HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/14/1976 (2)PL°1P4IdG C' 011!
Town of Los Altos Hills
26370 Fremont Road
Los Altos Hills, California
Minutes of a Regular Heeting
9ednesday, July 14, 1976
Reel 52, Side II, Track I, 646 to End, Side 1, Track II, 001 to 736
Chairman Hahn called the meeting to order at 7:45 P.M. in the Council C-lambers,
Town Hall, Los Altos Hills, California.
ROLL CALL: Chairman Hahn, Commissioners Rydell, Stewart and Young.
Commissioner Perkins arrived several minutes late.
Commissioner Carico was absent.
Also present: KennTowne Engineer; and,T(win Planner; Alexander Ethel Hopkins, Secretary. Russell,
Roll Call was followed with the Pledge of Allegiance.
CONSENT CALENDAR:
chairman Hahn directed anyone wishing to do so to remove items from the Consent
CaleJunen9aremoved, andte consideration. Chairman Hahn removed theioner minutesdoflMayshed the minutes of
12.
ssioner Stewart
CATION. to a�pproveee the itemsrman leftNonntaedConsentnd eCalei
It as ndar,namel,y, the Minutes
of April 28 and the Acceptance for filinq of the Tentative Plan for
the Lands of Rossi, File #TM 2037-76.
notion passed with aye votes from all Commissioners present.
ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATIOM:
Regarding the Minutes of May 12, Chairman Hahn noted the blank on page three
in place of the name for the gentleman !mho spoke from Exeter, California. He
directed the secretary to find out why this was deleted, and to try to find this
information on the tape for that meeting. He also called attention to the
typographical error at the bottom of nage one. "Pens" should be changed to
"Open".
Helen Cygnarewicz, who typed the minutes of the May 12 meeting from the tape,
said that the gentleman from Exeter, California did not give his name, or if he
did, it was impossible to hear on the tape. (Secretary's note.)
Commissioner Rydeil noted that on the Minutes of June 9, he had abstained from
both votes under the "Approval of Minutes" but was listed as having voted no
on the first motion on page one. He directed that the"no"vote be changed to
L abstain" because he had been absent for the veeting of "lay 26 (Minutes being
fir+ considered).
PLANNING COMMISSION PI;IUTES
` July 14, 1976
�r ITErS REP'I1yEO F2R SEPARATE CfSIOFRATIO:I: (Continued)
POTION: It was moved by Chairman Hahn and seconded by Commissioner Stewart
to approve the Minutes of May 12 as corrected by Commission.
tiotion passed with aye votes from Commissioners Rydell, Stewart, Young,
and Chairman Hahn.
Commissioner Perkins abstained.
MOTION: Chairman Hahn moved, seconded by commissioner Stewart, to approve the
Minutes of June 9 as amended.
Motion passed with dye votes from all commissioners present.
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
1. LAI -IDS OF LA PERA, along Manuella-opposite the entrance td Den§=_11-Prive to
the south - opposite 14470 Manuella Avenue to the north, Paul Mowack,
Engineer, File TM 62036-76, Request for recommendation of approval of
Tentative Map.
Mr. Ken Pastrof noted that because of the unique location of the LaPera property,
that he would review the potential for subdividing the whole general area, call-
ing the attention of the Planning Commission not only to the Lands of LaPera,
[ but to surrounding areas - Lands of Scarff,Koblick, Broeckhoff, Fink, and tent
rr lots under multiple ownership. (Tent lots, he explained, were lots 30 by 130 feet
purchased by people from the City to come down and have picnics.) Lands of Snell
and Berger are subdividable, he said, showing by a slide presentation the
different configurations possible under subdivisions in the future. Mr. Pastrof
noted that the LaPera Subdivision before the Commission is not a neva plan;
similar plans had been submitted in the past. He noted some of the problems
on this parcel were access, line -of -sight, and flooding from water run-off
settling in low-lying areas. The LaPera parcel is a 9 -acre subdivision,
li
and through slides and drawings noted the proposed lot division, roads and
access routes.
