By Joan Garvin

Town Crier Correspondent

The Los Altos City Council reviewed and received strong resident feedback on controversial plans for affordable housing at the Loyola Corners business district last week then established guidelines for setbacks and density.

The mixed-use project, presented May 22 by Associate Planner David Kornfield, proposes developing the 23,500-square-foot property, currently a Bank of America parking lot bordered by Lorraine, Maple and Fremont avenues. The proposal includes a 6,000-square-foot office building and three multifunction “affordable housing” living units, serviced by an underground garage. Council heard from 15 public speakers and 111 petition signers on the issue. Many of the speakers, who live nearby, were opposed to the proposed design, emphasizing that it is not affordable housing they object to, but the density of the specific proposal. They said the design conflicts with the Specific Plan for Loyola Corners.

The project is “completely inconsistent with Loyola Corners,” Fiona Sander said. Susan Younkin of the League of Woman Voters of the Los Altos-Mountain View Area, urged the council to approve the eight very low income and the four low income buildings.

“The league encourages (you) to approve affordable housing and asks that local school teachers (be) given priority,” she said.

After more than four hours of debate, the council sent the plans back to the commission with their recommendations: the setback from Fremont Avenue should be required; allow 8-12 units at the Fremont Avenue site; close Maple Lane as a public street.

Marge Gratiot, superintendent of the Los Altos School District, in an April 2 letter encouraged “the development in the City of affordable housing units that would be available to our teachers and other salaried staff members.”

Based on the current teacher salary scale and the requirements for affordable housing, teachers would exceed the very-low housing requirements but could be eligible for the low-housing.