With a quorum, it's uh 6 uh 31, and we call this meeting of the appointments committee to order Wednesday, April 29th, uh 2026.

And uh our first uh order of business, uh, which is uh 32.021 is uh James Fleiser, Board of the Cess Book Appeals.

Do you want me to take attendance?

Or no?

Oh, um I'm sorry, yes, please do.

Hi Bobby.

Um Bradford.

I hear present.

Okay.

Um Camparelli is excused, Gardner.

Present pill.

I don't see him.

Hi it, Lori High, hiat President.

Bobby Pavia.

Good evening, President.

Uh Representative Shore.

Present Candace Weathers.

Present and Carl Weinberg.

President, thank you.

You're welcome.

Uh representative Camparelli wrote me that uh she might not be able to make what the seat.

Correct, yeah.

Okay, now we've got that out of the way.

Um so uh this is a reappointment.

Correct, just finishing off the first one.

And uh, well, first of all, thanks very much for uh for doing it.

Uh one volunteer to another.

Um we certainly appreciate uh we certainly appreciate that.

So uh you know, I I've met some folks uh who apply for a position on the board of assessment of appeals, and and it it it just uh seems like there's an emotional component to the uh process, and it's kind of curious what your uh observations have been as far as that's concerned.

So um I came into or started my term in an interesting time.

So every five years there's a reval that takes place, and that took place in 2022.

I started early 2023.

So first we have sessions in the spring and March, and then we do the session in September, which is typically about automobiles, but mostly properties from the spring, but that can be something and right after a reval, typically the first year in particular, is a large turnout of citizens from the city of Stanford because they're not necessarily happy with how their property was evaluated or revalved.

Um so for the first timer, it was I would say kind of introduction by you know, fire, where there were we met literally for the entire month almost I think four nights a week hearing um citizens coming and talking to case.

So from the standpoint of that, it was a great way to learn.

But I think the biggest element, at least in my opinion, for being on this board, is really just being present and listening to citizens they come in and showing them respect.

They clearly have a point of view, so hearing what they're helping to guide them a little bit, not that I'm a real estate knowledgeable person per se, but you know, trying to help guide them if what facts they should bring forward, what evidence they have, how can they present that to try and give us the information we need to to make a determination on if there's something that we feel should be adjusted or not.

Um so I think really listening is the biggest thing.

I don't know if a motion you try and keep out of it personally, um, but that that I think for me is really listening, giving people respect and you know, thanking them and recognizing that they're there out of their time trying to make a case.

And sometimes it's successful, sometimes it's not.

I'm curious, a city of 130,000 people, like how many people come forward at the at that point.

Can you put the number on?

So in that first year, um, I feel like I I probably could or should look back, but we had several hundred that came in.

Um, the way we're sort of a five-member board, um, we typically hear cases individually.

So people will sit with us, give 15 to 20 minutes typically for them as as needed to give their time.

We take notes individually, and then we deliberate as an entire board.

So we will present back, talk about what I believe might if it's my, you know, here's what I heard, here's what I believe it's a recommendation, others read no question, and then you know we'll make a decision.

But um, you know, we met from five to nine, like I said, probably 20 nights, 15, 20 minutes.

So it was it was several hundred that that came through.

Um more recent year, so this past session, you know, we had two nights, so it was a smaller and you have a smaller number.

So you're talking about maybe we've got 20 um citizens coming in, but in the first, it's it's hundreds that come in first year, second year also, because sometimes people don't realize there's a short window for them to identify and bring their paperwork forward if they want to appeal, but then the second year they they could come in and appeal as well.

Interesting.

That's a lot more.

Yeah, it again, and yeah, you're talking about real.

Yeah, so that will be you know, 2027 will be the next reval, which means you know, spring of 2028 would be likely you know, a big a big turnout.

Um for me personally, it also just in hearing your talk, it helped expose me to parts of the city and people coming in from different parts of the city that I didn't necessarily you start to, you know, oh that's where that street is.

Oh, that's where that, you know.

So you get to work with the assessed office to you know better understand where I'm gonna map.

Um they bring in comparables because they're trying to compare to make sure it's within their immediate neighborhood.

Um observations do happen where you hear claimants that come in and you notice a bit of a pattern, like, hey, there's a lot of people here coming from this particular neighborhood or this development.

We'll try and group those because there could be something that maybe there was a miscalculation, the reevaluation.

So we'll try and group those to see if there's any sort of patterns or observations at the same.

So it's there's financials and numbers involved, but it's also more just about trying to you know be attentive, listening and ask security questions and trying.

They're supposed to bring information forward, but we can try and help prompt the um help them out.

I think what one of the other um candidates feels the same committee who we interviewed previously, they spoke about how uh some candidates come, some people come to your board far better prepared with others with proper proper documentation, proper comps, you know, they make it very clear, they have a very strong case, whereas a lot of people come very deeply unprepared, and those people tend to obviously get a worse run that the board, and uh and you'll need to sort of balance coaching people to give a correct case uh with the not wanting to be unfair and get people advantage.

It's definitely seems like a challenge you have for you.

Correct.

And I do think, I mean, there is communication in advance.

I think, like you said, some people will get clarification from the assessor's office.

What do I need to bring?

What do I need to do?

So I think there's good communication or prep, but some people come very detailed and have lots of information, others you know, just want to tell their story and may or may not have the facts needed behind it.

So again, that is part of the process.

Um, you know, again, if and as we always say, if even if we make a deliberation, we may find you know, and make an adjustment, if they're still not happy, their next step is they can take it to two court as the next step as that's their next representative.

Thank you.

Um, as a as a follow-up to Felix's uh comment and question.

Um the quality preparation is is inconsistent.

Um not terribly surprising among the applicants.

Um what could the um you know you should put your thinking cap on?

What could the um the board uh your board do uh to um to sort of pre-coach not when they were there before you, but so that they're better so that can't so that applicants prepared and prepared what it what information, what guidance, what forms, what templates, whatever, you know, what prompts you know, what processes you know, looking ahead, uh could could could your board institute to um you know to to improve the you know the quality of preparation.

Yeah, I mean it's a great question.

So there is a standard form that they all fill out, and um, you know, there's field card that we received, but I do think you know there probably could be some examples that are created and put together as a sample pack, say here's some best, you know.

Again, doesn't mean if you replicate this, you're gonna get the outcome you want, but here's some examples, and again, you have to do it with some crossing out and some privacy, sure.

But here's some examples of good documentation that is helpful in us making the most informed decisions.

Basically providing models.

Um, my my encouragement, you know, if you're if you're reappointed is particularly during these years where the work stream is not so intense.

Yeah, I wouldn't try to do this in spring of 2028.

Um but um you know, in these to me down years, yeah.

Um to you know, I would encourage the committee meet and actually put that on their agenda.

Yeah, to want to develop.

Yep.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh any questions from uh the committee.

Well right.

Looks like you're off the hot seat.

All right.

Thank you very much.

Good seeing all of you.

So if I could just if I give my microphones on the I'm a co-chair for just in a moment.

So our our process is we do all the committee does all the interviews.

And then after the interviews, uh we'll vote on each on each application in terms of our recommendations to the full board, the full board will meet on Monday.

Thank you.

And they are to quote former president push, they are the deciders.

No, it's it's absolutely not necessary.

I mean you can be there.

The meetings are public.

Anybody, so anyone can attend.

Um some people pretend religiously.

In person and virtually, yeah.

Um but uh you won't be able to speak.

All right.

Well, thanks for thank you so much.

I knew now and now I know why I well why you seem so familiar.

You're on the DC on the DCC.

So headed down that hallway.

So thank you.

Please look in the only way.

We do we generally pick up in the course of the this this meeting, the way it's scheduled, we generally will pick up an occasional stray that intends to uh in that meeting.

We don't know who all the applicants are, so we don't necessarily challenge them.

Uh Mr.

Martina, thank you so much for coming in.

Thank you for having me.

I'm gonna uh open the questioning up to the uh up to the committee.

Uh anybody have any questions for Mr.

Martina.

Oh yeah.

Well, I I would first want to just say you know, God bless you for the work that you do.

Um and uh the fact that you can do it is to stand erect, it's uh it's impressive because you're you're dealing with people in their most emotional situations.

You I think you mean the work.

Yes, okay.

So not the board of ethics.

Well, I mean, uh on on some reflection, no, um not really.

Um and and you know, it's interesting.

You you you were the uh you were the source of a little bit of a back and forth uh today emailing because uh I saw where you initially uh uh apply for parks and recreation.

Yeah, uh but uh the city and its wisdom uh thought thought you'd be uh of uh greater service to the community on on the board of ethics.

So uh appreciate your uh rolling uh with the punches outline.

To me it sounded great.

I'm looking happy about it.

And and and since it's not necessarily something that you applied for, uh I'm kind of curious what your expectations are and uh you know how how you intend to get your feet wet in that um that board.

Um I listened in on some transcripts um on some recordings, uh looked over some transcripts.

