This story was first published in the print edition of Monday’s Daily Post. If you want to get important local news first, pick up the Post in the mornings at 1,000 Mid-Peninsula locations.
BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
Palo Alto residents are willing to pay $500 in taxes per year to rebuild the Cubberley Community Center, and they’re more interested in making the buildings safe than adding a pool, a dog park or pickleball courts, according to a survey of 437 likely voters.
Survey respondents said they aren’t satisfied with the condition of Cubberley but are happy with the services and programs available there. Their top goal is to use taxpayer dollars efficiently, according to the survey funded by the city.
Respondents said their highest priorities are repairing outdated electrical wiring, preserving trees and green space and meeting earthquake safety standards. More than 70% of respondents ranked these priorities as extremely or very important, pollster Dave Metz of FM3 Research said in a report for Palo Alto City Council.
Adding a swimming pool, a community kitchen, a dog park, tennis courts and pickleball courts were ranked the lowest, with less than 30% calling them important, Metz said.
“Overall, there is broad majority support for improvements at the Cubberley site, but reaching approval with a two-thirds threshold may require some careful calibration,” Metz said.
Council will discuss the survey results on June 9, followed by a community meeting at Cubberley on June 12. Metz will then conduct a second poll that’s more specific to the language of a ballot measure.
The city owns eight acres of the 35-acre property at 4000 Middlefield Road. The Palo Alto Unified School District owns the remaining 27 acres and has leased most of the space to the city since 1989.
The old high school hosts nonprofits, artists, sports and programs for kids.
Council and the school board reached a long-awaited land deal in October. The city agreed to buy seven acres from the district for $65.5 million, as long as voters approve a bond to fund the purchase in November 2026.
Did you get polled? I sure didn’t.
So they got 437 responses, about the same pathetically low number that PA gets to its “city priorities” survey with its predetermined possibilities that ignores such obvious possibilities as lower utility rates, providing better fire protection, police patrols and traffic enforcement, better traffic light timing, reducing reliance on consultants with NO LOCAL knowledge….
Gosh, what a surprise! A city-commissioned survey finds that taxpayers are eager to pay for another pricey boondoggle.
Another city/-sponsored poll says 100% of residents believe Ed Shikada should be paid $1 million a year.
PA ‘process’ is not as bad as U may think. 437 ‘respondents’ if they are well randomized from the Voter rolls might have a respectably low polling error. The City or a school district is looking for – what can be PASSED in an election (voters) as well as what do constituents say they want. Why we have Representative local democracies IMO: Voters = Taxpayers = Constituents is Not True. Similar but not the same. Fm school bd member Not PA