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Published on 01/19/1998 All articles from this issue

Council affirms top goals, adds 2 more

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue / Town Crier Staff Writer

The 401 Rosita park development and traffic calming plans are still the top two concerns of the Los Altos City Council.

At their annual January goal-setting study session, the Los Altos City Council members affirmed their existing No. 1 and No. 2 goals, moved up No. 8 to No. 3 - develop long-term strategy for city properties at Main and First streets - and added two new goals: review the general plan for consistency with the community vision; and update the civic center master plan.

The council members reviewed the list of 13 goals identified a year ago for the budget years July 1, 1997, to June 30, 1999. In addition they considered a brainstorm list of 21 items as well as the 19 letters received from residents who responded to the mayor's request for input.

Each council member had seven dots to put on a favorite item. Those items receiving three or more dots - constituting a council majority for the five-member group - made it to the top of the list.

By limiting the choices to seven instead of 10 as in the past, "We concentrated our priorities," said Mayor pro tem Lou Becker. He called the process "very successful."

He's "particularly happy" about 401 Rosita still being No. 1. But "traffic calming is a difficult thing to solve. We are getting some good ideas."

Mayor Kris Casto appreciates those who took the time to send a letter. "We had the letters before us and took them into consideration. Even if it was not a top goal, it was information the council needs to hear."

The top three concerns mentioned by the letter writers include: a review of the residential guidelines, traffic calming and requests to re-instate the affordable second living unit that expired last April.

Seven residents, in addition to the planning commission, asked the council to review the residential guidelines. Residents are concerned about two-story 3,000-plus square-foot houses going up along streets of one-story ranch homes.

"I was disappointed that they (council members) decided not to revisit the residential guidelines," said Marla de Broekert who was one of about a dozen residents who attended the Jan. 20 study session.

She and others on her street have appealed a two-story remodel that a neighbor wants to build.

The list created by the council now goes to the city staff "to see how they fit into the work programs as a whole," Casto said. After staff review, the list comes back to council later in the spring for a final vote.