The Palo Alto City Council voted 6-0 Monday to add a three-story complex to the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford, more than doubling its size in hopes of meeting a growing demand for space.

 

The Ronald McDonald House, a nonprofit organization located at 520 Sand Hill Road, provides temporary lodging for children receiving treatment at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital for life-threatening illnesses, in addition to providing housing for their families.

 

The accepted proposal would add a 68-bed facility including a kitchen, dining room, laundry facilities and other activity rooms. The addition would meet the needs identified in an outside study commissioned by the nonprofit and the children’s hospital, which estimated that 60 to 70 more beds were necessary.

 

For nine years, the nonprofit has had to turn away 30 to 40 families a day due to the lack of available rooms and an extended length of stay ranging from six to 24 days.

 

According to the an article in the Palo Alto Daily News, council members said they were moved by the heartfelt stories shared by patients, staff members and volunteers of the hardships families face when turned away from the facility.

 

While the proposal has been approved, the project must still undergo a series of public hearings to win full approval.

 

— Ileana Najarro