The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About10/11/2000Minutes of a Regular Meeting Approved 10/25/00 Town of Los Altos Hills PLANNING COMMISSION Wednesday, October 11, 2000, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers, 26379 Fremont Road cc: Cassettes (1) #18-00 ROLL CALL AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Planning Commission meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Town Hall. Present: Chairman Cottrell, Commissioners Vitu, Gottlieb, Clow & Wong Staff: Carl Cahill, Planning Director; Angelica Herrera, Assistant Planner; Lam Smith, Planning Secretary 3. PUBLIC HEARINGS 3.1 DISCUSSION ON PROPOSALS OF ORDINANCES FOR AMENDING ZONING CODE WITH REGARD TO ALLOWABLE DEVELOPMENT AREA AND FLOOR AREA ON CONSTRAINED LOTS (continued from August 23, 2000). Staff introduced this item by noting that at the June 15, 2000 meeting the City Council reviewed the ordinance changes as recommended by the Planning Commission and decided that the proposed ordinance changes needed additional review by the Planning Commission before the Council could approve the amendments. On August 23, 2000, the Commission held a public hearing that was noticed Town -wide in order to discuss and solicit comments on how to equitably address the issues concerning maximum allowable floor and development area on constrained lots. Constrained lots are lots with significant slope and/or are less than one acre in size. Following that discussion, the Commission directed staff to prepare a menu of options for providing reasonable and consistent increases in development area while minimizing overall impervious lot coverage. The Planning Director requested that the Commissioners discuss and then select one of the three presented options for dealing with constrained lots and to direct staff to prepare the appropriate ordinance revisions. Direction from the City Council was not to reduce the floor area. Commissioner Gottlieb still liked the idea of giving back 400 square feet if a two car garage is proposed although this has not been discussed as an ordinance change. OPENED PUBLIC HEARING 4 Planning Commission Minutes Approved 10/25/00 October 11, 2000 Page 2 Dot Schreiner, 14301 Saddle Mountain Drive, asked that the June 15`h City Council Staff report be corrected as it states that she, as a Planning Commissioner, voted against the constrained lots recommendation at the April 26`" Planning Commission meeting. The minutes from that meeting clearly show a "YES" vote. She further addressed the options as presented in the staff report. As stated previously, the figures that were recommended previously represent MFA numbers that are larger than those allowed for all other residents in Town. If you look at Table 1 for constrained lots at more than .50 LUF, you will see two sets of figures; one for what was actually approved; and in parenthesis what is allowed under our slope density formula that the rest of the Town follows. You will see that the numbers allowed on the lots over 20% slope are very close to the 3,500 square foot number originally recommended to the City Council, even though the slope density formula everyone follows allows for less floor area. So the 3,500 square foot number as is the 4,000 square foot number for lots under 20% are very realistic in terms of what has been granted in the past and in all cases is more than would be allowed. It is a generous number. The MDA as you know was too small and was enlarged to 6,500 square feet which is also more realistic. If you now allow 4,000 MDA on the steeper lots, those over 20% slope, they are setting up a special category of residents that will receive even more than they have in the past (plus run the risk of putting too much pavement on these lots with resulting erosion, and drainage problems). The slope density formula was especially engineered by a geologist, Art Lachenbruch, to protect the fragile slopes and down stream neighbors from excessive development in these areas. The last paragraph in the August 23`d Planning Commission report addressed this problem and should be considered. The issue is one of fairness and impact on the land. She asked that the Commission approve the original recommendation as it was carefully thought out and is fair to all. CLOSED PUBLIC HEARING Commissioner Clow liked Option 1 the most, otherwise they will create a situation where there are different rules for different types of lots. He was more comfortable with Option 1 with 4,000 MFA. Erosion control really relates to development area, not floor area. Commissioner Vitu also preferred Option 1 as Options 2 and 3 are not desirable. She felt