The Los Altos Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on a use permit, design review and variances for a new hotel at the Four Seasons site, 4320 El Camino Real.
The hearing is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Thursday, in city hall, 1 N. San Antonio Road, Los Altos.
Developers of the project include Los Altos residents Oliver Lin and John Challas, two who had worked on the Tree Farm project, also on El Camino Real, until it was sold last October.
For this new project, they hope to have a Marriott hotel, facing El Camino Real, on the site of the current Four Seasons Motor Inn, the only hotel currently in Los Altos.
St. William Church multipurpose room
The Los Altos City Council, at its Nov. 22 meeting, approved a design review for a new multipurpose room for St. William Church, located on El Monte Avenue in Los Altos.
The church is funding the 8,918-square-foot one-story building with proceeds from the sale of its school and land at 401 Rosita Ave., which the city bought in 1996 for recreational use.
"I'm glad the money is going to a multipurpose room," said Councilman Francis La Poll.
John Giannotti, a member of St. William and chairman of the finance committee, told the council that the design "is suitable for our future." When the church sold its school site, it lost its hall. This new facility now "meets current and future needs," Giannotti said.
Grant Road and underground utilities
Underground utilities will be coming to Grant Road, from Foothill Expressway to Estate Drive.
At its Nov. 22 meeting, the Los Altos City Council approved an underground utility district project.
The benefits are "aesthetics and public safety," said Jim Porter, assistant public works director for Los Altos.
The project will move existing overhead wires owned by PG&E, Pacific Bell and TCI/AT&T Cable underground. High voltage transmission lines on Grant Road will remain as they are too costly to put underground, Porter said.
Seven homes along Grant Road are affected. The city will pay for the work on non-commercial properties, at a cost of about $1,300 per home. When homes are built on the two lots at the corner of Grant and Fremont roads, the developer will be required to put the utilities underground, Porter said.
The estimated cost of $900,000 for the project will come from funds already allocated for these kinds of projects by PG&E and the other utilities. The funding will be available in 2000/01 for the work, Porter said.
The city will hold a public hearing about the project Jan. 11, 2000.
$20,000 for consultant for Civic Center review
The Los Altos City Council approved $20,000, at its Nov. 22 meeting, to hire a consultant to work with the Civic Center Master Plan Task Force. This group will be convened to look at the site, which includes city hall, the police department, the library, History House, the Hillview Community Center, Bus Barn Theatre and some playing fields.
The funds for the consultant will come from the city's capital projects fund reserve that is designated for future capital projects.
- Joanne Griffith Domingue