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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09261955289 City Hall, Palo Alto, California, September 26, 1955. • • approved. The Council of the City of Palo Alto met in regular session on this date at 7:30 P.M., with Vice Mayor Marshall presiding. Roll call as follows: Present: Bishop,•Byxbee, Corcoran, Cresao, Cummings, Drysdale, Giffin, Marshall, Mitchell, Na.vis, Rodgers, Ruppenthal, Simpson. Absent: Davis, Porter. The minutes of the meeting of September 12, 1955, were Community Chest Campaign .A:letter was received from W. W. Davis., President of the Palo -Alto -Stanford Community Chest, regarding; the 1955 campaign which opens on- October 3, 1955. On motion of Simpson and Rodgers, the Mayor was asked to issue a proclamation in connection with the Community Chest drive. "Fly --In" and Air Show A communication was received from the Palo Alto Junior Chamber of Commerce relative to the ".Fly -In" and Air Show to be held at the Palo Alto Airport on October 2, 1955. The Council was informed that Councilman Ruppenthal o lans to represent the City on this occasion, at the Mayor's request, and that the Mayor has notified the Junior Chamber of Commerce nccordin,ly. Library Program A letter was received from the League of Women. Voters calling -attention to the similarity of the report of the Citizens' Library Committee to the report on the Library made by the League of Women Voters in November, 1954. They advised that- it would be helpful to- the groups concerned with the present library situation , if the Council would issue a general policy Statement to the effect' that a new main library, a 'University Avenue branch and a branch in the. southeasterly part of the city are necessary, and'.sta-ted that knowledge ..of the Council's policy would enable interested r,;rouos t4 focus on the questions of sites, size and financing. On . motion. of Simpson and Rodgers, the letter was re- ferred to Committee No. 2, and the Mayor was authorised to acknow- ledge •the letter and to convey to the League of Women Voters. the Council's appreciation for their interest in the Library project. • -At this, time. Councilwoman Corcoran read a.prepared.state-- menu in which she submitted alternative suggestions regarding •the location-of:the orososed new main library, favorin a. location in the mid -town area .instead of city -owned land adjacent to the City Hall as recommended bythe Library Committee, . nointing out that a library this location could serve the entire. south Palo Alto area, eliminating the •need. for a branch in Mitchell Park or vicinity. Mrs.. Corcoran also aug?;ested that a study be made to determine. whether the present library can be economically re- modeled. or` i '` it should be rebuilt, stating that In hex o.oi'nior.. there :should be a. complete branch library in the downtown: area, that a reading room -would not adequately serve that part of the. city. On motion .of Mit hell and Drysdale, Mrs. Corcorar's. statement was referred to committee No. 2. 290 Fluoridation Permit The City Manager presented a letter from the 3ureau of Sanitary Engineering, :,state Department of ?ulRl.ic Health, tr:ansmitt- in; an amendment to the. City's Water Supply ermit to Include fluoridation in the treatment of the Palo Alto water supply, subject to the provisions that .equtoment used to add fluoride to the water shell at no time be set to add more than 1.2 carts per million of fluoride, and that the average fluoride concentration for any one month in the water distributed to consumers shall not exceed 1.; n.arts per million. 0r notion of Simpson ai .Drysdale, the City Manager in- structed tonotify the State Department ' o f' ? 7. ;e y the U �men� ofPublic Health that �h amended permit has been received and that the City Council accepts the provisions and will .comply with them.. Parking, Limit on Enclna Avenue The City Manager presented a proposed ordinance establish ins a two-hour limited parking zone -on both sides of Enci,n^ Avenue for e distance of 600 feet northeasterly from El Camino Real, the narking limit to be effective from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. except on Sundays and holidays.- The City. Manager advised that this ordinance hat been recommended by the Traffic Committee. 0n motion of Rodgers and Nevis, the ordinance was accepted for first reading. Yacht Harbor —State Park - The City Manager -reported that a notice has beer -received. . of a hearing; to be. ' held in San Francisco on October 26, 1955, by the State Park .Commission relative to otate Park Acquisition. ?roJ cts,• at whiceh.written or oral presentations may be made; that, the State Beaches '.and Park Commission must be notified by October 10th If the City wishes to submit a presentation at the hearing. 0n motion ef. Mitchell and Byxbee, the City Manager and City En gineer were authorized to attend the hear•_.ng and 'present• the proposal .for a State Park at the Palo Alto Yacht Harbor. 