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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/04/2018Approved November 1, 2018 1 Regular Planning Commission Meeting October 4, 2018 Minutes of a Regular Meeting Town of Los Altos Hills PLANNING COMMISSION Thursday, October 4, 2018, 7:00 PM Council Chambers, 26379 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills. CA, 94022 ______________________________________________________________________________ 1. ROLL CALL AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Present: Commissioner Couperus, Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Patel, Commissioner Abraham, Chair Mandle Staff: Absent: Planning Director Suzanne Avila, Assistant Planner Dylan Parker, Planning Technician Cody Einfalt None 2. PRESENTATIONS FROM THE FLOOR Chair Mandle opened presentations from the floor. Seeing no one wishing to speak, Chair Mandle closed presentations from the floor. 3. PUBLIC HEARINGS EXPARTE: Commissioner Abraham stated he spoke with Stephanie Wu and Tom Cho. Commissioner Couperus stated he spoke with Stephanie Wu, Tom Cho, and Chair Mandle Mandle. Commissioner Patel stated he spoke with Stephanie Wu and Tom Cho. Commissioner Smith stated he spoke with no one. Chair Mandle spoke with Stephanie Wu, Tom Cho, Commissioner Couperus, and Cheryl Mathews. 3.1 LANDS OF WILDCREST PROPERTIES, LLC; 13335 WILDCREST DRIVE; FILE #244-17-ZP-SD; A Request for a Site Development Permit to widen a private driveway serving a new residence under construction to 14 feet. The driveway also serves three additional properties. CEQA review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15303(a) - construction of a new single-family residence in a residential zone (Staff-Suzanne Avila). Chair Mandle opened the PUBLIC HEARING. Director Avila presented the staff report. The Commission asked questions of staff and received responses. Approved November 1, 2018 2 Regular Planning Commission Meeting October 4, 2018 Commissioner Abraham stated that he had heard that the Fire Department saw the current condition of the driveway as an existing nonconforming situation and deemed it acceptable years ago. He asked Director Avila if this understanding was correct. Director Avila answered that she had no written statement from the Fire Department stating that the condition of the driveway was okay. She spoke of her current understanding of how of the Fire Department handles shared driveways and why the Fire Department was asking for a widening of the driveway for the item being discussed. Chair Mandle asked staff a question regarding the dimensions of the driveway. Director Avila clarified the measurements. Cooper Allison, Lea & Braze Civil Engineers, spoke of his company's history in the Town and his direct involvement with the project. He explained that he created four alternatives on how to widen the driveway which were submitted to the Commission as a part of their meeting packet. He said that he was available if the Commission had any questions regarding the options. Carla Castro, Lea & Braze, read a letter written by the applicant to the Commissioners (Item 3.1, Supplemental Document Number 4) Commissioner Abraham asked who the letter was signed by. Ms. Castro stated that the applicant wanted to remain anonymous and identified under the property's LLC name. Commissioner Couperus stated that the ambiguity did not impress the Commission. Chair Mandle asked if staff was aware of any Fire Department code that prohibited engines from driving over a depression on the side of a driveway. Director Avila stated she had no knowledge of such a code. Chair Mandle asked Mr. Allison how the dimensions of the driveway were measured and which side would be altered. Mr. Allison stated that their recommendation would be that the eastern side of the driveway would hold its current position and the western side of the driveway would be extended. He added that his alternatives that he submitted to the Commission explored different options to this recommendation. Approved November 1, 2018 3 Regular Planning Commission Meeting October 4, 2018 Commissioner Couperus presented a diagram on the screen that he made of the proposed driveway widening options. He stated that nowhere in the plans was it explained how the retaining wall would be built. He asked Mr. Allison why these were not in the plans. Mr. Allison explained that structural details/calculations are not required when a project is making its way through the Planning Department. He explained that once a project is approved by Planning, it moves to the Building Department and then structural details/calculations are required upon submission. Commissioner Abraham stated he visited the property and was concerned about the height of the proposed retaining wall. He asked Mr. Allison how high the wall would be. Mr. Allison stated that it would be 2 1/2 feet tall. Commission Abraham stated that the wall would have to be at least 5 feet high. He made the point that when the house was constructed, trucks had to have driven up the road before and he questions why a fire engine could not do the same today. Mr. Allison clarified that the applicant would rather not have to widen the driveway and pay for all the additional construction costs. The reason the item is being heard by the Planning Commission is due to the fact that the project is being held up by the Fire Department. Commissioner Patel asked a question about the Fire Code as it