Category: Housing

Local News Roundup: November 5, 2018

Here are some recent news stories of interest to College Terrace and the surrounding area.

Guest Opinion: Stanford Is Quietly Buying Up Houses
CTRA’s Stanford observer, Pria Graves, wrote an op-ed in the Daily Post covering the issues surrounding Stanford’s recent home purchases (30, at last count) in College Terrace.

JPMorgan Chase Opening Campus at Research Park
Following its acquisition of WePay, a Redwood City startup, JPMorgan Chase announced it will build a 195,000-square-foot “fintech” campus at the Stanford Research Park that will house up to 1,000 employees.

First Hydrogen Fuel Station in Palo Alto Opening Soon
The Shell station on El Camino in Barron Park will be the first hydrogen fuel station between Mountain View and South San Francisco.

And, finally, don’t forget to vote on Tuesday! If you’re still figuring out your ballot, check out the Palo Alto Weekly’s voter guide (including interviews with all city council and school board candidates), Palo Alto Neighborhood’s City Council Candidates Questionnaire and the League of Women Voters of Palo Alto’s election guide (including pros/cons for all of the state propositions).

Local News Roundup: July 9, 2018

Here are some recent news stories of interest to College Terrace and the surrounding area.

Local Developer Buys College Terrace Center (July 3)
The College Terrace Center has a new owner, Blox Ventures, who will continue the search for a tenant to replace the failed College Terrace Market. In related news, the $2,000 per day fine for the market being vacant (per the original agreement with the city) is set to begin on July 10.

Sun of Wolf Opens on California Ave (July 2)
Combining “Old World Mexican roots and modern Bay Area flavors,” three cousins whose parents own Palo Alto Sol next door have opened a new restaurant on California Avenue.

More Stanford Housing, But Worse Traffic? (June 29)
The Palo Alto City Council discussed the draft environmental analysis of Stanford’s expansion plans and the potential impact of new on-campus housing on the surrounding community.

Local News Roundup: June 25, 2018

Here are some recent news stories of interest to College Terrace and the surrounding area.

Study Highlights Impact of Adding Stanford Housing (June 22)
A new draft Environmental Impact Report for Stanford’s General Use Permit application (“Stanford GUP”) examines two development alternatives that call for more on-campus housing.

Whizzing Cyclists are Putting Pedestrians On Edge (June 15)
Recent changes to the California Avenue pedestrian tunnel under the train tracks were designed to improve accessibility, but have left some worrying about their safety.

Long-Awaited Dog Park to Open in North Palo Alto (June 13)
Palo Alto’s first new dog park in 25 years has opened in Peers Park (on Park Blvd, across El Camino from College Terrace). At 0.7 acres, it’s the largest of the city’s four dog parks.

Local News Roundup: May 28, 2018

Here are some recent news stories of interest to College Terrace and the surrounding area.

Stanford ‘Ghost’ Houses to Get New Life (May 28)
As discussed with Stanford representatives at the May 16 CTRA meeting, several Stanford-owned homes in College Terrace, which have been vacant for a year or more, will soon be demolished and rebuilt.

College Terrace Coyote Sightings Draw Concern (May 25)
The Weekly does a thorough recap of Peter Gotcher’s presentation to the CTRA board at the May 16 CTRA meeting regarding the recent uptick in coyote sightings in our neighborhood.

New Principals Named for Paly, Escondido, Fairmeadow Schools (May 18)
With Escondido principal Chuck Merritt retiring, the district has named Marcela Simões de Carvalho as the new Escondido principal. Simões de Carvalho is currently the principal of Gabriela Mistral Elementary School in the Mountain View/Whisman School District.

Affordable Housing Fees From Stanford Could Raise $156 Million (May 15)
Santa Clara County could collect at least $156 million in affordable housing dollars from Stanford University in the coming years if the university opts to build out all the new space it has plans for, based on a fee supervisors approved on May 8.

Local News Roundup: April 23, 2018

This is the first of a (hopefully) regular series highlighting news stories of interest to College Terrace and the surrounding area.

Palo Alto’s Vin Vino Wine Sold to New Owners (April 13)
Vin Vino Wine, which has been on California Avenue for more than thirty years, has been sold to new owners who plan to renovate the space and expand the business.

Supervisors Set Aside $6M For Teacher Housing in Palo Alto (April 17)
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to set aside $6 million in an affordable-housing fund toward the potential construction of a below-market-rate complex on Grant Ave. (near the California Ave. business district) for teachers and school staff.

Worried by Rail Redesign, Residents Seek to Save Their Homes (April 17)
Neighbors in Southgate (just across El Camino from College Terrace) and Old Palo Alto have created an alliance to influence the city’s decision on the railroad reconfiguration at Churchill and Alma. The group is concerned that some of the options the city is considering may involve seizing up to 36 residential properties through eminent domain.

“Workforce Housing” Project Scores a Victory (April 22)
On Thursday morning, Palo Alto’s Architectural Review Board (ARB) endorsed the 57-unit development proposed at 2755 El Camino Real: the corner of El Camino and Page Mill currently used as a VTA parking lot.