I uh certainly don't have an enormous amount of experience in uh in that um what I bring to the table, I think firstly is my my uh sense of good listening skills.

Um working in the court system for you know so long, it's almost 30 years now.

Um maybe a little more of another capacity as well.

Um I'm kind of known for being a good listener, uh consummately fair in everything I I listen to.

Um my customer service in that position is uh if yes, most people it's probably stellar is what people have called it.

Um I think I would bring that same quality to uh being on the board of ethics listening to people, uh listening to all sides, being reasonable and fair.

Um I think it's really quite an important position.

And what I listened to, it was really fascinating that folks would bring this uh bring these positions to the board and and and seek their advice.

I think it was really uh fascinating.

I didn't know that even I mean I knew there was one, I didn't know exactly what they did, so it was really fascinating to listen to it.

Uh and certainly I know I would only be in an alternate position, and that that's to be expected, but I would hope to just by uh being involved in listening, I would uh learn uh as I go along and hopefully uh you know in some capacity in the future, uh maybe step into a into a heavier role.

Um I would imagine rope.

But what might that be?

Well the heavier role would I assumably be not the alternate position.

So I would imagine um so uh again uh I I think I bring that sense of uh fairness and uh you know understanding um weighing both sides uh that's what I do you know on a pretty daily basis, so I would hope that I would I would trust that I would bring that uh to this position as well.

Sarah do you remember find yourself feeling as though you're in danger when you're going about your occupation?

No, I really don't.

Okay, I found this on the web four.

Do you ever find yourself feeling as well?

Nothing to do with you.

It's a public media media even series invited.

That's right.

We all bring our agents with us now.

No, I think my brother does very similar word.

Does he really?

Yeah.

In in New York City, all other problems, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Um you you get you you get an SSI's to uh um uh the court system.

Um and unfortunately, people that as you mentioned representative at their most emotional, uh sometimes at their lowest uh position.

Um and but that's when you have to put yourself in their shoes and treat people with respect and dignity anyway.

Uh there are times where you see people uh and you see this on the news, and I think that you're seeing a lot of the news where people in positions uh tend to look down on uh um on people.

Uh you're seeing a lot you know immigration.

Um I know this has nothing to do with it, but I I think uh I think people who are in those positions need to recognize that uh everybody is a is is a person that needs to be treated uh with dignity.

And I think you learned that I'd like to think you learned that pretty quickly.

Um the court system uh and and I certainly feel that I've always that's kind of in my forte.

Yeah, seems these things empathy could be in short supply.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

And as the uh two times before we live in the same district, and I also didn't know your what your career was, and I think you'll absolutely outrageously qualified for this role, and we'll have no trouble told serving the board ethics.

And I I do hope you love it, love role eventually get promoted to the full full position if you if you so desire.

Um do you feel any air loss that you didn't make the policeman record?

Did you think no no?

I I I just thought that was fun.

Yeah, I live in the neighborhood, so I grew up in a park.

Uh, you know, I think that was uh uh happy to see what they're doing uh to the parks.

Um and uh I think that's uh that was to me a natural um segue from from uh from you know from where I am.

I think your your skills will be better placed on this uh so happy that you can do it.

Representative Weibert, thank you.

Um with the understanding that I'm a big fan of circuitous career paths.

How did you go from the BFA to what you've been doing for decades?

Yeah, um, and that's probably why I asked uh representative shore about his uh commercial writing.

I went to NYU.

I I I um was film and television major and a double major with marketing.

The BFA at the time you you couldn't be in two schools.

So my actual degree is in fine arts, fine arts.

Um but I took the courses necessary for a double major with marketing, trying to be practical uh and a minor in finance because I just liked you know uh my peers were all Wall Street people and went on to do that kind of stuff.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

No, really truly.

Truly.

And and uh and you know, I certainly dabbled in that field.

Uh I I've done you know a lot of uh wrote a lot of music, uh tried writing screenplays, never completed uh fully uh I've acted in some commercials, which is why I you know asked.

Oh yeah.

Actually, I had five lines in a movie many years ago.

Uh-huh.

Yeah, but uh that wasn't even uh a beautiful mind.

I won't have a question.

Five lines in the great with Russell Crowe and uh Jennifer Connolly, and uh it was a great scene, unfortunately hit the cutting room floor, but it's in the DVD with the book, still had a like a bonus features on the DVD, it's the deleted scenes, and I still get residuals.

But uh, but that's why your uh feel piqued my curiosity because you know I tried getting commercial acting for a while.

I did uh I did some things.

I did a um a Prago TV sauce, a TV commercial for uh tomato sauce was uh with a few other actors, and I guess they had four different spots.

Polarizer was in one, um, some other bigger names and then a few known names myself included.

But uh well New York commercial production is very much an incubator uh also a lot of Broadway people, yeah, you know, they can sneak by doing commercials too.

Yeah, yeah.

Fascinating field, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

How did it happen?

How did you transition?

How did you say?

Yeah, how did I segue from how did you segment?

I I would say I I always I I did commercial acting or I tried to do commercial right up until COVID, uh maybe a little into COVID, so I done them all simultaneously.

I came out of college and I was mounting the pavement.

Uh I did stand up for 20 plus years.

Yeah, um I um I did try to do commercial acting.

I got novel uh credits that I had and tried to write music and sell music.

I was in a band, so I I I try to think I have a big range, you know, but most of them are in practical.

And fortunately, my uh courthouse job has been the most uh the uh the the more stable and I do real estate on the side.

Well, I I I would imagine that uh working on the board of ethics draws a lot more on that creative hemisphere of the brain than the more practical.

So I have bought the uh just the balance uh of what you've done.

Uh you uh your career is involved is really cool.

That's uh I I appreciate that circuitous as an interesting yeah, as a basic word.

Yeah, I never thought about it that way, I just figured I threw a whole bunch of stuff at the wall and I think about it a lot.

Well, I uh I'm not sure do we have any um questions from uh any of our fellow committee members?

Well, if not I hear I heard a voice, I think it was still saying done yet.

No, no questions for me.

Okay.

Uh thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

And uh you heard representative weather's uh Spiel about uh process, so yeah, yes.

Don't exactly look about thank you very much.

Good meeting you have a good evening.

Uh Mr.

Lang, thank you.

So we should read these in the records.

We should read these in the records.

Oh yes, um uh I I did the first one.

I may have neglected to do the second one.

So that was uh Anthony Martino.

Uh that was A32.028 uh Board of Ethics Alternate uh uh for a term that expires on December 1st, 2028, submitted by the mayor.

And now this is uh we are uh skipping A32029.

Um Mr.

Seckel couldn't make it this evening, uh received like notice on that.

So moving right along to item number four, a 32.030, the historic preservation advisory committee, uh alternate.

Uh this is for a term that expires in December uh 2029, submitted by the mayor, uh Maxwell Lynn.

Uh well, thank you.

So um tell me uh uh what what inspired you to uh I are you a Stanford native?

I'm not.

I'm a tier well over two years ago.

Uh-huh.

And uh what inspired you to pursue this particular board?

Because uh I'm an old history major, so uh I have a background in architecture history.

Um I have been involved in a number of different endeavors of historic preservation, either advocacy or research.

And when I got here, I actually met with David Woods, who was the previous chair of the historic preservation advisory committee to this house, but felt it was not necessarily did not make necessarily make most sense to join the board immediately moving here.

So uh over the past two years and especially more recently, I have done a deep dive into the history of Stanford, its architectural history.

I've posting in uh tour of Stanford and urban renewal architecture in May, and have put together a sort of master list of architecture, architectural resources in Stanford basically every bit of architecture that is worth uh talking about and just keep adding to that.

Is it a long list?

Um so far I probably have a hundred something in the buildings, but it's just slow adding of anything that I can get genuine by graphical data on.

I'm not putting ram houses that I can't find any like real history about this is more everything in the downtown and on all the main streets.

What are some of your more unique files?

I think the more unique finds are the architects that have been sort of just a part of Stanford history, not you know if you look at the buildings in downtown Stanford, you will find buildings from some of the most important architects of the 20th century, but all of their unknown works.

But if you look, if you ignore all the big names, you start seeing a lot of recurring characters.

Um the fire headquarters was designed by the brutalist one for the 70s.

Yes.

So they designed another building, which is the high ridge hardware store.

Yeah, that makes sense.

That's that's very interesting.

I love the old PS.

The old, yeah, the LPs.

Yeah, going through yet another transformation.

Yeah, it's been written to a data center.

Which you know, and it's funny because if you think about it, it it it's not dissimilar from the witness.

Yeah, it just in the city.

Yeah, just the overhang, the brutalist, you know, and and the overhanging uh uh upper facade stuff.

Plus, it was a great army.

Did you have to see the the movie uh from uh I think it was a year or two ago called The Brutalist?

Oh I not actually.

There's a there's a Stanford.

There's a Stanford reference.

No, I'm I know about that, yes.

You do.

Okay, I see.

Yeah, not the most flattering reference.

Yeah, but no.