'mbarcadero-Wildwood Annexation Area Zoning' and fleve1opment •Plan ' (Eieh r ) - A report was received. from Committee No. 1 submitting to - the Council the development clan presented by Mr. Joseph L. Eichler for the P -C District proposed to be established In the .: tldwood- Embarc.adero Annexation area, with the following amendments re- commended by the committee: 1. That the area along Wildwood Lane, from Embarcadero Road to the proposed extension of Chanrin s Avenue, be zoned -.R-1 for a depth of 120 feet. 2. That an attempt be made to establish the development._ of a green strip along Embarcadero Road from Wi1dwood'' Lane to the turn-off near the Bayshore Highway for -a depth of 75 feet, the remainder of the area designated as a shopping center on the man to be developed as - P -C .- That the planting strip between the residences :facing ;tiildwood Lane and the P -C District be 20 feet instead of 10 feet as recommended by the Planning Commission.: Councilman Bishop, Chairman of Comnitteee No. 1, advised that the committee had held a public hearing on the +development plan for the P -C District, and that as a result of the meeting and 291 the committee recommendations, Mr. Eichler has presented a new plan whi ,h it is believed meets most of the ob,;ectior.s previously made. The new plan submitted by Mr. Eichler was explained by the Planning 0fficer. It provides for two tiers of residential' lots between Wildwood Lane and the shopping center, ithe new 60 -foot street s.enarati ng the residential lots and the Shonoing . center. It provides for a -planting stria along Emba.rcadero Road, r -� varying from 45 to 60 feet lb depth, and for the relocation of the service station., far enough toward the Beys'hore Highway so:that it is not opposite any of the residences on the southerly side of Embarcadero Road. It was pointed out by the Planning Officer that the plat provides for two entrances to the service station on Emb.ar,cadero Road, and that an engineer of the State Highway Department with whom -the' plan was discussed has recommended that one of the en- trances be eliminated. After discuss Lon, it was 'Coved by Nevis, seconded by Rupperthal that the new plan as nresented. be accented -by the" • Council, with the. modification that one of the entrances to the service station from Embarcadero Road (the entrance nearer the frontage road) be eliminated. Mr. 'E., H. Stewart, 774 Wildwood Lane, told. the -Council that the revised plan has been discussed with some :f the petitioners who previously Orotested the original 'Dian, and it is their general opinion that the plan row before the Council nrotects1 the nearby .residences and overcomes most of their objections. The motion made by Navis and Runnentha1 was changed to read that the Council accept for first reading a proposed ordinance establishing, C-3, R-1 and P -C districts in the Embarcadero-wildwood annexation area, and approve the debelopment nlan for the.a.-C district as presented, et trii.e. meeting with the modification that. the upper entrance to the :service station be eliminated. A motion was made by Byxbee to amend the motion by eliminating the planting strip along Embarcadero Road between Wildwood Lane and the proposed new road so that larger reidential lots could be made. There was no second to this amendment. Mr. W. M. Martin of the Shell 0i' Comnany was present and requested the Council to permit two entrances on Emberca ero Road as shown on the plan. Mr. Frank Crist, attorney for Mr. Eichler, , ;ugmeted that the two entrances be left as ,how^ on the map for the time being inasmuch .as a use -permit will have to be granted for the service station and a decision on the entrance; can be ;Wade at that time.. After. further discussion, it was moved by Drysdale as en amendment to the motion that any reference to service station entrances be eliminated from the motion and the enrancee be left as shown on the plan. The motion ...as seconded by (Tiffin and thie amendment was carried on roll callwith 11 ":yes, Navis and u... Ruppcntha.i voting No. - The original.;motion as amended wa^ then edonte1 by unanimous vote ..on roll call. (A recess. was taken at this wr�e 8:4:5 P.M., and the Council. reconvened at 8:55 .M.) 292 Project 55-5, California Avenue Off -Street Parking A report was received from Committee No. 2 recommending that the boundaries of. the assessment district for the California Avenue Off -Street Parking Plan, Project 55-5, be modified as follows: That the northeasterly boundary of the assessment. d .etrict be established at the center line of Park Boulevard, excluding the properties of James H. Stedman, Marcus Stedman; Palo Alto Transfer & .tors e. Company, and Mrs. Mary M. Shively. That the southeasterly boundary of the district be revised to include the nronerty of Mrs. Frances McDonald on the southwesterly side of Birch Street. Committee No. 2 further recommended regarding the acquisi- tion of narking lots as designated on the A; se_ sment and Acquisition Diagram for Project 55-5, as follows: That Lots No. 1, 4 and 5 be acquired as shown on the man. That Lots 2 and on Cambridge a Avenue consolidated 3 ,x d, e A.ve a be by substituting the parcel between Lots 2 and 3 for the parcel now included in the easterly nortion of Lot 2 (both parcels being owned by H. Taylor Peery) . That Lot6 be modified by including; the nronerty of W. Stanley Pearce on Sherman