You are correct, in that it required a review by Palo Alto on ALL structures built before 1940, scheduled for demolition. Unfortunately, Palo Alto went a little overboard, and fully 2/3rds of those were either designated historic structures or contributing structures (which was a nebulous and ill-defined term at best), preventing basically 2/3rds of those stuctures from being demolished.
I don't know, but would guess that the uproar (it was in 1997) caused cooler heads to prevail, but the liberal bias toward preservation at all costs, and the anti-business sentiment in Palo Alto is well documented (I know first hand about this from trying to establish my practice back in 2003, and Palo Alto did everything possible to keep me from moving my practice). Had to hire consultants and lawyers to get up and running in a new location, but it was a nightmare. Palo Alto does things completely differently than the surrounding communities.
Don't know all the details of Jobs' problems, but would guess that he ran into quite a bit of subjective judgment on the merits of his house, rather than "Actual Standards" as you imply.
What does Palo Alto have to do with this? The mansion was in Woodside.
So what sampling of planning commission or council meetings in Palo Alto did you sample to come up with your assessment of "extremely unusual?
None required. Over thirty years of experience working with these issues every day provides a much better basis to judge what is usual.
Quote:
Originally Posted by penchanted
What does Palo Alto have to do with this? The mansion was in Woodside.
As best I can tell, just another way of implying that people who are interested in historic preservation are at least a little kooky if not a danger to society in general.
None required. Over thirty years of experience working with these issues every day provides a much better basis to judge what is usual.
What a surprise, you simply know better just because
Just because it would be unusual in your jurisdiction doesn't mean that it would be in Palo Alto too. You can be dismissive and snipe all you want but the fact is you are uninformed as to what is "unusual" in Palo Alto and are simply relying on your "over thirty years of experience" that unless is with Palo Alto doesn't amount to a hill of beans.
Then again with your clear superiority I'm often puzzled why you are still here. Hoping to improve us heathens with your mere presence?
What a surprise, you simply know better just because
Just because it would be unusual in your jurisdiction doesn't mean that it would be in Palo Alto too. You can be dismissive and snipe all you want but the fact is you are uninformed as to what is "unusual" in Palo Alto and are simply relying on your "over thirty years of experience" that unless is with Palo Alto doesn't amount to a hill of beans.
Then again with your clear superiority I'm often puzzled why you are still here. Hoping to improve us heathens with your mere presence?
Because I have a lifetime of accumulated knowledge and experience with these issues. Such a radical proposition, thinking knowledge and experience provides me a credible opinion. Shame on me.
No, not "my jurisdiction." You just invented that idea entirely out of whole cloth, along with everything else.
I'd suppose that you have a vocation in which you have some "clear superiority" in knowledge and experience, one which you'd defend under similar circumstances. Or maybe not. Maybe you're the jack of all trades and the master of none.
Because I have a lifetime of accumulated knowledge and experience with these issues. Such a radical proposition, thinking knowledge and experience provides me a credible opinion. Shame on me.
The problem is you are trying to predict something based on precedence and logic. While that might work for accounting models, we are talking local politics. Logic often doesn't come to play - instead it's a combination of local issues, opinions and personality. Unless you have experience with those things your other experience is pretty irrelevant. Not totally, mind you - but not as valuable as you would like to think.
Quote:
No, not "my jurisdiction." You just invented that idea entirely out of whole cloth, along with everything else.
Did I? Again, how familiar are you with local Palo Alto politics? The history of similar decisions and the current politicians on the town council? Their views and how they have acted in the past?
Quote:
I'd suppose that you have a vocation in which you have some "clear superiority" in knowledge and experience, one which you'd defend under similar circumstances. Or maybe not. Maybe you're the jack of all trades and the master of none.
Nice attempt to sidestep while appearing superior. Years of Internet "debating" have served you well.
Comments
where all of this was explained in painful detail.
