HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/15/1979CITY COUNCIL
TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS
26379 Fremont Road
Los Altos Hills, California
MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING
Wednesday, August 15, 1979
cc: Reel 119, Side II, Tr. I, 332-1,178
Mayor Pro Tem David Proft called the Regular Meeting of the City Council to order at 7:34 P.M.
in the Council Chambers of Town Hall.
A. ROLL CALL & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
Present: Mayor Pro Tem Proft and Councilmembers Hillestad and Perkins.
Absent: Mayor McReynolds and Councilman Nystrom.
Staff: City Manager Robert Crowe, City Attorney Frank Gillio, City Engineer John
Carlson and Deputy City Clerk Susan Buttler.
Press: Florence Pallakoff, Los Altos Town Crier.
B. CONSENT CALENDAR:
Councilman Perkins requested that Items B. 4. a) and B. 4. b) be removed for separate
consideration.
MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Councilwoman Hillestad, seconded by Councilman
Perkins and passed unanimously by all members present (Councilwoman Hillestad abstained
from Approval of Minutes of 8/l/79 due to her absence at that meeting) to adopt the
balance of the Consent Calendar, specifically:
1. Approval of Minutes: August 1, 1979
2. Approval of Warrants: $182,409.15
3. Request for Approval of Annual Review of Conditional Use Permit, LANDS OF OWLWOOD
FARMS, File C.U.P. #8007-75.
Thereafter, Councilman Perkins was provided with an affirmative response by Staff and
other Councilmembers to his questions about adequacy and appropriateness of Security
service currently provided.
MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Councilman Perkins, seconded by Councilwoman
Hillestad and carried unanimously by all members present to adopt Resolution #1230
approving and authorizing execution of an Addendum to the Agreement between the Town and
G.F. Penfold doing business under the name and style of Penfold Associates.
At approximately 7:43, Commissioner Arthur Lachenbruch arrived.
Council discussion then centered on Item B. 4. b) and, primarily, their concerns as to
path location, drainage problems and property owner complaints within this subdivision.
The City Engineer stated that the drainage problems began during soils investigations and
were being resolved to his satisfaction, with Pathway Committee Chairman's approval having
been given to the present pathway alignment.
Mr. Muhlfelder, Attorney for Residents, stated he was representing Mr. Bakst and Mr. Kramer
who were out of Town and was relating their disapproval of this Item as, in their opinion,
%, the pathway and drainage problems they had experienced for over a year (documented by
letters to the Town) were still not satisfactorily resolved.
The City Manager questioned Mr. Muhlfelder as to whether these problems still existed
since a gate and pathway improvements had been recently installed and he responded that
he was not completely sure of the timing of these complaints.
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - August 15, 1979
B. CONSENT CALENDAR: (Continued)
4. b) Resolution # accepting certain improvements and accepting offers of dedication,
LANDS OF KOO, FFile Tract #5672. (Continued)
Mr. MuhlfelM.8
. Attorney for Residents, stated further that the current pathway location
he easem
was not in tent as delineated on the Tract Map.
Mr. Rilev, Applthicant'ses Engineer, responded to Staff questioning that portions of this path
were outside e eament due to proximity of the creek, steep terrain and safety factors
inherent in the two.
Councilmembers and Staff then discussed the easement versus actual pathway placement, the
historical use of this path area, the safety hazards of its current location and, possibly,
the need to obtain a wider easement along the creek to resolve these issues. Councilman
Perkins also advised of erosion problems along this portion of the path as well as the
need for a gate at the Country Way end of the road which was illegally being used by
motorcyclists and off-road vehicles.
Mr. Rilev, Applicant's Engineer, suggested that the Town obtain bonded agreements from
subdividers at each end of this road to provide for some type of barricade installation.
The City Attorney then stated that the resolution before Council did two things: (1)
Accepted improvements; and, (2) Accepted easement dedications. He advised that these two
matters could be handled together (as the resolution before them) or separately, which he
could prepare the appropriate resolution to resolve.
MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Councilwoman Hillestad, seconded by Councilman
Perkins and carried unanimously by all members present to continue this Item until the
next regular meeting (September 5, 1979) in order that all parties might work out an
equitable solution or, if necessary, to consider an alternative resolution to be prepared
`, by the City Attorney.
C. SPECIAL REPORTS:
1. Reports of Standing Committees: None
2. Reports of Ad Hoc Committees: None
3. Reports from the Planning Commission:
a) Draft Policy Statement regarding Landscaping and Administrative Report from
Planning Intern.
Commissioner Lachenbruch briefly reviewed the memorandum, stating that the contents did
not fully reflect the Commission's deliberations and their intent to focus on those
viewing the property in Town guidelines for landscaping. Councilmembers discussed the
policies of implementation, the need for guidelines versus ordinance limitations, the
possible avoidance of measures deemed too restrictive and the general feeling that
clarification was needed both on this Policy Statement as well as current Site Develop-
ment ordinances.
MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Councilwoman Hillestad, seconded by Councilman
Perkins and carried unanimously by all members present to return the Draft Policy State-
ment regarding Landscaping to the Planning Commission for clarification and direct Staff
to provide the Commission with specific criteria to facilitate their deliberations.
4. Presentations from the Floor:
a) Mrs. Goldsmith - Historical Preservation Ordinance.
Mrs. Goldsmith President/Historical Societ , thanked the Council for their support of the
ocrety an intro uce t e propose or finance as requested. She then provided information
on preservation measures in neighboring cities and answered Council questions concerning
implementation in the Town.
Councilmemb r co m nd dd Mrs. Goldsmith on her excellent efforts in providing this proposal
and directe� 6e �i y �ttorney to prepare the appropriate ordinance.
