It was also amusing watching Tom DuBois smile when asking why Casti was on its own “discipline” panel which will be monitoring violations and handing out penalties
Castilleja must work hard and long to regain the trust lost by 19+ years of CUP non-compliance and the submission of incorrect gross floor area in all of their expansion plans.
They are not an inexperienced, short of cash institution. How such an error was made for 5-1/2 years is astounding! Fascinating.
Watching Lait squirm and mumble would have been amusing if this fiasco hadn’t taken so much tine and cost US the taxpayers so much money.
I don’t get why Lait gets to insist there are no more public questions / comments next week when it seems like the CC is only now asking the key questions like A) why not a shuttle, B) why not bar the girls from driving into PA, C) Why have fundraisers etc off-campus, etc.
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Palo Alto resident a, who attended Castilleja, credited the education she and her peers received there for creating the foundation for the work they’ve been doing in fields ranging from public policy and medicine to education.
“I think the project before us is responsive to the concerns we’ve heard about trees, design, public art and a lot of other things that we haven’t talked about yet,” Cormack said.
Residents representing all sides of the debate packed into the Council Chambers on Monday to make their final case for or against the project. Opponents of the Castilleja plan have consistently characterized it as a zone-busting overreach that would worsen traffic, increase noise and diminish the quality of life of residents in a single-family neighborhood near the school.
The council majority also signaled that it’s unlikely to approve Castilleja’s request to gradually ramp up enrollment to 540, provided it meets the “no net new trips” requirement. Stone and Filseth both said they would support allowing Castilleja to get up to 450, consistent with the planning commission’s April 20 recommendation. Additional increases could be approved in the future, once Castilleja proves that its transportation programs work, the council members reasoned.
Thank you to Council members Cormack and Tanaka for listening to the huge majority who spoke in favor of Castilleja’s proposal, as well as to the 600+ Palo Alto residents who’ve publicly supported the project. I hope that when Council reconvenes June 6, they remember that they represent the city at large, not just a Spokane local singles hookup app “residentialist” faction. Palo Altans care deeply about education and the creation of opportunity, and our Council should listen to the hundreds and hundreds of voices supporting Castilleja.
Many people in support of ignoring all the city’s zoning laws and pushing forward with the proposed expansion made the point that monitoring activities were too burdensome and expensive for this private school. If the school is so convinced they won’t yet again violate the covenants (e.g., trip counts), why is it such a big deal to monitor this activity and ensure they do what they say they will do before automatically increasing enrollment to the max? Like a misbehaving child, bad behavior in the past means there needs to be a bit more of a gated approach with a bit more oversight (“trust but verify” approach).
“. I think the past behavior of the school in breaking the rules and their present wish to expand are outrageous! 540 students coming to a school on busy Embarcadero ! Why can’t they move to another area to expand, and not insist on impacting a dense residential area. This huge push is another sign of Palo Alto entitlement for the rich. A larger school population is both unnecessary and unsafe for the community. I support women’s education, but this expansion is pure greed and entitlement. Do not allow it! “
I’ve lived on Lowell Ave for more than a decade. My oldest is attending Walter Hays, where my younger daughter will go next year. We know every park like the back of our hands. Both girls play AYSO soccer. We go to the farmer’s markets every weekend. Our summers are spent at the Rinconda pool and biking for ice cream. My wife and I both work in Palo Alto. The roots of my family’s life runs deep in Palo Alto.
This has never been about girl’s education. Castilleja can split their campus, move their campus or maximize their space WITHOUT special concessions.
