| The Palo Alto History Project |
| Planned Community Trading 390 Lytton Avenue |
| 390 Lytton: Poor PC Trading The office building at 390 Lytton Street has been cited as an example of poor PC trading. Palo Alto's "Planned Community" process (PC in government lingo) enables developments that offer outstanding civic benefits, but do not conform to standard zoning regulations. In the case of this 18,921 square-foot law firm headquarters, it was the size that did not conform --- it was some 80% bigger than Palo Alto zoning allowed. The PC process essentially allows the developer to play “Let’s make a deal” with the city. In some cases, this does result in beneficial construction that might not ordinarily be built, such as when a city is able to use their leverage to pull for affordable housing units in new apartment complexes. Other times, the process can feel a bit like “zoning for sale.” At 390 Lytton, developer Jim Baer offered a whole laundry list of “public benefits” in order to get around the usual regulations. The list included replacing four street trees, providing a 10-foot-wide public passageway to the west of the building, putting in a new bus stop bench, erecting a new sign, putting in a trash can, repairing a few tree wells, planting six street trees, and building a frieze above the building’s main entrance. In addition, the offer included $70,000 for a study of traffic in the area--- ironic to opponents who said the project would bring 50-75 new employee cars to Lytton Street everyday. Many residents were upset with the city’s PC trade. They said that a “3 story monolith would not outweigh the traffic and parking problems the 18,921-square-foot development would create.” More public criticism from Downtown resident Irv Brenner: “PC ‘benefits’ are frequently modest or meaningless. Some are hilariously silly -- check out the toy cars framing the doorway at 390 Lytton Ave., official "public benefits" of that souped-up PC office development. Whatever would our town do without them? It reminds me of the Manhattan Indians trading their island for a handful of beads." On that toy car frieze, however... While the “history of the automobile” does not seem to have a whole lot to do with the law firm inside (Townsend and Townsend and Crew), $125,000 did buy a rather interesting and fanciful piece of sculpture. It depicts the history of the “automobile” from the early days on foot to a futuristic kind of flying "car-pod," with various stages of the car along the way. It’s kind of nice to be able to walk down a street and find such a whimsical piece of public art on an otherwise completely nondescript building. -Matt Bowling |
| The building at 390 Lytton |
| "The history of cars" frieze |
| Looking south down Lytton |
| The car evolves through the 1900s |
| Later and future cars and pods? |
| The frieze honors Leonard Ely, the owner of the site and a long-time auto dealer |
| The frieze close up |
| Nearby residents complained that the three stories would dwarf nearby buildings |
| The map below shows the Downtown East area |
