Category: Observer Reports

April 14, 2020

At a virtual meeting the City Council listened to the request for an additional waiver to reduce the size of 75% of the 108 parking spaces from 9’ wide to 8.6’ wide for the project at 4846-4856 El Camino Real. The project would still install outlets for 27 EV charging stations. Plans from both the developers and the city staff were presented to the council. The city staff recommended that the project remain as is by a 3/2 vote. Council members Jeannie Bruins and Neysa Fligor dissented as they saw the proposal to provide an outdoor ‘tot lot’ as a positive for the development.

April 28, 2020

At a virtual meeting the City Council heard and saw several Power Point presentations prepared by the city staff on aspects of the fiscal impact of Covid-19 on the city’s revenues and the financial relief programs to be pursued by the city.

The city’s largest revenue sources of property and utility taxes will not be immediately affected. There will be a decrease in other funding streams like sales tax, transient occupancy tax, and recreation fees for an estimated total of $3 million.

As of April 28, essential services (police, fire) are on site, city staff works from home, and some essential businesses remain open such as restaurants for take-out and delivery. No city business travel allowed and no vacant city positions are being filled. YMCA, including Mountain View, provide childcare centers for essential workers. The Los Altos Farmer’s Market (an essential service) is scheduled to open on May 7, 2020 under specified conditions.

Loans are forthcoming from FEMA’s Community Disaster Loans plus the Public Assistance Program. In addition, the Federal Reserve Municipal Liquidity Facility Program will provide funds.

WomenSV will receive a grant of $40,000, CHAC will receive $20,000. CSA will receive $75,000 to provide services for needy residents. A Small Business Relief Program will be created to provide $250,000, given on a first come, first served basis to provide for payroll and lease expenses. City Council also directed staff to work with the Los Altos Community Foundation to create a community relief fund to solicit contributions for the benefit of Los Altos businesses and residents most in need during the COVID-19 emergency.

March 10, 2020

The City Council mayor, Jan Pepper, and vice-mayor, Neysa Fligor, read a proclamation commemorating the year of the 100^th anniversary of the passage of U.S. constitutional Amendment 19 which delivered to women in this country the right to vote. California, as the sixth state to provide women voting rights in October 1911, was the eighteenth state to approve the 19^th amendment. As SCC Public Health allows, the city will celebrate with events every month in 2020.

The City Council approved unanimously the 444-450 First Street project application (continued from 1/14/2020 and 2/11/2020). Council evaluated the project and heard from ten public comment speakers as well as addressing issues from nine written comments. The determination depended on whether the proposal complies with the Los Altos Municipal Code requirements.

After multiple City Council suggestions and much revision by Dutchints LLC since the proposal was originally presented, the project will replace an underdeveloped commercial property with a high-quality multiple-family development that helps the City meet its goals for producing new housing units, both affordable and market rate, and is supportive of the goals of the Downtown Vision Plan.

Of public comments six wanted the design approved because more affordable housing would be acquired. Four commented against the proposal, mainly because residents across Foothill Expressway didn’t approve of the height of the building.

March 24, 2020

At a virtual meeting, the City Council adopted Resolution #2020-07 for April 2020 to be “Distracted Driving Awareness Month.”

City Council took no action prohibiting or discouraging commercial and/or residential evictions in the city until the Covid-19 ‘shelter in place’ order is lifted. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors set the policy to prohibit eviction in the county.

City Council received a staff update on emergency measures taken so far by city services to avoid the spread of Covid-19. Included in the presentation are plans to follow Santa Clara County Public Health orders. All Parks and Recreation facilities are closed. City police are maintaining staff to address problems. The city is working with Community Services Agency to ensure local needs are met. A plan for on-site childcare for city workers is being developed.

Los Altos City Council – January 2020

January 14, 2020

By consent, the City Council approved unanimously the R3-4.5 zoning amendments that established site development standards for the Los Altos multi-family district where none existed, establishing a design review process for renovations to properties and updating other provisions for a multiple-family district to be consistent with other similar residential districts. The upgrades in zoning were initiated from designs submitted to renovate properties in the Marshall Meadows area of Los Altos.

In addition, the council funded by consent the North County Gun Buyback Program for 2020. However, the proposal for development at 444-450 First Street was continued to allow more time to pursue the council’s concern over a development design being suitable for the First Street area.

To settle litigation from a lawsuit in 2015 over property in the Loyola Corners district the City Council approved purchase of the property at 999 Fremont Ave., currently location of the Coffee Drive-Up. The interim City Attorney prepared the agreement and the City Manager was authorized to execute the purchase agreement for $2.8 million. The 2015 lawsuit was filed when the City Council denied all proposals for a mixed-use building on the site. New possible ideas for the property are a roundabout to smooth the traffic where several streets meet or a plaza. Public comment suggested that before a decision the city consider the Loyola Corners Specific Plan developed in 1990 and revised in 2017.

