Council opts for office building Council opts for office building (April 23, 2003)

Zoning change allows offices to replace former Scott's Seafood restaurant

by Don Kazak

With a lack of enthusiasm but a notion that little else could be done, the Palo Alto City Council voted 6-3 Monday night for a zoning change to the former Scott's Seafood restaurant site allowing for the eventual construction of an office building.

Mayor Dena Mossar and councilwomen Yoriko Kishimoto and Judy Kleinberg voted against the zoning change, preferring that housing or some other option be pursued. Mossar said there is no need for a zoning change now since there is no proposal from developer Richard Peery. Instead, Mossar said any zoning change should be considered during the city's annual update of its zoning ordinance.

The impact of a 24,000-square-foot office building results in a net increase of 64 employees more than the restaurant's staff, with 96 office workers compared to 32 restaurant employees. But, as Kishimoto noted, under the city's complex jobs/housing formula that translates into an additional 31 housing units at some point.

Councilman Jack Morton said the 1.84 acre site, located at 2300 East Bayshore Road, is close to the freeway so the office building would likely have little impact on Palo Alto traffic. Councilman Vic Ojakian said the traffic generated from an office building would be less intense than from a restaurant.

Scott's is long gone from the location, having relocated to Town & Country Shopping Center. The restaurant's owner, Malcolm Stroud, sent a letter to the city saying the East Bayshore Road location was not suitable for a restaurant as it mainly received lunchtime trade from surrounding businesses.

The matter was up for rezoning at the request of the property owner, Peery-Arrillaga, although there is no development proposal before the city. Richard Peery said the plan to build offices on the site won't be affected by the current economy and the 16 percent office vacancy rate in Palo Alto because the owners are taking a long-term approach to the project.

Still, with the council placing a high priority on building more housing in the city, there was not much enthusiasm about rezoning a restaurant site for offices.

"I have a hard time voting for more offices," admitted Councilwoman Hillary Freeman.

A new wrinkle in the issue is the land in question may be in the path of a proposed new southern connection to the Dumbarton Bridge. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is looking into the possibility, something Palo Alto officials have long opposed because the roadway would have to go through the environmentally sensitive bay lands.

Councilwoman Nancy Lytle said the specter of a southern connection was enough for her to consider the rezoning to "build an office building in its path."

Don Kazak can be e-mailed at dkazak@paweekly.com