HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3.1 SupplementalDear Ms. Pedro,
RECEIVED
FEB 5 Nq
TOWN OF IAS ALTOS HILLS
We will be unable to attend tonight's meeting regarding the landscaping element for
26462 Purissima. We would like to present our input on this matter.
1. The screening trees planted along the fence line adjacent our house fail to meet the
promises made by the developers for mature trees which substantially block the view of
the mansion. The trees are not mature, are very thinly planted, and appear to be dying in
some cases. The mansion is so large and so closely situated to the property line that it
significantly impacts the privacy of our courtyard, southern face of our house and garage
area. Please see the attached photos. We would like to see tall and robust growth
shrubbery planted along that fence line so that future owners of 26462 Purissima cannot
easily look into our property and we don't have to look at the looming structure from
ours.
2. We would also like to it go on record that when the initial proposal for this building
was addressed to the neighbors, the promise of a sewer line being available for tie in at a
reasonable cost was an incentive for the neighbors to overlook some elements of this
very large building structure. The last offer we received from the contractors was for
$136,587.00 to bring sewer to our property line (including hookup fees). Needless to say,
we had to decline. We request that the builders be required to offer a reasonable sewer
hookup fee to the neighbors, e.g. $35K/hookup.
Sincerely,
Paul & Rebecca Hickman
Los Altos Hills
I
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2/4/09
G. R Kirkpatrick
To:
John Harpootlian
Eric Clow
James Abraham
Ray Collins
Carl Cottrell
Debbie Pedro
Nicole Horvitz
Steven Garcia
Attached are advanced notes for issues I would like to review at the February 5th
2009 Planning Commission meeting that is scheduled to review plans for the
project at 26462 Purissima Road.
Your attention is appreciated.
Regards,
G. R. Kirkpatrick
/
RECEIVED
FEB - 4 2009
TMW OF Los ALTOS HILLS
26462 Purissima Road landscaping
Discussion items for the February 5ib 2009
Planning Commission meeting.
1) There are two waterfalls for this
planed site.
For these two waterfalls, measurements
documenting compliance with the noise ordinance
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...�....�
must be required
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(That is 40 dB at 50 feet or at the property line.)
Reference: 5-2.02 Standards „
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2) Review the plant selection near the driveway culvert for susceptibility to root rot due to
standing water or saturated soil for time spans greater than a week.
The area for this review will depend on the
effectiveness of the rain runoff storage system.
If the pipe shown is the system overload pipe
and is connected to the top of the tank, no
water should ever issue from this port, if that
top connection is the case, the small tank drain
Pipe on the plan must be installed before
landscape installation. If the pipe shown is the
drain pipe connected to the bottom of the
storage tank, then the standing water area will
be larger and driveways may be subject to
dangerous slippery silting or erosion because the storage system will be ineffective.
3) The developer planted trees early on in this
Project. This was done to give the trees a head
start to provide screening for mutual
neighborhood privacy. All the large trees have
been installed.
Several Sour Gum trees are to be installed at the
ground floor level near the second floor south
west deck.
F, Y"411601i
Expected height for a Sour Gum is about 20 feet when the tree is 20 years old.
These trees are unlikely to have an impact on the following:
When a vehicle backs from the
garage at 26470 Purissima, turns
and shifts from reverse to drive,
this is the view provided to the
people in the vehicle. The view is
the same for guests exiting the
parking area.
Vehicle headlights directly
illuminate the glass doors to the
master bedroom. The upper floor
plan shows the doorless entry to
the master bathroom. The brown
rectangle that is directly in the
headlight beam is the foundation
for the two person Jacuzzi
bathtub.
This fundamental flaw in the development plan
which the Town approved must be reviewed in
view of the California Real Estate Disclosure
Law. Potential renters or buyers must be made
aware that they may be subject to a total lack
of privacy.
4) The peripheral fence is part of the landscape. During a very early meeting with the developers
and the neighbors, the developers were asked to remove the peripheral sound wall.
The developers agreed to this change.
The sound wall was replaced with this solid wood fence.
A fence is required around a construction site.
When the green fence along Purissima Road is
removed, the solid wood fence must also be
removed.
At the south west comer of the plot, when a
driver and a pedestrian first become aware of
each other, the distance from the bumper to the
person is less than 30 feet. Visualize a child
running down to get the mail and a UPS van
making a delivery. This fence is a real threat to safety. The Town has already received one
complaint about a dangerous encounter caused by restricted visibility.
This development has had a profound effect on the landscape at 26470 Purissima Road.
The former view of pasture and orchard land is now an unbroken view of over 200 feet of stucco
wall. The final insult is shown to the right of the barn/out building where the last vestige of open
space view is blocked by the fence.
5) The large trees were planted to provide screening. The upper north east room of the main
building is an office implying occupancy all day long.
Here is the screening effect on 26430
Purissima Road. Across the building is the
exercise room where a resident on a treadmill
will spend 30 minutes watching the windows
and back yard of 26500 Purissima Road.
6) For the most part, the landscape plan
provides no visual screening to reduce the
hazardous distraction to passing motorists by
this main structure. All afternoon during any
season of the year, the face of this structure is
darkened by its own shadow. The structure is set within a brighter green and blue background.
Examining the structure face could cause an unexpected involuntary adjustment within a driver's
eye. Screening should be required.
Action items:
Limit the waterfall noise
Avoid rotting vegetation
Control flooding
Remove the fence
Check on liability and a means of informing potential buyers of problems
Provide visual screening at Purissima Road.
Change the Town restriction on building to:
Avoid a similar disruption to another neighborhood
Deny permits to speculators increasing their wealth at the expense of Town residence.
G. R. Kirkpatrick 2/4/09