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CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - August 15, 1979
D. STAFF - REPORTS, CORRESPONDENCE & ANNOUNCEMENTS:
r 1. Planning Intern:
�r a) Standard Format for C.U.P.'s for Commercial Stables.
Following a brief introduction by the City Manager, Councilmembers concurred that an
excellent job had been done by the Intern and reviewed the conditions contained. The
City Attorney stated that Use Permits might be issued for "annual renewal", however, the
Council cited their preferences for the Permit running with the ownership and subject to
"annual review" by Staff then, unless problems exist, a Consent Calendar item for both
the Planning Commission and City Council.
PASSED BY CONSENSUS: To amend Condition 6 of Section A to read: Staff, Planning Commis-
sion and City Council shall conduct an annual review of this Permit to assure compliance
with conditions and all conditions shall be subject to amendments and/or additional condi-
tions as deemed necessary by the City Council.
PASSED BY CONSENSUS: To approve the Standard Format for C.U.P.'s for Commercial Stables.
As it was past the appointed time for SPECIAL ORDERS, Council consensus was to hold the
Executive Session until the end of the meeting.
E. SPECIAL ORDERS:
1. Public Hearings:
a) Request for Approval of Annual Review of Conditional Use Permit, LANDS OF
PINEWOOD SCHOOL, File C.U.P. #8014-76.
After a brief review by the City Manager, it was found that no one wished to address
4V this matter from the audience.
MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Councilman Perkins, seconded by Councilwoman
Hillestad and passed unanimously by all members present to approve the Annual Review,
LANDS OF PINEWOOD SCHOOL, and amend Condition #14 as recommended.
b) Consideration of an amendment to the General Plan consisting of the adoption
of a Subarea Plan Element, Three Forks Lane area. (CONTINUED FROM 8/1/79)
The City Engineer summarized his memo of August 10, 1979, showing the four alternates
for access via Country Way on the overhead projector and introduced another alternate
provided by a resident of the area, Mr. Bahr. Council was also advised that Mr.
Cottrell, also a resident of the area, could not be present and had asked for continuance.
Mr. Bahr, Three Forks Lane, objected to continuing this matter as the alternates being
discussed would not directly affect Mr. Cottrell.
MOTION SECONDED AND FAILED: Moved by Councilwoman Hillestad, seconded by Councilman
Perkins and failed by the following roll call vote to continue deliberation of this
matter until all interested parties could be present.
AYES: Councilwoman Hillestad.
NOES: Mayor Pro Tem Proft and Councilman Perkins.
ABSENT: Mayor McReynolds and Councilman Nystrom.
Councilmembers discussed with the City Engineer the merits and problems with the four
proposed alternates and, generally, concurred that #3 was the best of the four.
Mr. Bahr, Three Forks Lane, spoke for his proposal (reference City Engineer's memo of
`, August 15, 1979 as being the simplest and safest solution for access to Page Mill Road.
Councilmembers noted the similarities in this proposal and Alternate #3, that a slight
re -alignment of Country Way could facilitate a workable compromise, the increased speeds
which might result by widening Page Mill Road and the need to keep intersections to a
minimum.
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CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - August 15, 1979
E. SPECIAL ORDERS: (Continued)
L1. b) Three Forks Lane Subarea Plan Element (Continued)
Mr. Bahr, Three Forks Lane, agreed that widening of Page Mill Road might cause speeding
problems and that a combination of the two proposals (his and Alternate #3) might be the
best solution with precise location to be worked out at the site.
MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Councilman Perkins, seconded by Councilwoman
Hillestad and passed unanimously by all members present that the Alternate #3 concept
combined with Mr. Bahr's proposal be used as a guideline for the Three Forks Lane area
with the precise intersection to be determined with safety the most important factor.
Also, recommending that future subdivisions of Cottrell and Royden properties use Via
Felice for access to Page Mill Road.
The City Attorney provided procedural advice in response to Commissioner Lachenbruch's
questions that the Planning Commission has 45 days to review the proposals and report
their findings to the City Council (a Public Hearing is not necessary).
Mr. Bahr, Three Forks Lane, objected to any further delays as this matter has been under
deliberation for some time and holding up subdivision of the area.
Mayor Pro Tem Proft responded that the necessary procedures must be followed, however,
every effort would be made to resolve this study as quickly as possible.
F. GENERAL ORDERS & UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
1. Request from L. Krakowiak relative to road improvements, Hilltop Drive.
The City Manager introduced Mr. Krakowiak's letter and his memo to provide Council with
information as to what was needed to improve Hilltop Drive.
tv Mr. Krakowiak, Hilltop Drive, advised further of the problems and spoke for the many
local residents who were present for a quick resolution.
Councilman Perkins cited the need for better directional signs on Barley Hill Road.
A resident spoke from the audience requesting the posting of a "25 MPH" speed limit
sign on Hilltop Drive to provide safety for the many small children and Council directed
Staff to proceed with these two items.
MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Councilwoman Hillestad, seconded by Councilman
Perkins and carried unanimously to appropriate $6,000 from the General Fund to improve
Hilltop Drive in accordance with the City Manager's recommendation, memo dated 8/10/79.
G. NEW BUSINESS:
1. Appointment to Public Works Committee - Luis Yanez.
MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Councilman Perkins, seconded by Councilwoman
Hillestad and passed unanimously by all members present to appoint Luis Yanez to the
Public Works Committee for a term expiring June 30, 1981.
At 9:41 p.m. Council adjourned to Executive Session - Litigation.
Upon return, there being no further new or old business to discuss, the City Council
adjourned at 10:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan Buttler
r Deputy City Clerk
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