Avenue snd by takir. g e 9 -foot walkway from the prooerty owned by Mrs_ Stella M. ' Scof, ield to connect with California Avenue. That eminent domain be used where necessary in the acquisition of property for these narking lots. A map o_f the district showing the modifications in the boundaries of the assessment district and the lots to be acquired, a.s recommended by Committee Aso. 2, was submitted and exnlsined. The Council was informed that Mrs. Mary M. Shively has requested that her prooerty be included in the district. The Chairman of Committee No. 2 advised that the committee had con- sldered eliminating the Bettencourt oronerty from Lot 6: that he thought it,was the committee's intention to recommend the elimina- tier, of the Bettencourt property and the addition of. the Pearce nronerty to the lot; in order to make Lot 6 more rectangular in shape. Mr. H. Taylor Peery addressed the Council briefly, stating he would prefer that Lots 2 and 3 be not modified as recommended, but if the Council feels it is best to consolidate the two lots he is willing to make the substitution of parcels to effect the consolidation. Mr. Peery expressed ob ectwon to exclud- ing the property of the Palo Alto Transfer & Storage Company on the` easterly corner of California Avenue and Park Boulevard from the assessment district, inasmuch as this property will be benefited from the -parking program. He pointed out that even if the "S" Zone is left on the nronerty, it can be removed by the Council at any time. Mr. Mike Golick, Chairman of the California Avenue Off-. Street Parking Committee, advised that his coemet`eo foals that th Palo Alto Transfer ComVan�rt� nroJerty should e Includee in the, assessment district that it is a logical commercial lot and should be rezoned from industrial to commercial. Mr. d Arbuckle also asked that this property be not excluded from the d ctr ct. 293 a -. The. Cit out that the final d ' sl y Attorney pointed � ,� 1 cc�.,� or on the boundaries !1sa C l c r `: of the assessment district et end the parcels to be acquired can not be made at this meeting. He suggested that the resolution of intention to make changes end modificetlons as re- commended by Committee No. 2 be adopted and a hearing, on the oro- oosed modifications be set for October 10, 1955, after which the Council can make :its decision. Resolution No. 2656 of Preliminary Determination atd of Intention to make Changes and Modifications, Project 55-5,'was introduced, and on motion of Rodpers and Giffin, was adonted by •urenimous vote on'roll call, and October 10, 1955, at 7:30 P.M. was fixed as time for hearing on the proposed changes and modtfica4 tions. A report was received. from Committee No. 2 recommending that if in the future narking meters are Installed in the California Avenue District, the revenue derivedtherefrom becon- sidered for the improvement of city parking lots in that district in the same degree as provided in the University ,venue district parking nlan. On motion of Mitchell and Drysdale, the recommendation was accepted as a matter of policy by unanimous vote on roll ea11. At this time, Mr. W. Stanley Pearce, owner of the -proper y t 456 Sherman Avenue,addressed the Council, ur_,.;.ng that the nr000da l • to modify Lot 6 to include his property be rejected. Mr. Pearce fated that she realizes the need for narking and is in favor of the assessment district plan, but does not wish to sell his property at this time and will oppose the modified plan if his orooerty is included in the parcels to be ^.ccuired . Mr. Pearce filed a copy of.. a letterwhich he wrote to the Planning Officer on March 30, 1953, in which he stated that he had acc.,uired the orooerty at V 456 Sherman Avenue as an investment and would not release it until he felt that themaximum enhancement had occurred; thet he would oppose any plan which or000sed to take his land for . parking our- hoses when other nrooertic: on the other side of Sherman Avenue were for sale. (Mrs. Corcoran left at this time, 9:50 P.M., and was absent for the rest of the meeting.) Tentative Map; Block 4, Seale Tract No. A report was received from Committee No. 1 recommending approval, of the tentative man of the subdivision of Lot 11 and part of Lot 10, Block 4, Seale Subdivision No. 5, subject to the conditions as recommended by the Planning Commission for the elimination of one lot in that portion northerly of Garland Drive to increase the minimum lot size to over 6,000 sq. ft. and to pro- vision for 50; -foot width for the cu: de - ac, with. Garland Drive remaining as shown on the map; and subject to the provision of a 1 --foot reserve along the northwest sidr. of Garland Drive from Louis Road to a point 291.34 feet southwest of Louie Road, to the granting of public utility and drainage easements as reeuired by the City Engineer, and to the abandonment of the easement as shown on the man and the removal of all existin^' structures. On motion of Mitchell and 3; be_e, this tentative man was approved in accordance with the r. ecommendatlone . City Dump Regulations A report was received from Committee No. 1 recommendinz adoption of the 'proposed' ordinance amendinF Section 17.1901 of Codified Ordinance No. 5 to prohibit burning at the city dump. Ordinance No. 1642 prohibiting burrring, at the dump was given second reading, and on motion of Mitchell, duly seconded, 294 *as adopted by unanimous vote on roll call of all council members present. .