HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/26/1977VARIANCE AND PERMIT COMMISSION
4W Town of Los Altos Hills
26379 Fremont Road
Los Altos Hills, California
MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING
Wednesday, October 26, 1977
Reel 64, Side 2, Tr. 2, 263 to 645
Acting Chairman Dochnahl called the meeting of the Variance and Permit
Commission to order at 7:02 P.M. in the Council Chambers of Town Hall.
ROLL CALL:
Present: Commissioners Carico, Kuranoff, Dochnahl. (Commissioner Dochnahl was
replacing Commissioner Lachenbruch who wished to speak as a citizen.)
Absent: Commissioner Stewart
Also Present: Town Engineer Alexander Russell, Town Planner/Engineer John Markl,
Secretary Ethel Hopkins
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
The Minutes of the October 12th meeting were deferred to the next Variance and
Permit Commission meeting for approval at that time.
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
1. LANDS OF DUWE File #VAR. 7046-77, 25900 Elena Road, Request for Recommendation
o pprova on equest or setbaCk for Garage Corner.
The Commission acknowledged receipt of a letter dated October 25 from Ann and
Stephen Duwe, Applicants, that their request for Variance be withdrawn.
2. LANDS OF BORRALL File #BSA 6098-77, Central Drive, Paul Nowack, Engineer
equest or ecommen anon Of pproval on Building Site Approval Request.
Town Planner/Engineer Markl discussed the subject application as covered in his
staff report to the Commission dated October 21, 1977. He drew particular attention
to a steep bank on one area of the property, discussed potential development and
use of an existing dirt road for access,and finally noted that the matter of
undergrounding of utility lines would have to be determined by the Commission
since at present joint telephone and electrical lines passed over the property.
After questions on whether the easement over the Reiser land was recorded and
whether the Borrall property could be reached from Central Drive, both of which
were answered affirmatively, Commissioner Dochnahl opened the hearing to the public.
Hillard Reiser, 27660 Central Drive, adjacent property owner, requested that 1) the
I signa4N uena Vista D
rivebe removed from the twenty-five foot easement
intersecting the Reiser and Borral properties. (He noted that 'Buena Vista Drive'
was in error.) 2) He requested that the Conservation Easement on his property
be continued through the Lands of Borral. 3) He stated that the easement to be
MINUTES OF THE VARIANCE AND PERMIT COMMISSION - October 26, 1977
Page two
4W PUBLIC HEARINGS:
2. LANDS OF BORRALL, File #BSA 6098-77: (continued)
used as access to the property was not a public easement, but was for fire access
only; and finally 4) stated his concern for the location of the septic tank leach
lines.
that Mr. Reiser was probably correct in stating that Buena Vista Drive was an
incorrect label for the easement. He said that his firm was in the process of trying
to verify all the easements on the property, and noted that the septic tank leach
lines were required to be ten feet from the property line and would be no problem
to Mr. Reiser. He informed the Commission that the PT&T easement had been quit
claim deeded.
Mrs. Patmore, 27650 Central Drive, asked if any repair would be required of the
app scan or eavy equipmen amage to Central Drive during the construction phase
of the Borrall homesite.
Mr. Russell noted that since Central Drive was a private road, any repair would
have to be acquired through an agreement negotiated between the citizens who own
the road and the applicant.
( Arthur Lachenbruch, 11820 Buena Vista Drive,spoke as a private citizen of the Town
rr an as a neig r. oa state t at the development of the property was not only
a private matter but was in some sense public because of the location of the property
near some important Town property. Matters of concern enumerated were Privacy, view,
and a determination of the exact location of the property line for Lands of Borrall.
Mrs. Steers, Buena Vista Drive, stated that all of the boundary lines on land
surroun ing an s o orra11were somewhat inaccurate. She stated that the only way
to determine exact boundary lines was to have the whole area surveyed, and that
the mistake had been made originally in the Rancho Blanco Subdivision.
PeterThurston, 27857 Mood Road asked if the horse and foot trail near the Lachen-
ruc property an a ong Central Drive would be preserved in a scenic easement area.
Keith Borrall licant said that he could not grant such a path and develop his
property at a same time. He said he felt that this was an unreasonable request.
Commissioner Kuranoff questioned whether it was possible to continue the Conservation
Easement from the Reiser property to the Borrall property since it was difficult to
determine from the General Plan where the boundary of the area marked as Conservation
Easement terminated.
Mr. Reiser stated that his Conservation Easement was actually outside the Conservation
Easement area designated on the General Plan. He expressed a desire, however, that
his easement be continued up Central Drive to the Borrall property. He stated that
I the Conservation Easement should be continued up Central Drive or he would feel an
unwarranted demand had been made on his property.
The public hearing was closed, and Commissioner Dochnahl expressed the view that the
Conservation Easement should be continued because of the steepness of the property
MINUTES OF THE VARIANCE AND PERMIT COMMISSION - October 26, 1977
Page three
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PUBLIC HEARINGS:
2. LANDS OF BORRALL, File #BSA 6098-77: (continued)
and the danger of erosion in wetter weather. The Commission reviewed suggested
conditions. It was the consensus that the following changes be made in the
conditions:
Condition 3 should read: All new utility services shall be underground.
Condition 4 should be amended by deleting "of" in the last sentence and substituting
'and'. The sentence should read: This lot will require 400 feet of
drainfield, plus area for 100% expansion and a 1,500 gallon septic tank.
Condition 11(b) should read: Emergency access - a 25 foot easement over the existing
25 foot right-of-way easement.
The requirement of a Conservation Easement was discussed, but it was concluded that
it was not necessary to further encumber the property with such an easement.
Joan Moeller, 11990 Pae Mill Road, expressed concern that the driveway be constructed
in suc away as o maintain a rural environment. Mrs. Moeller's concerns were
echoed by Mr. Reiser,
Commissioner Carico noted that Mrs. Moeller and Mr. Reiser should be notified at
the time of site development so that they could be present at the meeting when the
development plans are discussed. It was stated, however, by Mr. Russell that
driveway construction was subject to the ordinances in effect in the Town which
require that driveways be developed to meet certain standards.
Discussion was concluded and the motion for approval was made.
MOTION SECONDED AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED: It was moved by Commissioner Carico and
seconded by Commissioner Kuranoff that the Lands of Borrall, File #BSA 6098-77,
be recommended for approval with conditions as amended.
ADJOURNMENT:
There being no further new or old business to discuss, the meeting of the Variance
and Permit Commission was adjourned by Acting Chairman Dochnahl at 8:02 P.M..
Respectfully submitted,
Ethel Hopkins
Secretary
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