The Los Altos Planning Commission will be considering a use permit for a 2,450-square-foot expansion of Andronico's Market into adjacent space occupied by Gregory's Pharmacy, at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, in the Los Altos City Council Chambers. Andronico's Market is located at 690 Rancho Shopping Center. Los Altos City Hall is located at 1 N. San Antonio Road.
7-foot fence OK'd for El Monte/Foothill
The Los Altos City Council approved a 6-foot wooden fence topped with 12 inches of lattice for the northeast corner at Foothill Expressway and El Monte Avenue.
"It will supply a small margin of increased safety and is nicely designed," said Councilman John Moss at the April 27 council meeting. One car has already crashed through the existing chain-link fence at the site, officials said.
David Knudson, who developed the 14-unit Rosewood town houses at the corner, requested permission to install and landscape the fence for a "better appearance" and a "visual barrier" to the traffic on the expressway.
City staff had recommended denial of the application because of the visual impact of the fence close to the expressway and because of the perception of allowing a private amenity in the public right-of-way without a corresponding benefit to the public health, said senior city planner Jim Mackenzie.
The city's architecture and site control committee recommended approval to the council. The county approved an encroachment permit for the fence. The Rosewood Homeowner's Association will install and maintain the fence and landscaping at its expense.
This is a "nice, private solution," said Councilman Francis La Poll.
Council votes $67,000 for Y2K upgrades
The Los Altos City Council approved $67,000 for computer software upgrades to bring the city's computer system into Y2K compliance.
City Manager Phil Rose pointed out that this "is not the total cost of Y2K" work the city needs to do. Records management and dispatch at the police department will also need to be upgraded.
The $67,000 will upgrade city systems that deal with building permits, service requests and a municipal parcel map database; and for software that runs the finance, budgeting and business license programs.
The systems currently in place were installed in 1991 and 1992, said Layne Long, assistant to the city manager.
"Normally we would leave this in the budget process, but we wanted to get moving on it," Rose said.
Council members were concerned about the cost.
"They sold us a product (in 1991-92) that blows up and are not giving us a rebate," said Councilman Francis La Poll. "It seems like a defective product."
Draft city budget released this Friday
Los Altos City Manager Phil Rose told city council members that a draft of the city's budget for 1999-2001 would be distributed this Friday.
In previous years a draft of the city's budget came earlier in the spring.
"It's more important to get it done right than early," said Councilman King Lear at the April 27 council meeting.
A 29-member citizen blue-ribbon committee will be meeting May 20 and 27 to help set priorities for city spending and goals.
The council plans to have two meetings to review the draft, May 17 and 18, to "provide focus and direction regarding priorities," Rose said.
The city has a list of more than 100 items for consideration, suggested over the years by residents and council members.
"We will go through and scratch those items that are not probable," said Mayor Lou Becker.
Kris Casto asked that the list be "tiered: some items we'd like to see funded in the next five years; some items we like, but no funding; and those items with no support."
Once the city agrees on its priorities, the council will consider going to the citizens with a bond measure in next November's election, to pay for the priorities.
- Joanne Griffith Domingue