By Scott Wong

Los Altos Hills

Los Altos Hills Mayor Bob Fenwick said the media missed the real story in the planning commission’s Sept. 12 decision concerning the unlawful razing of the landmark Winbigler home and called it a “multimillion-dollar ruling.”

Although the commission hit homeowners Maria Ligeti and Gordon Campbell with the maximum $27,000 fine, Fenwick said the biggest blow to the couple’s pocketbook will come in the form of a structural redesign of the home ordered by the commission to fit within the town’s 32-foot height regulations. Previously, the homeowners had agreed to incorporate the 1926 French Provincial-style home, named after the Winbigler familly, into their plans in return for a height variance of 35 feet.

“All the newspapers are talking about the fine - they totally missed the point,” Fenwick said. “To have to redesign that project is a multimillion dollar ruling by the planning commission, far overshadowing the $20,000 fine.”

Though the homeowners had submitted an appeal before the Oct. 3 deadline, Fenwick said council “continued” discussion on the appeal during that meeting. The case will not be heard until the Nov. 7 meeting, after council steers through the issue of town pathways.

“If council upholds our decision then Campbell-Ligeti would have to submit a new plan to the commission,” said Planning Commissioner Janet Vitu. “We would then approve it or deny it.”