(Rodgers:, Ruapenthal and Simpson were absent during this roll call.) Committee No. 1 also recommended the adoption of an ordinance establishinz fees for the use of the city dung bar non- residents and erovidingfor the establishment of regulations rela- tive to hours of operation and restrictions on the use of the dump. A proposed ordinance amending Article 31 of Codified Ordinance 1 o. 5 by :adding Section, 31.19 was introduced. It provides for establishment of Non -Resident fees for use of the dump, and authorizes the. City Manager to prescribe rules and regulations for the conduct and use of the dump. Reference was made to a r000rt from the City Manager proposing certain rates for consideration, and suggesting that the hours of onerat3.on be 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Monday through Saturday, the dump tc be closed on Sundays„ and holidays. The proposed ordinance was accented for first reeding. Tentative Map, Embarcadero-wildwood Area (Eichler) A report was received from the Planning Commission re- commending that the tents.tive subdivision man presented by J. L. Eichler & Sons for the property known no the Embercader,c- Wildwood Annexation ' area be, approved subject to the following changes and conditions as indicated on a cony of the m.:p: 1. That access along the frontage road be re :tri,c ted from Sln Francisouito Creek to Ch.enn!ng Avenue as extended. 2. That -the width of Charming Avenue be increased to 62 feet to provide a 7 -foot planting area between the curb and the sidewalk. That vertical ' curb`_` be nrovi.ded on both Bides of Channin? Avenue from Wildwocd Lene to the frontage road and. on Embarca.dero :�oed from H' i e! d Lena to the frontage road. 4. That the width of Wildwood Lane be Go feet, ing to 50 feet at the curve tc the north. 5. That the 18 -foot private lane entering '.�?i d'.00-3 one just north oa.Channing Avenue be elimi�neted end the two back lots made to face Channing Avenue. The Commission recommended that annrovo1 of the man be subject to a. solution of the drainage problem approved by the City Engineer, and the ' edicat:ton of the necessary public unlit{ es and drainage easements as required by the Cit-, Engineer. The Commission recommended -that the solution of the d.reirgage problem provide for gravity flow of the water and not involve the use of nemns . r, ..,.,, With regard to setbacks to be enforced within the eub- division, th'e Commission recommended as follows: 1. That the minimum front yard setback on Lots 20, 26, 67 and 68 be 25 feet as measured from the nronerty line to the center o±' the garage. 2. That minimum side yards be 6 feet. 3. That the.:minimum front yard setback on ell other lots fronting or cal -de -sacs shall be 18 feet, measured from the property line to the center of the garage. 295 It: was-' moved. by• Mitchell, seconder' and carried that this! tentative map be approved as recommended by the Planning Commi seio :, subject to those changes necessary to' bringthe southerly portion into con f ormanc2 with the ' pproved development plan for the P -C District. Tentative Map, Portion Lot 11, Loucks Tract A report was, submitted by the Planning Comrrissior re- commending approval of the tentative man of the subdivision of portion of Lot 11,• Loucks Tract, looted at the northwesterly side of San Antonio Avenue, adjacent to Tract 1122, subject to the re- quirements quirements of the ty Engineer for easements and drainage. The Commission further recommended that in this sib division minimum side yards of 6 feet be allowed provided a tot:,.?-`! of 16 feet is maintained between d rellin;*,.c and that minimum. front yards of 18 feet be allowed. or cul-de-sacs, measured from the property line to the center of the 7, e; such buildings, locations, and setbacks to be shown on c, cop„ of the final man which wi.11 be recorded. It was moved, seconded ^n carried that this tentative map be approved in accordance with the recommendation of the Planning CommtsSion. Zoning of Palo Alto Transfer Co. Property A motion was made by Navis, seccncler?. by Mitchell that the Council request the Plar,nin ., Commission to consider the re- zoning of. the Property owned by the Palo Alto Transfer & Storage Company on the corner of California Avenue ar,r? Pare: Boulevard. to C-2 District, and to hold a public hearing on the proposed rezoning. In reply to a question rearding the use f the property which is now in the industrial zone, the City Attorney advised that the parking of trucks could be continued as a non -conforming use i the zone is changed, hut such use would be limited to the number of trucks parked or stored there at the nreeent time. I After discussion, the motion was carried by tho followlr'; vote on roll call: Ayes: Bishop, Cresao, Cummins, Drysdale, Giffin, —Mitchell, Navis, Ru2oenthe 1_ . Noes: Pyxbee, Marshall, Rodgers, Simpson. There being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting was adjourned at 10:10 P.M.