The only thing painful is that it took so long to get to the obvious outcome
If this is what Palo Alto did, it would be an extremely unusual case.
So what sampling of planning commission or council meetings in Palo Alto did you sample to come up with your assessment of "extremely unusual?
You are correct, in that it required a review by Palo Alto on ALL structures built before 1940, scheduled for demolition. Unfortunately, Palo Alto went a little overboard, and fully 2/3rds of those were either designated historic structures or contributing structures (which was a nebulous and ill-defined term at best), preventing basically 2/3rds of those stuctures from being demolished.
I don't know, but would guess that the uproar (it was in 1997) caused cooler heads to prevail, but the liberal bias toward preservation at all costs, and the anti-business sentiment in Palo Alto is well documented (I know first hand about this from trying to establish my practice back in 2003, and Palo Alto did everything possible to keep me from moving my practice). Had to hire consultants and lawyers to get up and running in a new location, but it was a nightmare. Palo Alto does things completely differently than the surrounding communities.
Don't know all the details of Jobs' problems, but would guess that he ran into quite a bit of subjective judgment on the merits of his house, rather than "Actual Standards" as you imply.
What does Palo Alto have to do with this? The mansion was in Woodside.
So what sampling of planning commission or council meetings in Palo Alto did you sample to come up with your assessment of "extremely unusual?
None required. Over thirty years of experience working with these issues every day provides a much better basis to judge what is usual.
What does Palo Alto have to do with this? The mansion was in Woodside.
As best I can tell, just another way of implying that people who are interested in historic preservation are at least a little kooky if not a danger to society in general.
None required. Over thirty years of experience working with these issues every day provides a much better basis to judge what is usual.
What a surprise, you simply know better just because
Just because it would be unusual in your jurisdiction doesn't mean that it would be in Palo Alto too. You can be dismissive and snipe all you want but the fact is you are uninformed as to what is "unusual" in Palo Alto and are simply relying on your "over thirty years of experience" that unless is with Palo Alto doesn't amount to a hill of beans.
Then again with your clear superiority I'm often puzzled why you are still here. Hoping to improve us heathens with your mere presence?
What a surprise, you simply know better just because
Just because it would be unusual in your jurisdiction doesn't mean that it would be in Palo Alto too. You can be dismissive and snipe all you want but the fact is you are uninformed as to what is "unusual" in Palo Alto and are simply relying on your "over thirty years of experience" that unless is with Palo Alto doesn't amount to a hill of beans.
Then again with your clear superiority I'm often puzzled why you are still here. Hoping to improve us heathens with your mere presence?
Because I have a lifetime of accumulated knowledge and experience with these issues. Such a radical proposition, thinking knowledge and experience provides me a credible opinion. Shame on me.
No, not "my jurisdiction." You just invented that idea entirely out of whole cloth, along with everything else.
I'd suppose that you have a vocation in which you have some "clear superiority" in knowledge and experience, one which you'd defend under similar circumstances. Or maybe not. Maybe you're the jack of all trades and the master of none.
Because I have a lifetime of accumulated knowledge and experience with these issues. Such a radical proposition, thinking knowledge and experience provides me a credible opinion. Shame on me.
The problem is you are trying to predict something based on precedence and logic. While that might work for accounting models, we are talking local politics. Logic often doesn't come to play - instead it's a combination of local issues, opinions and personality. Unless you have experience with those things your other experience is pretty irrelevant. Not totally, mind you - but not as valuable as you would like to think.
No, not "my jurisdiction." You just invented that idea entirely out of whole cloth, along with everything else.
Did I? Again, how familiar are you with local Palo Alto politics? The history of similar decisions and the current politicians on the town council? Their views and how they have acted in the past?
I'd suppose that you have a vocation in which you have some "clear superiority" in knowledge and experience, one which you'd defend under similar circumstances. Or maybe not. Maybe you're the jack of all trades and the master of none.
Nice attempt to sidestep while appearing superior. Years of Internet "debating" have served you well.