of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students. real-world experiences, which develop in each student the skills Selecting a category below will take you to another page. Alcheck asked his colleagues.The revised proposal includes five garage designs, though only three of them meet the council's March direction of the underground facility to include no more than 50% of the required on-site parking, which amounts to 52 spaces. of our extraordinary faculty and staff, we are dedicated to 202122 Tuition 6. Castilleja School is a top rated, private, all-girls school located in PALO ALTO, CA. I think you misunderstand my above post. 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. 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. The revised plans, which seek to respond to the council's direction, are now set to undergo a series of reviews by the Architectural Review Board, which will consider them on Dec. 2, and the Planning and Transportation Commission, which will review them on Dec. 8. And because Lew's term is about to conclude and he is not seeking another term, the ultimate decision about whether the new design passes muster could hinge on a board member who has not yet been appointed and who may have other ideas about the building's design.Lee and Thompson, however, felt that the building is fine the way it is, having already gone through years of refinements and public hearings. I felt known and loved by the small community, pursued new interests, and was challenged and supported academically. Castilleja, for its part, has consistently rejected the notion that it is looking to "expand." "We think a 30% increase in enrollment excessive," Reed said in an interview. Castilleja is a dynamic, diverse, and intentional educational community for students in grades 6-12 that believes in the power of women learning and women leading. "If they were to request a 10% enrollment increase, we'd be looking at about 450 students and there's there's sufficient parking on-site for 450. ""It's doing something that is really powerful and I want to emphasize that," Thompson said. The two major points were a scaled down garage and a plan to manage traffic. A shuttle would then bring them to the campus. 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. In late 2007, the Wall Street Journal identified Castilleja School as one of the world's top 50 schools for its success. 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. It's inevitable. My question is: WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF PALO ALTO? Christian high school basketball team forfeits tournament rather than play against transgender player, Opinion: Gov. To allow a private, tax-exempt educational institution to dramatically expand its enrollment, which largely consists of young women who live elsewhere and will likely contribute absolutely nothing to the community once they graduate. However, they made their site large when they got the city to give them the 200 block of Melville in 1992, and merged 6 residential lots into the school, so they can't use size to qualify for a variance. A smaller footprint. and current research that affirm the significant personal and Obituaries Just think about what that means. What do YOU think is in this community's best interests? Thanks for posting the specifics about the missing data. Just a thought! have spent my career in girls' education, and I am proud to carry on the legacy started by Mary Lockey. True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. Embarcadero Media file photo by Sinead Chang. Place a Legal Notice I also want to point out that there are underground garages in residential neighborhoods in Palo Alto. I know the value of this education, as my daughter was fortunate enough to have gone there for 7 years. Thanksfor the article on Castilleja'sexpansion. So, I asked ChatGPT to explain itself. The Casti supporters who spoke about the benefits of having an all-girls education were addressing the value that Castilleja provides to the community. Time to read: about 5 minutes. Please, I implore readers to understand the facts, and give Castilleja the chance to educate more young women AND abide by the strict limits spelled out in the proposed new CUP. In both cases, the public hearings are intended to solicit early feedback and will not include any formal action. Not recognizing the impact to traffic, safety issues for bike boulevard, taking old trees out, and not even thinking about the impact of this project with the Churchill proposal. "There are elements of the building that could be cut back and there's the space between that no longer needs access to the cellar," Hirsch said. I cant but help think that if Casti truly feels it is so important to increase the number of young women benefiting from their education, Casti would want to move to a location where they can grow and not limit this wonderful opportunity to only 540 young women. Let's reduce the pain to all parties, to more quickly get their renovations completed! It makes sense that it is time for Castilleja to modernize its campus. Casti is a bubble that feels very, very wealthy, and very liberal. Nanci Kauffman, head of Castilleja, said Monday that the school is prepared to reduce its proposed square footage in accordance with the council's direction, but said she hopes this "minor change . 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. As uncomfortable as it might be to tell Castilleja NO to the garage, that is the only way to move forward in a way that aligns with the Citys S-CAP goals. Here, however, the split occurred between the five board members, who were charged with further refining the building's faade. @Staying Home - In PA, housing is effectively a finite resource. It wasn't perfect, though. Because of the scale of the proposed development in an R1 zoned neighborhood, the project has experienced considerable opposition among neighboring residents. of students agree that they like their school and feel happy there. In 1907, Mary Lockey opened the doors to Castilleja School to pursue a revolutionary ideato provide young women with the educational opportunities needed to seek a college education. Thank you, Lorraine, I appreciate your bringing that up. Palo Alto: Castilleja School expansion plan, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements, Palo Alto: Castilleja School expansion plan held up by parking garage debate, Santa Rosa high school student stabbed to death in classroom, Exactly what I needed: Los Gatos teachers move into affordable units, Teacher at California high school arrested after recording devices found in restroom, California high school scheme used fake documents to get basketball players on team, report says, Stockton elementary school teacher arrested on charge of being intoxicated on campus. contributing global citizens. Castillejas supporters made sense, which is easy for them because the project makes sense. All rights reserved. Dont worry I wont hold my breath waiting for you to take action. Advertising Info Castilleja School Photo #9 - The Class of 2013 is all smiles at the splish-splash party! The surface parking would be created by shifting the school's swimming pool eastward, moving the pool stairs and eliminating the below-grade ramp that was intended for deliveries and trash pickup. 