Below is text of 1/2 page ad that appeared in todays Palo Alto Weekly
Current divisive debate between neighbors and the Castilleja School is a direct result of City Council failing to enforce the existing city approved Conditional Use Permit (CUP). The issue is not whether Castilleja shall have more students or whether Castilleja can tear down residential homes or whether Castilleja can build an underground garage. The fundamental issue is will City Council enforce its own approved Conditional Use Permit (CUP). Failure of City Council to enforce the CUP is dividing the neighborhood. City council, by its silence, is making a mockery of the CUP process.
A little history...
Stan Shore actively participated in the two years (2000 and 2001) of heated negotiations where neighbors, Castilleja and City Council all agreed to an enrollment increase from 385 to 415 students. At the end of the 2001 negotiations, Palo Alto Planning Director, John Lusardi said in his CUP approval letter to Castilleja: "The approved Conditional Use Permit does NOT provide for any increase in students over 415, and any subsequent request for additional students will not be favorably looked upon by the City ... the city is not willing to continue to approach increasing school enrollment for Castilleja in an incremental manner." City Council then assured neighbors, that the 415 student enrollment, is " C A S T I N C O N C R E T E " and the city would NOT allow future enrollment increases.
In 2002, just one year after City Council approved the 415 student enrollment, Castilleja had illegally broken the agreement by having 416 students. Every year thereafter, for 15 consecutive years, Castilleja illegally increased enrollment and violated the CUP. By 2012 student enrollment was illegally at 450 students. As of today, Castilleja has, an illegal over enrollment of 23 students. For 15 years, City Council failed to enforce the 415 student CUP. City Council, by its silence, has communicated to Palo Alto residents that they will not enforce the CUP process and is making a mockery of the CUP process which sets a very bad precedent.
Castilleja has been in violation of their CUP for 15 years. 15 years of CUP violations is ENOUGH! City Council needs to instruct Castilleja, that effective September 2017, Castilleja must reduce enrollment to 415 students for the next 15 years.
A 25 year Palo Alto resident