Um, but in addition, I'm something on my CD bud.

I'm recently joined the board of a modernist architecture advocacy organization, a nonprofit, which focuses on modernist architecture in the tri-state area, and one of our projects now is fighting for the tunnels at uh New Haven Union Station, which a redevelopment plan is calling for their uh removal or like getting rid of the funding.

Yes, right.

So they're still gonna remain, but they're just being you know judged and made entirely planned.

Oh, I see what you mean, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I know there is a fairly significant redevelopment process going on in in union station.

I don't know if it has started yet, but this is one piece of a much larger project.

Yeah, and you know, the project is great, but not everything means the deal.

Never made sense to me how the shoreline in Metro North were unified.

You know, I sort of went to school of Providence, it just seems so silly across the platform.

Yes, yes, uh I'm I'm a bit of a sort of one of the architecture buff, and I think what you're doing is so cool and so awesome.

Uh I can't wait to see the results at that CDUR ridiculously qualified for this role.

Um, but I might my question is how would you say Stanford is doing it in terms of historical preservation on scale plus 10 and why?

Um how much room do you have for improvement?

Does the city care to the level which you care?

I think this is a question that needs to be looked at uh at specific times because obviously people get it over the entire history of the city, it you know gets a tailing grade for you know its utter demolition but downtown.

Uh we don't get high marks in the 70s.

Oh like well into the 90s.

Yeah, yeah.

Um I think when this commission was started, it was very it went beyond its bounds and sought out to do a lot of work because it is inherently an advisory role, which that doesn't mean that it should only be limited to an advisory role.

And recently, over the past you know, decade the changing priorities of the historic neighborhood preservation group, as well as the limiting of the functions of HPAC have sort of there hasn't been a lot of activity in terms of historic preservation, and I think there's certainly a lot more that can be done.

Um whether or not it's you know just making people aware or working across uh committees to you know I think is my opinion and a well-known opinion in the uh field that historic preservation works part and parcel with affordable housing and environmentalism simply because you know you have a giant building that you know you don't need this it's not serving what it used to be.

You either demolish it, which takes enormous amounts of carbon uh resources, then building a new building which does all of that, which you know it's just incredibly inefficient, and we should be working to encourage more people to uh more developers, especially to see it as a benefit and not as some type of hindrance, which it often is representative.

Thank you.

Um see your argency for the subject is is is really great.

Um and can be a real asset on this advisory commission.

And it and so sure you know historic preservation is a tool and it can be used wisely or it can be used abstractly.

How if you're on this commission, how will you how will you make sure that it's not being used as a tool to put up a stop sign against against development group?

I you know, there are a lot of different attitudes for historic preservation, some of which are you know everything has to stay the same, it has to say the same function, it has to say the same you know building, you can't do anything, but there are other ways including adaptive reuse, which I know the city has you know in its store card, but I don't know the specifics of how much that actually plays into it.

Um it certainly should be you know carrot of encouraging this type of reuse.

Um I know the uh YMCA in Pell Street is being sort of absorbed into the Voids Hotel.

I don't know specifically how that is being done, but you know, that my MCA is that there's nothing there.

It makes sense to you know redevelop it in a way, but they should also want to see some type of preservation of architectural resources, and this can be you know it's also seen as a cost-saving uh mechanism for the developers.

You know, you have a building there, just you know same thing with the um uh with bank building on um you have Columbus Park.

Oh absolutely uh it's being repurposed as a as a boutique hotel.

Additionally, the uh post office uh in the Atlantic.

Do you know the history?

Do you know what that was supposed to be?

And unfortunately not blocked by historic preservation.

Well why are you talking about the Heims thing?

It was going to be a Ritz Carlton, believe it or not.

And they were different.

They're gonna use the post, they were gonna use the post office building as um as if I remember correctly, as the lobby of the restaurant.

That would have been fun.

And it would I mean I I know that could have been a very interesting project.

I know that that project had maybe a dozen different years.

I think the zoning change because of the church.

That building in like early 2000s, south year of the church with like the Heims Development Company to do sort of what ended up taking place there now.

Um I mean, it certainly is complicated, um, but I think it should be seen as a way to encourage development while also actually trying to preserve the history that matters and accepting bits of history that are not necessarily worth preserving or don't make any sense to uh for example across the street, St.

John's Towers.

They looked into preserving them in 2018.

They had plans to redevelop them, and then they got quotes for you know with old hazardous materials that were there, and it's just made no financial sense in any world to keep them, and you know redeveloping them would have been great and would have been able to, you know save a lot of you know resources, but you know, demolishing building and building primary ones for a fraction of what it costs to redevelop doesn't make sense.

I mean it's uh you're you're coming into this, so you really don't have any experience, you know, case history user battle scars or anything like that.

Uh but is the purpose of the of the preservation advisory committee to work with planning and zoning in terms of developing paths forward to certain old structures.

I because I what I have learned just in my brief time working on on this committee is that there's a bit of a philosophical divide in the zoning between uh new structures and repurposing older structures, and I would think that there's an aesthetic aspect of it and the historical aspect of it that would weigh in.

I was just kind of curious what your impressions of that, if you have any so far might say my impression is that the HMAP is required to provide guidance for any building that falls under certain characteristics and categories for the zoning planning boards, as well as manage specific historic districts for which there is I think one and a half I mean I know this like the long ridge historic yeah, I think that one is essentially dead at this point.

Is it yeah, or at least has no official like a structure behind it?

Um there might be so there might be one, and then buildings in the area of midland street, I think also fall under it, but that is a little bit more complicated because of all the other parties that are involved.

Right.

Um registry, yeah, yes, yeah.

Yeah, but uh the whole long region is is also not designated.

Yeah, so yeah.

Right, it's designated.

I just don't think that they don't really have a they don't really um but they have a lot of beautiful approval.

Oh, absolutely.

What um oh please thank you.

Um I'm sort of triggered by your your comments about St.

John's Towers, which I which I think shows some non-ideological sophisticated thinking.

It's just not worth it.

Um do you distinguish between between a building that has historic value has preservation value.

And a building that's just old how do you put one in how do you put building in one category into the other?

I mean that's a great question.

I think you know there probably is a sliding scale of how much we evaluated, you know, a building that's 200 years old and in Stanford.

It might just by definition of being that old to be historic.

You know, the general cutoff is some a building has to be 50 years old before it before it can be considered historic.

There's always exceptions, but it generally is a mixture of rarity, you know.

If you know these are the lines coming a few of specific developers that they all look identical that you know you might be able to consider them historic, whereas if the format they were a bunch of them or demolished, you might not consider them, especially if they weren't particularly interesting.

So it is not really in design science, of course.

Um St.

John's Towers, I think there's so much fun type of um forum doing this going inside the empty one.

So look at that as well as relate that to the rest of the history of development and behind that did Landmark Tower Landmark Forum Stanford Forum.

Only speech in Gliers, so it's just hard for yes.

Um and you know, I think you would have infinitely hard harder time trying to apply that same logic.

What I was saying for St.

John's Towers to Landmark Tower, where even if it is financially unsustainable, you would be hard pressed to find anyone saying yeah, the symbol of the city, or at least delk it's symbol of the city should be almost yeah, um or as in towers that aren't particularly safe.

Um aren't really designed for this and the hazards like biocommustrial hazards, environmental hazards that would be created by redeveloping those thrown wrench of any more specific arguments in its favor.

Okay, okay.

I I I mean I I I appreciate that you are um cognizant of the complexities in making those making those evaluations.

Um and I understand there's no there's no hard piss, there's no point system that's gonna work probably.

Right.

Um and there's you know there's a great deal of judgment that goes into it.

Um I um you know I worry when um when ideology triumphs judgment, which could have easily happened with St.

John's Towers, and then we'd be still getting people sick.

Right but then so uh finally uh as as uh a representative from District One uh I'd be remiss if I didn't ask if you had an opinion of the uh destruction of the second oldest house in Japan, which occurred directly across the street from the uh Japan Avenue.

Uh are you familiar with that at all?

I'm not.

When did this happen?

Uh it was torn down without any notice, without any posting uh in um it was a year ago February, possibly a year ago, March.

Uh that was probably why it was not in any of the minutes.

Well, I don't I wouldn't know about the historic preservation.

I'd be surprised that it did.

It was the second oldest house.

And and and uh and I I was really torn because I mean the house was a wreck.

I mean it was collapsing, but the the foundation was collapsing, and the people that lived there had been there for over 60 years, and and it had just kind of fallen down around and uh uh but again my constituents would be upset if I interviewed this for like preservation uh candidate and had not at least asked uh was it personally like Melper and then tore down or by the old well uh the it was um the the the son of the owners seemed to only have one occupation which was to outlet his parents so he could sell the house and uh and I think he was a little delusional about the value of the house and had trouble selling it.

Uh one point he had an estate sale and the uh and the porch collapsed under the weight of three or four people uh and uh and then there were problems, you know, he sold it to a developer, the developer tried to preserve it, the developer gave up, then the developer flipped a lot because as it turned out happened to be one of the few dividable lots left in Japan.

