"There is value (in designation), even in buildings that look like old factory buildings, particularly if they do provide a sense of place, especially for the Chinese American community," Holzemer told the board. "And I really think that's really important in our society today, with all the angst that people have against immigrants and migrants today."

Sense of place?! No it doesn't, Terry. It's a decrepit building that has been modified a lot over the years.

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It’s ignorance to dismiss the building and it’s historical context as just a decrepit old pile.

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People may disagree about an Application for historic status, but there is no informed disagreement about the building as historically significant, no matter the outcome. The Council acknowledged this.

Me 2 is correct. It is a decrepit old building. The fact that it represents a part of the history of this place doesn't automatically mean it should be preserved. If it were small, one could make an argument for preservation, but it is large and very much better use can be made of that property, as the City Council's approval of the Sobrato development has already affirmed.

As Sheyner noted, "both the Historic Resources Board and planning staff agreed last month that the bid to place the cannery on the state or local registry would serve little purpose at this point." The issue is settled.

They could have done so much better with the historic building.

The building is, at least today, historically ugly. Let's memorialize the history with a plaque and honor the pioneering and innovative spirit of Thomas Foon Chew and other hard working immigrants by better utilizing this space (and the many blighted sections along El Camino) for the benefit of today's Palo Altans.

Regardless of someone's political affiliation, the current plan shows a lack of imagination when our "leaders" could have added much-needed Asian markets and restaurants much like what San Francisco and San Jose have done with their Japantown and Little Vietnam.

If StreetSense, Palo Alto's retail consultant, is going to push PA as a tourist destination, they might have focused on something more interesting rather than square footage per resident. Who ever saw a tourist brochure saying "Come visit our single-wide and double-wide storefronts for exciting shopping and dining."

The old Fry's building is also historic as an integral part of Silicon Valley history. Saturday afternoon at Fry's was a veritable "who's who" of local tech nerds and angel investors. A book about Fry's by local techies would be fascinating, illustrated with Fry's "Wild West Theme" photographs. To love Fry's was a requirement.

Ramona Fernando, absolutely! Now all the computer stores are gone and we're out of luck if you want to touch something like a keyboard before buying. Also gone is Henry's Bar and Grill on University near The (former) President Hotel where all the nerds working at home made appearances on Friday night to show each other they were still alive. It was allegedly one of the oldest on the Peninsula.

The behind-closed-door negotiation that gave Sobrato this sweetheart deal really needs to be investigated by the proper authorities. A Grand Jury would be nice. The Palo Alto City Council has been caught red-handed before, and this deal was much more blatant, in my opinion.

The City Council folded as soon as Sobrato mentioned "lawsuit." Sad.

As a longtime Fry's customer (and even Maximart when I was a kid) not once did I hear of it being a cannery. You could tell it was some sort of warehouse by the shape, but that's about it. With NextDoor ranting about the lack of housing in Palo Alto, I'd make housing a priority over history. If you can reasonably do both, fine, but, otherwise, a plaque will do.

Pointing out that Terry is part of the leadership team of PASZ too hot to handle?

"Regardless of someone's political affiliation, the current plan shows a lack of imagination when our "leaders" could have added much-needed Asian markets and restaurants much like what San Francisco and San Jose have done with their Japantown and Little Vietnam."

Dictating the type of retail and entertainment top-down is a folly. Remember Miki's market on Alma?

Asian markets thrive where there is a critical mass of first- or second-generation Asian-Americans nearby. As much as it may seem to long-time Palo Alto residents, we don't have that here. J-town was a thriving JA neighborhood in SF first. Little Vietnam could only exist because of the Vietnamese-American population there first.

As much as it would be great to have an H-Mart in PA, you can't conjure up an Asian market without enough of the demographic that chooses to shop at these markets.

Call me a skeptic, but I don't think legacy Palo Alto residents would accept enough Asians around their neighborhood to support an Asian market within the city limits. The blaming of foreign buyers for housing prices would hit a fever pitch, when we all know that the latent support for the mindset encapsulated by PASZ is the real reason why housing prices are what they are on the peninsula.

What is going to serve our community more? Addressing housing or a establishing this as a historical significant building? We have a pressing need for housing, of any and all types. We don't need yet another parcel of property with reams of paperwork blocking how it can be updated and used.'

@Me 2
You’d probably call me a “legacy Palo Altan”: born here, lived here for decades. I am white, but welcome my many Asian neighbors and would welcome an Asian market in PA. I would guess most of my neighbors feel the same way. (35% of Palo Alto is Asian, Asian-American.)

"You're nobody 'til somebody sues you."

and P.S. Mic drop on aisle @Me 2.

Sample size n=1 is hardly a mic drop.

And no 35% of PA of all generations of AA is clearly not enough. Otherwise Ranch 99 or H-Mart would already have a store here.