MRA Traffic Action Team Proposes Changes to Deal with Shopping Center Traffic Mess
	Middlefield Traffic Study Tentatively Set for Next Year
	Midtown Starbucks-What's Happening?
	Local Scale Grocery Stores Still in Jeopardy-- June 30 Planning Commission Hearing Postponed
	Public Art In Midtown
	Do You Need a New Street Tree?

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MRA Traffic Action Team Proposes Changes to Deal with
Shopping Center Traffic Mess
By Debbie Mytels and Deborah Webb

Although we're all pleased with the local convenience of having the new Longs in Midtown, the confusing traffic pattern within the parking lot has become predictably worse. And the spillover effects of a revitalized center are impacting all the adjacent streets. To proactively address this problem-BEFORE a serious accident occurs-MRA has formed a Traffic Action Team which is meeting with City staff to address the following concerns: As the accompanying photo shows, cars continue to enter the "wrong" way from Middlefield. People on Bryson Avenue are often trapped, unable to make north-bound left turns onto Middlefield. The multiple paths at the back of the center lead to frequent head-to-head confrontations between cars. Cars parked along Midtown Court are blocking visibility for those entering and exiting onto Colorado. Delivery trucks to 7-11 and Safeway are blocking the bicycle lanes during morning commute hours. Add speeding motorists on Middlefield, elderly pedestrians, kids on bikes, skateboarders and moms with strollers into the mix and we have an accident waiting to happen! To get the ball rolling, MRA members Jim Barbera, Chris Glazek and Deborah Webb met with Joseph Kott, the City's new Chief Transportation Official, on May 25 to share our concerns and look for solutions. Mr. Kott said that the City will begin a study of traffic patterns in the center to address access, circulation, parking occupancy and demand, and exit issues. The study will not begin until after Labor Day, however, when traffic patterns return to "normal," non-vacation levels. However, the MRA Traffic Action Team believes that waiting for a study in the fall is too long. In particular, we believe it's crucial that the City immediately address the number of near collisions occurring at the exit onto Middlefield next to the entrance to Longs and to alleviate the problem of Bryson Avenue residents' access to and from their homes. Therefore, the MRA Traffic Action Team and Steering Committee are calling on the City staff and Midtown merchants to make the following changes: Place a barricade across the exit next to the entrance to Longs. Place a large planter with a tree and some low plantings on the street side of the barricade. Restripe the exit of the driveway to create to new parking places. We think these interim measures will improve circulation and safety and provide additional needed parking. The Traffic Action Team will be meeting again with Joe Kott to advocate these changes. If you have comments on these ideas, please e-mail your response to the MRA Traffic Action Team, c/o Sheri Furman or mail them to Sylvia Gartner, 824 Moreno Avenue, Palo Alto, 94303. In the weeks ahead, we plan to discuss other ideas for improving the Midtown traffic mess. Your ideas are needed. If you'd like to get involved in the Traffic Action Team, please call MRA Chair Debbie Mytels, at 856-7580.

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Middlefield Traffic Study Tentatively Set for Next Year

Regarding traffic on Middlefield Road, Palo Alto's Comprehensive Plan calls for a traffic calming study of all our city's major arterials. The first such study was completed this spring for Embarcadero Road, and in May the MRA requested that City funds be allocated next to evaluate and plan changes on Middlefield. Rather than focus on Middlefield alone, however, the City staff plans to include it in a study of the four remaining residential arterials. An estimated $120,000 is needed for the work, and the City staff is proposing it for the next fiscal year's budget (starting July 1, 2000). Planning for that budget cycle will begin this coming fall, so MRA members with concerns about Middlefield should prepare to bring our ideas to the City Council at that time.

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Midtown Starbucks-What's Happening?

