BY MIKE GOODKIND

Palo Alto's Architectural Review Board is scheduled to review Stanford's planned Clinical Cancer Center/ Ambulatory Care Pavilion and a 1,029-car underground parking garage Thursday.

John Gaston, Stanford's project manager, said the ARB will review the exterior design, including architectural plans, traffic-circulation patterns, sign-age and landscaping. The ARB is charged with design review of all new construction in Palo Alto.

"Once the ARB approves the design, building permits can be issued. It's kind of the end of the road," said city planner Nancy Hutar.

Thursday's ARB session is scheduled at 8:30 a.m. at Palo Alto City Hall, 250 Hamilton Ave. Estimated agenda time for the project is 10:30 a.m.

Last July, the Palo Alto City Council gave preliminary approval to the cancer center and garage, paving the way for the ARB review. Gaston said he hopes to have all approvals and permits in place so that construction of the garage can begin in May or June, with groundbreaking for the building tentatively set for August. Completion of the four-story, 218,000-sq.-ft. building is targeted for late 2002 or early 2003. The garage is slated to be finished by December 2002.

The cancer center is designed to bring under a single roof all clinical cancer specialists and services now scattered throughout the medical center. A 16-room outpatient surgery center is also part of the project.

• Funding for new cancer center is nearly secured: 2/3/99