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Published on 11/20/1995 All articles from this issue

Quarry Hills project stymied after council member reverses vote again

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By Clyde Noel / Town Crier Staff Writer

A development proposal involving Neary Quarry remains unapproved after the Los Altos Hills Council again stalled over plans last week to make Stonebrook Drive a through street to Magdalena Avenue.

Developer John Vidovich came up short on approval for his Quarry Hills subdivision application when Toni Casey balked on her initial vote and requested a change for the second straight meeting.

At a previous Los Altos Hills City Council meeting Oct. 30, the City Council conducted a public hearing regarding the proposed tentative map and associated environmental impact report. The Council provided for a gravity line for sewer service through Juan Prado Mesa Preserve and initially approved Stonebrook Drive as a through road on a 3-2 vote. However, Casey changed her vote, claiming more residents needed to give input on the issue.

Residents of adjacent neighborhoods were then notified of the continuance to the Nov. 15 meeting.

In the 1988 Vidovich proposal to build 43 lots in Los Altos Hills, and the 1991 proposal to build 25 lots in the unincorporated county land, both applications assumed that Stonebrook Drive would be extended through the Quarry Hills site as a through street open to the public.

"To open this road now is putting traffic in a hazardous condition," Vidovich said. "The road is windy and narrow and too many tourists would come through it. By not opening it, you will have a better quality neighborhood."

Shelly Doran, Los Altos Hills planning commissioner, told the audience the general plan calls for the road to be open at some time and the opportunity is now.

"This is a planning issue and not an emotional issue," Doran said. "We have to look to the future. When we had the earthquake in 1989, it took me two hours to get home because Freeway 280 buckled."

During the next hour, 22 residents presented their views on keeping Stonebrook Drive open to through traffic or closing the road to all traffic but emergency vehicles.

Council member Bob Johnson did not want to see the road use safety bars, gates and street blockages, and with increased traffic he wanted the road closed.

Council member Sid Hubbard, who lives close to the proposed subdivision, felt it would increase traffic. "One thing we have to take into consideration is after the lake is developed, there will be a lot more traffic for tourists to come to the lake and I will vote to close it," Hubbard said.

Referring to a report by the Los Altos Hills City Attorney Sandy Sloan, Mayor Bill Siegel recognized the Town needs a connector road, but also needs more information if the road is opened. He then moved to refer the issue to the staff to arrange for further environmental study so the attorney would feel more comfortable with a new environmental report.

Council member Toni Casey said this was her most difficult decision to make since she has been a council member. "There must be an issue of fairness here because all the traffic will be on the Prospect Road side of the application. I need more information to vote and in order to make a decision we need an additional environmental impact report."

The vote was 3-2 with Siegel, Dauber and Casey asking for an additional report from the staff. After the break, Casey wanted to change her vote again.

"We need to decide what the project is and what to consider," Siegel said. "We have spent an hour and a half on this and we have to be careful how we vote. I am not going to open up this issue again tonight. It would be terrible after all the residents went home and we changed our vote."

The application is now returned to the staff for an addendum to the environmental report. The new analysis is intended to provide more information on what changes will occur if Stonebrook Drive is made a through street to Magdalena Avenue. The new report will take from 60 to 90 days.

According to planning director Curtis Williams, all other requests for certification of the tentative subdivision map have been met by Vidovich.