January 28, 2020

The City Council unanimously approved application for an SB2 grant by the state of $160,000 which would streamline review for the city’s residential projects. With the grant the city would fund a consultant to present criteria and code amendments to make the application eligible. It must include these factors:

• Rezone to permit housing by-right
• Objective design and development standards
• Specific plans or form-based codes coupled with CEQA streamlining
• Accessory dwelling units (ADU) or other low-cost building strategies
• Expedited processing
• Housing related infrastructure financing and fee reduction strategies

The 2018 Atkins Building Homes and Jobs Act (SB2) is legislation to support production of affordable housing.

City Council unanimously authorized a lease to allow the Friends of the Library of Los Altos to use the current temporary space for FOL work units and storage. Altogether the Ad Hoc Friends of the Library committee found six off-site locations and five Government Center locations to consider. Of those locations, four meet most, but not all, the needs of FOL for short term use until the Community Center is completed and long term use until the main library is renovated. After twenty-five public comments and considering that Friends of the Library provides approximately $150,000 per year to the library, the Council finally determined that the city would pay the utilities fees and FOL would pay any capital costs, like upgrades and repair. The lease would extend until one or the other party chooses to conclude the agreement, assuming appropriate termination provisions.

Los Altos City Council – September 2019

September 10, 2019

City Council adopted an ordinance of the Los Altos Municipal Code to revise Density Bonus regulations regarding incentive standards for properties to be developed in Los Altos. Discussions about the ordinance took place during the July and August 2019 meetings. The city uses a menu of incentives from the state list of Density Bonus Regulations to entice developers to address options in their plans that will meet the affordable housing needs of the city. Developers may request waivers for up to three modifications of incentive standards. The ordinance revision limits a single incentive to be used only once per project. If an incentive is used more than once it is treated as an Off-Menu request. The ordinance revision goes into effect 31 days after adoption.

City Council authorized Vice Mayor Jan Pepper to draft a response after they reviewed staff recommended statements about the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury Report concerning governance of the VTA. The Grand Jury report’s findings state that the VTA Board of Directors lack experience and time to administer well. The report recommends that the chair of the VTA board be elected for a two-year term and show improvement in their duties within six months. The California penal code requires public agencies’ governing bodies to comment within 90 days of the June 16, 2019 report distribution. Los Altos agrees with the recommendations by the Civil Jury but suggests that a county-wide organization such as the Cities Association of Santa Clara County take the lead in making final response.

September 24, 2019

City Council received information about the current projects in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), prioritized the projects, and provided direction to the City Manager for follow-through. The review was initiated by the City Council’s staff because of high-level fiscal impact for six CIP current priorities (2012-2019). Priorities must be established for the next ten years, especially infrastructure improvements. The staff will develop or refine cost estimates, budget impact, and schedules for priorities identified including the Community Center, traffic safety, and city assets improvement. Of these the Community Center renovation and Police Emergency Operations Center/Heating, Ventilation, Air-conditioning renovation have already had funds set aside. Among other city asset projects made priority are Los Altos Parks Plan, LAYC, City Hall, Garden House, and History House/Museum improvements.

In addition, City Council received a status report on the City Asset Strategic Priorities as of 2019 in order to provide direction to the City Manager for next steps. The council addressed the status of strategic priorities in April and July 2019. Most important, as of September 2019, the council committed to the library redevelopment which will mostly use funds from non-city sources. The police EOC/HVAC renovation is 50% completed with 12/31/20 to be completion date.

Los Altos City Council – August 2019

August 27, 2019

The City Council approved sending a letter to California representatives supporting their bills in Congress regarding the implementation of FCC rulemaking to accelerate deployment for wireless infrastructure by removing barriers to investment. The bills by Senator Dianne Feinstein (S2012) and Representative Anna Eshoo (HR530) are in response to the removal of opportunities in the FCC rules for local public agencies to regulate deployment of wireless infrastructure within the city.

After public comment and review of plans to amend the city’s zoning code for R3-4-5 Multiple Family District housing, the City Council directed revision to the code. The issue came to the council’s attention after the Planning Commission met twice to study an application to remodel property in the Marshall Meadows development in south Los Altos. These homes are mostly duplexes, and the zoning district doesn’t have site standards for renovation that maintain the character of the district and limit the impact on the surrounding neighborhood. The proposed ordinance amendments offered by the Planning Commission will establish standards for the Design Review Commission where none now exist for this multiple family district; establish a design review process for additions and exterior modifications; and update other provisions to bring consistency with other similar residential zoning districts.