July 12, 2022
The City Council discussed the 2023-2031 Sixth Cycle Housing Element, part of the City’s General Plan to establish policy for future development. Nick Zornes, the City’s development services director, noted that the 30-day public testimony time to review the draft is completed Sunday, July 31. He submits the document in August to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), and the HCD has ninety days to review and return the document for any further amendments.
Zornes and the consultants for the Housing Element say the City of Los Altos is obliged to make major changes in zoning and to identify programs and policies in the Housing Element document submitted. It must include an amendment to the parking requirements for the downtown area by 2024 and removal of barriers to build more housing. The consultants recommend combining the Design Review Commission and Planning Commission to facilitate the changes needed to comply with the Housing Element.
Of written comments, there were suggestions for vacant lots in Los Altos to use for housing, discussion of which parking lots would be good to use for housing, concerns for the priority of bicycle transportation and safe storage in multi-family buildings, and opposition to combining the Planning and Design Review Commissions.
August 23, 2022
The city council approved the Prometheus Real Estate Group’s project at 5150 El Camino Real that includes 172 rental apartments and 24 townhouses, of which there are 29 below market rate units (BMR). The project meets California Density Bonus modifications. No further review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is required for the project.
The council considered questions about the final number of BMRs and their placement throughout the complex, the modifications for ingress and egress from the building complex, and an agreement for building a public park next to the complex. Public comment recommended adding combat veterans to the Los Altos priority categories for accepting applications for the affordable units.
Claire Noonan, Observer