10/25/1978 (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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JOINT MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION - October 25, 1978 Page two Commissioner Lachenbruch - (continued) the Town, not necessarily what is in the best interest of the applicant. He pointed to the need for pro- fessional planning help on many complex matters. Commissioner Kuranoff - pointed out that Los Altos Hills was no longer a "wide-open" town, that ruralness was being lost. He noted how difficult it is to build a house without consideration for neighbors on three sides at least. He stated that the General Plan needed correct interpretation and that ordinances should be updated to keep abreast of current development. He also expressed a need to understand how the ordinances fit with the General Plan. Commissioner Carico - noted that Commissioner Lachenbruch had sunned up the general attitude of Planning Commissioners, and that she agreed with the statements he had made. She questioned, however, whether the Town was completely built up, as it was possible that the Town could gain more land in its sphere of influence area. The main point of her statement, however, concerned the need to use the tremendous amount of effort that individual citizens in the Town had put into Committee work, and that these efforts should should be coordinated with Town staff efforts to work for the benefit of the Town. She also noted the need to update ordinances and keep current. Commissioner Dochanhl - pointed up the need to eliminate ambiguities in Town ordinances and to clarify ordinances so that one ordinance could not be used to get around the requirements of another ordinance. Commissioner vanTamelen - noted that the Town lacked a Scenic Highways Element, that much time and effort had been spent by Planning Commissioners working on this Element as well as amendments to tighten ordinances, but that the Planning Commission had had no responsive City Council action on this effort. She pointed up the need for citizen involvement and study committees on such items as conservation easements, road standards, solar panel use and noise standards. Also needed was more communication between the Planning Commission, City Council and Town Staff. She also agreed with the general feeling that professional planning help was needed by the Town, emphasizinc however, the greater need for communication. City Council comments followed: Councilman McReynolds - pointed out that a breakdown had occurred in the implementation of the General Plan - that ordinances were not yet complete, and that what was being neglected was quality in favor of bricks and mortar - yards and dirt. He pointed out that Town staff should be made aware of the 'quality of the area'. He pointed out further that when a person bought a property he had certain rights, but when he requested subdivision he was asking for additional rights which the Town was correct in considering carefully. Councilman Proft - pointed up the need for the Town to define 'ruralness' rather than having it defined by subdividers for the Town. Ways to deal with the problems were limiting the size of houses built and the quan- tities of buildings on a particular site. Commissioner Perkins - pointed out that with the tremendous development of the last several years, that 'ruralness' has changed. The problem in 1 the present is how to maintain ruralness in the face of the tremendous pressures around the Town. Examining ordinances is extremely important. Also, the Town should take advantage of the volunteer effort in behalf of the Town and ask for citizen opinions and actions as soon as possible.