Responding to citizen complaints about polished glass shards in the new California Avenue sidewalks, Palo Alto is preparing to apply a concrete-patching solution to problematic patches next week.
The city announced Thursday that the contractors working on the ongoing streetscape project will be applying the patching solution to select portions of the sidewalk where glass shards are too conspicuous and potentially hazardous.
"There are some areas where the glass is not fully embedded in the concrete, and the concrete-patching solution will be spread over those areas to even out the gaps and provide a more consistent surface," the city's announcement stated. "Once dried, the glass will be securely fixed within the concrete."
The concrete patching will be applied to roughly a third of the glass-embedded sidewalk, though the city does not expect this to delay the completion of the renovation project, which is still set to conclude in late March.
The $6.9 million project includes widening of sidewalks, a creation of two new public plazas, new street furniture, including newspaper racks and benches, and a reduction of driving lanes from four to two.
According to the city's announcement, the concrete material has been tested and passed a slip-test inspection. The material has been used by Caltrans and other agencies for similar purposes, the city's statement notes.
Comments
Evergreen Park
on Feb 20, 2015 at 10:40 am
on Feb 20, 2015 at 10:40 am
Could city staff provide the Caltrans standards for glass aggregate sidewalks, along with photos of such sidewalks in other locations.
Could city staff address the GLARE issue and how it will be mitigated by the concrete patching. Especially in the low afternoon sunlight the glare is extreme even with sunglasses.
Could the city staff verify that the sidewalk cleaners, (Green Machines) can be used effectively on the glass aggregate sidewalks.
Could the city staff identify who/when the decision was made to use the glass aggregate materials as the CAL ave plans call for plain concrete sidewalks.
Could the city staff confirm that there will be no additional costs for the concrete patching to the project
South of Midtown
on Feb 20, 2015 at 2:52 pm
on Feb 20, 2015 at 2:52 pm
Once again we will get a sad patch up over something we spent real money on.
I am 100% sure that this bandaid solution with look bad, age poorly and cost us more money in the long run. If the wrong product was installed, rip it up and fix it. Figure out who is accountable, if its the contractor, they pay. If its the city(perhaps likely) we pay and no one gets disciplined... Same old Palo Alto lack of accountability.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 20, 2015 at 4:15 pm
on Feb 20, 2015 at 4:15 pm
These should simply be removed now while it's possible to make the vendor responsible for fixing it. This material will not wear well and it's not hard to envision more and more problems as the sidewalks age.
Evergreen Park
on Feb 20, 2015 at 4:51 pm
on Feb 20, 2015 at 4:51 pm
The glass-shard sidewalk is awful, but replacing it would be months' long, incredibly disruptive project. Also, my guess is there's no way the city is going to admit such a major mistake.
Also, take a look at the non-glass sections. About half are ugly gray cement, and the rest are old and cracked (for some reason, a good portion of the sidewalk was not updated). It's quite the hodge-podge.
Greendell/Walnut Grove
on Feb 20, 2015 at 5:33 pm
on Feb 20, 2015 at 5:33 pm
What happens if a heavy steel object is dropped onto the glass pieces exposed at the surface of the sidewalk. My guess is that the glass will be chipped. My experience is that chipped glass can be razor sharp. What happens when next some child or adult trips and puts their hand down to break their fall and runs it across one of the chipped pieces of glass. I would expect a nasty cut with lots of blood. Doesn't anyone in charge think through the possibilities before adding glass to a sidewalk?
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Feb 20, 2015 at 5:50 pm
on Feb 20, 2015 at 5:50 pm
Another assnine Palo Alto project gone bad....Palo Alto really knows how to spend money on worthless projects that need to be done over and over again.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 20, 2015 at 5:55 pm
on Feb 20, 2015 at 5:55 pm
"The glass-shard sidewalk is awful, but replacing it would be months' long, incredibly disruptive project. "
The street is ripped up now as it is, now is the time to fix this, instead of later when it becomes a REAL nightmare. Plus liability. Imagine Cal Ave gets a reputation among strollers, people with kids, dog owners, etc, to avoid. Forget it. Just rip it up now, it's not worth trying to fix.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 20, 2015 at 5:57 pm
on Feb 20, 2015 at 5:57 pm
My daughter, age three, already has a scar on her knee from where she tripped on a raised shard of glass protruding from the sidewalk near Birch.
