After eight years, the Drew Health Foundation, a historic nonprofit in East Palo Alto, is now fully operational as the city approved its conditional use permit application on Monday.
The city’s Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the permit, which had been previously approved in 2012 and 2014 but expired as the foundation did not have the necessary building permits. Though the foundation was still in operation during the last eight years, without an approved permit they were not fully compliant with city guidelines.
This is a big win for the Drew Health Foundation, which has provided health, housing and education resources for the communities of East Palo Alto and east Menlo Park since 1967. They also provide educational scholarships and support local nonprofits.
“It’s a weight lifted off of our shoulders,” CarsJanae Pettiford, executive director of the foundation, said during an interview on Tuesday. “To go for so many years trying to get something so simple and to have so many obstacles be placed in our way, it’s a big accomplishment for us. And for us it’s a symbol that we can move forward.”
When the foundation moved from their University Avenue location to 1191 Runnymede St. in 2012, it applied for a conditional use permit from the city to operate at its new site. But the permit expired after one year as the foundation lacked the necessary building permits. The foundation applied for an extension to 2014, which was approved, but also expired as they still did not get the building permits.
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