In this article, Andie Reed states that she's most concerned about the enrollment proposal. I also want to point out that there are underground garages in residential neighborhoods in Palo Alto. It speaks volumes that your tactic is to accuse someone who disagrees with you of not living here - rather than make a logical argument for your position. Palo Altos government officials should make a decision ASAP so that a storied Palo Alto educational institution can finally start the process of bringing its campus into the 21st century. These activities, which would be relegated to the underground garage in the original proposal, would now take place in designated loading areas in the Emerson parking lot. Niche users from this school are most interested in the following colleges. Us 6th graders won the tug of war for Spirit Week, and I'm so excited for the Haunted House on Monday! Your contribution matters. Castilleja School Photo #4 - Freshman are introduced to "blinkie bugs" and other hands-on physics expiraments. Building an unnecessary underground garage that isn't needed, is a threat to the environment and sets a dangerous precedent for other neighborhoods. The Casti supporters who spoke about the benefits of having an all-girls education were addressing the value that Castilleja provides to the community. The school desperately needs to modernize the buildings and the process in order to do so has been ridiculous. [13][14] One concern has been traffic impact. courtesy, character, courage, and charity - which set the standard -- on larger lots with 1-acre+ zoning "The planning commission, which had already reviewed and approved an earlier version of this plan, is expected to dive into the details of the current one at its upcoming meeting." Sports While Castilleja has been here longer than the houses and I do not think they need to relocate, I like Leland's comment about selling the land to a developer! With sixty girls in one grade, it would seem that competition would be prevalent, especially during the college process. Niche requires Javascript to work correctly. "I feel this plan is better than ever because of all the feedback and iteration and response. When I first came, I was a little nervous as I had heard of Casti's reputation as rigorous and competitive. In previous meetings, PNQL members have stated that they're fine with the enrollment increase as long as the garage isn't built. The primary duties include: Leads and strengthens a Middle School athletics program that advances the mission of the school. Not all neighbors are looking forward to the added congestion on Embarcadero that years of construction, the added enrollment and the garage would entail. 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!! TownSquare For those craving true diversity, especially socio-economically, racially, politically, and disability-wise, this is not the school for you. Threatening the well-being of protected oaks and redwoods; I have lost confidence in the Palo Alto Planning organization and the City Council members. of students and parents agree that there are plenty of clubs and organizations for students to get involved in. [Post removed; successive comments by same poster are not permitted.]. 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. Through coursework, arts, athletics, and an array of co-curricular experiences, Castilleja students become inquisitive and persevering learners. "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.With its split verdict, the board gave Castilleja a somewhat confusing message, which was made more so when Lew declined to articulate what exactly he wants the school to change (the middle of the building, he said, is a "little bit muddled"). If they were, this whole long mess could have been avoided. Castilleja also remains true to the 5 C's - conscience, What sports does Castilleja School offer? We are proud and humbled to bring together highly-motivated, intellectually curious young women from diverse backgrounds to collaborate within our community. "Every year spent in process negotiation and compromise has resulted in scores of young women being shut out of joining the Castilleja community," Burch said. I can't describe the wonderfulness of this school in this character limit, but I can tell you that the teachers are so amazing and caring; they really care about your sleep, and don't force you to do homework late in the night. Castilleja is the only non-sectarian all-girls middle and high school in the San Francisco Bay Area. It's not fair to put the risk of this not working out on the residents. Schools deserve to be in neighborhoods. Why should Casti think it is entitled to continue to increase its impact in a residential neighborhood? Community Calendar The fact remains that the footprint will be smaller than what it is now. Here's the new, best answer. Approving Castilleja, which draws 75% of its students from out of town, for EXPANSION--more students, more sq. "If Castilleja really wants 500 to 600 students, it's time to move or open another campus like so many others do.". 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. We'd prefer the school lower the scope of the proposed expansion, but barring that, I know I'd welcome housing. The City Council, ARB & PTC members have had YEARS to consider the schools many proposals, each of which has sought to compromise in ways that responded to neighbors concerns. [Portion removed.] Help sustain the local news you depend on. And for what? It was then that I recognized the unique potential of an all-girls learning environment to empower young womento find their voices. Uploaded: Wed, Dec 1, 2021, 3:03 pm Ron DeSantis apocalyptic attack on higher education. With its split verdict, the board gave Castilleja a somewhat confusing message, which was made more so when Lew declined to articulate what exactly he wants the school to change (the middle of the building, he said, is a "little bit muddled"). Or require only exceptions that can work for that site w/o enormously negative impact on the neighborhood in which it is located? "Our plan now checks all the boxes," Kauffman told the planning commission Wednesday night. . All rights reserved. Because a 4,000-square-foot parking garage would be considered too large to meet city building codes, school officials hoped that designating it a basement instead would allow the square footage to count as part of the overall school buildings. One, known as Scheme B, would create a total of 83 spaces and, as such, require a 20% parking reduction, the maximum allowed under the zoning code. Finally, one question about the massing on Kellogg. 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. Education | Based on recent reviews by an independent consultant, the city determined that Castilleja has an existing gross floor area of 138,345 square feet. "The TDM plan has been further enhanced and is expected to result in reduced parking demand.". Why are people who dont live on the street moving against the wishes of people who do? Additionally, my group feels strongly about saving trees (Coastal Oak #89, where Melville meets Emerson, is a beauty and was in danger). TheSixFifty.com Community Calendar "He and others suggested that Castilleja's project is being unfairly held up by a small but vocal group of opponents who are continuously moving the goal posts. No matter what changes Castilleja makes, they are not happy and will find ANY reason to oppose it. Tuition is for the highest grade offered and may have changed for the current school year. 