Uh and uh I mean I kind of feel sorry for the present owner just because the the entire neighborhood is looking at this guy with just jaundice eyes when real really he just you know random house.

Right, but well bought random property, which he's now developing.

Oh you know, yeah, but but nevertheless, you know, is the inheritor of a history that he had no part in.

I actually have uh experience in dealing with that kind of you know uh illegal uh demolition uh on Long Island there a bunch of more salt houses, and one of them was I heard it was done and demolished.

I asked nicely, hey, wouldn't you consider not demolishing it?

You know, this nonprofit said, Hey, would you consider not demolishing it, and then offer a bunch of you know resources to have it you know listed and tax credits and grants and all of these things that would have made owning and rehabbing, you know, doing something to the house other than demolishing it from financially viable for anyone.

I mean make it easy.

And it was just demolished over and then the touch gave him a demolition permit after that.

Where was this?

It was uh in Lawrence.

Oh, okay, damn fine.

How long ago was that?

This was 2021, 2022.

Yes, recent enough, yeah.

Yeah, well, unfortunately, those mid having grown up in one, I mean they're they're they're not energy efficient, you know, they tend to have small footprints.

Uh they don't necessarily jive with contemporary tastes in terms of needs.

Even that uh brewbeck house that went on the market a few years ago.

You know, it's interesting because the mid-century houses, the bedrooms look like jail cells.

Uh they have high horizontal casement windows and stuff like that.

Anyway, uh any any questions from the group uh or um any thoughts?

Share no very quiet uh committee this evening.

Uh one may go for it.

Yeah, we're doing we're we're doing our best.

Well, uh Mr.

Lynn, I I we really appreciate your uh uh volunteering for this and uh with your background uh I I think you uh lent a lot of uh uh of just good thought and experience to the uh to the committee, so we appreciate it.

You've been having and uh again you you uh the um uh uh we'll be uh after after we're done meeting with everyone, we'll be deciding among ourselves as a committee and and uh forwarding that to the board uh a lot of that's proportion.

So thank you so much.

Nice so uh Mr.

Linda?

Hi Welcome.

This is uh welcome back.

Thanks.

Yes, welcome back.

Uh this is this is item uh A32.

Uh 031, this is the planning board and uh reappointment to a term that expires in December 2028, so that by the mayor.

Uh thanks so much.

Thanks for your service so far, and and thanks so much for stepping up for more.

So uh interesting coming on on the heels of uh historic preservation.

Uh yes, no, it was uh was an interesting conversation to uh to listen in on.

Yeah, and and and uh have you come up in in the course of your uh remit, have you come across any instances where historic preservation uh becomes a consideration?

In um in terms of on the planning board or uh so you know with with our comprehensive plan that we just uh redid, you know, there was significant um constituency concerns from the Hubbard Heights neighborhood, um you know, where they are on the national register and um you know, and speaking to development and and you know, existing buildings and what can sort of be salvaged, yes, uh you know in this conversation.

Um there's there's not much teeth right now in the historic preservation in Stanford at all.

Uh you know, even being on a national register doesn't really give you much uh grounds to stand on where you know where the homeowner can really decide what they'd like to do.

Um but in that comprehensive plan, you know, we did uh recommend that there be some more uh historic preservation or uh you know try to add some teeth, you know, similar to other cities around the country, whether it be New York City, um, you know, I know we did have someone else on the planning board, I think it was in Landart or San Diego, has some some good stuff that um you know we recommended that that the land use and historic preservation really tried to revive that in in Stanford and develop a path forward.

So I think you know, having that was something that is important to to myself.

Um you know, as in someone in construction and and dealing with a lot of developers and architecture, you know, I've seen uh reuse of existing buildings and you know some of the projects that were spoken about here earlier, you know, the hotel on Columbus is I think a great you know repurposement of an existing structure and really saving the good bones and adding up to that on top of that, which is something that I know I've seen in my career, which I think is a great you know use of historic preservation, but I think it needs to be balanced with uh you know, is it possible?

You know, going back to the St.

John's Towers, you know, it's with hazardous materials and abatement and layouts and things, it may not be the best path forward, but but that's not something that the planning board really determines.

Um, but you know, it is important in the comprehensive plan, uh, in my opinion, and what we added to to sort of give the historical open preservation um advisory board some more you know backbone to to saving historic structures.

You know, my my um involvement in Stanford politics basically began among the controversy surrounding the uh development of the comprehensive plan.

And so I'm imagining that I'm I'm really not clear on you know how the responsibilities uh sit.

Was was it basically the job of the planning board to develop that entire document?

Uh so obviously with that with the help of you know all the stakeholders.

Yeah, so there's there's the the land use bureau, and then um you know there was a consultant that was hired, but ultimately the the planning board is is the final reviewer of that to really um you know listen to the constituents at the public hearings that we had uh and and take what they we've heard and what the major concerns were and really work to um mold that a little bit better and and uh you know then as a board we approve that and and you know endorse that.

What was what do you think was the most significant revision based on public feedback?

Uh yeah, some of the the language regarding ADUs um and and you know the accessory commercial units and and the um original draft that came before us had had um some very specific language and and lot size and uh where that could be happening.

Um so we did make some revisions to to the zoning area of where that could happen based off of a lot of uh constituent feedback and mayoral feedback.

Some of the the language regarding ADUs um and and you know the accessory commercial units and and the um original draft that came before us had had um some very specific language in and lot size and uh where that could be happening um so we did make some revisions to to the zoning area where that could happen based off of a lot of uh constituent feedback and mayoral feedback um and you know making it instead of presenting that to the zoning board as as a uh recommendation you know conducting a study first to and and you know setting up different types of um resources you know for you know accessory commercial units to to help small businesses grow and develop rather than just saying you know you can put a uh car mechanic shop in your backyard right so you know representative thank you uh so Jeremy welcome back and I would go um and thank you you don't seem to be bearing too many scars though you you got you got more than your bearish you're coming back for more um so I I remember this question was asked um sorry prospectively when you interviewed originally um but now I want to ask again you know having you know served on having served on the planning board and it concerns your um uh your career in ONG which of course does a lot of work and you know a lot of projects here in in Stanford can can you explain first has uh had have potential conflict situations arisen for you um uh since you joined the planning board because of that and if so that's not a bad thing you you know if so how did you navigate them yeah um you know ONG is is a large company in in Stanford and and they do own a lot of properties um you know since being appointed you know I I've sort of worked with uh the organization to identify sort of those locations and and have a better understanding of what what they do sort of um have especially you know uh along the uh the shoreline so uh with that better understanding right that that really allows me should certain things come up to to you know alert me and say okay do I need to refuse myself um you know a lot of the other development projects uh I'm not involved with the material side for the concrete for all these buildings going up that's not the part of the business that I'm involved in so there's not really any conflict um on on that side at all um in the part of the business that I am involved in um they were awarded the Roxberry school right um so when that did come before the planning board and they did present before the planning board even just for the fund approval um which is sort of through the the um owners reparcatus and MMG is just there to present I uh refuse myself from that because just out of the abundance of caution okay good and are you aware of that um that the board of ethics upon request will uh provide advisory pre think of them as pre-clearance almost or pre non clearance yeah you know when necessary should there be I'm not suggesting that you should be using them I just want to make sure you're aware of that.

Yes I am aware of that thank you and I do speak um with the planner uh for the planning board um with Runsey with Lindsay correct on you know if there's are are any potential conflicts in in you know she'll bring that to council or to Ralph okay you know to sort of bet that out as okay good it sounds uh it it sounds from your answers that you're being sensitive to the uh to this to the situation and seeing appropriate action and I very much appreciate that thank you thank you so so so as a construction project manager yes is what you are um and and I and I gotta you know it's interesting because your resume uh as it's been presented to us is incomplete we have we have you up till 2022 so most of the projects you were involved with there were were in New York interesting projects too the was that the Sarin building the TWA flight set yes it was yeah that's really interesting so you had to get like a period door right uh so so you know we we did the hotel um structures on the side so we weren't really involved with the exact renovation of that building right but it we had the Sarin building but it did the rest of the project as well but but I digress so coming to Stanford now and and being in construction uh and this is a a little outside of uh uh of your readmit here but just uh um I'm curiosity tell me about the state of the workforce the labor workforce in in Stanford uh do you find that most of the tradespeople come from out of town uh you know what would you assess the composition of the the the trades folk to be um that that would really be a difficult question for me to answer um I'm I don't while I work for a company that has um facilities in Stanford my projects are are outside of Stanford um so I I can't

Uh do you find that most of the tradespeople come from out of town?

Uh you know, what would you uh assess the composition of the the trades folk to be?

Um that that would really be a difficult question for me to answer.

Um I'm I don't while I work for a company that has um facilities in Stanford, my projects are are outside of Stanford.

Um so I I can't really comment on that would just be speculation.