We submitted the bill and medical report last November, so far to no avail!
Downtown North
on Feb 20, 2015 at 6:01 pm
on Feb 20, 2015 at 6:01 pm
What they thinking ... or were they thinking?
Same for that toxic egg on Lytton Plaza.
Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Feb 20, 2015 at 6:10 pm
on Feb 20, 2015 at 6:10 pm
"The $6.9 million project includes widening of sidewalks, a creation of two new public plazas, new street furniture, including newspaper racks and benches, and a reduction of driving lanes from four to two."
Uh, does this mean that the city is paying for newspaper racks? Too bad they'll be only one daily newspaper by the time this is done.
I'm afraid to ask what they consider the "two new public plazas". Do they expect people to congregate around the fountain and play in the middle of the street?
Evergreen Park
on Feb 20, 2015 at 7:01 pm
on Feb 20, 2015 at 7:01 pm
As for newspaper racks... I'd be happy with some trash cans (they were all removed many months ago to make way for the project. It's beyond me that they haven't put in some temporary receptacles. And I'll be surprised if we end up with recycling containers. If we don't it'll be a real shame.
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Feb 20, 2015 at 7:10 pm
on Feb 20, 2015 at 7:10 pm
I was down there to visit a business and noticed it is still all a mess. They don't make very rapid progress on these city projects. It doesn't seem like rocket science. I do oppose changing the lanes and parking on California. I doubt I will patronize many of the businesses later - too much trouble.
As for the glass sidewalk scheme, it is oddball, unnecessary, perhaps more costly than for typical new sidewalks? - WHY did they decide to install them. I contrast this will Castro Street in Mountain View, which is enjoyable and had a successful renovation. As for California Ave - I do not get it.
Crescent Park
on Feb 20, 2015 at 8:32 pm
on Feb 20, 2015 at 8:32 pm
Months, years, millions of dollars, constant city politics on every aspect, and Palo Alto can't even replace a sidewalk properly.
This is the real state of the city.
another community
on Feb 20, 2015 at 8:53 pm
on Feb 20, 2015 at 8:53 pm
Whine, complain, moan, kvetch. Is anyone happy in Palo Alto?
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 21, 2015 at 1:44 am
on Feb 21, 2015 at 1:44 am
We speak up when people install dangerous, poor quality, and ugly hardscape we paid for in important public places. We care about our children when their health and safety are threatened. Darn it, we will push back when developers try to take advantage and leave us with gridlock, noise, and overbuilt streets.
We will go on being vocal, solving problems, keeping our city a nice place to live. And being happy here. You, however, seem to have a chip on your shoulder about Palo Altans. You don't even live here, what's your problem?
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 21, 2015 at 1:49 am
on Feb 21, 2015 at 1:49 am
I had some glass containers I got at Costco with locking tabs that caused glass shards to peel off the top edges. When I finally realized it, I'd even had lacerations from accidentally eating one. I found lots of glass shards on the shelf, too. I sent out a note to a list and others noticed the same. A friend came over for dinner with food in same glass containers, we pulled off the lids, and same kind of chips from the glass.
Our suppositions about where the glass would be, and how easy it would be to see if it chipped turned out to be wrong.
We have a thriving farmer's market on Cal Ave. All it will take is one person with a wheeled food cart getting a glass shard kicked up into their food, and it will destroy the market.
Please, please, please have some sense and just get rid of a bad thing and put in something tried and true. It just needs to be done, and now is the time to do it. It doesn't even look good, it looks cheesy.
Mayfield
on Feb 21, 2015 at 2:58 am
on Feb 21, 2015 at 2:58 am
I'll admit upfront to ignorance regarding embedding glass in any surface that has constant human contact...this is not mentioned in any of the above posts, but is it done, ostensibly, for aesthetic reasons? If so, what is the aesthetic effect? It sounds shortsighted. Sidewalks endure wear and tear, obviously, even under normal circumstances, let alone something unusual happening (tree roots?). I don't get it...enlighten me as to the philosophy - artistic or othewise - behind this decision....
