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Preliminary Review for El Camino Property

Feb 052017

Palo Alto City Council Meeting – Monday, Feb 13, 2017 6PM

Barron Square Owners and Residents are urged to attend or write to the Council to oppose the upzoning of the adjacent property at 4146 El Camino Real from RM-15 to RM-30.

Most, if not all, residents of Barron Square have received notices from the City of Palo Alto that the City Council will hold a Preliminary Review to Rezone the Vacant Property at 4146 El Camino Real, adjacent to Barron Square. As of this time, the plans submitted to the City are for 21 condominiums to be built on the 3/4 acre parcel with access from El Camino Real and under the building parking, essentially the same as was submitted to the Architectural Review Board in 2014.

Many of our current residents are new to Barron Square and may not be familiar with the history of the adjacent property, but clearly the upzoning of this property and the construction of a three-story block of houses could have a significant impact on Barron Square. An article describing the proposed project appeared here in 2014. The “Adjacent Property Committee” appointed by the Board has been monitoring the situation and one of the members, Ruth Lowy, has provided an excellent write-up on the history of the property and the problems we envision for the new development. Additonal documents are available:

Staff Report for February 13, 2017 City Council meeting.
Submitted Plan set for 4146 El Camino Real (very large document)

There are several basic questions which need to be considered:

Ingress/Egress to the property – The current design clearly indicates that access to the property will be via El Camino Real and NOT via Thain Way. Thain Way ENDS at the cul-de-sac adjacent to buildings 7 and 10 and the only point of connection which could be made is the 10′ section of fence which abuts the cul-de-sac. The current designs shows that at that point the adjacent property would be 10′ below ground level for under the building parking. So, in spite of the desire by the former head of the ARB for ‘connectivity between the communities’ and a bike path for the kids going to school, unless the laws of gravity are repealed, such a connection is not feasible. Both the fire lane from the cul-de-sac to the gate at El Camino and the parking area along building 10 are the PRIVATE property of Barron Square and not available for access.

Privacy and Security – A number of residents have expressed concerns regarding access from El Camino Real to Thain Way via the new property. Before the fire lane was gated and locked we experienced a considerable amount of vandalism and petty crime and recently there have been a number of autos vandalized and an attempted break in at one of the condominiums. Again, if the current design is maintained, the vertical separation of the properties will serve as a deterrent. We are also planning additional deterrents to entry from the El Camino side of the Barron Square property.

Zoning and Compatibility – Palo Alto Code, chapter 18.13.060 establishes “Multiple Family Context-Based Design Criteria” It states that “development in a multiple-family residential district shall be responsible to its context and compatible with adjacent development.” “Context” used in this section is intended to indicate relationships between the site’s development to adjacent street types, surrounding land uses, and on-site or nearby natural features, such as creeks or trees. Effective transitions to these adjacent uses and features are strongly reinforced by Comprehensive Plan policies…” “Compatibility” is achieved when the apparent scale and mass of new buildings share general characteristics and establishes design linkages with the overall buildings to maintain visual unity of the neighborhood or street.

The developer is currently asking for rezoning of the El Camino parcel from RM-15 (15 residential units per acre) to RM-30 to allow building 21 units. This would be a continuation of the disproportionate amount of high density development in the South Palo Alto area.

The three-story buildings present a significant visual impact and encroachment on the daylight plane. One Barron Square owner has requested that a ‘daylight plane’ study be required to determine if there would be a detrimental effect on the residents in the nearby Barron Square buildings.

We urge all owners and residents at Barron Square review the facts here and express their opinions to the City Council.

The Adjacent Property committee is urging that we oppose the upzoning to RM-30 by writing to the City Council and/or attending the Council meeting on February 13th at 6PM. Council Chambers are located in the Civic Center at 250 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto, CA. Carpooling is recommended if you plan to attend.

Deck Replacement Project for 2017

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Dec 032016

Important Notice

In the course of dry rot and paint project, the contractor identified a number of balconies which showed significant structural wood deterioration. These decks were not part of the scope of the project, but more importantly, required engineering analysis and preparation of architectural drawings before repairs could be performed. Richard Avelar, the architects supervising the current repair project are preparing the drawings and we anticipate that this project will begin, weather permitting, in early 2017. In the interim, the decks have been shored up for safety.

Until repairs or reconstruction of these decks can be performed, it is recommended that residents refrain from using these decks (see memo from Richard Avelar & Associates).

Affected units include:

524 Thain Way
553 Thain Way
4124 Thain Way
4132 Thain Way
4133 Thain Way
4137 Thain Way
4148 Thain Way
4152 Thain Way

Painting Project Wrap Up

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Dec 022016

It looks like our contractors, AC Enterprises, are going to finish their work on schedule. The dry rot repairs, except for the decks that need to be replaced, are finished and the painters should wrap up their work in the next 2 weeks. Combined with the lighting replacement project, Barron Square should have a fresh new look for the holidays.

Now is the time we need your help…

Please look around your unit and let us know if there is anything which seems to have been missed or improperly done. Please note that some dry rot problems were deemed to be insignificant AT THIS TIME and could be deferred until the next painting cycle in 7 years. If you see something which you feel needs attention, please fill out the inspection form and send it to PML as soon as possible so we can notify the contractor.

Fence painting

The contract specifies that the contractor will paint the EXTERIOR side of all fences AND the DIVIDING fences between adjacent patios. According to the CC&Rs:

“Each Owner shall maintain and keep in repair everything in his Unit and shall have the…right to paint or decorate the interior surface of the backyard fence, subject to the prior written approval of color by the Board.“

If you have painted or stained your side of the dividing fence and wish to maintain it that way or if you have plantings which you can not remove for painting, please notify PML and/or the contractor as soon as possible. Otherwise, please move all obstructions so that the painters can access the dividing fences for painting.

The Board thanks you for your cooperation and patience during this project.

Lights for the Holidays

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Dec 022016

The project to replace all of the lighting fixtures at Barron Square will begin on December 8th, (just in time for the holidays).

All of the light fixtures at the doorways, stairways, and garages will be replaced by the new Galen style shown in the photo. The 4 post lamps at the pool will also be replaced by matching fixtures. Your patio and deck lights will be replaced with a similar smaller fixture. The new fixtures will have LED bulbs for energy conservation and this will reduce our common area lighting costs. All of the work will be done externally by our electrical contractor, United Electric. They will need to access your patio or deck, but there should be no need for them to enter you unit.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have replaced the original Barron Square light fixtures on your deck or patio, you will need to file an Architectural Review Request if you wish to keep your current fixtures. Preference will be given to maintaining the architectural uniformity of our buildings.

Barron Square is “Fobulous”

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Nov 242016

All the locks on the pool gates, clubhouse, tennis court and ECR gate have now been replaced with a new system using RFID key fobs. Both pool gates have been replaced with new, steel gates which meet the Santa Clara County code for swimming pools.

To use the new fobs, simply touch the fob to the black area on the front of the lock. A green light will indicate that the lock is unlocked and you can open the door or gate. The lock code which was used until the fobs had been distributed will be removed on Sunday, November 27th.

PLEASE NOTE: All residents have been issued two (2) key fobs to replace the previous keys for the recreational areas. If you did NOT receive your fobs, or if you encounter problems using them, please contact Maurice Green (650-493-5914) or PML. Offsite owners will be provided a key fob upon written request to PML.

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