Um and you know, I'm I'm not very in tune with while I know what developments are happening and and see the progress on them.

I I wouldn't say I I have a clear understanding of of where they're they're getting their construction resources, you know, and labor from to do those projects.

Fair enough.

Like I said, it's it's not adjacent in any way to what we're discussing.

Any folks uh on the committee have any questions?

They're very quiet committed to means that that means they like everybody.

So uh we'll represent Garden, anything?

Uh I guess my my questions would be um so I don't know how lights which I think you could probably know each other because uh um historic neighborhood private stuff.

Um do you think I know you there was probably a bit of a sort of conflict between what the consultants were trying to achieve with the 2035 platform they were proposing, which was obviously a very um I'm sure they had goals of uh increasing uh affordable housing and various goals which are probably given to them by the administration, uh and then the opposing goals of the historic preservation committees and Apple Heights.

Do you think do you think the balance that we struck was was decent?

Um would you have liked to see anything change?

I imagine you'll get exactly what you wanted.

Yeah, I I I would say um, you know, with with the changing of of Hubbard Heights specifically, right?

I believe it was put as a res two and changing back to res one.

Um, you know, that that was a a significant win, I think, for the Hubbard Heights community.

Um I think with the other changes that we did make um to sort of doing a little bit more studying and research on on the effects of ADUs and ACUs before it it went to a blanket implementation was was a good balance um to what the the um what the feedback we received from from the constituents um for a lot of those neighborhoods.

Thank you.

And well also another meeting catch up, does this just an old CV which doesn't have ONG on it?

Uh correct, yes, yeah.

So I've been with ONG since uh the end of 22.

Go ahead, cool.

So uh so this is obviously so this is your CV from your previous application.

Yeah, um possibly uh you know I guess they pulled it from the database.

Or I attached the wrong one, I'm not fully positive.

We appreciate the fact that you've done the work being uh building the city, you know, basically.

Mostly most of it.

There's there's some others, but yeah, they seem to have a big chunk of our I always find interesting that people uh complain about OG's yaw in on uh you know chip opposite the Hub Points.

Um that yaw is built point.

Um that is uh it's always always interesting.

Yes, no, it's it's interesting to see some of the comments on Reddit regarding that.

Yes.

Yeah.

Well, uh how long has it been there?

How old is that company?

Uh so ONG is a hundred years old, over a hundred years old.

Um they purchased that from a different um concrete and asphalt supplier, most of those uh plots back in, I believe it was like the early 90s, late 80s, if I'm not mistaken.

Right.

Yeah, yeah, I I I've just been doing a little bit of a dive on the history of industry in Stanford around the canal and the south end, uh just based on a few notices I've received from constituents.

Uh it's interesting.

I mean that I mean that area has been an industrial area for 200 years.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And I think a lot of the zoning, you know, that has been there reflects that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I uh you know, I mean for a city of our size, that that has to be somewhere.

Yeah.

And in most most cities, you know, that that's where it has been, right?

You know, for for access to get materials in and out.

Yeah, yeah.

And also, you know, it was a rail node to have all that.

Yeah.

Yeah, I will say, you know, just for my experience and knowledge of OMG, right?

You know, they barge a lot of their materials in and leave them out in the sound.

Um, you know, should they not have done that or out of the proximity to the water, right?

Those would be more trucks on the highway.

Um, so it's a resource to um you know limit you know car traffic that we know is already um you know very high in the city.

Are are you talking about the barges that are anchored just north of the break wall?

Yes, correct.

Right.

Yeah, so they bring them in as they need them and they take them out and and right get materials from uh you know the new manager.

Well, um I think I'm good if um the committee remains uh quiet.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So I'm gonna actually just move over there because it's a mic.

And um and shout out to the working families party.

I think that's great.

So we've got uh we've got an independent, we have uh working families party.

We're it's a good evening for that.

So uh another member of the planning board.

So uh I don't want to uh repeat myself, but oh yes, my parliamentary behavior sucks.

Uh this is item number six, A32.032, uh the planning board, Jennifer Casino is a reappointment uh to a term that expires uh in December 2027, submitted by the mayor.

Welcome.

Thank you very much for having performed the service and for uh signing up for more.

So whether your observations after uh old term.

Is it one term?

Is this your second term?

I I joined in uh I joined as an alternate in late 2014, and then I joined as a phone member in 2015.

So this would be two-year terms when you begin.

I'm sure as you as you know, the way that the reappointment cycles got a little weird.

After a while, it's the backlog, right?

Nothing nefarious, but literally just there were so many people who had expired terms that you know.

I think I remember I think during the pandemic I went up for I think it was my appointment for third term.

And um I think I went up about a month before the term was set to expire.

But it was just it had taken them that long to get through the backlog of all the other folks, and so that's that's the reason why I've been sitting on an expired term for a very long time.

So this was your second company as a play.

Um actually, um so the the 2015 comprehensive plan process um occurred uh and closed up in 2014.

So I was not involved in that actually the way that I got um roped into joining the planning board was that I went and testified at the public hearing uh for for the 2015 comprehensive plan for which I think there were maybe 10 people who went and testified, not right money.

Um it was as as I understand it, um I wasn't involved.

As I understand it was actually a pretty rushed process, the 2015 plan wasn't there wasn't a very high level of uh public engagement on that.

But um I caught wind that the public hearing was happening.

I went and said my piece, and then afterward one of Mayor Martin's aides uh approached me and said, excuse me, have you ever considered joining one of the city's land use boards?

And I I was like, nope, I really had not had not thought about that.

Um and despite being an urban planner professionally, I think you know, I was like, I don't know if they really want to do that.

I think in particular, it was uh trying to fill some spots on zoning.

Um so you know, a couple months passed, and then I randomly get a phone call from one of the mayor's aides.

I'm like, I don't know how we got my phone number, but you know, it's a small town sometimes, right?

Um and so in the rest of his history.

So I um went up at first as an alternate, I said and then became a phone number uh in 2015.

So you where does that put you on the seniority?

I am I am the most senior by a mile.

Um up until well, so up until a few weeks ago, um Bill Levin, who was uh um an alternate, had been on a little bit longer than I had, he had been appointed as an alternate.

Uh I can never know exactly when he was appointed as an alternate, but I think he had joined somewhere recently around the time that I had joined.

Um and so now I'm uh definitively the person with the most uh um seniority and experience on the board, and everyone else at this point has been on for you know Jerry Jeremy's the vice chair, right?

He became vice chair after having been on the board for like a couple weeks because we didn't have any other full members to appoint as officers.

So at this point, we've got a couple of people who have been on for about a year, um, and everyone else is newer than that.

Um it's a very interesting dynamic.

Um I I will admit I actually had hadn't planned on becoming the chair, but kind of became the last one standing.

So here I am.

And so you say that the previous plan, I think it was so you were just around really you testify you were around for the fallout, such as it was.

Doesn't sound like there was much.

There was there wasn't any it really wasn't, I don't recall any particular controversy about the 2015 plan.

And um and again, I I wasn't in it, but from what I've heard, a lot of it was kind of very copy-paste from other planning efforts in the city.

Um, but just uh it was uh it it moved forward as a compliance measure because it is required by the state to have an up-to-date plan of conservation.

Um, and so it wasn't Mayor Martin of the Prior, but Mayor Pryor who really didn't love doing these comprehensive plan processes, and so it um again as I as I heard like fourth hand, uh that it it happened quickly, um, and there wasn't a lot of controversy, but there wasn't a lot that was particularly controversial about it either.

It was really just kind of documenting the path that the city had already been on.

Yeah, I mean, I I I went it to to have a look at that, you know.

Again, like I was getting my feet wet in Summer Politics when the new one came about.

It it was rather anti.

Yes, yeah, yeah.

But um so going into this one uh and all the noise it seemed to generate.

Sure.

What were your impressions now that it's all the debate?

Right.

Uh I guess it's good to be.

I mean, it hasn't we have a comprehensive plan.

We've been making um you know advisements um based upon it, um, and haven't heard any sort of further uh public input or outcry about the plan specifically.

Um, and I just be honest, we haven't we haven't had any particularly contentious development proposals come before us in that time either.

So um that would be the space in which you know any of those um kind of comments or critiques could come up.

Um I will say that um so I was involved in the um the committee that put out the request for proposals for a consultant for the comprehensive plan.

Um there was uh um particular effort to um give you I think Anna Dine is a good descriptor for the 2015 plan to uh bring in uh some perspectives that would create a plan that was more um uh streamlined and practical, and that there were and for there to be a much bigger focus on community engagement.

Um the uh the prime consultant, Sazaki, uh one of the reasons why um they stood out as uh consultant was because they had done the proactive work of reaching out to my architecture workshops, which is based here in Stanford, um, to lead much of the community engagement, and we thought that that was a really unique um asset, um, and impressive that they had uh proactively done that.

Um so you know, I I think that ultimately the comprehensive plan that we have now I think strikes a balance of continuing a lot of the threads of um of um development within the city and preservation of you know open space and all of that, um, while also um presenting some more specific um guidance and case examples of what could um what's what uh strategies the city could adopt going forward.

