New building sought for Midtown site in Palo Alto

Is there a reason why this can't be a gas station again? It deosn't seem like we have enough in the area.

Yes, midtown needs a gas station. There are no gas stations in midtown right now.

it is that kind of selfish attitude that is turning palo alto into a hell hole.

gas stations bring traffic and pollution.

we should turn it into a park.

The article states:

"Corrigan purchased the property with an agreement that it not be used for another gas station."

Those oil companies don't want competition that might lower their sales volume per station statistics, which appear on their annual reports...

It's been dormant for five years. Given the Palo Alto process, and with Alma Plaza and Edgewood Plaza as models, it will be another ten at least before anything is done. The usual fight as just begun. Time marches on.

I am so pleased that this site is being discussed in officialdom again.

I am not sure what type of retail would be attracted here, we certainly don't need any more coffee shops :)

A gas station would be nice, I miss it a lot.

Offices, possibly but there is a great deal of unused office space in town already.

We could hope that the Winter Lodge might expand and then perhaps adult league ice hockey, and more youth activities could be attracted to use the facilities. Perhaps a gym for basketball, or even try and attract the owners of the Palo Alto Bowl.

Well, these ideas are worth throwing into the mix but I expect someone will throw them out.

Neighborhood gas stations reduce traffic and pollution, not the opposite. Like it or not, people are going to buy gas anyway. Having a gas station nearby reduces the driving distance to the station. Less driving = less traffic and less pollution.

Does anyone read the article or previous posts before they comment? Four people here supported the construction of a gas station on the site, even though the article and one subsequent comment stated that the purchase agreement prohibited a new gas station on the site.

What's the problem, people?

Please, if the owners of Zachary's Pizza are reading this, and I'm not sure why they would be, but if they were, please consider opening a Zachary's here on this site! I bet business would be booming. Please! Help us obi-won-zachary...you're our only hope.

If that "purchase agreement prohibited a new gas station on the site" is some sort of oil company conspiracy to manipulate pricing, is it really legally enforceable?

If Acco couldn't run the gas station and make a reasonable profit, what makes you think anyone else can? If it had been profitable it never would have closed!!!

Gasoline prices (and oil company profits) are a lot higher now than when the Arco station closed.

Perhaps the City can hold them to a higher LEED standard (which will save the owners even more $ in the long run) in return (say) for not requiring them to build new housing or to guarantee no new net trips to Palo Alto as a result of this construction. The Hayes group are fine architects and should be up to the challenge.

As I recall this area was designated for residential use and the management of the gas station circulated a petition to have it reclassified for continued use as a gas station. We all signed his petition both to support him and to maintain the last of, I believe, four gas stations in that immediate area. Now the current owners finding that a gas station won't work are proposing a commercial building? Why not expand the public use of the area which was all supposed to be for residential use and more recently public use including the Winter Lodge and tennis courts.

Why don’t we have a honest City/County Council that will honestly say “Developer (Contractors) Lobbyists , Developer (Contractors), “donate to us and we will approve”!!!!”

It would be great if the City Council and all the other “Councils” and “Work Shops” learned a new word – NO or new phase – DISAPPROVED….

There is no sane reason for this PROBLEM except MONEY, MONEY, MONEY and not caring about the people of Middlefield Road or ANY of the other communities …..

Sound to me like DEVELOPMENT, DEVELOPMENT, DEVELOPMENT !!!! Gee, the CITY has messed up so much without looking back and LEARNING from the past..

Like I said ABOVE – “There is no sane reason for this except MONEY, MONEY, MONEY and not caring about the people or ANY of the other communities…..”

No, not residential, we don't want more housing, the schools can't handle it.

Greg: You are wrong. Fewer gas stations equal fewer cars and less traffic. It's only logical.

Resident: You are right. We don't want more housing, not enough schools. I would also shut down schools, they bring children + traffic.

And isn't anyone thinking about polar bears?!

