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Published on 09/11/1995 All articles from this issue

Council votes zoning change for campaigns, Christmas trees

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue / Town Crier Staff Writer

Los Altos City Council members approved a zoning change at their Sept. 5 meeting that now permits certain types of temporary land uses ranging from candidate quarters to Christmas tree sales.

Office needs, such as political campaign space, or interim office space during remodeling, will now be allowed on the first floor of buildings in districts zoned commercial, said Robert Schubert, a contract planner for Los Altos.

Seasonal holiday sales lots like Christmas trees and pumpkin patches were also included in the change as well as temporary real estate sales offices.

Existing ordinance stated that first-floor space throughout Los Altos was to be used for retail to protect the sales tax revenue. Offices were to be located on the second floor.

The zoning change now allows exceptions for temporary uses.

"It's really just a clean-up, to bring code up to date with our practice," said Dave Reeder, City Council member.

The Los Altos Town Crier benefits from the zoning change. While their Main Street building is remodeled, they are temporarily located on the first floor behind Lucky Restaurant on State Street.

"You can't put someone who needs easy access outside the business area," said Ted Laliotis, City Council member.

Previously the code had been silent on temporary use, said Jim Mackenzie, Los Altos senior planner.

"We were being practical on a staff level. We didn't want to be overly bureaucratic so we used some judgment. If the use was appropriate and not creating a problem, it was unreasonable not to allow it."

Ted Laliotis, City Council member and candidate for the 21st State Assembly District, will also benefit. His campaign office was using the second floor at a space in Los Altos Rancho. The landlord, John Vidovich, wrote the city July 14 to request permission to include the first floor portion for the campaign headquarters.

Laliotis said the second floor was fine for his needs. But since the access to the second floor was through the first floor and made it difficult for Vidovich to rent the lower floor to anyone else, Vidovich wrote the city.

Laliotis abstained from voting on the zoning modification.

City Council member Marge Bruno said the zoning change "was a reasonable thing to do."