By Elizabeth Cloutman

In a surprise move Thursday evening, the Los Altos Hills City Council tabled a zoning ordinance revision that has been the subject of months of public debate. The controversial revision, often called the Fenwick formula, potentially could have doubled the allowable size of homes and lot development on all home sites.

“I’m going to ask that the Fenwick formula be tabled,” said Mayor Steve Finn. “The change was probably more than we should bite off at one time.”

Instead the city council voted 3-2 to adopt the negative environmental declaration for the constrained lot ordinance at its June 7 meeting. Approving the negative declaration is the first step toward adopting a constrained lot ordinance revision.

The revised ordinance would increase the allowable size of homes on constrained lots from 4,000 to 5,000 square feet and lot development from 6,000 to 7,500 square feet. This revision would apply to about 70 percent of the town’s home sites, according to Planning Director Carl Cahill..

Council Members Emily Cheng and Mike O’Malley were the dissenting votes on the council.

Finn also formed a site development committee to do a detailed study of the lot unit factor (LUF), development and drainage. Finn requested that the committee present an initial report to the council in September.