HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3.1 SupplementalPage 1 of 2
Debbie Pedro
From: John Harpootlian [harpootlian@gmail.comj
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 6:10 PM
To: Debbie Pedro
Cc: Leslie Hopper
Subject: Suggested General Plan changes to be discussed at PC meeting
Land Use Element
102. Replace third sentence: Current trends toward larger houses, allowed by current regulations, will change the way the
community will look, feel, and function in the future.
110. Add at end: As this trend continues, floor area in LAH will increase dramatically.
111. Last sentence not justified.
Page 4, Goals 1. Change needed to required.
Policy 1.1 Remove architecture.
Policy 1.2.c Replace churches with religious facilities.
125. Add sidebar defining MDA, MFA, maximum height.
127. Add: Total height of 35 feet.
Program 2.1. Define open space easement (OSE) and OSCA.
Program 2.4 Add native.
129 Replace paragraph with:
Our Town is split almost equally between two school districts providing elementary education. Historically, LAH was served by
four separate public elementary schools within its borders. Currently three of those sites have either been sold (in whole or
part) and/or leased long-term by the school districts. With the closure of our final elementary school (Bullis-Purissima School,
closed in 2003) no public elementary schools remain at this time in LAH.
After elementary school, Town residents matriculate to middle schools and later to high schools provided by their district Los
Altos School District, Palo Alto Unified School District, or Mountain View -Los Altos Union High School District.
130. Replace paragraph with:
Bullis-Purissima School is anticipated to be re -opened in 2008. Recent cooperation between the districts (such as Inter -
District Transfer Agreements) should be encouraged to allow children from both elementary districts to attend the same
neighborhood public elementary schools in Town.
131. Replace existing with remaining. Replace 2005 with 2003. In the last paragraph add to the last sentence: "As leases
expire, ..:.
133. Last sentence changed to: These schools provide excellent educational opportunities and extracurricular activities.
136. Remove: churches or
138. Add: Purissima water building.
4/3/2008
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Program 3.1 Add: "and encourage interdistrict transfer agreements between the districts to allow all residents of Town to
attend a school in LAH.
Page 19. Garbage? Add Green Waste.
Policy 4.10. Move to page 9 following Green Building.
Pathways Element
4.3.e Replace with:... shall require specific findings by the Town for pathway requirements.
Page 11 Replace left hand picture with one that looks like a pathway.
Open Space Recreation
Add:... (OSR) on the zoning map.
4/3/2008
Pagel oft
From:
Bart Carey [
Sent:
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 7:59 PM
To:
Debbie Pedro
Cc:
Mike O'Malley
Subject:
General Plan Update Phase 3 --Public Schools
Debbie,
Please pass along my feedback below to the planning commissioners before Thursday night's
meeting. I extend my regrets that I will not be present at the meeting.
In providing feedback on the General Plan Update, I have broken out thoughts on Public Schools as
noted here separate from other sections. The comments below pertain to The Land Use Element,
Community Services and Facilities, Public Schools starting on page 11 of the draft document.
Sec 129. After the list of public school districts, consider changing to the following paragraphs:
Our town is split almost equally between 2 school districts providing elementary education. Historically,
Los Altos Hills was served by 4 separate public elementary schools within its borders. Currently 3 of
those sites have either been sold (in whole or part) and/or leased long-term by the school districts.
With the closure of our final elementary school (Bullis-Purissima School, closed in 2004) no public
elementary schools remained for a time in LAH. This school is anticipated to be re -opened in 2008
after cooperation between Los Altos School District, Palo Alto School District, and the Town.
Continued cooperation between the districts (such as in the form of Inter -District Transfer
Agreements) should be encouraged to allow children from both elementary districts to attend the same
neighborhood public elementary schools in Town.
After elementary school, Town residents matriculate to middle schools and later high schools provided
by Los Altos School District, Palo Alta Unified School District, or Mountain View -Los Altos Union High
School District.
Sec 130. Consider change to the following:
The closure of Bullis-Purissima School as noted above prompted action and renewed vigilance by
Town Council and residents, including a petition for an independent school district. The re-
establishment and maintenance of neighborhood public education within Town borders should be of the
highest priority for LAH. Neighborhood public schools will allow the highest educational experience for
our children, a maximum sense of community within our Town, and maximum safety and convenience
for students and families who may walk or travel short distances to school.
Sec 131. Consider the following:
There are three "remaining" public school sites.......
25890 Fremont Rd ............. (I think this site closed in 2004, but that should be double checked.)
11311 Mora Dr........... Add at the end ---"Part of this original parcel has been sold by the school
district."