Um so I and I I think in particular what is um I think some of the reclassifications of in particular um areas like um uh around like Bull's Head Umridgeway, um really recognizing their proximity to the downtown and the ways in which we really need better uh a better mix of transportation infrastructure and a and a real rethinking of what belongs um in that zone um in terms of a mix of commercial and housing and all of that.

I think that um really zooming in on uh uh some of the uh potentially uh in the future more dynamic parts of the city is is one of the key benefits that has come out of the comprehensive plan.

I know that there was quite a lot of uh um huh love about the the red swan res two designations um I think it's just it's one of those things where there was um there's never going to be a a perfect make everyone happy solution right I think that um you know I in my opinion I think the mayor stepped in to um to to push a solution I think was certainly on the more conservative side um and so I um I think that um uh yeah I think it's just it's it's interesting to observe um in the life of the city kind of what what it is that that animates people and what it is that um maybe gets disregarded a bit because I do think that the comprehensive plan like there was so much focusing on that the the section of the residential and uh the and the the the map of of the categories but there's a lot that's really great in there especially around sustainability um and uh um in particular you know some focuses on the tree canopy a lot around uh sustainability initiatives um and really thinking about um transportation side uh how to um you know continue to improve um the reimagine our infrastructure there um and as uh uh as Jeremy mentioned in the prior um interview the the the section on on historic preservation and really thinking about how we can um set up the historic preservation uh commission to be more um to have more influence than they do because it is very advisory right now um is another you know important piece of it so I know representative Campbrelli can make it seem to be that she's working on the tree issue okay so oh okay uh representative Papia you have your hand thank you Mr.

Chair I'll already miss Godzino All right thanks um thank you for being here uh I remember asking I I love that you brought up um I would like to ask you a couple questions about that because actually that's something I looked into I have a lot of passion about moving the city forward.

But last time I interviewed we interviewed uh you about this I asked you if the traffic was worse or better than it was 10 years ago and your specific answer was depends what part of Stanford you live in.

Do you still agree with that I mean I yes and I mean I I I think it's what's important is um to yeah I mean a lot of a lot of what the planning board does is that we take in um you know reports and studies that have been um done with some sort of methodology in order to assess things like assess the impact including transportation impact um so you know I haven't gone out and done traffic counts in every part of the city you know um and so I mean I I do think that there are um you know I live in Glenbrook um just today like the bottleneck of of on Hope Street and trying to get home um was frustrating I don't know that it's any worse than it was like three years ago it's still annoying but um and so you know I think it would really require a more um uh systematic analysis to be able to answer that question with any fidelity sure um I didn't realize you live in Thunbrook yeah I live right I'm in Springdale right on Hope Street Southern part of your district oh sweet um all right let's talk like future right we're just like having fun here talking right what do you see as a solution right to I'm not saying like an all out all out be all solution but what what do you think is the next level like if we we're we're developing as a city and that's great.

What can we do to to help with with mass transit or transportation alone.

Well um I mean I I would say the two areas where there is the most potential um one in which I know actually the city is already trying to move forward with is really taking a good look at our bus system.

Routing hasn't been revised in a very long time.

Um and so we've been looking in particular at um uh child care locations and and how that intersects with our transportation infrastructure and how that often can be a barrier for families to to access uh affordable nearby care.

Um but anyway, um so I think the bus system is a is a real key to look at to optimize a lot of the routes where um I I will say I I feel fortunate that I happen to live uh right along the bus route on Hope Street that I actually think does function very well.

It might take it a little bit, but I can pretty reliably get from, you know, I I live right near the grade A.

I can get downtown, it goes straight downtown.

It doesn't take that much longer than driving uh for a while in my household.

Uh we had just one car, now we have two.

Um but and so my uh at the time uh my husband uh worked downtown, and so sometimes if I needed a car in a day, he would take the bus downtown and it was fine.

Um I I my impression is that the vast majority of the bus routes in the city don't work nearly that uh efficiently though.

Um so and then I to get a little bit more specific about buses.

I think one of the um elements that has worked well in many other cities um that I think there's potential for in Stanford is looking at bus rapid transit in particular.

So rather than your standard uh local bus routes that stop, you know, every couple of blocks, bus rapid transit um is set up a bit more like kind of you know, like a streetcar or subway system.

Right, exactly.

And so, you know, I think along, you know, High Ridge, Long Ridge, um, you know, a lot of our major um, you know, probably Washington Boulevard, a lot of our major uh corridors, there's a lot of potential and there's enough road width um to explore uh ways in which uh a bus rapid transit system um could make it more appealing for a much broader um number of people in Stanford to to practically use the bus to get around.

Um I love that you just said that.

Oh, sorry, go on.

Oh, and um, and so I I mean the other thing I would say um actually what what brought me to the 2015 comprehensive plan uh hearing all those years ago was that um I I do think that was probably one of the city's first goes at at trying to be a little bit more specific about what um bike and pedestrian improvements could look like in the city uh shortly after that there was uh the city did proceed with like a uh a more kind of comprehensive look at at bike walk uh infrastructure.

Um I think that's you know, I think that's another big part of the um equation.

You know, and I know that you know a lot of people are are not gonna um you know bike in their day-to-day, right?

But I think there are a lot of people who uh would if it felt safe.

Um, or even, you know, I and uh I think that uh um in thinking about a vision for the city.

Um I mean, I think one of the I don't know this is a vision, but I think it's an example of an aspiration.

Um I'm to my kids right now, they're eight and eleven.

Uh like I said, we live right off of Hope Street.

We're zoned for Stanford High.

It's not that far.

They're not within the busing zone.

They should be able to bike to school, and I would love for that to be able to happen by the time my daughter is like before she graduates from Stanford High.

You know, that it I I think that there is right, there's that um for that segment of our population that is um our youth who are old enough that they have reasons to get around the city but aren't old enough to drive, or even if they are old enough to drive, you know, for whatever reason their family doesn't uh can't afford or otherwise doesn't prioritize uh having another car um for their teenage child.

I think it's really important for us to have good viable ways for people to get around.

Um we also have so many, you know, back to transit in particular, right?

We have so many uh seniors in our community who after a while, even if they want to, they can't keep driving, right?

And so we really need to have uh more options for more people.

You know, uh one of the things has it ever come up in any conversation is uh and I I don't pretend to know the complexities of how this works, but like you know, when I was in DC, um there was these scooters that you can just ride around, you know, and drop them off wherever you are.

You know what I'm talking about?

Oh yeah, the micromobility systems, yeah.

So I actually uh yeah, so part of my um in my resume, um I actually I've actually been a transportation planner by training.

Um that's not currently my my day job, but um for a while I worked for the National Association of City Transportation Officials, um, which uh offers a a lot of um guidance and assistance to cities throughout the country in innovating and improving their transportation systems, and one of the big focuses when I was there was uh the spread of uh what we called micromobility systems.

Bike shares, right?

Yeah, I was um I worked in New York City um on uh in the transportation world when they when New York City rolled out city bike.

Um and uh we saw the the really significant gains in not only ridership but actually the safety of the entire street system for cyclists, even if they weren't um riding city bikes.

So just by having that many more people riding on a regular basis, it just made it normalized it, and so you know, I think driver behavior changed the in like the infrastructure got built out.

Um but but yeah, I mean, in uh specifically about um motorized scooters.

Um those, I mean, I I personally find them to be um a little bit tricky in terms of implementation, um, in particular the um the aspect of um the um the lack of docking infrastructure, right?

If you're familiar with city bike in New York City, um the you you know you return the bike to a very specific location, you lock it in so they're not just strewn across the street, right?

Um in a lot of cities, the main issue with micromobility systems has been um making sure that uh when people are finished with using them, that they don't become an obstruction of some sort.

Um and so um the way that you achieve that is um by uh uh by geofencing, which is uh um basically you can like kind of create um zones uh that are detected by the device where um a user is actually not allowed to like stop and leave it there.

You have to take it to a zone that the geofencing approves as a as an area to leave it.

Um as you can imagine it's complicated to map all of that out.

Um and Stanford by virtue of its location and history is a pretty is a relatively dense city, actually compared to many others.

I mean, obviously we have the upper reaches of North Stanford, it's probably not where you want a scooter system anyway.

Um, right, but the but the parts of the city where you would want it are you know the um the roads are narrower.

Um there's a lot going on, and so figuring out how you manage uh a micromobility system like that is complicated.

I do I my impression is that I think something that's more um like docs-based would be um a little bit more uh that yeah, it's more orderly, I would say.

Um the other challenge in Stanford is that it's um it's very hilly.

Um I yeah, I mean, just there's uh you know, from where I am in Glenbrook, um, it's you know, going um going east-west.

I mean when I'm when I'm heading toward um when I'm going west in the city.

There's just I have to climb one of any number of big hills.

I'm a runner too, and they're I hated having to do any sort of route that took me um up any of the hills, they were unavoidable.

