and Sacred Heart Prep (11-1) as the No. 2 seed. But that 49-6 demolition Aptos pinned on No. 1 Palma last week opened a lot of eyes. Aptos typically spreads the ball to numerous ball carriers. Marcos Reyes has been the team leader this season with 1,168 regularseason yards rushing. “He’s a tough, physical player and also a very good inside linebacker,’’ Grieb said. “What strikes you is how disciplined they are and how their kids play low and quick off the ball.’’
The Mariners average 44 carries and only seven pass attempts per game. Tevita Moimoi leads Sacred Heart Prep with 904 yards rushing, and like Reyes also excels as a linebacker on defense. And in SHP’s fly sweep offense more than one ball carrier is utilized. Fullback John Willard has rushed for 579 yards and flyback Tommy Barnds for 508 yards this season. Sophomore quarterback Raymond Price III isn’t asked to throw a lot, but has progressed in his role as a game manager with seven touchdown passes as opposed to just two interceptions.Q
Anna Smith
Deston Hawkins
MENLO-ATHERTON WRESTLING
MENLO-ATHERTON FOOTBALL
The junior won all five of her bouts at last weekend’s season-opening Bear Bash, attended by over 140 wrestlers, by pins to dominate her division. Only two matches went to a secnd period.
The senior running back gained 136 yards to help the Bears beat Palo Alto in the CCS semifinals. Hawkins carried the ball on seven straight plays en route to scoring M-A’s final touchdown.
Honorable mention Evelyn Calhoon
Daniel Heimuli
Lauren Fuller
Jack Kirkham
Tevah Gevelber*
Tevita Moimoi
Charlotte Levison
Kamran Murray
Lauren McDonnell
Treavon Norton
Charlotte Tomkinson
Henry Saul*
Menlo-Atherton wrestling Menlo-Atherton wrestling Castilleja cross country Sacred Heart Prep basketball Menlo-Atherton wrestling Menlo cross country
Menlo-Atherton football Sacred Heart Prep football Sacred Heart Prep football Menlo cross country Menlo-Atherton football Palo Alto cross country *Previous winner
Watch video interviews of the Athletes of the Week, go to PASportsOnline.com
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 30, 2018 • Page 41
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Answers on page 28.
Answers on page 28.
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47 “___ & Greg” (1990s-2000s sitcom) 48 Scratches the surface? 49 “Check this out!” 51 “Family Matters” neighbor Steve 54 Former “American Idol” judge DioGuardi 55 “Waiting For My Rocket to Come” singer Jason 56 Give forth 58 “I can’t believe this,” in online slang 59 Scottish “no” 60 12th letter of the alphabet, when spelled out 61 Language suffix 62 DVR remote button ©2018 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com)
Pacific Hearing Service Invites You to a Hearing Symposium
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interactions and perceptual computing technologies at the
company’s research and product development
Liquid Crystal Institute of Kent State University, Kyung Hee
efforts. Prior to joining Starkey, Dr. Bhowmik
University, Seoul, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar,
was vice president and general manager of
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where he is on the board of advisors for the Fung Institute
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© 2018 Starkey. All Rights Reserved. 11/18 291491921
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • November 30, 2018 • Page 43
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Coldwell Banker ® brings together more home buyers and sellers worldwide.
Naseem Faria 408.338.9932 naseem.faria@cbnorcal.com CalRE #01809674
COLDWELLBANKERHOMES.COM The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. ©2018 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. 414911SFSV_07/18 CalRE #01908304.
Page 44 • November 30, 2018 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com