By How did they vote?

I agree with your editorial of July 18 criticizing the Loyola Corners development, but I do not understand why you did not print the votes cast by the city council. The best way to improve the performance of the council is to show their voting records and let the voters decide who is serving the people of Los Altos and who is serving the local real estate developers and the ideologues in Sacramento.

Jim BleakleyLos Altos

Editor’s note: The council voted unanimously to go with the project, dependent on a host of conditions the developer needs to meet.

A plan to ruin our town

I am a longtime resident of Los Altos (off and on, mostly on since 1957). I am so disappointed in this city council it makes me hurt inside. That horrible Rambus building evidently was just the first step in a long term plan to ruin our town. Why are they doing this? I am suspicious by nature, and this new deal at Loyola Corners stinks to high heaven. 6,000 square feet … what are they thinking? It is my opinion that we need to vote these people out of office as soon as possible, while Los Altos can still be saved!

M.C. BesseyLos Altos

Why no mention before decision?

We are outraged at the city council decision to disregard the Loyola Corners Specific Plan, wasting $78,000 on a study that was junked.

As residents of the neighborhood, we participated many years ago in a number of citizen advisory meetings regarding the establishment of a plan, yet we were never notified that the issue was going to be voted on by the council.

Why wasn’t mention made of this in the Town Crier BEFORE the meeting so that interested residents could attend?

Your editorial raised important issues, but too late. It was clearly a political decision motivated by corporate (Marriott) politics, money and clout; made without considering the wishes of residents, and we question why. If the plan was outdated, they should have taken the time to update it.

Jill and Paul CheslerLos Altos

Another costly plan to be ignored?

It seems odd. The city complains that it is short of money because the voters rejected an increase in the utility tax. Now the Crier reports that the city is going to pay a consultant almost a quarter-million dollars to update the city’s general plan. Of course, that consultant will have to coordinate with the planning department and the council. I would like an explanation why the city staff and the council can’t do the jobs themselves?

At the same time, the council busts the Loyola Corners Specific Plan. Now they claim it is out of date. It is not the first time. The new Beacon gas station violated all that specific plan. The central building in the parking lot was approved for retail below and office above. With no notice, that was changed to allow apartments above and nonretail below. Moreover, the proposed one-story retail became garages for the apartments. The specific plan did not allow that. That specific plan was done by a $78,000 consultant.

Why then pay a quarter-million dollars to do something that will probably be ignored when convenient?

Let staff, council, and their lawyer do it, save the money, and relieve the burden on the taxpayers?

Charles Halleck

Los Altos