Palo Alto Council Fines Developer $94.2K

The Palo Alto City Council on Monday slapped a Peninsula-based developer with a $94,200 fine for knocking down a historic structure, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

Sand Hill Property Co., which is based in Redwood City,  knocked down one of two  structures slated to be part of an Edgewood Plaza rehabilitation project, the report said.

The fine is based on a 10 percent of the estimated reconstruction costs, the report said.

The council voted by a 7-1 margin in support of the penatly, the report said. Mayor Greg Scharff did not attend the meeting.

The developer has already owned up to  knocking down the structure on the 2080 block of Channing Avenue, which is among two historic buildings at a shopping center that it is contractually obligated to renovate, the report said.

"We had no intent to disregard a known public benefit Sand Hill Property Co.'s John Tze said at a previous council meeting, according to the report.

"We made the mistake and I take responsibility."