CGF: News: First Test of New Stanford Community Plan

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First Test of New Stanford Community Plan

by Denice Dade and Kathy Switky

With the passage of Stanford's new Community Plan and General Use Permit after a hard-fought two-year struggle, it's easy to feel that it's time to relax. After all, the General Use Permit outlines protections for the foothills for the next 25 years. But reality has set in quickly. The Carnegie Foundation's proposal to develop a 21,000-square foot building, parking lot, and road in the foothills is the first test of the new planning regulations. The Santa Clara County Planning Commission approved the project over the objections of the City of Palo Alto, Committee for Green Foothills, and other environmental groups.

The Committee filed an appeal to prevent the project from destroying open space in the foothills — including habitat for the imperiled California Tiger Salamander. In May, the Supervisors held a hearing on the appeal.

Bad news: Board supports project over Kniss' objection
Supervisor Liz Kniss presented a motion to grant the Committee's appeal and fully deny Carnegie's proposed development, but was unable to gain support. Instead, the Board passed a motion declaring their intent to approve the Use Permit and certify the Environmental Impact Report for the project — with the caveat that Carnegie's project must conform to the protections established in the Stanford Community Plan.

Good news: Board backs Community Plan protections
The Supervisors asked Carnegie to revise their proposal so that it is consistent with the Community Plan. To comply, Carnegie must:
• Place all structures, roads and parking lots inside the Academic Growth Boundary (AGB)
• Use the existing access road or alternative road inside the AGB, and protect the Special Conservation Area from road construction
• Commit no development on the remaining 18.5 acres of the leased twenty-acre parcel

The existing access road, located inside the AGB, belongs to the Behavioral Sciences Center, and the center has so far refused to allow Carnegie to use the road. Before the project can be officially approved, Carnegie must return to the Board of Supervisors with their amended plan and an access road agreed on by all parties. We expect this to happen within the next few months.

The Committee remains vigilant
Although Carnegie has produced a new site plan, moving their building even further inside the Academic Growth Boundary — the equivalent of a city's urban growth boundary — the Committee for Green Foothills will work to ensure that the project meets all the requirements of the Stanford Community Plan, including:
• Special Conservation Area — no physical improvements (not related to conservation) are to be allowed n Academic Growth Boundary — the County has the responsibility to survey and document the location of the AGB
• Revised Environmental Impact Report — addressing inadequacies of the original report, and describing the revised proposal
• Conservation Easement for the California Tiger Salamander — defining the baseline environmental conditions to be protected, the uses permitted within the easement, and the means for long-term enforcement
• Oak Tree Mitigation — for any oak trees lost in the development, including any existing access road extensions.

Published August 2001 in Green Footnotes .
Page last updated June 4, 2002 .

Photo by Mike Kahn www.kahncious.net.


	News Subscribe to Our Newsletter Sign up for Email Updates CGF In the News Press Inquiries Past Articles Calendar			First Test of New Stanford Community Plan by Denice Dade and Kathy Switky With the passage of Stanford's new Community Plan and General Use Permit after a hard-fought two-year struggle, it's easy to feel that it's time to relax. After all, the General Use Permit outlines protections for the foothills for the next 25 years. But reality has set in quickly. The Carnegie Foundation's proposal to develop a 21,000-square foot building, parking lot, and road in the foothills is the first test of the new planning regulations. The Santa Clara County Planning Commission approved the project over the objections of the City of Palo Alto, Committee for Green Foothills, and other environmental groups. The Committee filed an appeal to prevent the project from destroying open space in the foothills — including habitat for the imperiled California Tiger Salamander. In May, the Supervisors held a hearing on the appeal. Bad news: Board supports project over Kniss' objection Supervisor Liz Kniss presented a motion to grant the Committee's appeal and fully deny Carnegie's proposed development, but was unable to gain support. Instead, the Board passed a motion declaring their intent to approve the Use Permit and certify the Environmental Impact Report for the project — with the caveat that Carnegie's project must conform to the protections established in the Stanford Community Plan. Good news: Board backs Community Plan protections The Supervisors asked Carnegie to revise their proposal so that it is consistent with the Community Plan. To comply, Carnegie must: • Place all structures, roads and parking lots inside the Academic Growth Boundary (AGB) • Use the existing access road or alternative road inside the AGB, and protect the Special Conservation Area from road construction • Commit no development on the remaining 18.5 acres of the leased twenty-acre parcel The existing access road, located inside the AGB, belongs to the Behavioral Sciences Center, and the center has so far refused to allow Carnegie to use the road. Before the project can be officially approved, Carnegie must return to the Board of Supervisors with their amended plan and an access road agreed on by all parties. We expect this to happen within the next few months. The Committee remains vigilant Although Carnegie has produced a new site plan, moving their building even further inside the Academic Growth Boundary — the equivalent of a city's urban growth boundary — the Committee for Green Foothills will work to ensure that the project meets all the requirements of the Stanford Community Plan, including: • Special Conservation Area — no physical improvements (not related to conservation) are to be allowed n Academic Growth Boundary — the County has the responsibility to survey and document the location of the AGB • Revised Environmental Impact Report — addressing inadequacies of the original report, and describing the revised proposal • Conservation Easement for the California Tiger Salamander — defining the baseline environmental conditions to be protected, the uses permitted within the easement, and the means for long-term enforcement • Oak Tree Mitigation — for any oak trees lost in the development, including any existing access road extensions. Published August 2001 in Green Footnotes . Page last updated June 4, 2002 .