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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/13/1976 (2)PLANNING COMMISSION Town of Los Altos Hills 26379 Fremont Road Los Altos Hills, California MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING Wednesday, October 13, 1976 Reel 54, Tr.l, Side 1, 001 to 447 Vice -Chairman Carico called the meeting of the Planning Commission to order at 7:54 P.M. in the Council Chambers, Town Hall. ROLL CALL AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Present: Commissioners Perkins, Rydell, Stewart, Young, Schick and Vice - Chairman Carico. Absent: Chairman Hahn. Also Present: City Manager Robert Crowe, City Engineer Alexander Russell, Secretary Ethel Hopkins. CONSENT CALENDAR: Commissioner Young stated that he wished to make a correction in the Minutes of the August 25th Meeting. They were removed from the Consent Calendar. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: It was moved by Commissioner Young and seconded by Commissioner Perkins to approve the remaining items on the Consent Calendar, namely the following: 1. Minutes of September 22, 1976. 2. Acceptance of Tentative Map Application, LANDS OF MCGDWAN, 27150 Julietta Lane, John Riley, Engineer, File ATM 2042-76. Motion passed by the consensus of all Commissioners present. ITEM REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT_ CALENDAR: Commissioner Young requested that the Minutes of August 25 be corrected as follows: On Page Three, Line Nine, "now feasible" should be changed to 'not feasible'. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: It was moved by Commissioner Perkins and seconded by Commissioner Young to approve the Minutes of the August 25th Planning Commission Meeting as amended. Motion passed with all Commissioners voting for the motion except Commissioner Rydell who abstained because he had been absent from this meeting. r PUBLIC HEARING: w 1. OWLWOOD FARMS, 24970 O'Keefe Lane, File ACUB007-75, Annual Review of Conditional se ermit. MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF OCTOBER 13, 1976 Page Two PUBLIC HEARING: (Continued) 1. OWLWOOD FARMS: (Conditional Use Permit Renewal) (Continued) Town Manager Robert Crowe addressed the Commissioners, noting that Owlwood Farms has a Conditional Use Permit to operate a horse -keeping facility on O'Keefe Lane. One of the conditions of that use permit requires an annual review of this permit. This hearing requires that the public be notified of the public hearing. Mr. Crowe stated that this requirement was above and beyong anything required by other use permits in the Town and requested that this condition (Condition 15) be changed. He stated that it had been made when William Spangle and Associates were con- sultants to the Town. Otherwise, he noted, the premises had been inspected by both the Health Department and our building department and inspection by both departments had found that the applicant was complying with all conditions. The premises were being maintained in very good condition. In discussion that followed Mr. Crowe's introduction, Commissioner Schick raised the issue of several buildings that were non -conforming according to Town Code requirements. .These became non -conforming in 1976. Mr. Crave stated that the buildings being referred to were non -conforming in that they encroached within the setback requirements of the Town. This actually had no relation to their existence. They could not be replaced, however, without a t variance. The secondary dwelling existed before the establishment of the ordinance, 6✓ and does need a use permit. Commissioner Perkins requested clarification of the topic under discussion, noting that the Use Permit runs the life of the ownership of the property. He called attention to the fact that what was under discussion was whether the owner of the Owlwood Farms Use Permit was complying with the fifteen conditions on the permit. Commissioner Schick's question was really a peripheral issue. Commissioner Stewart wanted clarified that the condition upon which change was requested was Condition 15, and that what was needed was an annual review rather than a public hearing. He made the following motion to that effect: MOTION SECONDED AND FAILED: It was moved by Commissioner Stewart and seconded by Commissioner Perkins that Condition 15 on the List of Conditions be changed, and that the sentence "This review shall be held at a duly noticed public hearing." be deleted. AYES: Commissioners Stewart and Young. NOES: Commissioners Carico, Perkins, Rydell and Schick. ABSTAIN: None. In discussion following the vote, Commissioner Perkins stated that the provision in Condition 15 was in the requirements for a purpose, to give the people of the Town an opportunity to voice complaints. When Commissioner Rydell asked the City Manager why he wanted this deleted, Mr. Crowe stated that there was at issue the cost involvedin posting for a public hearing and the fact that this was not required on any other use permit in the Town. Town Engineer Russell stated that this requirement had been placed in the conditions originally because other people had owned Owlwood Farms, and it was a method of assuring compliance with conditions. MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF OCTOBER 13, 1976 L Page Three PUBLIC HEARING: (Continued) 1. Owlwood Farms: (Conditional Use Permit Renewal) (Continued) Commissioner Perkins stated that much discussion at the time of the imposition of the Conditions on the Use Permit was centered on the fact that operations such as Owlwood Farms were peripheral to residential rural living. In accepting this operation and allowing it to exist, the desire was to give everyone an opportunity to speak his mind on the matter. