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Published on 11/03/1999 All articles from this issue

Letters to the Editor

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Commissioner says put it to rest

In 1996, I bought a new house and moved my family to Los Altos Hills. We applied and obtained a permit to landscape our yard and build a pool. During construction in January 1998, the town planning staff inspected our project and provided us a list of items that needed to be resolved. By the beginning of 1999, the pool and landscape projects had been substantially completed. The main item left was the pool equipment enclosure, which we completed in the middle of this year. We obtained a site development permit approval for the the patio roof in September.

I was appointed planning commissioner in July. On July 30, I was told Mildred Gallo had written a letter requesting my removal. She cited four allegations, and these issues were discussed at length at the Sept. 2 council meeting. The council made the decision to take no action against me.

Immediately after the meeting, Ms. Gallo put up in her yard a billboard in broken Chinese aimed at harassing my family and me.

Mayor Elayne Dauber brought back these same issues again at the Oct. 21 meeting. The council again voted to retain me as a commissioner, ordered Ms. Gallo to remove the sign and asked that I work with staff if there are still items that have not be resolved. Although I believed all issues had been resolved, I am happy to work with staff in any way I can.

This issue is not about my landscape-pool punch list or my final sign-off. This real issue under camouflage is about whether a resident doing volunteer service can be intimidated and removed because he voiced a difference in opinion. I learned that the Hills 2000 group has formed a committee to remove me as a planning commissioner. I was singled out as an Asian American citizen to be humiliated and set up as an example to those who want to contribute to the community but express a different viewpoint from Hills 2000.

I plead to all of our residents in town to put this sad event permanently to rest and move forward to more productive agendas to make this city a better place to live for all of us.

Charles WongLos Altos Hills

Neighbor's side of the story

The first violation of Los Altos Hills Planning Commissioner Charles Wong occurred in mid-1996 when he had two great heritage oak trees cut down. They were more than 100 years old, centrally located in his steeply sloped back yard. They were tall, well-branched, and they screened the large two and a half story house rebuilt by the previous owner. Once the trees were removed, he could then re-landscape the property. He put in a new pool, a grass sport court, a new retaining wall and a driveway that expands toward the south property line that was closer than the required 10 feet. His original landscape plans were approved by the town, but he did not follow them. He literally overstepped the boundaries and guidelines.

Commissioner Wong knew he was wrong when he cut down the protected oak trees. He tried to exonerate himself by saying first that the trees were diseased; second, he said that his contractor told him he could cut them down; third, he said they were smaller than 12 inches (wide); and fourth, he said it was only one tree, forked into a Y. His fifth variation on the truth was at the Sept. 2 council meeting where he was recorded in the minutes saying, "It wasn't an oak tree."

The town plan of 1956 shows the original house and two 12-inch wide oak trees. They were cut down 30 years later. Their growth pattern is about a half-inch per year, so they each were approximately 27 inches across.

Mr. Wong first refuses to view Town Hall records, and then he denies their veracity. This should not be the behavior of a planning commissioner. I look forward to his removal.

Millie GalloLos Altos Hills

Traffic results in increased noise

At certain times of the day, Los Altos becomes pretty noisy.

The noise is mostly from traffic, locally, and on nearby freeways. I dare say the freeway sound walls have contributed to a change in the distribution of the din, but have not reduced it except for a few close-by homes.

Locally it's another story. Vehicle traffic is greater, and the noise from each element of it seems to have increased. In cars, we have the prominence of the larger SUVs and their kin, which have wider, noisier tires. Trucks are assailing our streets in greater numbers due to the remodeling, rebuilding surge. Motorcycles are major contributors to bursts of noise, and are generally the most intrusive.

Lessening through truck traffic is one step which I have asked the mayor to explore. Serious enforcement of the in-place state and local muffler and noise ordinances would be another. The administration's project manager for the resurfacing assures me the road noise will recede in time, though I have to wonder why better specs for the material being used couldn't have eliminated this from the start. There are other good ideas, no doubt.

The city council is focused on quality-of-life issues these days. In that vein, it seems logical to bring the noise issue to the council's attention, to ask for measures that will help us to keep this the "quiet" community we've all wished and worked for.