Add at the end of section -----"As leases expire on public school sites, the Town should work with the
districts to return these sites to public use.
Sec 133. 1 would delete the last sentence. Regarding the economies of scale this is an argument used
against LAH by the districts in our bid for our own district. If future residents are inclined again to bid for
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our own district, it would be unfortunate to have one of the prime district arguments against us quoted
from our General Plan.
I would add a section at the end of Public Schools (maybe sec 136) stating: "An Education Committee
of residents interested in preserving neighborhood education in Town shall be appointed by Council.
One major responsibility of the Committee shall be to work with Council, residents, and the school
districts to promote neighborhood public education in Town." (Language largely similar to Policy 4.17,
page 9 of Pathways Element regarding the Pathways Committee.)
Page 15 Policy 3.1: School districts should be encouraged to restore "and maintain'
neighborhood public............
Program 3.1: Work with Palo Alto Unified School District and Los Altos School District to
reopen "and maintain neighborhood" public elementary schools in Los Altos Hills, "and
encourage Inter -District Transfer Agreements between the districts to allow residents
from both sides of town to attend neighborhood schools."
Add Program: Work with school districts to encourage conversion of school facilities to
public use as private leases expire.
Many thanks for your consideration of the above.
Bart Carey, MD
4/3/2008
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From: Bart Carey [
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 11:01 PM
To: Debbie Pedro
Cc: Mike O'Malley
Subject: General Plan Update Phase 3
Hi Debbie,
Please forward these comments to the planning commissioners before Thursday's meeting. My
comments here pertain to the topics other than the section on Public Schools, on which I forwarded a
separate message. Sorry I won't be at the meeting.
Land Use Element
1. Land Use Patterns, page 2—in the box on the right of the page I might delete ".........the
space and right to keep animals—rabbits, chickens, dogs, sheep, cattle and horses." Not sure
we want to encourage keeping chickens, sheep, and cattle......
2. Goal 1, page 4-1 might delete the word "minimum" .......and the "minimum" public and private
facilities..........
3. Slope Density, page 7—Are the slope designations/descriptions consistent with the general
practice of requiring conservation easements in areas of slope greater than 30%?
4. Height Limits, page 8—Add a sentence, "Building height may be reduced below 27 feet at the
discretion of the planning commission for flat roof structures since this design may increase
overall building volume and mass."
5. Program 2. 1, page 9—Should we refer to "Open Space Easements" or "Open Space
Conservation Easements?" My feeling is that it should be the latter, and this title should be
capitalized. I would delete "the presence of heritage oak trees"..... (We have allowed removal
of oaks several times in the recent past with an appropriate ratio of replacement trees, and I
don't think it would be a good idea that the presence of heritage oaks routinely triggers request
for OSCE's.) On the other hand, I do think it is very important to include the concept of asking
for OSCE's in areas of slope greater than 30%.
6. Program 2.4, page 10—add "native"—Encourage the preservation of "native" hillside
vegetation...
7. Section 138, page 13 ---We have 3 other buildings in the Town Hall complex—add the new
Purissima Water District headquarters.
8. Section 139, page 14—Is it true that "several other country clubs" exist in neighboring cities in
the planning area?
9. Section 145, page 17, Sanitary Sewer, 4th line—should this be "forcemains," or "force mains,"
or "forced mains?"
10. Section 147, page 17—should probably be ..........as many residences as "practical"
connect.......
11. Policy 4.9, page 21—should be ..........shall be adequately "screened" by......
12. Diagram page 23-1 am confused by this diagram in terms of placement of the variously
shaded lines.
13. As a side note in regard to annexation, I am glad to see in the GP that it is important that
annexed areas are compatible with Town development standards—and I would certainly keep
this language. But in recent consideration of areas proposed for annexation it seems these
development standards have taken a back seat to considerations such as state expectations
and sewer connections.
Pathways Element
1. Policy 3.4, page 6—Wouldn't paths along emergency roads be "on -road" paths? Or perhaps
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instead the description should be "easements for off-road paths along designated emergency
"passages."
2. Policy 4.3 (e), page 8—Don't like the concept or wording of requiring ......."a specific
justification by the Town of the nexus'...........
Page 8 of Open Space & Recreation Element
1. Regarding the Planning and Zoning box—First can we simplify the Land Use Diagram and just
use one term for the Open Space Preserves (OSP) and zoned Open Space Reserves (OSR)?
Second perhaps we should add a definition in the same box of Open Space Conservation
Easements (OSCE's) to clarify how these differ from OSP's, OSR's, and OSCA's. Too many
"OS" designations which can easily lead to confusion.........
Thanks very much for considering the above feedback.
Bart Carey, MD
4/3/2008