We'd prefer the school lower the scope of the proposed expansion, but barring that, I know I'd welcome housing. Schools deserve to be in neighborhoods. Castelleja has been over their enrollment limit for just under twenty years, they shouldnt be allowed to expand as a reward for not holding up their end of the bargain. Tuition is for the highest grade offered and may have changed for the current school year. It also includes measures that require Castilleja to prove that its transportation measures are effective before it can gradually increase enrollment from the current level of 422 students to 540. In 1907, Mary Lockey opened the doors to Castilleja School to pursue a revolutionary ideato provide young women with the educational opportunities needed to seek a college education. A shuttle would then bring them to the campus. non-sectarian all-girls middle and high school in the San Francisco Castilleja School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in California for: Castilleja School's tuition is approximately $49,900 for private students. For Reed, the latest design tweaks fail to address the overarching issue the belief of many that the school is simply asking for too much when it comes to student growth. Are you suggesting that Palo Alto's 25K taxpaying household provide/ subsidize housing for a private school whose students are 75% commuters? Bryant is a bicycle boulevard and care has been taken over many years to create a street that is hospitable to bikers of all ages and genders. Terms of Use And they sure haven't bothered to consider the impact of a possible Churchill Ave. closure will do to an already-jammed street, one of only 3 direct access roads to/from 101. of students agree that they feel safe at their school. What are your favorite school events or traditions? Discover the schools, companies, and neighborhoods that are right for you. A&E As such, it is "anticipated to have fewer impacts on protected trees and construction-related disturbances," according to a new report from the Department of Planning and Community Environment. Years from now Palo Altans will be proud.. I live within steps of people who have posted above and are persistently concerned about the "expansion". Here's a roadmap to finding the school you want. "The TDM plan has been further enhanced and is expected to result in reduced parking demand.". Once again, the school leaders have made significant changes in response to feedback. But just to be clear, the plans proposeto move a pool to make room for one large building that replaces 5 older buildings, which takes away 60 currently existing surface parking spaces. My question is: WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF PALO ALTO? At one point they even tried to have it classified as a basement. There's also something called little C at the end of the day, where the teachers also help you. of students and parents agree that students at this school are creative and artsy. Help sustain the local news you depend on. Thompson also suggested that the building, in its current iteration, "has a design intent. Elizabeth Hughes, a consultant who developed the transportation-demand-management plan for Castilleja, assured the commission and the public that the programs in the plan will keep traffic levels steady. ", Baltay suggested that by failing to reach a consensus, the board is "doing the applicant a disservice by not providing the applicant with a solution.". It wasn't perfect, though. I firmly support Castillejas right to update its campus. Home & Real Estate The City Council concurred with some of the arguments from the project's critics in March, when it reviewed Castilleja's plans and directed it to reduce its proposed underground garage a target for project opponents and to further refine the design of its buildings to make it more compatible with the residential areas that abut its campus at 1310 Bryant St. lt's a lot to ask teachers to park a distance away from school and that they can only drive to campus three days a week. Neighbors and some council members have been distrustful of the school since learning in 2013 that it had been violating its 415-student enrollment cap for decades. I am sure Casti supporters are tired of speakers against the proposal coming up with new arguments (ground water?) The school has been allowed to grow over the past many decades without going through the normal processes (some buildings were built pre-code, some built after code, but apparently not reviewed for GFA). Fall 2019: Volume 17 Number 1 The naysayers are hopelessly dug into their negative position, but in my opinion really don't have a leg to stand on. "There are elements of the building that could be cut back and there's the space between that no longer needs access to the cellar," Hirsch said. Castilleja School Foundation - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica CASTILLEJA SCHOOL FOUNDATION PALO ALTO, CA 94301-3507 | Tax-exempt since Aug. 1943 EIN: 94-0373222 Classification ( NTEE ). Lee and Thompson, however, felt that the building is fine the way it is, having already gone through years of refinements and public hearings. These including new shuttle and bus routes, a bike-share program, a "guaranteed ride home" program for employees who don't drive but who need may need to leave the school for an emergency (they would be reimbursed for the cost of transportation) and a new Castilleja Lyft program that will provide free midday rides for faculty and staff, according to the plan that the school released last month. The neighbors asked for a garage. This makes no sense in my opinion. Nanci Kauffman, Castilleja's head of school, told this news of organization that the school believes its new plans "check all the boxes" when it comes to addressing concerns from residents, city . Who is trustworthy in this process? 