Around the Block Around the Block (January 26, 2005)

YOU SAY POTATO . . . Allegiances apparently die hard in Palo Alto. In a recent exchange on the Duveneck/St. Francis Neighborhood Association e-mail list, a helpful resident alerted others to an impending registration date for kindergarten at the local elementary school, which she called Green Gables . Another resident quickly informed her, and others on the e-mail list, that "Green Gables is now known as Duveneck ". The original poster shot back four hours later: "Not to everyone." When did the school change names? 1982.

I (HEART) TRASH . . . Valentine's Day may be the time when lovers speak sweet nothings, but this Valentine's, Palo Alto City Council members will be talking trash instead. That's because Feb. 14 is the new date for discussing the proposed Environmental Services Center . The council faces a decision on whether to allow the city's landfill to turn into parkland, as currently planned, or explore alternate uses, including a 19-acre garbage/recyclables processing and transfer station. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave.

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? . . . Another issue for which official deliberations have become a moving target is a proposed cell-phone tree in Barron Park. In December, plans for installing a cell-tower-cum -40-foot-tall fake magnolia were appealed by a resident. The Planning and Transportation Commission hearing, tentatively scheduled for Jan. 26, is now tentatively slated for March 9 .

ZONE-A-RAMA . . . The city's planning department, which hosted several popular meetings last fall about proposed changes to residential regulations, is back. This Thursday and Friday -- Jan. 27 and 28 -- two community meetings will be held to explain two new land-use ideas: "village residential cottage cluster" and "commercial mixed use." The meeting on Thursday will be at the Cubberley Theatre from 6-9 p.m. with the presentation starting at 7 p.m. The meeting on Friday will be in the City Council Chambers at City Hall from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. That presentation will begin at 2:30 p.m. For information, see www.cityofpaloalto.org/zoning.

DRAIN EXCHANGE . . . The Midtown Residents Association will host a panel discussion on storm drains Thursday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m., in anticipation of the city-wide vote on an increased storm-drain fee. Panelists will include Blue Ribbon Task Force members Elizabeth Dahlen, Larry Klein, and Stepheny McGraw, and past Utilities Advisory Commissioner Paul Johnston. City employee Matt Raschke will be on hand to answer questions, and the panel will be moderated by Diana Diamond. Information is available at www.sd4pa.com and www.cityofpaloalto.org/stormdrain/. The meeting will take place at the Mitchell Park Community Center at 3800 Middlefield Road. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]