Alma Plaza (former Lucky/Albertson's)

• Alma Plaza decision as window on Palo Alto politics
  • The Alma Plaza Learning Curve: a 5-part series of Guest Opinions in Palo Alto Patch.com by Fred Balin (2012 March 14-16)
    1. Th Late Submittal
    2. First Responders
    3. A Near Replay
    4. Course Outline
    5. Implementing Reform
  • Guest Opinion in the Palo Alto Weekly (Wed 20 June 2007): Alma Plaza is a $12 million giveaway by our City Council by Douglas Moran (draft linked to from Town Square Forums)
    Note: This essay cited a conservative estimate of the property value as $18. It was later learned that Greenbriar (housing developer) had agreed to purchase roughly 80% of the site for $20.5M (source: Greenbriar Homes wants $5.31 millon back (Palo Alto Weekly, posted 19 June 2009 -- the $5.31M are option payments).
  • Discussion of the economics of such giveaways - a rough draft and a bit long
• 2007-06-18 Council second reading (confirmation of decision)
• 2007-04-16 Council Session - being accumulated as needed
  • Background Document: Project Summary by Greenbriar Homes Communities (one of the developers): submitted to Council on April 12 (after the deadline for inclusion in the packet)
    • Scanned PDF (708 KB)
    • OCR'ed version (661 KB) of scanned PDF (searchable for words)
• 2007-03-07: Planning and Transportation Commission
  • Planning Commission rails against Alma plans Palo Alto Weekly, 2007-03-09
  • Project draws mixed reviews: Palo Alto Daily News, 2007-03-09 (may be expired or behind the pay-wall at the SJ Mercury News (parent)
• 2006-05-01: Study Session: City Council
  • City Manager's Report CMR:205:06 and Attachments
  • Summary of P&TC Study Session - focusing on Commissioners comments
  • Misleading Testimony? Letter to the Editor in 2006-05-17 edition of the Palo Alto Weekly
• Alma Plaza represents a larger issue in Palo Alto - strip mall or neighborhood shops? Guest Opinion in 2006-06-07 edition of the Palo Alto Weekly
• 2006-04-26: Study Session: Planning and Transportation Commission
  • Staff Report
  • Submission to Planning and Transportation Commission study session of 2006-04-26
  • Verbatim Minutes: Alma Plaza Item starts on page 9