This action alert has closed.  For more on protecting the Stanford GUP, please see this link.

On Thursday, November 29, the County of Santa Clara is hosting its first community meeting to hear from the public about a potential Development Agreement between Stanford and the County. Come and tell the County that you want to see stronger protections for Stanford’s open space!

Stanford 2018 GUP – Development Agreement Community Meeting

Thursday, November 29, 6:30 p.m.
City of Palo Alto Council Chambers
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301

What’s Happening

As part of the Stanford General Use Permit (GUP) review process, the County and Stanford are negotiating a potential Development Agreement that would provide additional community benefits beyond those that the County could require through the environmental review process. Such benefits could include stronger protections for the open space in the Stanford foothills

Currently, Stanford’s ability to develop on the open space to the west of Junipero Serra Boulevard is restricted by the Academic Growth Boundary (AGB). Amending the AGB to allow development on Stanford’s open space requires 4 of the 5 County Supervisors to vote in favor. However, that 4/5 vote requirement is currently set to expire in 2025. Afterwards, a simple majority of the Board of Supervisors could vote any time to remove or amend the AGB to allow development in the Stanford foothills.

In 2018, the County released a study that showed that Stanford could nearly triple its current density without going outside of the AGB and without becoming any denser than other comparable university campuses. There is no need for Stanford to develop on its open space in order to add new campus facilities.