HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/16/2012 Approved December 6, 2012
Town of Los Altos Hills
Planning Commission Special Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Council Chambers, 26379 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills, California
1. ROLL CALL AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Present: Commissioners: Abraham, Harpootlian, Couperus, Mandle,Chair
Partridge
Absent: None
Staff: Debbie Pedro, Planning Director;Nicole Horvitz, Assistant Planner;
Jaime McAvoy, Planning Secretary
2. PRESENTATIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Commissioner Harpootlian recused himself from the last meeting based on the
suggestion of the City Attorney as he is a Councilmember-Elect.
3. PUBLIC HEARINGS
3.1 PATHWAYS COMMITTEE PRESENTATION ON THE GENERAL PLAN
MASTER PATH MAP STUDY AREA: West Loyola and Toyonita
neighborhoods (Staff- Debbie Pedro).
Planning Director Debbie Pedro presented the staff report, including a summary
of the Town's Master Path Plan and its functions. She noted a correction to the
report on page two that states that the Town does not have a Master Roadside Path
Map. The Town has an approved map from 1981 that shows roadside paths.
Pathways Committee Chair Eileen Gibbons presented the Pathways Committee
report. The Pathways Committee looks to the future to suggest where a path should
be and how it works in the neighborhood. Residents were invited to participate in
two meetings and a neighborhood walk. She addressed the concerns in the
documents provided by the Morgans.
Commissioner Harpootlian stated that he has always been a supporter of the
pathways system. He discussed forwarding a recommendation to the Council to
recognize this as an informal reference map.
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Commissioner Couperus expressed that the most important point is that no off-
road paths are being added.
Chair Partridge opened the PUBLIC HEARING.
Doug Morgan, Los Altos Hills, stated his opposition to the proposed pathway map.
He said that the terrain is not suitable for the construction of a roadside pathway as
the area is on the edge of a canyon and would cause erosion problems.
Bridget Morgan, Los Altos Hills, said that there was very little notice from the
Pathways Committee about their walk through of the area, and felt that the residents
should have been better informed during this process.
Dave Forrester, Los Altos Hills, said that more work needs to be put into the
proposed General Plan Map change.
James Doran, Los Altos Hills, supports the spirit of the pathways, but sees no
practicality or benefit of this addition to the system. He said that this proposal was
misrepresented, as the area would require an off-road path.
Linda Leaver, Los Altos Hills, expressed concern that this proposal would affect
her property value, and stated that this plan would be better in-a more undeveloped
area.
Marjorie Green, Los Altos Hills, stated that she loves the rural feel of the Town,
and that includes the fact that there are no pathways in her neighborhood. She said
that there is very little traffic through her neighborhood, and that if we must put in a
pathway, she would prefer on-road only.
Weegie Caughlin, Los Altos Hills, s aid that this proposal is intrusive and is
leading to eminent domain. She continued by saying that demanding a pathway on
every street should not be rubber stamped, especially if the pathway is not needed.
Charles Gratin, Los Altos Hills, said he received no notice of this proposal, and
only heard about it from his neighbors for the first time about 11 days ago. He
suggested an engineering study be done for costs, and that old oaks on the street
would have to be removed to make room for the pathways.
David Leaver, Los Altos Hills, said that it is not possible to put a path on the side
of the street in front of his house, and that the Town would have to go through his
retaining wall, which would affect his landscape features. He further said that no
one in the neighborhood supports the proposal.
Tim Warner, Los Altos Hills, stated his support of the pathway. He does not live
in the area affected by the proposal, and feels it is a great thing to hear this input.
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He said the neighbors need to be given greater clarity on how all these paths and
maps work together.
Dave O'Keefe, Los Altos Hills, said that he had no knowledge of this meeting until
he was notified by a neighbor. He said that the proposal is pitting neighbor against
neighbor.
Anne Duwe, Los Altos Hills, stated her support of the pathway. She is a member
of the Pathways Committee and apologized to residents of the area for not
receiving, or feeling they did not receive, sufficient notice. She stated that the
pathways are a very important part of the history of the Town.
Bill Helvy, Los Altos Hills, stated his opposition to the pathway. He said that he is
glad to be a part of Los Altos Hills and thanked the committee for their work.
However, he wants to know what happened to the will of the people.
Chair Partridge closed the PUBLIC HEARING.
Commission discussion ensued.
Commissioner Couperus clarified that this map represents how the pathways
system would look if everything was perfect, and that certain areas will never have
a pathway because of physical location. He further said that this is a working
document of the Committee that has been presented for public comment. He said
that if a pathway can go in, it should.
Commissioner Mandle stated the roads are very narrow in that neighborhood, and
although there is very little traffic, she understands the concern of the neighbors.
She suggested there should be at least one more meeting with the neighbors.
Commissioner Abraham said that he does not feel comfortable forwarding the
proposed map to the Council without going through a complete hearing process as
was done for the 2005 off-road map process. He does not support this proposed
pathway plan.
Commissioner Harpootlian stated that the fact that no off-road pathways are being
proposed is the most important recommendation to send forward to the City
Council. He recommended the rest of the proposal be sent back to the Committee
with the input of the neighborhood.