Charleston Gardens
on Feb 21, 2015 at 7:10 am
on Feb 21, 2015 at 7:10 am
The glass-shrad side walk is a disaster waiting to happen any moment.Just remove it.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 21, 2015 at 7:42 am
on Feb 21, 2015 at 7:42 am
This sidewalk fiasco- no,it's a disaster- which makes no sense from an aesthetic or functional standpoint,and is likely to get worse, is just the continuing fallout and is hugely symbolic of the legacy of the past dozen years of failed government, special interests,personal agendas,incompetence in Palo Alto. The impacts from projects already in the pipeline will devastate this city. While the new Council majority tries to deal with the mess we are in going forward, the Council needs to appoint an emergency citizen committee with review power, "yes" or "no" over every administrative and staff decision and regulatory decision, ARB, P&TC, which relates to the physical environment in our residential and commercial areas including recommendations for Council action. Meanwhile these ridiculous sidewalks which are hazardous and serve no purpose should be ripped out. Was there a landscape architect even involved in this project?
Evergreen Park
on Feb 21, 2015 at 10:06 am
on Feb 21, 2015 at 10:06 am
I live around the corner from Cal Ave, and am starting to become really annoyed with this project. I am in and out frequently but school pick-ups and drop-offs, and walking to either Peers or Bowden park with my 3 (5 and under) children. I'm bothered because it seems they tear everything up....leave it a mess, and obstruction for walkers, and then don't come back to finish that portion of the street for several weeks. Two days ago I witnessed a junior high kid wipe out on his bike while riding near the bikes for rent on Park Blvd. The path was a mess with debris and big chucks of assphalt. Granted there was a worker who came to his aid before I could respond.
Be done with this project, wrap it up, clean up the bike path. I'm so sick of me and my children's brains be rattled when we bike around here. And stop taking so damn slow. I rarely see anyone working and I'm out A LOT!
another community
on Feb 21, 2015 at 12:01 pm
on Feb 21, 2015 at 12:01 pm
Of all the people who remember the clear cutting of the street trees on California Avenue, is there anyone who still believes that former Public Works Director Glenn Roberts was the highest ranking City official responsible for cutting down those trees?
Registered user
Midtown
on Feb 22, 2015 at 11:38 pm
Registered user
on Feb 22, 2015 at 11:38 pm
I doubt a patch will solve the problem of the ill-conceived embedded glass shards. Plain concrete is better. The glass should be removed now, while the street is still torn up.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 23, 2015 at 4:02 pm
on Feb 23, 2015 at 4:02 pm
Marie,
Please write the Council, and refer them to this page. You speak good sense. The contractor will no doubt try to sell the council on a patch. They then make money when we have to rip things up again in a few years. We just need to fix this now.
Evergreen Park
on Feb 23, 2015 at 5:05 pm
on Feb 23, 2015 at 5:05 pm
Can the sidewalks be sanded down to make them safer? The embedded glass is interesting and attractive, but when it protrudes from the surface, it presents a safety hazard.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 23, 2015 at 8:38 pm
on Feb 23, 2015 at 8:38 pm
sanding?
The trouble is that we're talking about a surface people will be walking on. The sanding will only temporarily smooth things, the hazard will surface again (literally).
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 23, 2015 at 8:40 pm
on Feb 23, 2015 at 8:40 pm
Also, because the glass and pavement have different thermal expansion characteristics, and this will by itself lead to breakdown over time. If we do not just get rid of it now, we will regret and have to pay for it down the line.
Barron Park
on Feb 24, 2015 at 7:27 am
on Feb 24, 2015 at 7:27 am
Anyone who thinks this is going to get done any time soon or cheaply just has to look at the Mitchell Park library ikea. 3years late and way over budget. Who's paying for that?
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 24, 2015 at 8:29 am
on Feb 24, 2015 at 8:29 am
I don't understand your point, Resident. Are you saying the whole project is just like Mitchell park, or are you saying that fixing a problem with the pavement now when things are ripped up and not in use is going to somehow be worse than being forced to fix them later after the farmers market gets avoided by people with kids or the city gets sued?
Evergreen Park
on Feb 24, 2015 at 7:23 pm
on Feb 24, 2015 at 7:23 pm
Am I the only one that actually like the look of the glass in the sidewalk? I think the fix is appropriate.
Evergreen Park
on Feb 24, 2015 at 7:59 pm
on Feb 24, 2015 at 7:59 pm
I also like the look of the embedded glass–it seems like a fun and interesting addition. I'm concerned that my dog's paws will be cut by protruding shards of glass, though, so I hope the fix works.
