By Elizabeth Cloutman

Development area

The council scheduled a public hearing on a proposed ordinance that would revise the definition of net lot area.

The LUF formula uses net lot area measurements to calculate the amount of floor and development area allowed on residential sites.

The current ordinance defines net area as “the gross area, less panhandles and all public and private easements for vehicular access within the lot.”

After a discussion during the May 17 meeting, the council agreed that the lot unit factor should be calculated based on the actual gross area of the lot, excluding only panhandles and paved or otherwise impervious portions of public and private easements for vehicular access rather than the entire easement area.

Easements created primarily for emergency access are excluded in both definitions.

A staff report by Planning Director Carl Cahill noted that while the town’s standard right-of-way width is 60 feet, most paved road and driveway surfaces in Los Altos Hills are considerably less than 60 feet in width.

“The strict application of the current net area definition can result in noticeable reductions to allowable floor …

“and development areas for some lots since the lot unit factor is calculated using net area,” Cahill wrote.

Utilities

Two abiding concerns of Los Altos Hills residents - the amount of floor and development area allowed by the lot unit factor (LUF) formula - and underground utilities - are on the agenda for Thursday’s Los Altos Hills City Council meeting.

Council member Bob Fenwick is slated to present his interim plan for initiating the underground placement of existing utility wires.

Fenwick in a written brief proposed that the town provide up to 50 percent of the expenses incurred by a neighborhood in placing utility lines underground, with a limit of $500,000 per project.

Los Altos Hills residents have traditionally obtained infrastructure improvements at their own expense.

Fenwick noted what he believes are the advantages of his proposal: the placement of existing utility lines underground could commence within a few years and the town would not need to prioritize projects.

In order to initiate the program, Fenwick said, the council would have to create a budget item for the underground project and direct the staff and attorney to develop specific procedures by which neighborhoods could apply for and implement projects that would qualify for financial “and probably” engineering assistance from the town.