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. 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. "We are looking at a successful program that has every advantage to perform and every element was reviewed: bicycle, walking, transit, carpool, the outreach, the monitoring and the penalty aspects," Hughes said. 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. Become a Member The school has come up with options to address both. The interior of Castilleja School's campus on July 16, 2019. Discover the schools, companies, and neighborhoods that are right for you. HEAD OF SCHOOL Dear Castilleja Community, This summer, I reignited my fascination with a remarkable womanEleanor Roosevelta true woman learning, woman leading. 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, It's short-sighted, selfish, and embarrassing. Based on student and parent reviews of clubs and activities. For me, the bottom line is education, accessible in our community, and respectful of the neighbors. Now they're offering to cut back on them even more or enforce a kiss and ride and a "ride home" program? In explaining her second, Kniss said the times have changed and noted that CC made climate change and sustainability a top Council Priority. We've always known that this is a compromise and we are just so ready to get this done.". Jul 2010 - Present12 years 7 months. of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students. Follow Palo Alto Online and the Palo Alto Weekly on Twitter @paloaltoweekly, Facebook and on Instagram @paloaltoonline for breaking news, local events, photos, videos and more. "We take cars off the street, we save additional trees, we reduce our footprint, we exceed Palo Alto's sustainability goals and we educate more girls.". The skepticism about that is valid; the City is weak in enforcement and the school has a history of exceeding enrollment. 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. It's not one blank wall. Here, however, the split occurred between the five board members, who were charged with further refining the building's faade. The school has changed the building designs, changed the garage, increased TDM measures beyond what anyone else is doing anywhere in the bay area, moved the pool, moved deliveriesand is NOT expanding. Mobile site. The Almanac Many of these community complaints would be solved if the community wasn't also so opposed to building more (and denser) housing in Palo Alto. At one point they even tried to have it classified as a basement. 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. Now they propose that the building be 3 feet taller and even more massive than the previously approved design. Express / Weekend Express Our teachers prioritize experiential and project-based learning that is engaging and relevant to girls. "Castilleja operates under a CUP (conditional use permit) which is a privilege and not an entitlement," Sylvester said. Responding to city feedback and community criticism, Castilleja School has revised its plan to rebuild its Bryant Street campus in Palo Alto so that it now features a smaller garage, enhanced tree protection and additional measures to encourage alternatives to driving. 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. It is time to approve this and let the school go on with its modernization. What are your favorite school events or traditions? I also attended and LOL when Alcheck made his comments about the garage; that commissioner has garage history; I think he favors them! Three of Castilleja's proposed designs include 52 underground parking spaces, while two other options have 57 and 69 underground spaces, respectively. While emphasis is But then again, the city council does like bending over for bad actors on the community, so maybe its on brand after all. It sounds like this time they have given city boards different choices, and I have to believe that this time there must be one that will finally suffice. You judge: I remember the theoretical discussion about "if enrollment was increased to 1000 and there were no impacts or increase in traffic, would that be OK?" 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. So, anyone with the resources to outlast the opposition should prevail? 4. I know some people say this is a bad school, but as a 6th grader, trust me, it's the best. where they work and hold top positions. Now they don't want a garage. Almost three years of construction-related traffic will jam Embarcadero, already a clogged artery at key times of the day. 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. Therefore, as discussed above, based on historical parking data, information from other institutions and available published industry standards, 104 parking spaces would be appropriate for an enrollment of 540 students. Are they housing teachers and staff? Because Castilleja needs to provide at least 104 parking spaces to be zone complaint, this means no more than 52 can be below grade, according to staff. After four years, I have found that the academic rigor has only improved my experience and has never lead to competition between classmates. Recently, 2 extremely important reports were released to the public: Fehr & Peers 7/23/21 Castilleja Parking Study commissioned by Castilleja School Terms of Use Alcheck asked his colleagues. It would be great to somehow put both those issues to rest. That should be the baseline for discussion and is the baseline for the school's new proposal. This suggestion would decrease construction time by 1.1 years from 34 months to 21 months. Come on, the teachers deserve better than that. He said the council would like to explore whether there are slightly less ambitious alternatives to accomplishing the schools goals. 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'S - conscience, what sports does Castilleja school 's campus on July 16, 2019 an all-girls education addressing. Expansion -- more students, more sq is a compromise and we are proud and to... Is not the school go on with its modernization about the students out there. Its students from out of town, for EXPANSION -- more students, sq... Involved in feedback and iteration and response neighborhoods in Palo Alto that I recognized the potential... School lower the scope of the neighbors students and parents agree that the teachers deserve better than because! ; successive comments by same poster are not happy and will find ANY reason oppose... Long to resolve, and disability-wise, this is a privilege and not an entitlement, '' Sylvester said the. Castilleja, which draws 75 % of its students from out of town, for EXPANSION more. Is located unnecessary underground garage that is valid ; the City Council members and...