Chair Partridge agreed that the recommendation of no off-road paths is very
important. Further, having this map will not change the ordinance as it is Town
policy to provide roadside paths. He suggested we find a way to better involve the
neighborhood and better identify the properties where it is impractical to include
pathways.
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MOTION MADE: 3.1 PATHWAYS COMMITTEE PRESENTATION ON THE
GENERAL PLAN MASTER PATH MAP STUDY AREA: West Loyola and
Toyonita neighborhoods. Move that the Planning Commission forward a
recommendation to the City Council that as soon as feasible, the Town should start
the process to generate a new Town-wide Master Path Map, which would cover off-
road, roadside, and on-road pathways. In the interim period, any roadside pathway
requested needs to be approved by the Planning Commission or the City Council.
Moved by Commissioner Abraham.
The motion failed due to lack of a second.
MOTION MADE AND SECONDED: 3.1 PATHWAYS COMMITTEE
PRESENTATION ON THE GENERAL PLAN MASTER PATH MAP STUDY
AREA: West Loyola and Toyonita neighborhoods. Move to return the map to the
Pathways Committee as an on-going working document for further revision based
on public input. Remind the Council that the 1981 Road Map has not been updated
since 1981 and recommend they initiate an update. Moved by Commissioner
Couperus. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Harpootlian.
AYES: Commissioners: Abraham, Harpootlian, Mandle,
Couperus, and Chair Partridge
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
MOTION CARRIED.
MOTION MADE AND SECONDED: 3.1 PATHWAYS COMMITTEE
PRESENTATION ON THE GENERAL PLAN MASTER PATH MAP STUDY
AREA: West Loyola and Toyonita neighborhoods. Move to forward the
recommendation to the City Council to accept the recommendation of the Pathways
Committee that no off-road pathways are necessary in this neighborhood. Moved
by Commissioner Harpootlian. The motion was seconded by Commissioner
Abraham.
AYES: Commissioners: Abraham, Harpootlian, Mandle,
Couperus, and Chair Partridge
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
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ABSTAIN: None
MOTION CARRIED.
3.2 LANDS OF ZIOHANA 693, LLC, 14160 Donelson Place; File #179-12-ZP-SD; A
request for a Site Development Permit for a fence and landscape screening for a
new two story estate home with a basement, swimming pool, and pool house. CEQA
Review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15304 (b) (Staff-Nicole Horvitz).
Assistant Planner Nicole Horvitz presented the staff report.
Commission discussion ensued and questions were asked of staff and Brandon
Tyson, Architect.
Chair Partridge opened the PUBLIC HEARING.
Pat Ley, Chair of the Environmental Design and Protection Committee, stated she
was concerned about the maintenance of the beech trees on the property.
Chair Partridge closed the PUBLIC HEARING.
MOTION MADE AND SECONDED: 3.2 LANDS OF ZIOHANA 693, LLC,
14160 Donelson Place; File #179-12-ZP-SD; Move to approve a request for a Site
Development Permit for a fence and landscape screening for a new two story estate
home with a basement, swimming pool, and pool house. CEQA Review:
Categorical Exemption per Section 15304 (b). Moved by Commissioner Abraham.
The motion was seconded by Commissioner Mandle.
AYES: Commissioners: Abraham, Harpootlian, Mandle,
Couperus, Chair Partridge
NOES: None
AB SENT: None
AB STAIN: None
MOTION CARRIED.
3.3 CONSIDERATION OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW IN THE SITE
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS (Staff-Debbie Pedro).
Planning Director Debbie Pedro presented the staff report
Commission commenced discussion, and questions were asked of staff.
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Debbie Pedro clarified the role of the architect in this process, and that the proposal
is a mandatory review with voluntary compliance; compliance does not guarantee
an approval.
Chair Partridge opened the PUBLIC HEARING.
Pat Ley, Los Altos Hills, stated that the name architectural review could be an
issue. She said it could be insulting to the original designer.
Commissioner Couperus noted that other towns have architectural review boards.
He agreed that name needs to be changed for clarification.
Chair Partridge closed PUBLIC HEARING.
Discussion ensued.
Commissioner Harpootlian suggested trying out the new process and evaluating it
in a year to see if it made a difference.
Debbie Pedro suggested that the process could be implemented for a twelve (12)
month trial period to see if there are any major issues, and then ask applicants at the
end of the twelve (12) months if they felt it was beneficial.
MOTION MADE AND SECONDED: 3.3 CONSIDERATION OF
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW IN THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. Move
to recommend to Council to implement this process on a trial basis for twelve (12)
months. Moved by Commissioner Harpootlia n. The motion was seconded by
Commissioner Couperus.
AYES: Commissioners: Harpootlian, Mandle, Couperus, Chair
Partridge
NOES: Commissioner Abraham
AB SENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
MOTION CARRIED.
MOTION MADE AND SECONDED: 3.3 CONSIDERATION OF
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW IN THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. Move
to change the name of the review process to Design Review Consultation. Moved
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by Commissioner Couperus. The motion was seconded by Commissioner
Harpootlian.