At this point, Commissioner Perkins asked about confliction figures on the slope
density calculations he had received, with t+r. Pastrof assuring him that the
official calculations were those signed by the Engineer, Mr. Nowack. Mr. Perkins
had further questions, however, on whether easements should be deducted from
the gross area. If these easements were deducted, the net acreage �aoul`d allow
only eight lots. He asked that this be checked against the new subdivision
ordinances when Mr. Pastrof noted that easements for driveways were not deducted
from the gross area of the lots.
mr, Alex Russell, Town Engineer, continued the discussion on the Lands of LaPera
with a discussion on the drainage in the area - noting that this Ne noteathat
problem, but one that had been in discussion for seve
bubblelbyears. He
ed hat
a drain existed down Manuella ending in
,. near where the bubble box ends have problerswith heavy storm run-off. Two
years ago there was discussion of an underground drain, but the City of Palo Alt(
refused to let Los Altos Hilts run a pipe into Clark park to discharge storm
run-off. Mr. Russell illustrated the areas with drainage oroblems by showing
transparent overlays of the area. He2noted that the amount of drainage in the
PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES
July 14, 197E
LANDS OF LA PEPA: (Continued)
area had been measured in a project by Charles 'IcCandless, noting that one-
third of the acreage In the proposed subdivision drains toward Adobe Creek, and
another third toward Barron Creek. He again mentioned the storm drain along
I4anuella. The question is, he said, can the drainage take care of everything
coming off that roughly nine acres. A problem exists an the other side of
the property because people in that direction !rant drainage out of their back
yards. He noted that there is a natural underground flow of •!ater to be dealt
with, but that essentially this problem will be dealt with because people do
want to develop these lots.
Irr. Hahn at this point asked for specific comments from the Commissioners.
Mr. Perkins noted that little or nothing had been said about drainage to the
west, referring to the second paragraph on page two of the staff report. Ile
noted that this gets to the problem of the infamous East Barron Creek.
Mr. Pastrof noted the specific concern expressed during the Subdivision Committee
meeting on this particular area by Committee and by neighbors.
Some discussion followed concerning the tent lots and possible solutions to these
small and diversely owned plots of land. It was concluded, however, after vari-
ous examples and proposals were advanced for dealing with these tent lots,
that these pieces of land were still in private o�rnership and any move by the
Town to condemn or appropriate such parcels should be checked with the City
Attorney as to legality.
Chairman Hahn raised the question of Iter.. it on the list of conditions on the
staff report, the dedication of a 20 foot easement on Lot 4 to provide access
to Clark Park. Mr. Pastrof stated that this was a condition imposed by the
Pathway Committee. Mr. Hahn also inquired about the differing road fees on
Condition 20 of the report, noting that this seemed to relate to Condition 10,
the pathway request on Kingsley Road. Mr. Pastrof again noted that the Path-
way Committee had requested this. Mr. Perkins stated that the actual paths in
use were in conflict with those proposed for this subdivilon, and Mr. Russell
replied that the present proposal was a part of the Pathway Committee's
overall plan for the area.
Mr. Hahn at this time opened the meeting to a public hearing.
Mr. Har non Brown, corner of Altadena and Manuella, wished to inform the
.ommiss on of the t ree areas that were of conmern to him on this proposed
subdivison. They were: 1) the conflicting locations of the actual and proposed
Kingsley Avenues, 2) that Altadena is not all paved and what paving was done
was done by private parties, and 3) the real problem of drainage in the area.
Mr. Norman Nelson, corner of Altadena('Iis actual address, he said, is on
.anue a), note t e f oo ing pro ems .e an .is nein.. ors, a rga s, have
a over an eleven year period and his concern over access roads.
Mr. Russell at this point noted that the City Council had authorized a drainage
project two years ago. 880,000 had been appropriated for a storm drain, but
rights-of-way could not be obtained. He did not know if monies were still'
available.
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PLANNING COFMISSION ill"U(ES
July 14, 1876
LANDS 0-r LA PERA: (Continued)
proposed development. He called attention to the concern of the residents
ever any additional water flowing into East Barron Creek. He also noted that
steps should be taken to preserve the 100 feet high trees in the area.