the concerns mentioned at the City Council from residents was that the MFA was being reduced. She asked what everyone felt was appropriate for the MDA. The reason this came to the Commission initially was due to the increased driveways required by the Fire Department reducing the usable development area and thus seeing many variance requests. They need to look at what a good number for MDA would be to allow some outdoor living area as well as to have space for the driveway. She felt even the 6,100 square feet recommended may not be enough and they should look at possibly a 7,000 square foot maximum allowed. Commissioner Wong was one of the Commissioners who recommended a reduction in the MFA to 3,500 and MDA 6,500. They went through may numbers before approval. The numbers were based on the previous approved lots. He suggested maintaining the original MDA/MFA (4,00016,500). Commissioner Gottlieb would like the MDA at 6,100 to 6,500. She liked the of 6,100 square feet plus a 400 square foot attached two car garage. She felt 7,000 was too much. She noted that when they considered the 6,500, that is when they thought the driveways had to be 14 feet in width. Now the Fire Department has stated that they only need to be 10 feet with a two feet buffer on each side of another material. This will reduce the development area. There was a previous discussion regarding if an applicant had Planning Commission Minutes Approved 10/25/00 October 11, 2000 Page 3 been required a 14 foot wide driveway the development area would be increased to 6,500. The Planning Director explained if they do follow up with an ordinance recommendation for a two car garage, then deducting the 400 plus square feet from the garage from the 4000 square foot MPA, you would have 3,500 floor area (separate issue). The Commission could direct staff to draft an ordinance requiring a two car garage be provided, as a separate ordinance. Chairman Cottrell stated that he also supported the original proposals sent to the City Council as he felt they all had reviewed the issues and the recommendation made sense based on past history. On the other hand, it has been rejected. He would also support Option 1 with MFA of 4,000 square feet and MDA of 6,200 square feet. Discussion ensued regarding the MDA. There appeared to be an agreement with 6,500 square foot MDA. MOTION SECONDED AND PASSED: Motion by Commissioner Clow and seconded by Commissioner Gottlieb to recommend to the City Council Option 1 (MPA 4,000 square feet and MDA 6,500 square feet) as it relates to amending the zoning code with regard to allowable development area and floor area on constrained lots. AYES: Chairman Cottrell, Commissioners Wong, Vitu, Gottlieb & Clow NOES: None MOTION SECONDED AND PASSED BY CONSENSUS: Motion by Commissioner Cottrell, seconded by Commissioner Clow and passed by consensus clarifying the formula to be used for Conditional Development lots (Lot Unit Factor .50 or less): the allowable MFA will be the Lot Unit Factor divided by .50 times 4,000 square feet. MOTION SECONDED AND PASSED BY CONSENSUS: Motion by Chairman Cottrell and seconded by Commissioner Clow to direct staff to create an ordinance so all new development includes a minimum of a two -car garage. 4. OLD BUSINESS 4.1 Report from subcommittees. None 5. NEW BUSINESS 5.1 Planning Commission Holiday Schedule (Thanksgiving and Christmas) PASSED BY CONSENSUS: To cancel the meetings of November 22"a and December 271h 6. REPORT FROM THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING 6.1 Planning Commission Representative for October 5�", Commissioner Cottrell reported on the following: report on status of path between Voorhees and Miraloma Way; and Lands of Cleage. 4r 6.2 Planning Commission Representative for October 191" —Commissioner Gottlieb OAW Planning Commission Minutes October 11, 2000 Page 4 7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 7.1 Approval of September 28, 2000 minutes Approved 10/25/00 PASSED BY CONSENSUS: To approve the September 28 minutes. 8. REPORT FROM SITE DEVELOPMENT MEETING -OCTOBER 3 & 10, 2000 8.1 LANDS OF OLCOTT, 12950 Brendel Drive (228-00-ZP-SD); A request for a Site Development Permit for a landscape screening plan. Approved with conditions. 8.2 LANDS OF MALAVALLI, 24289 Hillview Road (188-00-ZP-SD); A request for a Site Development Permit for a pool and deck. Approved with conditions. 8.3 LANDS OF QUINN, 25691 Chapin Road (238-00-ZP-SD); A request for a Site Development Permit for a landscape screening plan. Approved with conditions. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 7:55 p.m. 4W Respectflully submitted, Lam Smith Planning Secretary 4