Having read the guidelines in some detail, I am impressed with the thought which went into them and I believe that this approach has a good chance of working. This brings me to the topic of what remains to be done. Builder William Hurt told the Palo Alto Weekly that developers would now avoid the older neighborhoods altogether. Many of us have talked about our desire to protect all of Palo Alto from inappropriate construction. I think we need to continue to pursue that vision.
Many local communities have some form of design review for all residential construction.
It's time for Palo Alto to do so as well. Some concern also remains for our own neighborhood as well. Many homes in College Terrace won't be protected by the interim rules. The College Terrace Residents' Association is joining with the University South Neighborhood Group in sponsoring an evening devoted to the new design compatibility guidelines. There will also be time for discussion of how neighborhoods feel about these rules.