Um so but anyway, I I think that um the combination of the hills and the fact that many of our um our major um uh east-west routes are very narrow, you know, like uh you know, rock spring, that kind of road makes it very difficult to create um uh an infrastructure that allows for um some of those micromobility vehicles to be able to move uh safely because like just the aspect of the um the incline elevation, you know, takes a few miles per hour off the speed of of those devices, and so um can create more conflicts than if you had a topography that's flatter.

So it's certainly not impossible, and you know, we see a lot of people who use um electric bikes in particular.

I see a lot of them um around town.

I know the board of representatives did some work in the last session to um can distinguish between um electric bikes and and some of the um recreational vehicles that can cause more of a nuisance and really aren't meant to be uh on the road, right?

So um so I think they can be part of uh a solution.

Um this is something this is like all these ideas that you're talking about.

You're obviously very well versed in it, right?

These are all like uh things in your peer purview, right?

That you are or they're not they're not in the purview of the planning board directly.

Um I would say that um to the extent that the planning board um in setting guidance for development in the city is also reviewing um uh more fine-grained uh um direction around what I would describe as urban design, which is um uh the way that I heard urban design described when I was in graduate school is the crack in the sidewalk between urban urban planning and architecture.

Um so like um and so like routing city bikes would be well, I mean, more a not so much the routing of city bikes, but more the how do you create um guidelines that um that dictate how you know, for example, like how a sidewalk ought to be constructed in the city next to you know buildings of different um you know uh masses and densities, like how does that interact with the street, and then how does the way in which it interacts with the street leave room or not for um you know benches, for a docking station for uh for bike infrastructure, for um any number of things.

So I would say that facilitating um or encouraging good um kind of urban design as part of develop of like zoning and development review is something that can um uh make it easier to implement uh transportation system such as that.

But actually, I one thing that I find interesting about Stanford um and unique is that um though we have you know planning and zoning boards, we don't actually have um we don't have a board in the city that has direct uh oversight over our transportation infrastructure.

And uh, you know, not that not that I think we necessarily need one, I think that right now our um our transportation bureau staff are are you know really thoughtful um and you know trying to strike the right balance of keeping uh you know maintaining things but also um you know bringing some innovation into the city.

Um but um but yeah, I mean I uh as I said I think really it's more about um you know back to uh the example of of the bus system and transit.

I think one of the big improvements that we would be great to see would be just a lot more bus shelters um in the city, and so that's something where you know the the planning board um you know, in concert with zoning could certainly be looking at what um what tweaks can we make to the coach, encourage urban design that uh facilitates or in some cases even requires um for amenities like bus shelters or you know, benches and things like that to be Ms.

Gasino, um in in the future, like 10 years from now, do you see the city's continuing to build at this rate to see like high speed trains like of some sort?

High speed trains, as in like not like Metro North, you know what I mean, like uh monorail type of system, like that's being developed in a lot of places in the country in cities.

Sure.

Um so you don't have to actually answer that in Scott's, you know.

I was just I'm like just throwing it up.

Right.

Well, what I was actually gonna say is um, so one, I'm aware that um there wasn't the not too distant past um an interest in developing um light rail um in the city.

I believe actually in particular right around the bull's head area to connect downtown um and up through the like corporate corridor, um, which uh now is you know decorporatizing and a lot of it's getting uh converted to residential over time.

Um so in um in my professional assessment, what I've heard from a lot of transportation planners is that um bus rapid transit can achieve um almost all of the things that fixed rail um achieves um at a much lower cost, but it's just that rail is sexier, so people like politically it's more exciting to like open it.

It's just not as um it's not as exciting of a thing to have a ribbon cutting for.

Um it's true.

And so for a concrete barrier.

Right.

Well, you you can make the concrete barriers pretty you know there are all sorts of things you can do, you couldn't planters.

Um without um wasting anybody's time here on my um fascinations with trains and buses.

Um you know um you you've redacted obviously in your application your and contact information.

You you know um my email is is there a way we can talk um uh offline about this?

You have to reach out to me though.

you know there are all sorts of things you can do couldn't planters um with without um wasting anybody's time here on my um fascinations with trains and buses um you you you know um you you've redacted obviously in your application your any contact information you you know um my email is is there a way we can talk um uh offline about this but you have to reach out to me though that's okay um well i mean my um my city email address is um is is public so or i can use your city email address thank you and final question when you said bus sharing um bike sharing and then you said that that's not in the planning uh board's view does that mean i'm not gonna see representative weinberg and representative morrison sharing a bike going down the street because that's very upsetting sharing or jointly riding is on the Bobby Bobby if you do you will see us going down the street but you will not be seeing us go up the street she said there's a lot of hills and she's right thank you very much um thank you very much uh any committee I yield for I'm I'm I'm old enough I'm old enough to uh remember when Atlantic Square was just laced with trolley tracks uh yeah and uh yeah I used to take the bus stand at the old standard uh I have uh two two just two two little questions for you uh uh first is um I attended an east side planning session uh last week I think week before last and and and um there was a lot of discussion about um auto and bike routing uh uh and and getting past uh I-95 and we know there's a bridge reconstruction project looming um do you see that as an opportunity to to improve uh north south uh access uh um and I mean I know it's uh I know it's none of our uh remit really but uh but we will be weighing in sure you know I I I will admit I'm um I'm not familiar with the specifics kind of where that um the bridge for placement that you're referring to basically when you when you're eastbound on at the exit eight ramp the Elm Street ramp uh the moment you get to the top of that ramp you're on a bridge and you continue east you cross Myrtle Avenue and then uh just a little bit past Myrtle Avenue it's about a quarter mile long bridge and that's about to be taken out of service.

I see and uh and replaced and there's a lot of planning you can accept on 95 I said it would be it would be uh east or north north it's I mean yeah yeah it's referred to as north south but I mean the truth if you're in east west um it's no it's north of exit eight uh there's there's a bridge like I say if you're on Myrtle Avenue you're going under it right dealers uh and that is apparently um already 15 years past it's service date so I attended a function at the library it was the night of the Christmas party and and uh there are several plans uh uh what they also want to do is they want to improve traffic flow on 95 through Stanford so there's possibility of having express lanes and service lanes they would basically build out over north and south state street right cantilever those you know so local traffic getting on and off and then uh there'd be basically uh express through lanes uh and that that might alleviate uh congestion but the but the opportunity for Stanford exists in rebuilding that bridge because I I live south of 95 and and it's tough I mean my wife uh used to work in Fairfield so she would have to take all kinds of circuitous routes just to get past the bottle next but so but that's that's you know and then the other one that came up in the east side planning session um was some I've been an avid site cyclist and and and my beef with Stanford is the three to five miles it takes me to get onto a decent road from Chican.

Yes it's rough it's rough sledding through there but uh apparently there's some plans of foot involving weed avenue and I was wondering if you were familiar with that um that somehow that's gonna become a very bike friendly it's it's already pretty decent.

Um I to be honest I yeah it's mentioned the um transportation plans like that they don't they don't actually need to be uh reviewed or approved by the planning board uh or any other board as far as I'm aware so um we do what does come before us is um whenever we because the um the planning board um has uh oversight of the city's capital budget uh right and so any major grant um or any major expenditure um uh on transportation is is going to pass before us more for the authorization of the funding but not for the approval of any specific plans right so um yeah so i i'll I'll say that's um it's kind of the reason for not necessarily having a lot of specific insight into those any members of the board have any uh further questions certainly appreciate the time and certainly appreciate the effort you put into this position or uh

to be uh reviewed or approved by the planning board uh or any other board as far as I'm aware so um we do what does come before us is um whenever because the um the planning board um has uh oversight of the city's capital budget uh right and so any major grant um or any major expenditure um uh on transportation is is going to pass before us more for the authorization and the funding but not for the approval of any specific plans right so um yeah so I I'll I'll say that's um it's kind of the reason for not necessarily having a lot of specific insight into those any members of the board have any uh further questions certainly appreciate the time and certainly appreciate the effort you've put into this position over uh over this uh ten years yeah just like that it it does it does go fast and it is interesting how all of a sudden I mean uh there were um yeah given the political currents that have been in town unfortunately uh uh a lot of our board members uh kind of stepped aside all at once and that's kind of how I ended up being the last one standing here but um I'm very pleased that um recently with the new appointments we have used um you know highly highly qualified built environment professionals who have joined the board I honestly don't know if Stanford has ever had a land use board that was um almost entirely composed of people who actually are planners and architects and uh and uh you know working in construction um which is you know not to say that um you know yeah I think it's really important to have a mix of a lot of perspectives including people who don't necessarily work on these things day to day um but it it definitely uh I think changes uh the the load and the role to know that there are a lot of people who have recently joined that bring all that different expertise.

Well I'll I'll I'll say this for the 2015 master plan.

It was very accurate in its population projection moving forward.

And so if the 2025 plan is as accurate projecting population growth uh moving forward as the 2015 plan was I think the city Stanford is happy to have you all and your expertise with us.

