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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/25/1978 (2)AMENDED MINUTES CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES OF A JOINT MEETING October 25, 1978 Reel 114, Side I, Tr. II, 001 to 112 Mayor Hillestad called the Joint Meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission to order in the Council Chambers of the Town Hall at 7:09 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Councilman Perkins, McReynolds, Proft, Mayor Hillestad; Planning Commissioners Carico, Lachenbruch, vanTamelen, Dochnahl, Kuranoff, Chairman Stewart Absent: Councilman Nystrom, Commissioner Reeves Also Present: City Manager Robert Crowe, City Attorney Frank Gillio, Consulting Engineer/Planner John Markl, Newly Appointed City Engineer John Carlson, Secretary Ethel Hopkins Press: Dave Farrell, Palo Alto Times PRESENTATION: Chairman Stewart of the Planning Commission presented a plaque to Councilman William Perkins as a token of thanks and gratitude for all his years of service with the Town Planning Commission. INTRODUCTION OF NEW CITY ENGINEER: Mayor Hillestad introduced newly appointed City Engineer John Carlson to members of the City Council and Planning Commission. JOINT MEETING THEME: WHY ARE WE NOT ACHIEVING THE GOALS OF OUR GENERAL PLAN AND OUR ORDINANCES IN THE TOWN'S DEVELOPMENT? Mayor Hillestad stated that each Councilman or Commissioner speaking should limit his statements to a period of three minutes. Planning Commissioners made the following comments: Chairman Stewart - stated that it was the feeling of the Planning Commission that an outside consultant firm was needed to help with the development of the rest of the Town. He noted that one of the problems in having a Town -employed planner was that as soon as he gained expertise, he was likely to move to 'greener pastures'. Commissioner Lachenbruch - stated that the Town was ignoring the General Plan, that the day -to-day press of work prevented con- sulting the General Plan, and that ordinances needed ` revitalization and updating to meet with ever-changing planning needs. He pointed up the need for Staff, City Council, and Planning Commission to keep in mind as the Town develops, what is in the best interest of 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. JOINT MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION - October 25, 1978 [n Page three ` w Mayor Hillestad - acknowledged her agreement with statements made by Commissioners and Councilmen on why the goals of the Town were not being achieved. She noted, however, that the reason that the Town had terminated their professional consultant in the past was that the Planning Commission was very unhappy with work being presented. She noted that Los Altos Hills was a young community, and that the number of people clamoring to live in the Town had created some pressing problems. There was so much pressure to get things done, and that once conditions were passed on land development, it was assumed that Staff would take care of it. She noted the need to complete the Scenic Highway Element of the General Plan; to make sure that Councilmen, Commissioners, and Committees had all the information they needed; and to clarify and amend ordinances. Commissioners and the Council discussed ways to implement the suggestions made by the various speakers. Mr. Crowe stated that a consultant would be hired shortly to examine Town Ordinances to see if they were in harmony with the General Plan. Chairman Stewart and Commissioner Carico both emphasized the need for Staff to implement suggestions made and to hear what Town officials were saying. PASSED BY CONSENSUS: That a Steering Committee be formed of two Council people and three Planning Commissioners to set up an outline of action to be taken and what the priorities should be. The Steering Committee named was as follows: Councilmen William Perkins, Convening Chairman of the Committee; Councilman Proft; Planning Commissioners Stewart, Lachenbruch, and vanTamelen. Councilman Perkins felt that the Steering Committee should be on a rotating basis. Also, November 29 was named as the next date of a combined City Council-Planning Commission meeting. Commissioner Carico suggested that the Chairman of the Environ- mental Design and Pathway Committees be invited to the Steering Committee meetings, but it was the feeling of the Committee that they should first meet to establish their intent and action, and then Committee Chairmen could be invited to attend. Mayor Hillestad noted that the intent of the Joint Meeting was to permit the City Counci and Planning Commission to address issues of concern; however, she invited the public to speak. Mr. A.M. Laws, 11210 Hooper Lane, noted that the founding fathers of Los Altos Hills Ti--not envision a large city and did not need a Neary or other developers. He cautioned against turning into a Los Altos with a large city staff. Carol Gottlieb Chairman, PathwayCommittee, asked to be a part of the discussion on efferent areas of t e Town. ARASTRADERO ROAD PROJECT: Chairman Stewart of the Planning Commission gave a short report on efforts of the Planning Commission and Town residents to meet with Palo Alto officials regarding the proposed widening of Arastradero Road. He asked that a letter be sent from the Town over Mayor Hillestad's signature stating that the townspeople did not want the widening of this road. JOINT MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION - October 25, 1978 Page four ADJOURNMENT: There being no further new or old business, the joint meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission was adjourned by Mayor Hillestad to an Executive Session for the City Council. (The regular meeting of the Planning Commission followed the close of the joint meeting.) Time of adjournment for the joint meeting was 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ethel Hopkins Secretary C JOINT MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION - October 25, 1978 Page two Commissioner Lachenbruch - (continued) the Town, and ways to design ordinances to curb the size of large houses and to curb the visual impact of houses on hillsides. He pointed to the need for professional planning help on this matter. Commissioner Kuranoff - pointed to the need to interpret the General Plan correctly and update ordinances to keep abreast of the current develop- ment of the Town. More specifically, he expressed a need to understand how the ordinances fit with the General Plan. Commissioner Carico - pointed out that Los Altos Hills could gain more land in its sphere of influence area. The main point of her state- ment concerned the need to use the tremendous amount of effort that individual citizens in the Town had put into committee work, and that this effort should be coordinated with Town staff efforts to work for the benefit of the Town. Commissioner Dochnahl - pointed up the need to eliminate ambiguities in Town ordi- nances 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 more joint committees with definite assignments and goals to accomplish. Among the items need- ing study were conservationeasements, road standards;. solar panel use, and noise standards. M