Event Coverage

East Palo Alto on Upswing, Mayor Abrica Tells Realtors

There are good things happening in East Palo Alto in terms of housing, commercial development and public safety, and while the city still has to deal with financial problems, the future looks good for the community, according to East Palo Alto Mayor Ruben Abrica.

Abrica gave Palo Alto Realtors and affiliates an update on the state of the city during last week’s Silicon Valley Association of Realtors® (SILVAR) Palo Alto District Tour meeting.

For most of its history, East Palo Alto was part of unincorporated San Mateo County, without an official boundary, until it incorporated in 1983, said Abrica. The city won incorporation by 15 votes, “a good example that your vote does count in an election,” he said.

While East Palo Alto is now politically independent, it needs more economic development in order to obtain revenue. “By the 1990s, it all began to come to fruition,” Abrica noted, with the coming of Home Depot, Ikea and a number of hotels in place.

“We’re on the upswing. We’re in a place we never dreamed of before, but we still hope to see revenues come in the next few years. Some benefits have created some constraints, and we are seeking to preserve and protect the make-up of the community,” said Abrica.

Abrica indicated about 150 to 200 new housing units will be available in a couple of years. The city council recently approved the construction of 44 single family homes, a number of condos and town homes in the vicinity of the shopping center, which he said is the “saving point for the city.”

“We would be broke if it was not there,” said Abrica.

The East Palo Alto mayor announced Home Depot is being refashioned, a new Circuit City is coming to town next month, and a new YMCA will open in January 2007. The new businesses have been good for the community since the city has encouraged that up to 30 percent of their employees be local. 

Traffic is a “perennial problem,” for East Palo Alto, said Abrica. He hopes a long-range plan by Caltrans will mitigate the problem. He plans to hold community meetings about the project and “get everybody on board to understand the issues.”

Abrica lauded the city’s improvements in public safety.

“We still have unacceptable levels of violent crime, but we have been able to cut it to more than half from what it was last year,” he said.

Abrica attributed the improvements to the city’s new police chief, Ronald Davis, who has been able to restore trust between police and residents, and taken a pro-active stance in suppressing crime.

“He’s done a very good job and the community has responded positively. The department is more organized and the morale is higher. Now we have to sustain it and get further and have everybody help in some way. It’s competitive out there and we need to increase salaries,” disclosed Abrica.

The East Palo Alto mayor acknowledged that the city has experienced a structural deficit in the last five years, but he is very optimistic about the future.

“It’s been a wrenching month, but we have avoided layoffs,” said Abrica. “The city council hasn’t dealt with the deficit until now. We need to address it and do some long-term financial planning. I’m very optimistic that in the next five years we will be much more self-reliant, and we’ll be able to do more things for seniors and for our youth. We still have a lot to do in those areas.”

The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

For further information, please contact Rose Meily at SILVAR Public Affairs, e-mail , or phone (408) 200-0109.

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