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Published on 09/15/1999 All articles from this issue

LAH council appeals draw mixed results

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By Leslie K. Martin / Town Crier Staff Writer

Two distinctly different property owner appeals caught both council and public attention at the Sept. 2 Los Altos Hills City Council meeting.

"Can we at least allow the (applicants Bill and Betty) Kerns to put a trailer on the lower site?" asked Los Altos Hills Councilwoman Toni Casey. Casey ended a two-hour discussion by pleading for approval of temporary housing for the Kerns, whose second appeal of a town planning commission permit denial was voted down.

After denial of the first appeal in 1997, architect Bill Maston worked with commissioners to find solutions. But Maston and his staff - with their presentation-scale models, computer-rendered photographs and large display boards with material samples - did not get the answer they sought. After eliminating more than half the planned retaining walls, relocating rooms to reduce the visibility of the 7,000-square-foot house, and seeking the best alignment of the driveway to satisfy safety issues, Maston presented his plan as "the best option."

Engineering consultant Jeff Peterson, the town's former city manager, identified the driveway as the primary reason for the current denial. Although the fire department declared the current plan safe, Peterson said the 10-foot retaining walls would require excessive disturbance to the site, the removal of two oak trees, and the engineering and design still "falls short of relaxed requirements."

At least 15 residents volleyed pro and con opinions about the Francemont Drive property. Concerns were that the home would be "prominently visible" atop a secondary ridge line overlooking open space, that native plants would be destroyed and the construction would set an "unacceptable precedence." Kern supporters called the design impressive. They said landscaping and architectural design would camouflage the structure on the 20-acre site, and agreed this plan guarantees more acres of additional open space than a subdivision would.

While every councilmember complimented the Kerns' and Maston's efforts, the appeal was denied by on a 3-2 vote.

In contrast, an appeal for a variance for on-site parking at the Quinn property on Chapin Road was unanimously approved.

"Give the Quinns anything they want," said resident Frank Lloyd, one of seven people who gave statements welcoming the changes.

Neighbors described the state of the property under the previous owners as an eyesore. As many as 20 deserted cars lined the front yard, and neighbors refer to the house as "the Cat House," because more than 40 feral cats roamed the property.

The Quinns were applauded and thanked for bulldozing the previous home and for upgrading the neighborhood.