Old Palo Alto
on Feb 24, 2015 at 8:49 pm
on Feb 24, 2015 at 8:49 pm
Meh.... Notice how the contractor Redewick does not have a single Kalifornia Air Resources Board compliant tractor or truck....HACKS AT BEST!!!!
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 24, 2015 at 9:19 pm
on Feb 24, 2015 at 9:19 pm
Funny, I was just walking on those sidewalks last weekend. I had forgotten about the issue until I looked down and saw the ugly pattern of the glass embedded in the sidewalk. It is ugly. Oh well. And, as others have said, it may not age well.
Crescent Park
on Feb 25, 2015 at 9:21 am
on Feb 25, 2015 at 9:21 am
Before a fix is attempted the entity that provided the specification for the product that was supplied and used by the contractor, should provide taxpayers with an assurance that the material that is to be used will provide a lasting and appropriate fix for the "problem".
We shouldn't put the blame and or cost of repair on the shoulders of the Contractor if they installed the product as specified.
Evergreen Park
on Feb 25, 2015 at 9:31 am
on Feb 25, 2015 at 9:31 am
I'm a first time poster. Can anyone see the beauty in the glass at all? It is so sad to see that so many people only want to complain. geez, get a life people!
Evergreen Park
on Feb 25, 2015 at 10:14 am
on Feb 25, 2015 at 10:14 am
"I'm a first time poster. Can anyone see the beauty in the glass at all? It is so sad to see that so many people only want to complain. geez, get a life people!"
If you find the glass beautiful, that's fine. Clearly not everybody does.
Many of the people posting here have a stake in the streetscape project - those who dine or shop or commute here, and business owners whose livelihood depends on California Ave.
If there's one thing I can't stand, it's ignorant 'don't be a hater' comments.
Midtown
on Feb 25, 2015 at 12:53 pm
on Feb 25, 2015 at 12:53 pm
All we need to do is put up signs that say, "No bare feet or skin allowed on the glass shard sidewalk." That will take care of the liability issue.
Crescent Park
on Feb 25, 2015 at 4:38 pm
on Feb 25, 2015 at 4:38 pm
@ "Modified Limited Hangout" -
Nope, he was the scapegoat, hung out to dry by City Manager James Keene. The guy responsible for project oversight was promoted by Keene to be the current PW Director.............
Evergreen Park
on Feb 25, 2015 at 4:51 pm
on Feb 25, 2015 at 4:51 pm
The Cal Ave project was a pet project of our recently departed manager of transport, which he jumped into with gusto as soon as he arrived. He ran a side business in paving and I believe the glass imbedded concrete was his doing. Please correct me if I am wrong. He is now consulting for the city.
Barron Park
on Feb 25, 2015 at 5:00 pm
on Feb 25, 2015 at 5:00 pm
After the public outcry when the building department suddenly cut down every single tree on Cal Ave without the required notice Mr. Keene promised that there would be an inquiry and the resulting report be available to the public. Despite repeated requests he refused to release the report, and as I understand he has never done so. So much for "transparency" at city hall.
another community
on Feb 25, 2015 at 6:21 pm
on Feb 25, 2015 at 6:21 pm
@Hutch 7.62
"Meh.... Notice how the contractor Redewick does not have a single Kalifornia Air Resources Board compliant tractor or truck....HACKS AT BEST!!!!"
Not to defend the contractor, from what I understand,The California Air Resources Board (C.A.R.B.) regulation for non fleet (under 50 horsepower)off road diesel equipment has been postponed.
With false statements like that your bound to get the environmentalists riled up!
Furthermore, whose idea was it to install the recycled glass?
I guaranty it was someone with an environmental background and or agenda.
Do us all a favor don't try to change the wheel.
Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Feb 25, 2015 at 7:04 pm
on Feb 25, 2015 at 7:04 pm
I'd be furious if I were a Cal Ave merchant. Just today at around 2PM there was a massive blinking sign on El Camino near Cal Ave saying NO TURN HERE.
I looked down the street and there were no workers, no machines, nada, nothing that would impede traffic. In fact, you could see cars inching into the intersection, looking down the street and -- seeing NOTHING -- making their TURN HERE.
The workers I had seen at 1PM had already quit by 2PM but no one had bothered to shut off the warning sign.
Tell me again how the city wants to protect retailers. They should demand additional "hardship" funds from the city beyond the measly few thousand dollars they got.
Anyone think the city's going to make its EXTENDED deadline to have Cal Ave finished by March?
