The Palo Alto Architectural Review Board is scheduled to review plans tomorrow evening for an eight-story apartment complex at 762 San Antonio Road in Palo Alto, Santa Clara County. The recently increased project invokes the Builder’s Remedy provision to replace three commercial structures with over two hundred rental units. Acclaim Companies is the project developer working on behalf of the property owner, Matt Hengehold of Hengehold Trucks.
762 San Antonio Road, rendering by Studio T-Square
762 San Antonio Road establishing view, rendering by Studio T-Square
Apartment sizes will vary with 19 studios, 121 one-bedrooms, 63 two-bedrooms, and 25 three-bedrooms. Of the 228 units, 30 will be deed-restricted as affordable housing. Parking will be included for 284 cars and 252 bicycles.
Studio T-Square is responsible for the architecture, with RHAA responsible for the landscape architecture. The podium-style design will feature a familiar aesthetic scheme, including top-level setbacks and private balconies punctuated across the exterior.
762 San Antonio Road site plan, illustration by RHAA
762 San Antonio Road pedestrian view, rendering by Studio T-Square
The landscaping improvements will include a podium-top pool deck and open-air balconies on the seventh and eighth floors. Additional residential amenities will include the fitness center, club room, pet wash, wellness center, and entertainment room.
The two-acre parcel is located at the corner of San Antonio Road and Longhorn Street. Future residents would be a ten-minute walk away from a Costco-anchored shopping center.
762 San Antonio Road area context, illustration by Studio T-Square
The Architectural Review Board meeting is scheduled to start tomorrow, Thursday, June 4th, at 8:30 AM. The hybrid event will occur in person with virtual participation available via Zoom. For more information about how to attend and participate, visit the meeting agenda here.
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I always wonder about the future of the little parcels that get left out of plans like these, like the oil change shop on the corner. Did they not sell to the developer, or did the developer choose not to buy them to avoid needing remediation measures due to any former gas station/chemicals on the site? Does that site remain buildable in the future, or is it ‘doomed’ to remain a small commercial building due to the apartments behind it? In the far future when land values increase, would someone try and fit a residential tower there with setbacks for the proposed apartment? Who knows!
If CA didn’t have such aggressive egress needs for fire access and other utilities, we could get some nice street blocking, as we did 100 years ago, but these corners sometimes create awkward breaks in massing. If we could embrace more of a courtyard vernacular, floor plans would be much healthier too.
Most of the time, the breaks are from parcels that didn’t want to sell. But I wouldn’t put it past developers wanting to avoid environmental cleanups as well.