1. On Wednesday night, as Castilleja held its first hearing in front of the Planning and Transportation Commission on its new plan, the panel heard from more than 50 residents, who in some cases pooled their allotted time to make longer presentation. Will the decisions about Casti be consistent with the decision about the downtown garage? with Embarcadero and a part of Melville shutdown for months; It includes five different designs for the garage, as well as new restrictions on the number of school events a source of consternation for some of the school's neighbors. Become a member today. Frankly, I am surprised that we arent hearing objections to the garage and tree removal from the smart young women who attend Castilleja. A related question to massing of the Kellogg building is Why did the ARB reverse its decision of early this year to approve the Kellogg building design, when NO changes had been made to the design since then? Also, just as Casti continues to conflate the schools stellar ability to educate young women, which NO ONE disputes, with land use entitlements, neighbors continue to question the likelihood that terms of the CUP and TDM program will be enforced. This project is worth fighting for. Mayor Tom DuBois agreed, saying in an interview Tuesday that there have been severe contortions to make this comply with zoning and get the yes vote from the council. "The review process has gone on for long enough" is perhaps the worst argument for approval I've ever seen. Will his actions on this reflect that? Castilleja School is ranked as one of the top 20% of private schools in California for most sports offered. All rights reserved. Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. People who live on Kellogg have stated at open hearings that they dont want a break in the building there because the building creates an effective barrier between life inside and life outside of campus. Laptop: $1,000 - $2,000 Special Pubs The Almanac Castilleja Head of School GUIDING THEMES Each year, Ms. KauffmanHA carefully selects a theme for the school year and distributes a sticker on opening day: Belonging 2019-20, Justice 2020-21,. Adalberto "Aldo" Toledo is a Bay Area News Group reporter who covers government on the Peninsula for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. - because the school WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to increase enrollment if their traffic increases, period. @Rita Vrhel, Maybe Castilleja could pay their staff more, but unless they're going to match Google, Facebook, etc, (which obviously can't/won't happen), highly paid tech workers will just keep bidding up the price of our very limited housing and leave teachers still unable to afford it. Will decisions align with S-CAP goals? Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? [17], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}372620N 1220906W / 37.4388N 122.1517W / 37.4388; -122.1517, Last edited on 30 December 2022, at 00:15, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, National Association of Independent Schools, "As Castilleja plans its expansion, city seeks firm assurances on traffic impacts", "City offers compromise in controversy over Castilleja expansion", "Exclusive Palo Alto school redevelopment plan would cause significant traffic issues, report says", "Council approves Castilleja's expansion plan after years of controversy", "Commerce Secretary Pritzker: On Diversity, Silicon Valley Can Learn From Washington", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Castilleja_School&oldid=1130397858, This page was last edited on 30 December 2022, at 00:15. Stop dragging this on, approve the project, and let the amazing accomplishments of these incredible young women continue to enhance the neighborhood and the surrounding area. Sign up for our. In 2019, the school submitted plans to rebuild most of its campus, which calls for demolishing and rebuilding three buildings on its campus, relocating the swimming pool and adding an underground parking structure.The school's modernization plans have polarized the Professorville and Old Palo Alto neighborhoods, with some residents panning Castilleja's construction plan as a colossal overreach and an affront on the surrounding single-family neighborhood, and others calling a sorely needed upgrade for an acclaimed institution dedicated to educating young women. Among the biggest differences between Castilleja's prior plan and its current one is the size of the proposed underground garage. I hope that Palo Alto City Council will press for safety over the desires of the elites who want their cozy Palo Alto location. Currently Castilleja pays no property taxes on its prime real estate holdings where the school is located nor do they pay a penny for the public services they receive to this school, [13][14] One concern has been traffic impact. Related Articles "Other saw it differently and emphasized the project's impact on everything from groundwater pumping to carbon emissions. On page 1 this report indicated Alternative 4, the Disbursed Circulation/ No Garage Alternative-would meet the Citys Municipal Code requirements providing 104 parking spaces, which is based on the number of teaching stations. From that moment on, I was determined to make excellence in single-sex education accessible to as many girls as possible. If I were a Republican I would not feel safe voicing that aspect of my identity. Thank you, Lorraine, I appreciate your bringing that up. In 2009, Castilleja was given the highest accreditation rating by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Home Director of Operations Castilleja is a private, all-girls school located in Palo Alto whose mission is to educate motivated young women to become confident thinkers and compassionate leaders with a sense of purpose to effect change in the world. Perhaps because the opposing group is such a small but very vocal minority? Now, Castilleja has slashed the size of the garage - and in so doing is saving trees and green space, and avoiding disturbing the neighborhood with the sights and sounds of street level parking. Palo Alto backs e-bike ban on Baylands trails, Stanford sues Santa Clara County over tax exemptions for faculty residences, Hit-and-run driver kills man, crashes into five cars Sunday morning, Santa Clara County wants to put millions into child care, California homelessness: Where are the state's billions going? Now they propose that the building be 3 feet taller and even more massive than the previously approved design. One reason this has taken so long is that the applicant has persisted with plans that include an enormous garage. Niche users from this school are most interested in the following colleges. Just a few important points: When is the application deadline for Castilleja School? The projects density isnt relevant, Kauffman said, adding that whats relevant is its impact. Here's the new, best answer. Promotions Two board members, Chair Osma Thompson and Grace Lee said that the previously approved project remains perfectly acceptable. "I feel strongly that no modifications or adjustments are needed," Lee said. Instead, new housing construction has consistently fallen short of local job growth for decades, then the people blocking housing have the gall to complain about teachers or students who need to live far away and drive here. Castilleja also remains true to the 5 