HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-04-04 City Council Summary MinutesCITY COUNCIL
MINUTES
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Regular Meeting
April 4, 1988
ITEM P A G E
Oral Communications 59-371
Approval of Minutes of March 7, 1988 59-371
1. Joint Study Session with the R-1 Ad Hoc 59-372
Committee re Oversized Houses on R-1 Lots
Adjournment at 11:10 p.m. 59-373
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Regular Meeting
Monday, April 4, 1988
The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date
in the. Council Chambers, 250 Hamilton Avenue, at 7:31 p.m.
PRESENT:
Bechtel, Cobb, Fletcher,
Klein (arrived at 7:33 p.m.), Levy,
Patitucci (arrived at 8:24 p.m.) ,
Fenzel, Sutorius, Woolley
Mayor Sutorius announced that a joint Study Session with the
R-1 Ad Hoc Committee re Oversized Houses on R-1 Lots would
be held at the end of the regular meeting.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
1. Ben Bailey, 171 Everett Street, spoke to the Palo Alto
Police Department complaints and police search of
Jessie.
2. R. O. Deck, 3580 South Court, spoke regarding the power
outage.
3. Charles E. Philips, 3408 Cork Oak Way, spoke to the line
extender and amplifier pedestals for cable TV and the
lack of communication.
Mayor Sutorius confirmed there would be informational
meetings on cable TV held on April 5, 1988, in City
Council Chambers at 7:30 p.m.,. on April 6, 1988, in the
Cultural Center Auditorium at 7:30 p.m., and on April 7,
1988, in Mitchell Park Main Hall at 7:30 p.m
4. Ed Power, 2254 Dartmouth, spoke to the Palo Alto. Yacht
Harbor and public welfare versus politics.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
MOTION: Council Member. Levy moved, seconded by Cobb,
approval of the Minutes of March 7, 19111, as submitted.
NOTION PEED unanimously, Patitucci absent.
-59--371
4/04/88
1. JOINT STUDY SESSION WITH THE R-1 AD HOC COMMITTEE RE
OVERSIZED HO1J ES ON R-1 COTS (250/237 -al)
Co -Chairperson Doug Aikens opened the remarks of the Ad Hoc
Single -Family Subcommittee. Mr. Aikens noted that the Sub-
committee's recommendation was considered to possess intel-
lectual. integrity ,and to be capable of administration. The
subcommittee had rejected design review of single- family,
concluding that a subjective process was unfair to the
public, and he stated that floor area ratios (FARs) used in
employment areas to reduce traffic impacts were inappropri-
ate in their application to single-family development. Mr.
Aikens concluded that he felt the minority interests of
those residents needing to add on to their homes were more
important than the majority interests of those who liked to
drive around and of new housing.
Committee Member Larick Hill explained that many factors
lead to overly -intrusive development, and that the commit-
tee's recommendations did not deal with cognitive or emo-
tional response to color or design of single-family homes.
He presented a series of slides demonstrating variable FARs
in single-family and explained the concepts behind the Sub-
committee's recommendations, including the front impact
formula, modulation of side yard setback and daylight plane
exceptions, and increased site coverage to facilitate first -
floor ,additions.
Committee Member Linda Scott presented a proposal focusing
on old Palo Alto neighborhoods and their established devel-
opment patterns. Ms. Scott noted the special characteris-
tics of these neighborhoods that reflect the normal pattern
prevalent at the time of development, including extensive
landscaping and planter areas, sense of entry, relationship
of the structures to the street, location of the garage
within the rear yard areas apd, in general, the separation
of the living unit from the ' vehicle. Ms. Scott concluded
that homes were developing in a different, car -dominated
pattern that left little room for landscaping and sense of
entry, and destroyed the neighborhood patterns prevalent in
old Palo Alto.
The City Council Members questioned application of the for-
mula to existing housing and the empirical derivation of the
constant 60 used in the front impact formula. Concerns were
also expressed about the need ,to test all aspects of the
formulae, especially to those homes subject of the greatest
public outcry, and the rolled curb and lack of planting
strip being detrimental to single-family development.
Council Members favored encouraging single -story additions
as well: as increased lot coverage and front yard setback,
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4/04/9.8
supported reconciliation of the neighborhood setback issue
and the daylight plane encroachment provisions with the
garages as an exception; and directed staff to critique the
Subcommittee's report.
Mayor Sutorius briefly described the applicability of the
Subcommittee's recommendation to his personal residence and
expressed support for a heritage tree ordinance.
After discussion by Council Members, comments were received
from the public.
ADJOURNMENT
Council adjourned at 11:10 p.m.
ATTEST:
APPROVED:
59-373
4/04/88