I agree that more park and recreation space would be the best use for this piece of land next to the Winter Lodge. Ideally the Winter Lodge would be rebuilt. The former owner confided to me once that he had only meant it as an example of what could be done and assumed that the city would follow through with an expanded version. He also told me that he had made a mistake in the way it was oriented. He had assumed that the main heating of the ice would come from the west. However in the winter, the sun comes mostly from the south and that is the side that needs the tall wall to protect the ice from the sun's heating and melting rays.
Tennis courts, playing fields, basketball courts, are other possibilities for the land. A grass area with benches and trees, and perhaps a tot lot, would be nice also. I would much rather we spent money on this kind of facility than an oversized new police building. The council approved this without asking the public and quite a lot of money is down the drain as a result. Prevention of loitering and crime by having good recreation facilities and parks is much better at preventing crime than a huge police station.

I really wish Midtown had a gas station again, it's ridiculous how far you have to drive for gas.

But, anyway, I'd also like something that makes Winter Lodge more useful--an indoor court of some sort would be nice.

I went into Mitchell Park's kinder play area the other day and counted more than 40 little members of the diaper brigade spritzing themselves happily in the water fountains in the play area.

I think every day care center in PA had their kids in those push yourself water fountains. We need several more of that type play areas around town; how about one at Winter Lodge.

On these hot Summer days those kinder water fountains have been one of the best investments the City of Palo Alto has ever made.

The previous Mitchell Park wading pool was wonderful too, my kids loved that place and were not as impressed with the fountains when they arrived. But, yes, I do agree that they are fun now that the young ones don't have anything to compare them with.

[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]

I opt for a park or just something better than more shops and offices ... I hope that this city council actually listens and shows that they care ... no special-interest garbage, please!

"It would be great if the City Council and all the other “Councils” and “Work Shops” learned a new word – NO or new phase – DISAPPROVED…."

What if the Council at the time had said that about your house? Relax,the sky is not falling.

What is the current zoning for the property? What is the current density allowed? I don't think either should be changed without an overall revision to the midtown shopping district zoning with a rational, rather than piece-by-piece, approach. Owners should be able to do whatever they want with their property as long as they conform to existing zoning. Why should the community suffer so that a property owner can maximize profits by changing the zoning? It should fit in with an overall positive plan for the community. A new statue or a few benches on the sidewalk are not enough.

Parks are nice - but I personally think Palo Alto needs a new police headquarters, albeit smaller than the one on the drawing boards, than another park, especially with Mitchell Park so close.

the developer did not buy the property with your interests in mind. It's an investment. Stop throwing out stupid ideas and instead focus on how he might ***slightly*** modify his plans to address concerns.

Along this thread several have questioned the earnings of the former Arco station. The owner, at the time of closing, said he was making fine money and paying his bills. However, Arco did not think the location was making their target profits for the location. The owner would not have closed it himself.

It does seem foolish to have to plan to drive to another town before you get down to a quarter tank so you can fill up.

Sounds like an oil company conspiracy to limit competition and increase prices/profits.

The real conspiracy was abetted by the foolish underground tank laws, laws that could have been avoided had regulators followed my lead in specifying glass fiber underground tanks at the Moffett PX gas station back in the '70s. Lawmakers are lousy engineers. Their requirements are onerous but useless, and have served their purpose of driving independents out of business.
I miss the mechanic there in Middlefield, he was a crackerjack.

I am ammused by some of these postings. Can you imagine the outcry if a large oil company came along and said they wanted to build a gas station on that site if there had never been a gas station there. The entire NIMBY population of Midtown would rise up and say "No gas station in our pristine neighborhoods!!"

Of course, the residents in Midtown never drive cars and never buy gasoline. They only ride bicycles and walk. We should shut down Oregon Expressway and use the land for a nice park. Midtown really needs a nice park.

Yeah, cos we NEED more retail. Guess we haven't seen enough local stores closed already.