Evergreen Park
on Feb 25, 2015 at 8:52 pm
on Feb 25, 2015 at 8:52 pm
"Tell me again how the city wants to protect retailers. They should demand additional "hardship" funds from the city beyond the measly few thousand dollars they got."
We got not a penny.
Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Feb 25, 2015 at 8:58 pm
on Feb 25, 2015 at 8:58 pm
Really, Don? "Not a penny" is even worse than the few thousand dollars I remember reading when the project first started.
That makes the delays even worse. My sympathy.
Palo Alto High School
on Feb 26, 2015 at 8:26 am
on Feb 26, 2015 at 8:26 am
Great Idea....very poor execution.
Cute idea to use recycled glass in place of hard rock aggregate in sidewalks.
The city of Baltimore had "glassphalt" streets that glittered at night. That worked very nicely.
These sidewalks were poorly executed. The aggregate size and distribution and final flatwork finish are all sub-standard. No two sections of sidewalk look the same.
I'm certain that the installed sidewalk finish did not match the landscape architect and city planner's expectations.
The contractor did a really poor job.
Overlaying the exposed recycled glass with a thin layer of concrete paste is a temporary solution at best. We will be ripping these out in a few years.
Better replace them now with conventional concrete...and avoid further pain later.
Barron Park
on Feb 26, 2015 at 8:32 am
on Feb 26, 2015 at 8:32 am
After a evening walk my dog had a bloody paw, Not sure if it was from the sidewalk or not, but just sayin'..
Sharp Glass on a side walk? Good Idea?
Evergreen Park
on Feb 26, 2015 at 9:11 am
on Feb 26, 2015 at 9:11 am
I'll ask some of the other business owners if they received hardship funds. My guess is that they didn't.
My guess is the hardship funds went to new trash and recycling bins. No wait, we don't have any...
Or perhaps they went for upkeep of the beautiful California Ave sculpturees.
[Portion removed.]
Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Feb 26, 2015 at 9:40 am
on Feb 26, 2015 at 9:40 am
Don, please do. After your comment I went searching for what I thought I'd read and couldn't find it.
I did find a $30,000 contractor compliance fund where they're required to keep the city and merchants informed of progress. Doesn't the city monitor progress itself?
What I did find were lots of articles about the huge growth in costs bringing it to $7,000,000. Just one example is a fountain that was supposed to cost $70,000 jumping to $647,000.
Here's a few:
Web Link
Web Link
Web Link
Evergreen Park
on Feb 26, 2015 at 10:03 am
on Feb 26, 2015 at 10:03 am
"I did find a $30,000 contractor compliance fund where they're required to keep the city and merchants informed of progress."
There is a weekly California Ave Streetscape email, but it's comical how over-optimistic it's been. Here's a quote from the 2/6 email: "In addition to this work, the new streetlight and pedestrian lights will be illuminated, as removal of the old streetlights takes place." It's 2/26 today, and there's been no work done on the streetlights.
That's just one example of dozens of schedule slippages. The project was supposed to be completed in December; that became end-of-March - which means they've got 4 weeks left. Miracles happen I suppose.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 26, 2015 at 5:42 pm
on Feb 26, 2015 at 5:42 pm
Everyone, send an email to the council. Unless each concerned person says something, they won't hear anything and there will be more of this.
city.council@cityofpaloalto.org
Mayfield
on Feb 26, 2015 at 7:48 pm
on Feb 26, 2015 at 7:48 pm
"Everyone, send an email to the council. Unless each concerned person says something, they won't hear anything and there will be more of this".
city.council@cityofpaloalto.org
Residents would send more comments directly to city council, if there was a condition for anonymity.
Evergreen Park
on Mar 9, 2015 at 11:23 am
on Mar 9, 2015 at 11:23 am
Perhaps the Streetscape updates should include items that will actually be worked on...
Today, on 3/8, the Streetscape update includes:
> Work this week will also include:
>
> Work will begin on trench crossings beginning near El Camino and moving east toward the plaza.
> New streetlight and pedestrian lights will be illuminated, as removal of the old streetlights takes place.
On 2/6, the Streetscape update included:
> In addition to this work, the new streetlight and pedestrian lights will be illuminated, as removal of the old streetlights takes place.
