March
12, 2019
The City Council received an update on the status of
the design readiness for construction of the new Los Altos community Center from
Tam and Noll architects. Oppenheim/Davis presented the current construction
cost estimate. From the retreat, council members had raised concerns about the
cost of additional design elements in bid documents and the possibility of
re-prioritizing the project as part of the City Council 2019 Strategic
priorities.
Bidding documents are scheduled to go out for bid in
May 2019. Ground breaking is scheduled for June 2019 with the expectation to
complete and move into the new Los Altos Community Center in December 2020. Of
twenty public correspondence documents, nineteen were positive to move forward
with the project. One letter suggested caution because of cost. Twelve public
comments received at the meeting requested the council to move forward. One was
concerned about program space and one wanted the library expansion to be part
of the design.
After the presentation, two council members stated
concern for the risk of additional costs to taxpayers. One member worried about
rain water drainage on the roof design. Concerns were raised about the
building’s programmable space versus the large space for a lobby and about
council members held “at arm’s length” by staff when questioning the
programmable space issue. Naming
several other city community centers that are bigger but cost less, one member
thinks the city can get a better plan. In
addition, the lack of a project manager and a construction manager due to staff
changes is discomforting. Ms. Tam from Tam and Noll answered the questions
raised to the satisfaction of other council members. City Manager, Chris
Jordan, agreed to find a third party to pursue a constructability review to further
answer cost concerns.
The council agreed to continue with the construction
schedule and wait until bids were received to further address costs.
Re-prioritizing the project was not discussed.
May
26, 2019
City Council received the Housing Element Annual
Report (HEAP). A plan to increase affordable housing in the city’s general plan
is required by the state. A statement of current and future housing needs and
actions committed to increase housing in each category, HEAP was generated in
2015. Updated yearly until 2023, the HEAP report shows progress in ‘extremely
low’, ‘very low’, ‘low’, ‘moderate’, and ‘above moderate’ housing permitted and
built in the city. Because housing in Los Altos is very expensive, some council
members felt the city was successful in finding ways to reach its goals. The
city has rezoned areas for more housing, the minimum lot designations for
Accessory Housing Units has been deleted from city zoning requirements, and the
city has engaged a third-party organization to analyze further possible
actions.
Five public communications and seven public comments to
the council commended the report for showing gradual actions to increase
affordable housing. Both communications and public comments to the council also
expressed concern about the charts depicting actual units rented/available for
purchase in the ‘extremely low’, ‘very low’, and ‘low’ categories. The chart
showed 34 total units permitted or being built out of 234 units in the three
categories required for the area by the Regional Housing Needs Assessment
(RHNA). 330 more units than the 97 that were designated unit needs in the
‘above moderate’ category by RHNA have been permitted or built.
Additional zoning changes, further coordinated action
with other RHNA areas, and results from the third-party organization analysis
were noted to meet the RHNA goals by 2023.
March
12, 2019
The City Council received an update on the status of
the design readiness for construction of the new Los Altos community Center from
Tam and Noll architects. Oppenheim/Davis presented the current construction
cost estimate. From the retreat, council members had raised concerns about the
cost of additional design elements in bid documents and the possibility of
re-prioritizing the project as part of the City Council 2019 Strategic
priorities.
Bidding documents are scheduled to go out for bid in
May 2019. Ground breaking is scheduled for June 2019 with the expectation to
complete and move into the new Los Altos Community Center in December 2020. Of
twenty public correspondence documents, nineteen were positive to move forward
with the project. One letter suggested caution because of cost. Twelve public
comments received at the meeting requested the council to move forward. One was
concerned about program space and one wanted the library expansion to be part
of the design.
After the presentation, two council members stated
concern for the risk of additional costs to taxpayers. One member worried about
rain water drainage on the roof design. Concerns were raised about the
building’s programmable space versus the large space for a lobby and about
council members held “at arm’s length” by staff when questioning the
programmable space issue. Naming
several other city community centers that are bigger but cost less, one member
thinks the city can get a better plan. In
addition, the lack of a project manager and a construction manager due to staff
changes is discomforting. Ms. Tam from Tam and Noll answered the questions
raised to the satisfaction of other council members. City Manager, Chris
Jordan, agreed to find a third party to pursue a constructability review to further
answer cost concerns.
The council agreed to continue with the construction
schedule and wait until bids were received to further address costs.
Re-prioritizing the project was not discussed.
May
26, 2019
City Council received the Housing Element Annual
Report (HEAP). A plan to increase affordable housing in the city’s general plan
is required by the state. A statement of current and future housing needs and
actions committed to increase housing in each category, HEAP was generated in
2015. Updated yearly until 2023, the HEAP report shows progress in ‘extremely
low’, ‘very low’, ‘low’, ‘moderate’, and ‘above moderate’ housing permitted and
built in the city. Because housing in Los Altos is very expensive, some council
members felt the city was successful in finding ways to reach its goals. The
city has rezoned areas for more housing, the minimum lot designations for
Accessory Housing Units has been deleted from city zoning requirements, and the
city has engaged a third-party organization to analyze further possible
actions.
Five public communications and seven public comments to
the council commended the report for showing gradual actions to increase
affordable housing. Both communications and public comments to the council also
expressed concern about the charts depicting actual units rented/available for
purchase in the ‘extremely low’, ‘very low’, and ‘low’ categories. The chart
showed 34 total units permitted or being built out of 234 units in the three
categories required for the area by the Regional Housing Needs Assessment
(RHNA). 330 more units than the 97 that were designated unit needs in the
‘above moderate’ category by RHNA have been permitted or built.
Additional zoning changes, further coordinated action with other RHNA areas, and results from the third-party organization analysis were noted to meet the RHNA goals by 2023.
Claire Noonan, Observer