Marv EmerlingLos Altos

Regarding mural: lighten up

Regarding the mural or cartoon on Main Street (Oct. 20 letter from Marie Young):

Wow, Ms. Young, lighten up. Of all the issues to get your blood pressure up over and to suggest everyone call city hall about, you selected the wonderful "cartoon" mural representing Los Altos.

Worst of all, you fear that such art will ruin the cosmopolitan reputation of Los Altos. Gosh, I thought that is what cosmopolitan meant, accepting a wide variety of tastes and not locked into one rigid view.

And, may I be so bold as to mention the first amendment right of free expression that is so basic to our way of life here in the United States. Looks to me as though the mural is on private property and not in violation of any city codes.

The mural seems to me to be intended as a light-hearted view of life, past and present, in Los Altos. I find it a vast improvement over the blank wall that welcomed us to downtown since the gas station was removed. I am always proud to show visitors our murals on downtown buildings, the plaza, our unique city buildings (city hall, police station, youth center, etc) and the generally relaxed and casual spirit that, I believe, is Los Altos.

Let's not bother our city officials and staff with issues such as this. Let's give them time to deal with the real issues of traffic, crime, zoning, code enforcement, parking, neighborhood planning and the like.

Bob HermanLos Altos

Picture brought back memories

A friend sent me a copy of the photograph and descriptive paragraph on page 8 of your issue of Oct. 13 It brought back many memories of that last year of my term of office (as a Los Altos councilmember) and of the preceding three years.

I am sorry that the gentleman at the left, and at my right, was not properly identified as Frank Williamson. Frank then operated the Chevron station at Main and First streets. We all appreciated his presence and his input as a member and representative of the downtown merchants.

Those early years of Los Altos city government were both challenging and stimulating. Some of your readers may recall that the first city hall was in a store building on First Street, but was moved to the then "new" city office building on San Antonio road, where the picture was taken.

Robert A. PriorHollister, Calif.

Remodeling rules seem unfair

I want to comment on two things pertaining to remodeling and the planning department in Los Altos. We recently went through a major remodel. Our remodel did not involve a second story, neighbor problem, setback variance or roof height variance. Our design gave the house the character of a Los Altos cottage. Getting permits was a nightmare. One example: In my son's room there were two front, normal- sized windows and on the side, one fixed window and one small window and window seat (no storage underneath). Without explanation, the department made us enlarge the window with the seat to twice the size, flare out the sides and put side windows in the flares. That increased our costs three times and gave us something we didn't want.

How do some of these monster over-sized houses that don't even fit into the character of the neighborhood get authorization? When these large houses or extensive remodels get the go-ahead, does the department realize how many old trees are being sacrificed?

These remodels and builders should preserve these trees. Some of the beautiful things about Los Altos are the big old trees and the classic neighborhoods. If people buy here for that, then why do they tear down the trees and houses and put in structures that are not consistent with the neighborhood?

JoAnn LauderbaughLos Altos

Councilman's actions skirted town process

On the agenda of the. Oct. 27 meeting of the Los Altos Hills Planning Commission was a request by Councilman Steve Finn for an amended variance which was filed retroactively to cover additional landscaping, grading, and retaining walls constructed and completed beyond the scope of his original variance approval.

When the original variance was granted in 1997, Mr. Finn was serving on the planning commission and was, in the capacity of his office, knowledgeable of the fact. It was illegal to go beyond the scope of the authorization initially granted for the project by the approval of the original variance.

His landscape architect stated that he cautioned Mr. Finn on the need to file an amended application for a variance before work went beyond the scope of the initial approval, but Mr. Finn advised him it would be OK.

This disregard for following legal procedures on property improvement was appropriately noted by the planning commission members who voted 4-1 (Charles Wong dissenting) to deny the application and order Mr. Finn to restore the project to the scope originally allowed in 1997. It also reveals the disdain Mr. Finn holds toward the observation of planning restrictions and his support in last year's election for diminishing the planning commission.

Now, more than ever, people who supported his election last year have cause to wonder if they cast their ballots in the wrong direction, or even if he should continue to serve in a position of trust.

William Downey

Los Altos Hills