Mark Zuckerberg opened an illegal school in his Palo Alto compound. His neighbors revolted

The email also asks the Zuckerbergs to “ideally pause — but at least give us extended breaks — the cycle of acquire, demolish, and build to allow the neighborhood to recover from the turmoil that has occurred over the past eight years.”

At this point, the email asks the family to “adhere to the letter and spirit of the City of Palo Alto” ​​by adhering to the city code regarding residential buildings.

Specifically, the Zuckerberg family is required to obtain a use permit for the school complex and hold a “public hearing in the interest of transparency.” It also asks the family not to expand the residential complex any further. “We hope this will help us restore the quiet, quaint residential neighborhood we all loved so much when we chose to move here.”

In a follow-up on March 4, Fox acknowledged the “extraordinary” implications of being neighbors with Mark Zuckerberg and his family.

“I realize and understand that the nature of our stay is unique given the image and visibility of the family,” she wrote. “I hope that as we continue to grow our relationship with you over time, you will increasingly enjoy the benefits of our proximity – for example, enhanced safety and security, shared improvements, and increased property values.”

Fox said the Zuckerbergs instituted a “revised parking policy late last year” that should address their concerns, and promised to redouble efforts to give advance notice about construction, parties and other potential disruptions.

However, Fox did not directly address the unlicensed school and other non-residential activities occurring at the complex. She acknowledged that the complex has “residential support staff” including “childcare, cooking, personal aides, property management, and security,” but said they have “policies in place to minimize their impact on the neighborhood.”

It is not clear if the neighbor responded to Fox.

“You have not earned our trust.”

While these conversations were taking place between Fox and Zuckerberg’s neighbors, Light and others in the city planning department were scrambling to find a solution for the neighbor who complained on September 11, and a few other neighbors who supported the complaint in September and February.

Starting in February, one of those neighbors took the lead in pursuing Light’s case. They asked him for an update on February 11 and received a response a few days later. “He didn’t have any major updates,” but after conversations with family representatives, he said he was exploring whether a “subset of kids” could continue to come to school occasionally for “extra” uses.