1999 saw residents protecting turf in wake of bigger houses, schools changes
Town Crier Staff Report
On the threshold of a new century, Los Altos-area residents and officials made the most of 1999 with a flurry of newsmaking actions.
We found new faces on the Los Altos School District board and the same ones re-elected to the Los Altos City Council.
It was a year when voters said no to a utility tax increase to fund more services and yes to a $248 million bond measure to improve facilities at Foothill and De Anza colleges.
The Foothill-De Anza Community College District rode the wave of voter approval for improving schools, but many residents, in defeating the locally proposed tax hike, didn't see the need for even more taxation. Los Altos had already managed to open two new parks, fund new traffic enforcement officers, and pay for an overhaul of city computer systems and a stepped-up street repaving program.
While many residents were scoring big at their high-technology companies, the impact of their wealth didn't suit some longtime residents who saw "monster homes" pop up around established neighborhoods. The very secure, established nature of Los Altos attracted residents with young families who brought change that, for some, threatened that security.
Some residents who could afford the astronomical housing costs opted to tear down 1950s-era ranch houses to build something bigger and altogether different architecturally. The children they brought with them filled local school districts to capacity and beyond.
Increased enrollments, particularly in the Los Altos School District, forced expansion of facilities and logistical nightmares that had neighbors and parents battling over what should stay, go or be added to impacted campus sites. There was plenty to talk about: school boundary controversies at Almond, overcrowding concerns at Egan Intermediate, traffic problems at Loyola and preschool and maintenance yard questions at Covington.
Housing discussion again dominated the public forum in Los Altos Hills, as the often-contentious city council managed to compromise on something called a Fast Track ordinance. In July, the council voted 3-2 to allow applications for new homes or remodels which follow all guidelines and cause no substantive complaints from neighbors to be approved more quickly. This means bypassing the town's planning commission, a sore subject among residents.
Among other top stories in 1999:
The city of Los Altos put its first two officers dedicated to traffic enforcement on the streets Jan. 1.
The Mountain View City Council unanimously voted Jan. 26 to lease 1.6 acres of city-owned land located at the San Antonio Loop to the non-profit Community School of Music & Arts. The council's decision ended the school's two-year search for a permanent location.
The Los Altos City Council voted unanimously March 2 to change the current general density plan of 38 units-per-acre to 16 for the 2.3-acre site of Los Altos Garden Supply at El Camino Real and Sherwood Lane. In addition, the council voted to conduct a comprehensive traffic study of the area. Merchants at the Sherwood Triangle area hoped this would be the start of an economic revitalization of the city's gateway.
A Santa Clara County Sheriff's office patrol car was fired at on March 4 on Concepcion Road in Los Altos Hills. The gunman had led four different law enforcement agencies on a high-speed chase following a robbery in Woodside. The suspect shot and killed himself in San Jose, police said.
Former Los Altos Mayor David Reeder became the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors appointee to the El Camino Hospital District Board March 9. He was chosen from among 10 applicants.
Egan and Covington schools were slated to get facelifts in summer 2000 as part of the first phase of construction in the Los Altos School District. The board of trustees unanimously approved a construction schedule for the renovation of its nine schools at the March 15 meeting.
Former Times Mirror executive Richard T. Schlosberg III succeeded retiring Cole Wilbur March 23 as president and chief executive officer of the Los Altos-based Packard Foundation.
The Los Altos City Council, on March 23, approved a total of $86,000 for a consultant to work with the city as it negotiated with TCI for renewal of the city's cable television franchise.
Los Altos Hills City Manager Jeff Peterson announced his resignation in April. He served four years as the city manager and City Engineer.
He left his position to become the executive vice president of Wilsey Ham Consulting Engineers in Foster City.
Planning Director Curtis Williams later followed suit, resigning from his position in December.
Los Altos schools honored the students and teacher killed in the April 20 shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. Flags flew at half-staff and principals held emergency drills instructing students what they should do in case of an emergency, remembering warnings that "it could happen anywhere."
Tom Pamilla, the executive director of the Los Altos-Mountain View Community Services Agency, announced his resignation in late April. He had worked with the agency for 12 years.
Los Altos Hills residents were shaken when a woman attempted to kidnap an 11-year-old girl from her home on May 5.
The woman approached the home after the girl's mother left, and told the girl that she was there to pick her up.
The girl refused to open the door.
Local schools reacted to the event by holding assemblies to present basic safety tips to students.
Elayne Dauber became the mayor of Los Altos Hills on June 17. Dauber followed Bob Johnson.
In Los Altos, John Moss succeeded Lou Becker as mayor in November.
In July, the Los Altos School District received top scores in an Associated Press analysis of California standardized school test scores.
Despite a public outcry from neighbors fearing future noise, traffic and building bulk, the Los Altos City Council in July approved plans for a 14,500-square-foot multipurpose room at Miramonte School.
The Los Altos City Council unanimously voted at its Aug. 24 meeting to revoke the conditional use permit of Club Mirage on El Camino Real, which police said operated more like a nightclub than the restaurant/cocktail lounge for which it had a permit.
In Los Altos Hills, two public officials came under scrutiny when they were found in violation of town regulations for landscaping projects on their properties. Charles Wong, appointed to the town planning commission in July, was allegedly violating town building regulations by working on projects without permits.
The council considered his ouster at both September and October meetings before deciding in October to keep him on the commission. Wong supporters filled the council chambers at both meetings, perhaps influencing the council actions.
Councilman Steve Finn, meanwhile, was criticized for going beyond the scope of a use permit for a project on his property. He applied for a variance after the fact. In both cases, Wong and Finn were asked to resolve their problems with town staff.
Wong's situation, in particular, gained considerable publicity when neighbor Mildred Gallo, frustrated with council action, erected a large sign in Chinese lettering facing Wong's back yard. Wong took offense, charges of racism arose, and the town council asked that the sign be taken down.
Amid the bickering, Los Altos Hills officials welcomed a new city manager, Mark Miller, in September.
Miller has worked in public service in the city of Larkspur, and most recently as the general manager of the Tamalpais Community Services District. Councilman Bill Siegel announced his intention to leave in January, paving the way for a March 7, 2000 election to fill the seat.
After Sept. 30, street corners along El Camino Real in Los Altos were bereft of the usual 50 to 100 day workers, thanks to a new ordinance. The police department began enforcing the city ordinance that forbids soliciting work between people in vehicles and workers in the public right of way.