C's - conscience, March 1, 2023 at 6:20 p.m. St. Ignatius announced Lenny Vandermade as the team's head football coach via a press release on Wednesday. Exactly what I needed: Los Gatos teachers move into affordable units Because it is not. "It's ridiculous. The opposition to this project keep referring it to a large scale expansion and that Castilleja wants bigger buildings. Niche requires Javascript to work correctly. Embarcadero Media file photo by Sinead Chang. [15] In June of 2022, the Palo Alto City Council approved the school's permit to expand the school's enrollment, renovate its campus, and build a parking garage. heart." Redwood City Pulse, 2023 Palo Alto Online Print Edition/Archives Through coursework, arts, athletics, and an array of co-curricular experiences, Castilleja students become inquisitive and persevering learners. "Barring intergenerational wealth or a very high-earning spouse, I struggle to see how teachers (or most families in the bay area) could afford to live anywhere near Castilleja. For Reed, the latest design tweaks fail to address the overarching issue the belief of many that the school is simply asking for too much when it comes to student growth. I cant but help think that if Casti truly feels it is so important to increase the number of young women benefiting from their education, Casti would want to move to a location where they can grow and not limit this wonderful opportunity to only 540 young women. Photo by Sinead Chang. Three of Castilleja's proposed designs include 52 underground parking spaces, while two other options have 57 and 69 underground spaces, respectively.So far, planning staff is leaning toward what's known as "Scheme E," which combines a 52-space underground garage with 11 new at-grade parking spaces. ""There is no reason for the underground garage," Reed said. PALO ALTO The final version of a proposal to expand the exclusive 112-year-old private Castilleja School received its first public hearing this week as the city council gets one step closer. Technology evolves. [Post removed; successive comments by same poster are not permitted.]. Surely environmental science is part of the curriculum. Nanci Kauffman, Castilleja's head of school, told this news of organization that the school believes its new plans "check all the boxes" when it comes to addressing concerns from residents, city commissioners and the council. We've always known that this is a compromise and we are just so ready to get this done.". Isn't Palo Alto already funding and developing a teacher's housing project? All rights reserved. The other, known as Scheme A, creates 104 spaces but it does so by utilizing space on an athletic field, an option that both staff and Castilleja are hoping to avoid. Why, then, doesn't the school submit plans that comply with existing code? One option they suggested was to find a temporary campus, although no location was now known. And because Lew's term is about to conclude and he is not seeking another term, the ultimate decision about whether the new design passes muster could hinge on a board member who has not yet been appointed and who may have other ideas about the building's design. The other two members, Peter Baltay and Alex Lew, found themselves between the two camps, with Baltay suggesting that Castilleja should modify the buildings' cornice line and the middle portion of the building, as well add more variability to its window locations. Castilleja is a member of the California Association of Independent Schools[2] and the National Coalition of Girls' Schools. "They just want to have less parking on-site so that they can have a bigger more massive building. With public testimony stretching until nearly midnight, the planning commission deferred its own discussion of Castilleja's plans until Dec. 15. Funny how they could do that when, as Rita Vrhel noted in her speech, they were working with incomplete information since various critical reports were never forwarded to the decision-makers A shameful waste of taxpayers money!! She noted the new buildings would be set farther back from the street than existing ones and roof lines would be lower. I also attended and LOL when Alcheck made his comments about the garage; that commissioner has garage history; I think he favors them! Andie Reed, one of the group's co-founders, noted that even the revised project includes elements that residents have consistently deemed to be problematic namely, an underground garage that many believe is incompatible with the neighborhood. contributing global citizens. If approved, the underground garage would have 24 fewer spaces than the structure that was previously proposed. Based on recent reviews by an independent consultant, the city determined that Castilleja has an existing gross floor area of 138,345 square feet. Thank you Castilleja! If the project advances, the floor area would be 128,687 square feet, according to planning staff. The report further states: At an enrollment of 540 students, the analysis using the schools parking data concludes that on an average day there would be adequate parking. Whats interesting is that when this goes to CC it will be reviewed by 5 council members who, in 2019, were part of a unanimous 7-0 vote to NOT build the promised downtown garage. That's why the school has instituted and proposed an extraordinarily extensive list of TDM measures, so that no additional traffic can burden the neighborhood. The surface parking would be created by shifting the school's swimming pool eastward, moving the pool stairs and eliminating the below-grade ramp that was intended for deliveries and trash pickup. One commissioner, Michael Alcheck, suggested at the onset of the meeting that the city's concerns about the proposed garage may be overblown. Sexism. Why provide Castilleja. It still has bearing on the abilities and mindset of the "planners" who could appear to recommend proceeding on Casti without having a complete set of documents on which to base their decisions. She noted the new buildings would be 128,687 square feet I should n't call because the opposing is... Students and parents agree that students at this school are most interested in the BEST INTERESTS of Palo Alto 25K. Are you suggesting that Palo Alto already funding and developing a teacher 's housing?. Long is that the building be 3 feet taller and even more than! They even tried to have it classified as a basement the projects density isnt relevant Kauffman. Desires of the proposed expansion, but barring that, I was determined to make excellence in single-sex education to... 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