Rhonda Rigenhagen, Starbucks Community Relations Manager for Northern California, is quite excited about recent Starbuckian developments in Palo Alto. The El Camino store (at Stanford Avenue) has just opened and it is booming! Rhonda reported that it opened the week of final exams at Stanford, so coffee sales should be expected to soar. The Midtown store is currently in the permit process and Starbucks is still forecasting a November/December opening date. Look for construction to start in late July.

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Local Scale Grocery Stores Still in Jeopardy--
June 30 Planning Commission Hearing Postponed

Palo Alto's long-standing zoning rule limiting grocery stores to 20,000 square feet contributes to the local scale of our community's neighborhood commercial (NC) zones. Smaller stores, dispersed throughout town, with a modest amount of parking, encourage pedestrian and bicycle access and don't attract out-of-area traffic. The result is that Palo Alto has a number of locally operated, neighborhood-serving markets, such as Co-op, Piazza, JJ&F, and Mollie Stone's. However, American Stores' application to expand its Alma Plaza Lucky Store to over 37,000 square feet threatens to destroy the level playing field that's created by the 20,000 square foot limit. The proposed "Planned Community" (PC) zone for Lucky will open the door for other large supermarket chains, such as Safeway, to buy up land and expand their stores as well. Because we want to maintain local scale in our neighborhood shopping center, the MRA Steering Committee has agreed to oppose Lucky's expansion. A hearing on the proposal, previously set for the June 30 Planning Commission meeting, has now been postponed. No new date has been set, but it's assumed that American Stores will submit revised plans later this summer. At the same time, they will probably present the results of an economic analysis they are paying for which they hope will show that their expanded store will not affect other groceries in Palo Alto. If you'd like to become involved on this issue-or to be notified about the re-scheduled Planning Commission meeting-please contact Debbie Mytels at (650) 856-7580 or at

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Public Art In Midtown

Annette Ashton and Susie Thom, co-chairs for Midtown Public Art, report that public art is on the way for Midtown. They have recently formed a committee for Phase One-the creation of a mural on the south facing wall of the Co-op Supermarket. The City of Palo Alto Art Commission has granted Midtown a grant of $5000 in matching funds for this project. The committee is represented by business owners (Bob Claxton-General Manager of the Co-op Supermarket, Rodger Kohler-architect, Roxy Rapp-owner of the KnowWhere store building, and Molly Rich representing Midtown Realty), residents (Annette Ashton, Sylvia Gartner, Adele Khabbaz, Debbie Mytels, Susie Thom), and Public Art Commissioners (Brigid Barton, Judith Wasserman). The group has held its meeting and reports the projected steps are to 1) obtain $5000 in funds, 2) complete a Request for Proposal and distribute it to the artist community, 3) select the artist, and 4) produce the mural. The committee reports that they are half way toward raising the $5000 in local matching funds and they expect to talk with business owners, merchants and interested participants in Midtown to raise the additional monies. Roxy Rapp is enthusiastic about bringing "quality art" to Midtown and forecasts that Phase II of public art in the neighborhood will feature an engaging sculpture to greet visitors to the Midtown Shopping Center.

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Do You Need a New Street Tree?
Canopy Plans Tree Planting in Midtown--Volunteers Needed

In addition to planting some new trees in the commercial area of Midtown this coming fall, Canopy: Trees for Palo Alto would like to work with residents to identify locations for new street trees. Volunteers are needed to walk around a few blocks in your area to mark down empty street tree sites and compare them on a map with underground utility lines such as water, gas, etc. If you'd like to help, a short training session will be held in July to show you how to read the utility maps and how to mark for possible new tree sites. Walking the assigned area will only take an hour or two. Volunteers will also be needed on the planting day, tentatively scheduled for November. In addition, Canopy is looking for more volunteers this summer to walk several blocks to distribute "Water Now" door hangers to new tree owners. Call Debbie Mytels at the Canopy office, (650) 964-6110. If you'd like a new tree, but don't have the time to volunteer, call Canopy anyway--and you'll be put on the "Plant List."

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