Commissioner Young assured him that preserving trees and natural features
of the land was written into the subdivision ordinance.
an s of d era noted that the developer was aware ui uic waw= r��•�•
and as a citizen noted that a similar problem had existed on Adobe Lane. He
noted the natter of obtaining easements for storm drain installation Was a
matter for the City Attorney to work out. He expressed his uraent wish for
sone solution to the matter of obtaining easements. He noted several possible
solutions to the problen of storm drainage isposal.
rAt apprpximately 9.Oo P.M. Ch an Hahn calleg a ten mipyte recer.)
t?r. Perkins, a resident of SneN Lane, steppe oem as a anm nq ommissioner
an a resse the CorriISSIW as a ci iten. He challenged a statement made
earlier that easements were denied to stop development. He noted that proposed
solutions to the storm drainage problem would have been unsightly and that
residents granting easements would f:ave had no control on what was built on
( their property.
fir' Discussion followed between Mr. Perkins and the Commissioners and staff on
actual solutions to the drainage problem.
Mr. Richard Oliver, Adobe Lane apologized to Mr. Perkins. It was not his
intent to imp y that resi eats had not granted easements to stop development.
He did say, however, that the County had put in an eight foot pipe for storm
drainage that residents had simply had to learn to live with.
Mr. Louis Farasn, bbu w. uana �creeL, Ii , •.--�... ._. _._ _
a resident on property adjoining the La Pera Lan.s,addressed the Commission
concerm ng an easement w icn a een o aloe. t. rough a court judgment. He
expressed concern his client had on easements, driveway location, and drainage
problems resulting from development of this subdivision.
Mrs, Zelda Fink, resident at the end of Kingsley Avenue, voiced her concern over
has her property was situate in re ation to the proposed subdivision. At pres-
ent they had a right-of-way given by Dr. Clark to get off Kingsley, but she
was concerned about the type of access they would be able to obtain from the
various subdivisions.
Mr. Hahn at this point closed the public hearing.
Discussion among the Commissioners continued with Mr. Perkins expressing concern
on the actual net area of the proposed subdivision, was it to be eight or nine
f
v lots, the question of whether one of the proposed driveways was public or
private and how it should be constructed, the question of maintenance for
public areas by the Town, and finally the drainage problems in the area.
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PLANNING
COI USSION MINUTES
July 14,
1976
LANDS OF
LA PERA: (Continued)
Discussion was resolved and concluded with a number of motions added by the
Planning
Commissioners as conditions to the list of conditions proposed
by Staff
on the Lands of La Pera.
ti)TION:
It was moved by Commissioner Perkins and seconded by Chairman Hahn,
to
that the following statement should be added as Condition 21
the list of conditions on the Lands of LaPera: Drainaqe from the
is
subdivision is a recognized major problem. A solution proposed
be tothe
for
intohE asthere Branchll
BarronrainagCreeke
west fromract Lotsd3ai4a95,tandh6
is part of a larger drainage problem which must be solved as soon
as possible.
Motion passed with aye votes from all Commissioners present.
MOTION:
It was moved by Commissioner Stewart and seconded by Commissioner
list of condi-
Rydell that the folioaing conditions be added to the
tions cn the Lands of LaPera:
Ccnditicn 22: The proposed twenty (20) foot driveway easement to the
Creek Lane shall
Nowels property from north of Barron
be realigned, and the current driveway shall be kept
intact and designated a joint driveway easement serving
4aw
Lot 2 and the Nowels property.
r n
The wels property
Condition 23: sewer(10)feet
I shall not bewless thantent
in width.
(lotion passed with aye votes from all Commissioners present.
NOTION:
It was moved by commissioner Perkins and seconded by Chairman Hahn
24: The slope
that the following condition be added as Condition
in light of the current ordi-
density calculations shall be reviewed
this subdivision shall conform to these ordinances.
nances, and
Plotion passed with aye votes from all Commissioners.
MOTION:
It was moved by Chairman Hahn, seconded by Commissioner Young, that the
for the
Planning Commission recommend approval of the Tentative Map
with the additional
Lands of LaPera, File #TI12076-76, as amended
input from the Planning Commission to the city Council.
conditions and
Notion passed with aye votes from all Commissioners.
o"OTION:
It was moved by commissioner Perkins and seconded by Commissioner Hahn
quality Act for
to file a Negative Declaration under the Environmental
the Lands of LaPera.
Notion passed with aye votes from all Commissioners.
`
business or old business, Chairman Hahn adjourned the meeting
�w There
being no neva
at 11:24
p.m.. Respectfully submitted,
Ethel Hopkins
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