Palo Alto Seeks to Spur Downtown Housing Growth

Fueled by an $800,000 grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), an advisory committee has kicked off efforts to bring more housing growth to downtown Palo Alto. Accepting that grant alone was controversial, as two years ago, the council was split 4-3 on whether to work on downtown housing growth. However, changes to state law, housing element requirements and the rising cost of housing have all pushed the city to kick off these efforts.

The committee has already decided that a good area to focus on would be near Caltrain, specifically between Forest and Everett, but would include efforts across the 90 acres comprising downtown. Some areas they have decided to look at include removing the 50-foot height limit, loosening certain zoning restrictions and requiring mixed-use retail at ground level. The committee will continue to meet throughout the summer and hopes to have a presentation to council by September.

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Source: Palo Alto Online

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