So thank you very much.

All right let's see oh there he is Matthew hello hello how are you thanks for accommodating me by Zoom.

Yes no uh so just uh to to log you in uh this is uh uh item number uh a thirty two dot uh zero three four zoning board of appeals uh alternate Matthew uh triple Ixiotis is that did I pronounce that properly pretty close triple each iodis but triple ixiotis is I get a lot so that's good.

I have a reputation for wrecking names so it's all right.

Yeah well welcome and and and and thanks for joining us.

So yes and and oh I uh what I didn't say is this is a reappointment uh to a term that expires on uh December uh twenty twenty six uh submitted by the mayor.

So uh you're you're you're you're back for more.

What are your approaches so far?

So uh I've been on the board for over ten years now um as an alternate um when I joined the board the senior members of the board Claire Friedlander and John Sedlack told me uh this is the nicest board in the entire city because everyone gets along I found that to be true.

Um you don't see the politics or kind of the the issues of a bunch of people across all different um political spectrums uh working together to try to make a reason correct decision on these things.

So I'm happy to serve I serve as an alternate in this capacity.

I have kids still I'm actually running one of my children home shortly after I finish this call.

So I can't make every meeting and that's why I have stayed as an alternate this entire time.

I also sit as the chairman of the firefighters pension board.

So between the two I've uh I've done my civic duty um and like to do continue to do as an alternate here.

Well we're we're we're delighted to have you and um so tell me uh uh I I find it interesting uh like the assessment appeals um you know when people come to you uh it's probably the the most significant thing in their world at that moment right yeah and we it's oh sorry no and and so you know how do you you know how do you how do you um how do you go about dealing with that you know um there's a lot of emotion involved yeah so it's interesting there's um we see the gamut of people coming before us we see people coming in with attorneys with land use planners you know architects who are polished presentations any time you see a lawyer you have 20 minutes to the agenda and I say that as a lawyer just because we like to hear ourselves talk.

There's um we see the gamut of people coming before us.

We see people coming in with attorneys with land use planners, you know, architects who are polished presentations.

You know, anytime you see a lawyer, you have 20 minutes to the agenda, and I say that as a lawyer, just because we like to hear ourselves talk.

Um but we also have you know homeowners from Stanford who just come in, they filled out the form by hand, and they you know candidly say, I don't understand the process really, but I'm here to answer your questions.

And I think as a board, it's our duty to you know help those people along and under you know in understanding the process um and getting a fair shake, just as much as the big uh you know, people who are well supported.

Uh representative.

Matthew, I think um, can you see me?

Yeah, um clearly uh you you've got a really fantastic CD and you're clearly a very, very accomplished lawyer with probably very valuable time.

Why did you do this?

What why so I'm born and raised in Stanford.

I went to Stanford High.

Um I I left for eight years to go get my uh college degree, a graduate degree in government administration and my law degree, and came back and raised my family here.

Um I always thought I wanted to do more to put that master's of government administration to work.

So I don't know how many years, 10, 12 years ago, I reached out, said I'm happy to help you know on any variety of boards.

Uh I had recently done some uh zoning board of appeals work in New York for a major client out in the Hamptons.

And so I was familiar with the uh lexicon, you know, it's somewhat of a different language.

Um they said, yeah, we'd love to have you.

So that's kind of how how I how I ended up here.

Yeah.

Very cool.

Yeah, thank you for seven.

Seriously.

I mean, we are you all as you want for it.

Oh yeah, such high profile stuff.

I mean, uh God, I remember that Volkswagen uh Volkswagen case.

Yeah, yeah, that was a fun one.

That case and and I also did a case on EpiPens with the those at Antitrust case.

Those cases are fun because you're helping real people who've been wronged, you know, and um you sit down for the deposition, they're not necessarily ready when they show up, but you get them ready and they do a great job, and they're very thankful.

You know, it's much like you said with the ZBA where people are dealing with an important thing in their lives.

You know, you bought a car and it and it was you know faulty, or you can't afford life-saving medication.

Um, those are big things that impact people in you know very emotional ways, and it's nice to be able to help them when we can.

Right.

The the epic pen, if I remember was that the that the company had been sold, and then the new owner went and raised the price exorbitantly, some something.

Yeah, yeah.

So Pfizer sold their patent to Mylan.

Mylan raised the price 600%.

Um and so they took the pen from 100 to 600 a pen.

Um so we brought suit under the RICO statute and also the antitrust statute.

Um, and we're about going about to go to trial, but we were able to settle it for I think it was 66 million or 645.

I can't remember exactly the exact number, north of 600 million for the class, which was great, uh great recovery, and we're very happy with.

609, according to your CD.

609, okay.

Yes, that sounds right.

So given the high profile uh of the sort of work you do, uh uh what was the most interesting yet low profile uh uh zoning appeal that that we came across without obviously uh spilling any means.

Yeah, so you you're talking about sitting as a board member.

Um exactly yeah, uh you know, some of the in the the most interesting, so what we need to do on 95% of what we do is deal with variances, right?

There's also special exceptions we need to approve and appeals of the zoning enforcement officers' determinations, but the meat and potatoes, 90% plus is variances, and in you know, granting a variance, it might be something that we want to grant, like this makes sense.

Uh it's good for the person, it's probably good for the neighborhood.

But there needs to be a hardship, right?

There needs to be something that's unique to the land, not to you personally, but to the land.

So if I go to in front of the zoning board and say, listen, I'd really like a an extra bedroom because I just had another kid and we don't have enough bedroom space.

That's not a basis for a variance as as compelling as it may be.

What we need to find is something unique to the land.

So if I could say, well, my property is undersized lot, um, you know, it doesn't have a sufficient side yard, so I should be allowed to build into that a little bit.

Um, you know, that's kind of me and potatoes what we do.

And what's been very interesting is we see the properties all across Stanford, um, you know, from North Stanford down to Japan.

And some of these building envelopes are so wacky and so odd, and just kind of seeing how people have tried to to work within the envelope, but can't, and how we can help them.

I that's that's what I find most interesting.

It's it's not one particular project, it's more over you know, kind of the the knots people are tied in by by the property in those zoning rights.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, you're back for more, and we're we're happy to have you.

So uh uh are there any members of the committee that have any questions?

Well, then we won't keep you or your kids.

I appreciate that.

It's nice to see everybody, particularly my old neighbor Eric.

All right, thanks so much.

Thank you.

Take care.

Take care, everybody.

Okay.

So now let's review uh a thirty-two dot uh oh two one uh board of assessment appeals, uh James Fleischer.

It's a reappointment.

Uh any uh any discussion.

Uh all in favor.

I any opposed isn't that what I actually supposed to ask for discussion before the vote or before the vote.

All right, any abstentions?

Okay, so let's see.

Uh representative Hill's not here.

Okay.

And then he told me to say motion calls acceptance.

All right, so the uh the motion passes uh seven yes.

Uh no's no abstentions, two absences.

So then zero zero.

All right.

Uh batter number A thirty-two dot 028.

Uh this is the board of ethics uh alternate, uh Anthony Martino.

Um discussion.

All in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Any abstentions?

I'm sorry.

That was Candace.

Yeah.

Candace?

Not exactly.

Did you abstain?

No, I did not.

Oh, okay.

All right, so that passes 700.

Um A32030.

Oh, this is the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee alternate, uh, Maxwell Lent.

Uh any discussion?

Uh all in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Uh any abstention.

Okay.

Uh A32.

Uh this is uh Jeremy Linder.

Uh this is the uh planning board, a reappointment.

Uh term expires uh December 2028.

Uh any discussion?

Uh all in favor?

I uh posed.

Any abstentions A 32031 passes 700.

Uh all right, 832032.

And uh this is uh uh this uh gazeno uh reappointment to the planning board to a term that expires December 2027.

Uh any uh discussion?

Uh yes, please.

Okay.

I I just wanted to share with the committee.

Um as I as probably everyone on the committee is aware, we were the board of representatives received an email expressing a concern that um uh that because of her prior uh nomination in the 31st board that was rejected by the 31st board that um that her nomination he in this case uh might be in charter violation.

I actually did check this out with the administration, they have reviewed it, and there is no violation.

So I wanted to ring it.

I just want it the record to reflect that.

Oh good, good.

I appreciate that.

Yeah, I I saw some email on that.

Yes.

All right.

Well, we're we're lucky and happy to have uh uh this casino.

Um any further discussion?

Uh all in favor?

Aye.

Uh any opposed?

Uh any abstentions.

All right, uh Jennifer Gazano uh passes seven zero zero to uh term on the planning board.

Finally, uh thirty-two uh oh three four uh Matt uh triple Ciotis zoning board of appeals alternate uh reappointment uh any discussion there uh all in favor?

Aye any opposed uh any abstentions the measure passes seven zero zero.

I will entertain a motion to adjourn.

So move.

Second second, we are adjourned.

It's 828 p.m.

Good night, everybody.

Good night, everyone night.

Thank you.