pertains to driveways that provide access to multiple properties. He stated that he would like a decision to be made on how to handle this type of situation because he fears that future projects that share a driveway will come into a similar problem where their driveway will also have to be widened. Commissioner Smith asked a question of the west-cut retaining wall. He said he wanted to know the height of the retaining wall and the materials used to construct it. He shared a personal story of situations were cars have hit retaining walls before and as they enter and leave a property. Mr. Allison explained that the intent was to replace the existing wall with a new wall similar to the one currently on the site. He spoke about the advantages and disadvantages of the four alternatives he submitted to the Commissioners. Tom Cho, adjacent neighbor, stated he opposed the approval of the driveway widening. He added that should the widening should occur, the construction should happen at the same time as the sewer line extension to reduce the burden on the neighbors. Approved November 1, 2018 4 Regular Planning Commission Meeting October 4, 2018 Stephanie Wu, adjacent neighbor, stated she opposed the driveway widening. She added that many of the allegations in the letter submitted to the Commissioners from the Wildcrest Property LLC were incorrect. Mr. Allison responded to the comments made by the public and walked through the four options presented to the Planning Commission once more. Chair Mandle closed the PUBLIC HEARING. Commissioner Couperus stated he has spent a lot of time on this issue. He stated that he wished he had a more detailed report of the proposed retaining wall. He stated that in his opinion the majority of the drive was wide enough for emergency access. He spoke of the four alternatives and what the pros and cons of each would be. He said that the recommended option would affect heritage oak trees near the wall due to the grading that would be done to install the wall. He explained that with the diagrams that were presented to him, he cannot make a definitive answer. He added that if possible, the applicant should widen the driveway on his property and not on his neighbors. He stated that he does not want to see a concrete wall, due to the fact that concrete walls worry him. He explained that people reversing down driveways often hit concrete walls. Commissioner Patel said that he is concerned that the easement does not accurately reflect the placement of the driveway. He added that he is also concerned that the Fire Department will require 20 feet clearance for future developments in similar situations of shared driveways and that the Commission will find themselves addressing the same problem again. He said that maintenance of the driveway could also become an issue in the future. Commissioner Smith stated he agrees with Commissioner Couperus and he cannot decide without additional details on the proposed retaining wall. Commissioner Abraham said that he agrees with Commissioner Couperus. He said that he thinks that the Town has the authority to narrow driveways to 12 feet wide. He spoke of his knowledge of the Fire Department review process and how they handle this problem. He said he wants the item to come back to the Commission with better drawings and more details in the retaining wall. Chair Mandle said she agrees the item should be continued to allow the applicant to add more details. Commissioner Couperus made the point that the driveway project should be coordinated with the sewer line extension project to minimize impact on the neighbors. Chair Mandle stated that she would like compliance with the Fire Code. Approved November 1, 2018 5 Regular Planning Commission Meeting October 4, 2018 MOTION MADE AND SECONDED: Commissioner Couperus moved to continue the project to allow the applicant to revise the plans and provide more detailed drawings of the retaining wall, keeping in mind to limit the impact to surrounding neighbors as much as possible. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Abraham. MOTION CARRIED: 5-0 AYES: Commissioner Couperus, Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Patel, Commissioner Abraham, Chair Mandle NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None 3.2 LANDS OF WILDCREST PROPERTIES, LLC; 13335 Wildcrest Drive; File #SD18-0026; A request for a Site Development Permit for a landscape screening plan for a previously approved new residence. CEQA review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15304(b) - new gardening and landscaping. (Staff-Dylan Parker). Chair Mandle opened the PUBLIC HEARING. Assistant Planner Dylan Parker presented the staff report. He spoke of the property's past involvement with the Planning Commission as well as details of the landscape screening plan. The Commission asked questions of staff and received responses. Commissioner Patel asked a question regarding the location of the proposed fence. Staff clarified that the fence would be placed along the perimeter of the property. Commissioner Couperus asked which side of the property was designated as the front. Staff clarified the front of the property was the one that the driveway approach. Commissioner Abraham asked about the smaller trees on the property. He said there might be younger trees worth saving. He asked staff which way the fence would go if the fence line crossed the path of a tree Director Avila stated that the fence would go around