AYES: Commissioners: Harpootlian, Mandle, Couperus, Chair
Partridge
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: Commissioner Abraham
MOTION CARRIED.
4. OLD BUSINESS -none
5. NEW BUSINESS - none
6. REPORTS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
6.1 Planning Commission Representative for August 23 - Commissioner Abraham
6.2 Planning Commission Representative for September 20 - Commissioner Harpootlian
6.3 Planning Commission Representative for October 18 - Commissioner Couperus
6.4 Planning Commission Representative for November 15 - Commissioner Mandle
7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
7.1 Approval of August 22, 2012 minutes.
MOTION MADE AND SECONDED: Move to approve the August 22, 2012
minutes as presented. Moved by Commissioner Abraham. The motion was
seconded by Chair Partridge.
AYES: Commissioners: Abraham, Mandle, Couperus, Chair
Partridge
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NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: Commissioner Harpootlian
MOTION CARRIED.
8. REPORTS FROM FAST TRACK MEETINGS - SEPTEMBER 18, OCTOBER 9,
2012
8.1 LANDS OF ROO; 12451 Stonebrook Drive: File #233-11-ZP-SD-GD; A request
for a Site Development permit for a 4,085 square foot two-story new residence
(Maximum height 26'-3") and detached 520 square foot accessory structure. In
addition, the applicant is requesting the removal of one (1) heritage oak tree.
CEQA review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15303(a) (staff- Cynthia
Richardson).
8.2 LANDS OF GOODGER; 27729 Briones Court: File # 116-12-ZP-SD-VAR; A
request for a Site Development Permit for a 5,759 square foot two-story residence
(Maximum height 25'6") and a minor variance for eave encroachment of up to two
(2) feet into the east side yard setbacks. CEQA review: Categorical Exemption
per Section 15303(a) (staff-Nicole Horvitz).
8.3 LANDS OF RAMAKRISHNAN; 27665 Via Cerro Gordo: File #301-11-ZP-SD-
GD; A request for a Site Development Permit for a 4,991 square foot two-story
new residence (Maximum height 25') and a 600 square foot swimming pool.
CEQA review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15303 (a)(e) (staff-Cynthia
Richardson).
Commissioner Harpootlian expressed concern with this project over the request
for an off-road pathway.
Debbie Pedro confirmed that this requirement complies with Town Ordinance and
Policy.
8.4 LANDS OF EAGLE; 12230 Windsor Court: File#137-12-ZP-SD; A request for a
Site Development Permit for a 29 square foot single story addition (Maximum
height 23') and major interior remodel. CEQA review: Categorical Exemption per
Section 15303(a) (staff-Nicole Horvitz)
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9. REPORTS FROM SITE DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS - AUGUST 28,
SEPTEMBER 11, SEPTEMBER 18, OCTOBER 2, OCTOBER 9,2012
9.1 LANDS OF FOSTER; 13060 La Paloma Road; File #138-12-ZP-SD, A request
for a Site Development Permit for Landscape Screening of a new two story
residence that was approved at the Fast Track meeting on April 26, 2011. CEQA
review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15304 (b) (staff-Nicole Horvitz).
9.2 LANDS OF ILNICKI; 27349 Julietta Lane; File#127-12-ZP-SD, A request for a
Site Development Permit for Landscape Screening of a new single story residence
with a basement that was approved at the Planning Commission meeting on
February 4, 2010. CEQA review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15304 (b)
(staff-Nicole Horvitz).
9.3 LANDS OF BUDGE; 24175 Dawnridge Drive; File#156-12-ZP-SD, A request for
a Site Development Permit for a landscape Screening plan for a 5,706 square foot
two-story residence with a 2,883 square foot basement/bunker, a 800 square foot
swimming pool, and a 315 square foot accessory building approved on October 7,
2010. CEQA review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15304 (staff-Cynthia
Richardson).
9.4 LANDS OF LA PALOMA PROPERTIES, LLC; 13310 La Paloma Road; File
#114-12-ZP-SD, A request for a Site Development Permit to convert an existing
8,784 square foot tennis court to a 8,520 square foot pavilion (Max height 26')
CEQA review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15303 (e) (staff-Nicole
Horvitz)
9.5 LANDS OF LEE & FA; 28263 Christophers Lane; File #166-12-ZP-SD, A
request for a Site Development Permit for Landscape Screening of a 1,949 square
foot first and second story addition and a 1,982 square foot basement approved at
the Fast Track hearing on February 17, 2009. CEQA review: Categorical
Exemption per Section 15304 (b) (staff-Nicole Horvitz).
9.6 LANDS OF SAWKA; 12838 Concepcion Road; File#158-12-ZP-SD; A request
for a Site Development Permit for a 1,066 square foot single story addition
(Maximum height 17') and interior remodel. CEQA review: Categorical
Exemption per Section 15303 (a) (staff-Nicole Horvitz).
10. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 11:07 P.M.
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Planning Commission Special Meeting Minutes
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Respectfully submitted,
fe �
Jaime McAvoy
Planning Secretary
The minutes for the October 16, 2012 Regular Planning Commission meeting were approved on
December 6, 2012.
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Planning Commission Special Meeting Minutes
October 16,2012