Demographics
Today East Palo Alto is recognized as an ethnically diverse community. While
the percentage of African Americans has declined in recent years, the number
of Latinos, Pacific Islanders, Asians and other races has increased. Nearly
a third of the city's 23,500 residents were born outside the United States.
The Latino community in particular has grown from 5 percent of the population in 1978 to 14 percent in 1980 and 34 percent 10 years later. The increase is even more marked in the school district: 8 percent in 1979, 26 percent in 1983, and 69 percent today. Spanish is spoken by nearly a third of residents.
The remainder of the population is 41.5 percent African American, 12 percent non-Hispanic white, and 9 percent Asian and Pacific Islander.
East Palo Alto is considered to be fairly transient. According to the 1990 census, nearly 60 percent of its 7,000 homes are rented, and fewer than half the residents lived in the same house from 1985 to 1990. Average income is $33,700 per household, but 17 percent of residents live below poverty level. An average household has 3.3 persons.
The education level is lower than average for the Bay Area. Less than 15 percent of the city's adult population has earned a bachelor's degree or higher. Roughly equal numbers (20 percent) have an elementary school education, did not complete high school, graduated from high school, or received some college education.
Redevelopment
In 1969 San Mateo County's Redevelopment Commission formed the forerunner
to East Palo Alto's Redevelopment Agency. Since that time, however, there's
been little physical development, despite the fact that land is considerably
less expensive in East Palo Alto than in neighboring cities. It is increasingly
apparent that development - and the accompanying tax base - is critical
to the city's survival.
Redevelopment areas include the:
Developments have been proposed for each area but have not yet materialized. Initially the town's unincorporated status was blamed.
In 1976 there were plans for an elaborate 450-berth marina next to Cooley's Landing, and the strip was de-annexed from Menlo Park. Setbacks with the economy and the developer killed the project in the 1980s. There was talk of building a stadium for the San Francisco Giants in the Ravenswood Industrial Park in 1988.
Two major redevelopment efforts were DeMonet Industries' attempt from 1988-93 to build twin office towers at University Circle and Sun Microsystems' 1989-91 bid to develop the Ravenswood Industrial Park. After multi-million dollar investments, both proposed projects failed for essentially the same reasons: an economic downturn, divided political support, legal challenges, and organized opposition from businesses and residents who would have been displaced.
In 1988 the Gateway 101 area was targeted to become a proposed auto mall. Today the city has an agreement with Home Depot to anchor a proposed 90-acre retail development there.
Crime and
drugs
East Palo Alto has been characterized as having an excessive crime rate
since the 1950s. In the 1960s, according to a report by Phyllis Barusch
and Harriet Nathan, "burglaries were so common that business insurance
was being canceled and exorbitantly high premiums were demanded, while new
businesses were discouraged from entering the area."
Residents have complained of inadequate police protection since Whiskey Gulch earned an unsavory reputation in the 1930s. The concerns were combined with later charges that the sheriff's department unfairly harassed people of color. In 1969 the county approved an East Palo Alto substation. It was headed by Lieutenant Leonard Cordoza, who later became sheriff. He served at the pleasure of the Municipal Council and reported to both it and the county. Each of the 12 deputies could be replaced if he was not acceptable to the council or the community.
But the town's alarm over an active drug trade and accompanying crime continued to grow. By 1979 East Palo Alto's crime rate was four times that of San Mateo County. The problem escalated, and in 1992 East Palo Alto suffered the highest murder rate (based on population) of any city in the nation. While some questioned the validity of the claim, all agreed the situation was intolerable.
Looking
Ahead
What has been referred to as "that obscene statistic" may have
done more than anything else to galvanize the community and its supporters
into action. An unprecedented amount of assistance began to pour into East
Palo Alto from all sectors: individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations
and foundations, and local, state and federal governments. It has met with
initial success, indicated by a significant drop in crime.
With this increase in resources, commitment and focus on economic development, East Palo Alto may be closer than ever to realizing its potential. As the city celebrates 14 years of incorporation and nearly 150 years of existence, there is hope that East Palo Alto finally will be able to strike a harmonious balance between Isaiah Woods' goal of commercial development and Charles Weeks' dream of an idyllic community.