The Palo Alto City Council is contemplating a partnership with state Sen. Josh Becker to amend the Builder's Remedy law, which allows developers to bypass local regulations if cities fail to meet affordable housing deadlines. Despite Palo Alto gaining approval for its Housing Element only in August 2024, it has already received multiple proposals for high-rise developments, including three towers in a vulnerable area that threaten to overstrain local resources. Concerns have been raised about the significant infrastructure investments required to support these new housing projects.
Palo Alto City Council is set to discuss collaboration with state Senator Josh Becker to curb the Builder's Remedy, a state law permitting developers to bypass local regulations.
Builder's Remedy allows housing developers to override local regulations in cities that failed to meet their affordable housing deadlines, leading to numerous large-scale projects in Palo Alto.
The Builder's Remedy applications received by Palo Alto include proposals for towering structures that exceed local planning, raising concerns about community resources and infrastructure capacity.
Palo Alto's lobbyists highlighted that current Builder's Remedy projects impose significant demands on city resources, which can result in necessary and expensive infrastructure upgrades.
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