Well, here we are ... the final vote on the Palo Alto Bowl! I urge you to please please "please" come on out and show your support!
For more Information and toRSVP, go here:
Web Link
Download the campaign flyer here (in PDF format. I am also not very good at making PDF's, so it's very simple ... if you have any suggestions, please let me know):
Web Link
Feel free to pass out as many as you can (one idea is to get a group of friends together and hand out fliers in various areas in and around Downtown Palo Alto, Stanford, Mountain View, Menlo Park, San Jose, Berkeley, etc)!
Remember to add your name and comments to the petition at:
Web Link
Be sure to get there by 6:15. Especially if you wanna speak (which we STRONGLY URGE you to do). And once everybody gets there, a bunch of us can go in together!
This IS a public hearing; ALL speakers are given two to three minutes!
The end time is not approxinate, but I had to put something.
The meeting with the Planning Commission was on November 18th, in which they voted to stay with the plans. As one supporter wrote:
"I was one of only two people who showed up to speak in support of the Bowl. The two other people that spoke were in favor of the project.
The Council said it was too late to do anything to prevent the going forward of the condo/hotel project. They were going to take a vote to approve the plans at hand. The one guy said to me flat out that it was too late to change anything at this point, that folks should have come forward 4 years ago when this all began.
I was disappointed that more people did not show up."
We really need you on December 14th.
It will be a great challenge, yes, as developers and their money have the upper hand here; to be blunt, the status quo allows them to give the public a big "screw you."
Public hearings on housing and hotel developments are a joke, as the developer already knows that they've won; there is just so much money in these types of developments, and city governments are too cowardly and special interest-serving to stand up to for the greater good.
The status quo "has to change."
Without the alley, in the words of one petition signer, "Palo Alto will become even more lame." The council has expressed great interest in having places for teens to go, and yet, they are considering the demolition of Palo Alto Bowl, a very popular recreational Institution and historical landmark amongst people of all ages; from toddlers to teens and from young adults to seniors. And with the planned "very pricey" remodel of Mitchell Park Community Center, something does not sit right.
Another big "screw you" to the public; brought to us by our friendly city government. The politicians we voted into office. Who are supposed to work for "us"; who are supposed to represent the city and its long-term reputation and vision. Not to represent special-interests, and "not" to demolish landmarks in order to make way for new businesses that can be taxed and benefit the city economy in the short-term, but completely ruin everything else in the long-term.
Millionares are getting wealthier; so much unnecessary and lavish spending is going on as we speak. And us "regular" folk are hurting. And the higher-ups implement even more cuts to various programs. And the solution here is to destroy landmarks? For what? Their benefit?
Why did these people ever run for office? Do they forget why? Is this why the majority of people view Palo Alto City Hall with such disdain? Just because we're a bit late in arguing against some man-made law, does that automatically invalidate the core issue here? The CA Avenue trees situation was legal on paper; did that make it right in the real world?
We can do this thing! Invite everybody you know! If you do have work or a class, and if there is any way that you could get out just this once, it would be so greatly appreciated! We need a really strong turnout, and this experience will be invaluable.
And everybody ... if you do have younger kids who also utilize the Palo Alto Bowl, bring them along! If they could speak on it, like why they enjoy the place and why it shouldn't be gotten rid of, that would be so awesome! But, it's up to them.
The agenda will be posted as soon as it is available.
It will be a great challenge, but we can do it.
Allow us to leave you with these words from a supporter in New York:
"As a former member of the Palo Alto Bowl's junior bowling league and as a City Planning major at Cornell University, I feel like I understand the needs of both the Bowl and the Palo Alto City Planning Department. I understand that the financial benefits may be tempting for Palo Alto City Planners to resist, but I URGE the department to return back to the roots of the planning profession - to prioritize the social needs of the community.
The amount of available land resources to develop in Palo Alto may be becoming scarce, but this should NOT equate to the necessity of demolishing the ENTIRE facility for a hotel/housing. Hotel rates are skyrocketing in the city and I see no need to expand on an amenity that does not seem to be pressing during a nationwide housing slump and necessary to promote the city's cash revenue. Something needs to be done about the excess land that is currently underutilized in the land property of the Palo Alto Bowl, but this should not mean that a facility that has served the community for decades should be eliminated from the urban fabric. I have gained many experiences as a junior bowling league member of the Palo Alto Bowl's Saturday All-Stars. Our team went to compete in the state tournament, representing Palo Alto to the entire state of California. The bowling team was a great way to experience a part of small-town America that is slowly becoming obsolete - simple and plain fun without breaking the bank. Even today on my resume I put my awards from the Palo Alto Bowl as a proud achievement of my childhood. Without the Palo Alto Bowl, I would not have stepped into the real world in the same way. The Palo Alto Bowl keeps the youth from enjoying other activities that the City of Palo Alto would deem "inappropriate." If Palo Alto is truly a place where minds can grow in a safe, protecting environment, then the Palo Alto City Planning Department should stick to its goals. It should save the Palo Alto Bowl for yet another piece of development that is questionable to succeed in such dire economic times"
