The email also asked the Zuckerbergs to “ideally stop – but at least give us a longer break – the foreclosure, demolition and construction cycle so that the district can recover from the last eight years of disruption.”
At this point, the email asks that the family “follow both the letter and spirit of Palo Alto” by following the city’s residential building codes.
Specifically, it asks the Zuckerbergs to obtain an occupancy permit for the school on whose property the school is located and to hold a “public hearing on transparency.” He also asks the family not to expand the estate further. “We hope this will help us regain the quiet, attractive residential area that we all loved so much when we decided to move here.”
In another meeting on March 4, Fox admitted that being close to Mark Zuckerberg and his family has “extraordinary” consequences.
“I recognize and understand that the nature of our residence is unique given the family’s profile and visibility,” she wrote. “I hope that as we strengthen our relationship with you over time, you will increasingly enjoy the benefits of our proximity – such as increased safety and security, shared improvements and increased property values.”
Fox said the Zuckerbergs introduced a “revised parking policy” overdue last year that should address their concerns, and promised to redouble efforts to provide advance notice of construction, events and other potential disruptions.
However, Fox did not directly address the unauthorized activities of schools and other non-residential activities conducted at the convoluted. She acknowledged that the estate has “housing support staff” including “childcare, culinary aides, personal assistants, property management and security,” but said they have “policies in place to minimize their impact on the neighborhood.”
It’s unclear whether the neighbor responded to Fox.
“You don’t deserve our trust”
While these conversations were taking place between Fox and Zuckerberg’s neighbors, Lait and other City Planning Department employees were trying to find a solution for the neighbor who filed the complaint on 9/11 and several other neighbors who supported the complaint in September and February.
Since February, one of the neighbors has taken the initiative in contacts with Lait. They asked him for an update on February 11 and received a response a few days later. He did not provide any substantive updates, “but after conversations with family representatives, he said he was investigating whether a ‘subset of children’ could continue to come to school, sometimes for ‘extra’ purposes.”