On 2/17 (and 2/28, and 3/2), the Streetscape update included:
> Work this week will also include:
>
> Work will begin on trench crossings beginning near El Camino and preceding east toward the plaza.
> New streetlight and pedestrian lights will be illuminated, as removal of the old streetlights takes place
Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Mar 9, 2015 at 12:31 pm
on Mar 9, 2015 at 12:31 pm
We had dinner on Cal Ave last night with some out-of-town friends and walked around for 15 minutes while waiting for our table at Terrun, one of the very few restaurants open last night.
We had a good giggle at the erratically widened sidewalks, especially those fronting places where no one will be lingering/dining and those that narrow right before the El Camino intersection to create the maximum traffic backup.
Our friends were amazed that the city's spending more than $6,000,000 on this and wished they had this type of budget in PA.
Any new estimates on when this project will be completed? I pity the poor merchants.
Crescent Park
on Mar 10, 2015 at 12:30 pm
on Mar 10, 2015 at 12:30 pm
@ "Online Name" -
Yes, exactly. A typical Palo Alto example of employing the latest trendy design attributes to create a triumph of form over function.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Mar 10, 2015 at 5:21 pm
on Mar 10, 2015 at 5:21 pm
The glass shards are overshadowing the real scandal... a few people who own most of the commercial real-estate along California using redevelopment grants to convert public property into restaurant seating.
The wider sidewalks are supposed to be a "public benefit", but the real benefit goes to the property owners who can charge their restauranteur tenants more to lease the property based on the increased seating.
It is a beautiful scam. Redevelopment grants, which are funded by hardworking taxpayers, used to convert public property to private benefit.
Evergreen Park
on Mar 10, 2015 at 5:42 pm
on Mar 10, 2015 at 5:42 pm
> Ahem wrote:
>
> The wider sidewalks are supposed to be a "public benefit",
> but the real benefit goes to the property owners who can
> charge their restauranteur tenants more to lease the property
> based on the increased seating.
To which restaurant(s) on Cal Ave has this happened?
The streetscape project is also meant to bring more customers to the street, which translates to more revenue for business owners (a private benefit and a good thing).
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Mar 10, 2015 at 5:57 pm
on Mar 10, 2015 at 5:57 pm
Don,
Using hardworking taxpayer money to convert public property to private benefit... that's not just a "good" thing... it is a GREAT scam! Especially if you are one of the few people who own commercial real-estate on Cal Ave.
Whoever figured out this scam, belongs in the history books, right next to Carlo Ponzi.
Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Mar 10, 2015 at 7:04 pm
on Mar 10, 2015 at 7:04 pm
Who knows if the poor merchants and restaurants will ever recoup their losses on this long-delayed project. Even though we were there for dinner on a Sunday night when most places were closed, we still had to search for parking.
The addition of 3-story office buildings on nearby Cambridge will only contribute to the parking shortage.
And can't SOMEONE please get rid of the parallel parking on Cal Ave? With only one lane in each direction, it will back up traffic even worse and make it more hazardous for bicyclists.
How long does the city figure it will take to recoup in sales taxthe roughly $5,000,000 more that this project cost than originally budgeted??
The inconvenience to merchants, patrons, drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists is extra of course. Or is that a "public benefit"?
Mayfield
on Mar 10, 2015 at 7:45 pm
on Mar 10, 2015 at 7:45 pm
99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer.
If one of those bottles should happen to fall, use the broken bottles as a sidewalk install!
Stanford
on Apr 22, 2015 at 9:29 pm
on Apr 22, 2015 at 9:29 pm
The one thing I liked--loved-- about this project was the stunning sidewalk. I walked on it many times and didn't notice any rogue shards. How sad to have it sanded down and lose much of its luster.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 23, 2015 at 4:42 pm
on Apr 23, 2015 at 4:42 pm
How long until someone sitting on the blocks meant to prevent cars from running into people, gets their leg crushed by a clumsy driver?
This is what happens when the vision for Palo Alto is defined by a vacuous term like "vibrancy", and nobody, from the Mayor, all the way down to the guy troweling the glass shards into concrete knows what the term means.
The only people who think they know what "vibrancy" means are the real-estate developers... and they think "vibrancy" is a euphemism for lucre.
Community Center
on Apr 23, 2015 at 11:10 pm
on Apr 23, 2015 at 11:10 pm
Just ate on Cal Ave this weekend. Like the wide sidewalks, but the glass does look poorly done...