5,490 were here. 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. Neither can be avoided 100%, but why add whats not really needed? Sign up to be notified of new comments on this topic. Home & Real Estate Mobile site. This school has been claimed by the school or a school representative. Our teachers prioritize experiential and project-based learning that is engaging and relevant to girls. If some people thought those speeches are unnecessary, they are probably against having the school in Palo Alto in general or else they don't understand the point of the school's proposed modernization. Education | However, if you tackle it methodically, you will get good results. Let Castilleja move to a new location like most of the other private schools have done - Keys, Pinewood, Harker are just a few. Large parking structures are not environmentally friendly. When added to 26 surface spaces that currently exist and that would remain, Scheme E creates a total of 89 spaces. Castilleja is a member of the California Association of Independent Schools[2] and the National Coalition of Girls' Schools. Embarcadero Media However, the community is one of care, and everyone at the school aims only to celebrate your achievements and encourage you to put forth your best work. Not moving the pool and keeping the parking lots as-is saves a whole lot of the changes the school is going through. I don't agree that it doesn't matter the size of enrollment, because more student bodies means more parents and cars and staff, teachers, volunteers and event attendees. Surely environmental science is part of the curriculum. One reason this has taken so long is that the applicant has persisted with plans that include an enormous garage. This is all at a time when accommodations such as Castilleja is seeking need to be made for "overriding public needs" such as affordable housing, which the Castilleja property would be an excellent home for! If I were a Republican I would not feel safe voicing that aspect of my identity. intellectual advantages of all-girls education. A&E Quality of academic programs, teachers, and facilities, Availability of music, art, sports and other extracurricular activities, Castilleja School Photo #3 - Middle School English. Coach one after school team each season and fitness classes during the . The application deadline for Castilleja School is Jan. 9. Elizabeth Hughes, a consultant who developed the transportation-demand-management plan for Castilleja, assured the commission and the public that the programs in the plan will keep traffic levels steady. Privacy Policy @Rita Vrhel, Castilleja has been around before any of the neighbors. Become a Member The three other members requested changes but had no consensus about what needs to be changed. Vice Mayor Burt co-chairs those meetings so he hears the communitys concerns. "Staff conceptually supports a parking adjustment for the project given the Council's direction to reduce the size of the garage and Castilleja's robust TDM plan," Lait wrote. Nanci Kauffman is Castilleja's sixth Head of School. Its like threading a needle. Elizabeth Hughes, a consultant who developed the transportation-demand-management plan for Castilleja, assured the commission and the public that the programs in the plan will keep traffic levels steady. Nor is concrete. It would occupy about 24,294 square feet, which is 8,186 square feet less than in the original proposal. In 2009, Castilleja was given the highest accreditation rating by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Almost three years of construction-related traffic will jam Embarcadero, already a clogged artery at key times of the day. Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life, Harriette Cole: I don't want the neighbor's kids at my house, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, Ask Amy: I'm your cabin housekeeper, and you apparently have no idea what I do. AND the additional enrollment. I absolutely am a neighbor. Thank you Castilleja! Palo Alto backs e-bike ban on Baylands trails, Stanford sues Santa Clara County over tax exemptions for faculty residences, Hit-and-run driver kills man, crashes into five cars Sunday morning, Santa Clara County wants to put millions into child care, California homelessness: Where are the state's billions going? Just so sad that the City has really allowed this to drag on. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! AI (Artificial Intelligence), specifically ChatGPT, poses some serious challenges for teachers. Its on Casti to prove its case. I'm pretty sure no neighbor that's not a parent has ever agreed with proposed enrollment increase. 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, With sixty girls in one grade, it would seem that competition would be prevalent, especially during the college process. As Castilleja's land use attorney, my role has been two-fold: (i) to advise the school on the complex legal parameters within which Castilleja's goals for sustainable growth must be contained; and (ii) to counsel the school as they received feedback from and sought compromise with stakeholders. "It's often called an 'expansion,' but the footprint would be smaller. Contact Us The 7/23/21 Fehr & Peers Castilleja Parking Study commissioned by Castilleja School indicates a parking garage of any size is NOT NECESSARY. Through coursework, arts, athletics, and an array of co-curricular experiences, Castilleja students become inquisitive and persevering learners. On page 1 this report indicated Alternative 4, the Disbursed Circulation/ No Garage Alternative-would meet the Citys Municipal Code requirements providing 104 parking spaces, which is based on the number of teaching stations. 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