Palo Alto residents were so disdainful of a proposal for 60 units of subsidized senior housing that they organized a referendum, then voted to kill the project. Now they're getting 16 homes, starting at $5 million, instead. Let the comments begin. https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/06/23/fierce-7-year-nimby-battle-in-palo-alto-reaches-a-luxury-conclusion/

A layman's recap for people who don't know Palo Alto: The City Council in one of the richest and most exclusive cities on planet earth voted for 60 units of subsidized for seniors.

People were so angry about this that they spent months ignoring foregoing whatever hobbies they do or sports they like to play or volunteering they might have done, to go around the city with clipboards, asking people to sign a ballot proposal to undo the project.

Then they mounted a serious campaign, urging voters to get rid of the monstrosity, this subsidized edifice for elderly people, and won.

And now, after years of back and forth, years arguing about the size and particulars of other proposals, years of ignoring hobbies or sports or whatever else a determined band of well-off, well-educated volunteers could do with those vast acres of time.

They have accomplished their goal, by killing the subsidized housing for elderly people, and instead getting 16 homes, starting at $5 million.

In other news, the city recently approved a Black Lives Matter mural. http://cityofpaloalto.org/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=4927