the tree, cutting into the land of the property owner installing the fence. Approved November 1, 2018 6 Regular Planning Commission Meeting October 4, 2018 Commissioner Abraham asked what would happen if a fence approached a utility pole Director Avila stated that utility poles are within easements and fences cannot be installed within easements. Commissioner Abraham said there are two surveys that do not agree with one another and he was curious as to how the Planning Department handled this situation. Director Avila stated she was unaware that that there were two surveys of the property. She explained that the project is using the survey submitted to the Town with the landscape screening application. Commissioner Abraham asked whether the Town's Fence Ordinance made any special accommodations to wildlife concerns. Director Avila said there are no designated wildlife corridors in the Town, but wildlife movement is a consideration when reviewing fencing. David Roche, landscape architect, spoke of the location of the deer fence that is proposed in the landscape screening plan. He expressed that the fence is intended to keep animals out. He spoke of the eucalyptus trees on the property and that the applicant will remove the eucalyptus tree stump that is starting to sprout again. He stated that the large eucalyptus tree on the property boundary is of concern due to the cost of removing the tree. Commissioner Abraham asked about the proposed lighting plan. He wanted to make sure that the lighting would not be seen from off the property. Commissioner Patel voiced a concern that the external lighting plan and the landscape screening plan were not submitted together. He stated that this limited his ability to determine if the proposed planting screens the property adequately. Commissioner Couperus stated he was still concerned with the eucalyptus tree on the property boundary. He said he does not want to set precedent for letting one person get away with having a eucalyptus tree on their property after a major site development. Chair Mandle asked the landscape architect if he thought the property owner would be okay with a fence that was wildlife permeable. Mr. Roche stated that he believed the property owner would want a non- permeable fence. Approved November 1, 2018 7 Regular Planning Commission Meeting October 4, 2018 Commissioner Abraham asked what the maximum height of the plants will be on the northern side of the property. Mr. Roche explained how high the plants would grow. He added that the intent of the screening plan was not to create a wall twelve foot tall but rather fill in the gaps between the current heritage oak trees that are doing the majority of the screening at the moment. Stephanie Wu, adjacent neighbor, emphasized that the fence will not be shared and that it will need to be entirely on the applicant’s land. She spoke of her concerns regarding water discharge from the proposed landscaping and that she does not want water to erode her property. Carol Gottlieb, Environmental Protection and Design Committee, stated she is concerned with the oak trees on the property and where the west side retaining wall would be installed. Commissioner Patel explained that during the construction of the house grading had occurred around existing oak trees and ultimately damaged their root structure. Mr. Roche stated that it is common for roots to be exposed when grading on hillsides. He explained that precautions were made to keep the trees alive at all costs. He said that the fence will be installed on the owner’s property, and that PG&E will be contacted if at all necessary. He stated that the landscape was designed to not have runoff from the irrigation and the neighbor should not be concerned. Mr. Parker said that there is a condition of approval for this project to not increase the peak discharge on the property. Chair Mandle closed the PUBLIC HEARING. Commissioner Smith stated he had no comments. Commissioner Abraham said the proposed plan is very nice. He said that his only concern is with the eucalyptus tree. He said that staff should contact the owner of the adjacent property, Lands of Porter, in an effort to get the tree removed. Commissioner Patel said that he had seen the property twice over the last few years as a part of his service to the Environmental Design and Protection Committee. He said that the southern part of the property is very sloppy. He said that it was an oversight on the project and an open space easement should have been requested at the time the house was approved. Moving forward though, he said he is happy that the applicant is not proposing to fence the entire property Approved November 1, 2018 8 Regular Planning Commission Meeting October 4, 2018 line. He spoke of his concerns with the exterior lighting plan and how the proposed landscape will mitigate the light pollution. He said that in the future, there should not be a fence on the south side of the property. Commissioner Couperus agreed. Chair Mandle said she is indifferent if the eucalyptus tree on the property boundary stays or if it is removed. However, she said that that if it is to be removed, it will need to be replaced with another tree. MOTION MADE AND SECONDED: Commissioner Abraham moved to approve the requested Site Development Permit for a landscape screening plan, subject to the conditions of approval in Attachment 1, with the added conditions that staff will contact the neighbor on the easterly side of the property in regards to the eucalyptus tree on the borderline and if the neighbor agrees to removal and replacement, that the applicant will remove the eucalyptus tree and plant a suitable tree for screening, and that any additional fencing proposed on the 30% or greater slope area be designed to be wildlife permeable. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Couperus. MOTION CARRIED: 5-0 AYES: Commissioner Couperus, Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Patel, Commissioner Abraham, Chair Mandle NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None 4. OLD BUSINESS - None 5. NEW BUSINESS 5.1 Wireless Communications Policy update Director Avila spoke about the wireless communication policy update. Commissioner Abraham said that he would like to be on the sub-committee to discuss the update to the wireless plan. Commissioner Patel said he would be on the sub-committee as well. Approved November 1, 2018 9 Regular Planning Commission Meeting October 4, 2018 Chair Mandle spoke about the meeting she had with staff early that week. She requested that her fellow Commissioners reread the Fastrack guidelines. 6. REPORTS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS 6.2 Planning Commission Representative for September 20 - Commissioner Smith Commissioner Smith gave his report of the City Council meeting. 6.3 Planning Commission Representative for October 18 - Chair Mandle 6.4 Planning Commission Representative for November 15 - Commissioner Abraham 6.5 Planning Commission Representative for December 13 - Commissioner Couperus 6.6 Planning Commission Representative for January 17 - Commissioner Patel 7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 7.1 Approval of September 6, 2018 - Regular Meeting Minutes MOTION MADE AND SECONDED: Chair Mandle moved to approve the September 6, 2018 Planning Commission meeting minutes as presented. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Patel. MOTION CARRIED: 5-0 AYES: Commissioner Couperus, Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Patel, Commissioner Abraham, Chair Mandle NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None 8. REPORTS FROM SITE DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS - SEP. 11, 25 & OCT. 2 8.1 LANDS OF SCHEINMAN; 26400 Aric Lane; File #SD18-0030; A request for a Site Development Permit for a new pool, hardscape, fencing, and landscape for a previously approved residence; CEQA review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15303(e) - Accessory (appurtenant) structures including garages, carports, patios, swimming pools, and fences; (Staff-Jeremy Loh). 8.2 LANDS OF FIVE OAKS MANAGEMENT, LLC; 10490 West Loyola Drive; Approved November 1, 2018 10 Regular Planning Commission Meeting October 4, 2018 File #SD18-0036; A request for a Site Development Permit for landscape screening for a previously approved residence; CEQA review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15304(b) - New gardening or landscaping, including replacement of existing conventional landscaping with water efficient or fire resistant landscaping; (Staff-Jeremy Loh). 8.3 LANDS OF DUTCHINTS DEVELOPMENT, LLC; 24925 Oneonta Drive; File #SD18-0029; A request for a Site Development Permit for landscape screening for a previously approved residence; CEQA review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15304(b) - New gardening or landscaping, including replacement of existing conventional landscaping with water efficient or fire resistant landscaping; Categorical Exemption per Section 15303(e) - Accessory (appurtenant) structures including garages, carports, patios, swimming pools, and fences (Staff-Jeremy Loh). 8.4 LANDS OF THOMAS; 27640 Sherlock Road; File #SD18-0032; A request for a Site Development Permit to construct a new pool and spa at an existing single family residence; CEQA review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15303(e) - Accessory (appurtenant) structures including garages, carports, patios, swimming pools, and fences; (Staff-Dylan Parker). 9. REPORTS FROM FAST TRACK MEETINGS - SEPTEMBER 11 & 25 9.1 LANDS OF SUTARIA; 13581 WILDCREST DRIVE: File#SD-18-0013; A request for a Site Development Permit for a new 4,516 square foot residence with basement and attached two-car 455 square foot garage (maximum height feet 25 feet 6-inches), and a swimming pool. A CEQA review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15303(a) and (e) (Staff-Suzanne Avila). 9.2 LANDS OF DELIA; 26880 Ortega Drive; File #SD18-0017; A request for a Site Development Permit for a new 4,999 square-foot single-story residence (Maximum height 27') and a 818 square-foot secondary dwelling unit. CEQA review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15303(a) - construction of a new single-family residence in a residential zone (Staff-Dylan Parker). 9.3 LANDS OF NIV; 27240 Natoma Road; File #SD18-0033; A request for a Site Development Permit for a 450 square foot addition and remodel to the existing two-story residence. CEQA review: Categorical Exemption per Section 15301(e) - Existing Facilities (Staff-Dylan Parker). Approved November 1, 2018 11 Regular Planning Commission Meeting October 4, 2018 10. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 10:13 PM Respectfully Submitted, Cody Einfalt Planning Commission The minutes of the October 4, 2018 Regular Planning Commission Meeting were approved as presented at the November 1, 2018 Regular Planning Commission Meeting.