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The Los Altos Hills City Council is working through objections by the state to the town’s new accessory dwelling unit ordinance.
Months after adopting a new accessory dwelling unit ordinance, Los Altos Hills leaders are repeating the process following revision requests from state officials concerned the original doesn’t comply with California laws.
Chief among the changes is the reduction of the distance required between an ADU and rear and side property lines; the ordinance approved by the council in May required 30-foot setbacks unless a lot is physically constrained, but State Department of Housing and Community De-velopment feedback indicates the town can’t require a distance beyond 4 feet. It also can’t impose ADU size limitations based on a primary residence’s existing floor area or prohibit the conversion of basements into ADUs.
“I think we’ve gotten pretty much the strong door slammed in our face, and right now, we can continue to fight it and find ourselves with nothing, just reverting to state rules, or we can put our best foot forward on something that protects the look and feel of our town as best we can for now (and) hope for changes that might improve things,” Councilman George Tyson said at Thursday’s council meeting.
The council – minus councilwomen Courtenay C. Corrigan and Kavita Tankha, who abstained from the discussion because both have inquired about erecting their own ADUs – reluctantly approved the amendments and introduced the ordinance. Tyson and colleagues Roger Spreen and Mayor Michelle Wu are expected to review it again Sept. 17 and approve it. If they do, it will take effect Oct. 19.
In the meantime, Wu and Tankha have formed an ad hoc committee to work with town staff on a letter to state legislators voicing the council’s opposition to proposed ADU laws that might jeopardize Los Altos Hills’ semirural character, including Senate Bill 1120. If passed, that bill would encourage development by allowing the subdivision of properties into at least three homes per parcel.
Wu suggested the town form an alliance with other Bay Area towns such as Portola Valley, Woodside and Atherton – which also feature large lots – to fight subdivision.
Appointments proceed
Corrigan and Spreen’s attempt to delay reappointments to the Education Committee until the committee’s fate is decided failed Thursday. The two council members serve on an ad hoc committee tasked with evaluating the town’s 16 standing committees upon claims that some have out-lived their initial purpose, are dominated by long-term members and have become a drain on staff time. They suggested the council may want to eventually consider sunsetting the Education Committee and opposed Heather Rose’s reappointment to it on the principle that she’s already served two terms; it is town policy not to reappoint applicants after they’ve recently served twice consecu-tively.
“This is about committee governance – not about people – and this is to show this is part of the continuing work we’re trying to do to increase volunteerism and do it in an efficient way,” Spreen said.
Corrigan and Spreen’s opposition to Carol Gottlieb’s reappointment to the Environmental Protection & Design Committee was based on term limits as well, but their colleagues overruled them and approved both Rose and Gottlieb.
Tankha, the Education Committee’s council liaison, attested to the group’s enduring useful-ness.
“It is important for Los Altos Hills to have a seat at the table where the education of our children is concerned,” Tankha said. “If we do not have a seat at the table, we do not have an opportunity to weigh in.”
The fact that the committee has convened only once so far this year and has failed at times to provide meeting minutes to City Clerk Deborah Padovan, a Brown Act requirement meant to ensure government transparency, weighed on all council members, however. They challenged Rose and her colleagues to advance their charter by demonstrating its value.
Corrigan is termed out of office in November, and Spreen has declined to run for re-election. They’ve enlisted meeting moderator Nancy Hetrick of consulting firm Management Partners to ensure discussion about committee reorganization continues after they’ve left, and she plans to meet with volunteers in the coming months.
Thursday’s meeting concluded by honoring first responders working to protect the public from COVID-19 and from area wildfires. The council also recognized town hall architect Peter Duxbury, who died in July. Upon suggestion from the History Committee, council members agreed to dedicate a town hall conference room to Duxbury, erecting a plaque inside that documents his contributions to the local community.
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August 26, 2020 at 01:56PM
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Los Altos Hills leaders accept state-imposed ADU rules - Los Altos Town Crier
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