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: It was moved by Commissioner Perkins and seconded by Commissioner Young that the annual review of the Owlwood Farms Conditional Use Permit,File #CUS007-75, has been conducted by the Planning Commission on October 13, 1976; and there has been no adverse finding in regard to this Con- ditional Use Permit. It is forwarded to the City Council for their action as necessary. AYES: Commissioners Perkins, Rydell, Stewart, Young Schick, Vice -Chairman Carico. NOES: None ABSTAIN: None Commissioner Schick stated that she wanted included in "Comments to the Commission" the following statement: The Planning Commission has been re -assured by Mr. Crowe that there are no buildings there that are in violation of our zoning. 4W OLD BUSINESS: Commissioner Carico stated that several items agendized for discussion under New Business at the September 22 Planning Commission meeting were still pending, notably the Study Session on the Review of the General Plan, Discussion of Open Space Acquisition Plan, and Discussion of Slope Density Change in Ordinance 232. Commissioner Carico noted that Ordinance 233 amending the slope density require- ments in Subdivision Ordinance 232 had been passed by the City Council and was now law. All Commissioners would receive a copy of this new ordinance. Some discussion followed Commissioner Schick's questioning if there was not a part of the General Plan that had not been reviewed. Mr. Crowe that this part, a social element, was an optional element, and had not been reviewed. He noted further than the Scenic Highways Element had been forwarded to the Council for action but that none had been taken. It was appropriate, however, for the Planning Commission to review the General Plan in light of actions taken this past year to see if these actions are in compliance with the General Plan. Commissioner Carico noted then, that was in order was a general review of the General Plan. Commissioner Perkins stated that although the review of the General Plan was an important issue, the item of higher priority was Ordinance 232, specifically a meeting to explore the issue of slope density and then another meeting to C pinpoint specific issues such as the design of subdivisions so that they meet the purposes of the ordinances. He questioned if the Town was going to try to use a formula or gimmicry to design subdivisions rather than judgment. 4W v MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, OF OCTOBER 13, 1976 Page Four OLD BUSINESS:(Continued) Commissioner Young stated that he agreed with Commissioner Perkins. He called attention to the fact that several contiguous parcels of land were to be developed in the flatlands of Los Altos Hills. This called for an overall exploration of development so that it would be complimentary or compatible in design. He noted that scheduling items for the agenda was an administrative decision to be made by the Chairman of the Planning Commission. NEW BUSINESS: Commissioner Schick, noting that it was unfair for Mr. Ugie of Owlwood Farms to have to come to the Planning Commission every year for a public hearing review for his use permit, requested that all conditional use permits in the Town be reviewed and brought into conformance with one another. Commissioner Carico noted that the surrounding properties of any conditional use permit should be notified that at a certain time of the year they may register their complaints. However, Commissioner Young objected to this idea. He stated that it is the right and privilege of any property owner to write and complain. The present system is suitable to a rural community devoted to simplicity in administration, he further stated. Commissioner Schick requested that on the five stables in the Town, the Planning Commission be apprised of the Conditions on their Use Permits so that the Commission may be aware if the Town in fact is being uniform in its require- ments on these use permits. Discussion concluded with the consensus of opinion that a study session on Ordinance 232 was an issue of first priority. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further new or old business, vice -Chairman Carico adjourned the meeting at 9:25 P.M.. Respectfully submitted, Ethel Hopkins Secretary