05/19/2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

major concerns were the proposed traffic signals and their impact on Los Altos Hills and that Los Altos Hills be fully engaged in all future development of the Research Park. He • advised Council that the City Council final hearing on the project was scheduled for May 24th and if approved, all subsequent hearings regarding the project would be before the Palo Alto Architectural Review Board which had no authority over traffic issues. Cranston suggested Council request the Palo Alto City Council delay the final hearing for 10 days to permit renoticing —this would permit the Council to consider removal of the signal lights as a mitigation. He noted that as private residents, they have hired legal counsel and suggested that Council may wish to seek a second opinion on the matter. Resident addressed Council and described her experiences on Arastradero with "road rage". She is very concerned that the addition of traffic signals would encourage people to drive faster. Resident, explained that he preferred the four way stop signs that now exist on Arastradero because they discourage traffic and encourage safe speeds. Baljit D. Vikamsingh, strongly encouraged the Council to prevent the disruption of the sanctity that prevails in Los Altos Hills. She urged them to stop the installation of signal lights on Arastradero. CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT Councilmember Mordo expressed his belief that this was a broader issue than traffic • lights on Arastradero. He offered that the issue was not only how to mitigate traffic now but how to plan for future traffic when the Research Park is completely built out including the option to divert traffic from Arastradero. Mordo did not want to appear as an obstructionist of the Mayfield Development Agreement but believed that more time was needed to review the project. He concurred that the Public Hearing Notice was inadequate. Mayor Pro Tem Kerr agreed that additional study was required and he would like to move forward with steps to prevent the installation of the traffic lights. He suggested that he would like to see efforts from Palo Alto towards a feasible long term solution to the traffic impact that would include better management of traffic flows. Councilmember Warshawsky concurred that he would like the opportunity to reopen the comment period and requested clarification from the City Attorney on Council's position. City Attorney Steve Mattas offered that the City Council could go on record to request further consideration of the Environmental Impact Report with additional time to review the documents and report them in their entirety to the City Council. Mattas explained that it was important for Council to determine what their immediate goal was at this time: 1) no traffic signals but concurrence with the other approvals; or 2) objection to the overall approvals. He reviewed the Public Hearing Notice with Council and agreed that it would have been difficult for residents of Los Altos Hills who received the notice to understand the impact of the Development on their own adjacent properties. Mattas explained that • he would like to review further issues with Council in greater depth in Closed Session. 7 City Council Meeting Minutes May 19,2005