More than two decades after Palo Alto's elected leaders began exploring the idea of building a history museum to celebrate everything from HP to the Grateful Dead, the project is finally on the cusp of transitioning from dream to reality.
Bolstered by a recent federal grant and newfound political support, the project hit a milestone last month when the City Council approved two of the three documents that needed to be finalized before the rehabilitation of the Roth Building can begin: a 40-year-lease lease with the Palo Alto Museum for the Homer Avenue building and a licensing agreement that establishes the city's right to move its historic archives to the new museum.
The third required document, a tenant work letter, is now being reviewed by Palo Alto staff .If the plans move forward, construction will begin in the spring, Rich Green, president of the Palo Alto Museum board of directors, told this news organization.
The lease allows the nonprofit to use the facilities at a cost of $1 per year while requiring that the new museum be open to the public for at least 20 hours per week. The city, meanwhile, would have exclusive use of about 1,300 square feet of space in the building to house its historic archives, which are currently stashed in a bungalow at Cubberley Community Center and in storage areas at city facilities.
Palo Alto also would contribute 9.6% of the museum's operation and maintenance costs for the new building, accounting for its proportionate use of the facility, under the lease terms.
— Gennady Sheyner
New laws that will impact Silicon Valley
A flurry of California state laws went into effect at the start of the new year that could impact the daily lives of Silicon Valley residents. Here's a look at the biggest changes involving housing, transportation and more. All laws went into effect on Jan. 1 unless otherwise specified.
Housing
With the passage of AB 2011, affordable housing could pop up near the neighborhood mall. Developers will be able to take advantage of underused commercial areas with parking, office or retail buildings and repurpose the land for affordable housing projects. The bill goes into effect July 2023.
Labor
AB 1041 lets workers use paid sick leave to take care of loved ones other than immediate family members.
Transportation
AB 1909 sets several changes in motion: eliminating ordinances that required cyclists to obtain a bike license, allowing e-bikes in bike lanes, allowing cyclists to cross with pedestrians on walk signals and requiring cars to change lanes to bypass cyclists on the road.
AB 2147, the Freedom to Walk Act, decriminalizes jaywalking in California.
Social justice
California provides a safe haven for transgender individuals with the passage of SB 107, co-authored by Assembly members Kalra, Lee and Evan Low. The law prevents state agencies from complying with information or extradition requests from other states that have laws against transgender health care. This also prevents California law enforcement from aiding out-of-state agencies in taking transgender children away from parents from states that punish families for allowing children to undergo gender-affirming procedures.
— Loan-Anh Pham/San Jose Spotlight
Police arrest Tech CEO for bathroom peeping
A tech CEO in Palo Alto was arrested on Monday in Mountain View for allegedly peeping into a woman's restroom stall, the Mountain View Police Department said.
Police dispatchers got the call around 11:40 a.m. from a woman who said she had been in the bathroom at Panera restaurant on El Monte Avenue when she saw a man stick his head underneath the stall to look at her, according to a press release. The woman screamed and the man ran out of the restroom and out into the street.
The woman gave chase on foot and confronted the man near El Camino Real, police said. She attempted to take a picture of him but he grabbed her phone and pushed her to the ground.
According to police, he then took off running toward Marich Way, took off his shirt and jumped a fence, and then returned to Panera, where he was tackled by a group of bystanders.
The victim identified the 35-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of robbery and peeping.
Detectives are concerned that there may be more victims that have not come forward. If you or anyone you know may be a victim of the alleged peeper, contact Detective Josh Gould at [email protected] Police would also like to talk to anyone who witnessed the event.
— Bay City News Service
